Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Staglin family for their ongoing and unparalleled efforts to improve the lives of the hundreds of millions of individuals across the world living with mental illness. Garen, Shari, Brandon, and Shannon Staglin have made the fight against mental illness their collective mission and have approached the awesome challenge of combating these difficult disorders with a strong and organized effort that is at once inspirational and transformative.

In 16 years, the Staglin's non-profit International Mental Health Research Organization, IMHRO, and the Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health have raised over $116 million for mental health research. The mission of IMHRO is to alleviate human suffering from mental illness by funding scientific research into the causes, prevention and new treatments of mental disorders. IMHRO produces, supports and builds awareness for fundraising events to raise money for mental health research, directs funding to the most promising research by soliciting and selecting proposals for prevention, treatment and cure of mental disorders, collaborates with affiliate organizations, people and events worldwide to raise and direct funding and minimize duplication of scientific effort, and works to build awareness of scientific achievements and possibilities. Recently, the Staglins have taken the lead in the organization of the Next Frontier Initiative to design and implement a 10-year collaborative neuroscience research effort for the benefit of soldiers and veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD.

The efforts of the Staglin family have changed the landscape of how the country approaches mental illness, and are illustrative of the ability of a few dedicated people to truly change the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Steven E. Hyman for his service to the academic, scientific, and cultural life of the United States. As Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from 1996-2001, Dr. Hyman was instrumental in transforming the way the nation understands, treats, and responds to mental illness. Under Dr. Hyman's leadership, the NIMH became a world leader in genetic, biological, and neuroscientific research to improve the lives of the tens of millions of Americans living with mental illness. Since 2001, Dr. Hyman has served as Provost of Harvard University, where his innovative leadership helped usher America's oldest university into the new millennium with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Additionally, Dr. Hyman's role in strengthening the museums, libraries, and cultural institutions of Harvard University has strengthened the rich cultural life of the United States as a whole.

Dr. Hyman is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He has received awards for public service from the U.S. Government and from patient advocacy groups such as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the National Mental Health Association. Across the country and over the world, he has lectured on topics ranging from genes, brain, and behavior to the stigma of mental illness. Dr. Hyman is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the American College of Psychiatrists. He has served on scientific advisory boards nationally and internationally including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Riken Brain Sciences Institute in Japan, and the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Germany. He is currently Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Next Frontier Initiative, a new endeavor to design and implement a 10-year collaborative neuroscience research effort for the benefit of soldiers and veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD.

As Dr. Hyman prepares to transition from his position as Provost of Harvard University, we honor his legacy as a national leader in science and academia and look forward to his continued contributions to American life.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Mrs. Terri Alford to the U.S. House of Representatives. For 16 years Mrs. Alford has approached her service to the Congress with a professionalism, dedication, and joy that has inspired hundreds of staff and interns and undoubtedly improved the institution of Congress itself. Mrs. Alford's patriotism, love of the arts, and good humor enlivened the U.S. House of Representatives, and her infectious enthusiasm and good nature were a gift for all who had the pleasure of working with her. As Mrs. Alford prepares for retirement to spend more time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, we thank her for her dedicated service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Mrs. Kathy Hinckley to the U.S. House of Representatives

and to the constituents of Rhode Island's first district. A tireless worker, Mrs. Hinckley has long been a powerful advocate for those in need. Her love of country, compassion, and loyalty are a shining example to all future public servants. As Mrs. Hinckley prepares to transition to the next phase of her incredible career, we remember her dedicated service to the U.S. House of Representatives and offer gratitude on behalf of the thousands of Rhode Islander's whose lives she touched.

Madam Speaker, I rise today for the purpose of recognizing ``Buddy'' Frank DiPaolo, Jr. Earlier this year, Buddy Frank retired at the age of 103 from his position as the doorkeeper at the Rhode Island House of Representatives, where he served for the past 32 years.

Not only has Buddy been an exemplary public servant for the State of Rhode Island, but I have been fortunate enough to have known him as a friend and mentor throughout my adult life. I first met Buddy Frank over 25 years ago when he owned the Castle Spa restaurant and I was an undergraduate at Providence College. Throughout my career, dating back to when I first sought elected office in the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1988, I have turned to Buddy to be one of my most trusted and reliable advisors. I've been honored to be his ``number one buddy,'' but even more blessed to be treated as his ``third son.''

I consider Buddy's family to be my own; his wife, Eugenia, his four children, Thomas, Claire, Evelyn, and Richard, his sixteen grandchildren, Susan, Steven, Robert, Kathleen, Cheryl, John, Erin, Robin, Kevin, Paul, Pamela, Mark, Claudia, Kristen, Lynn, and Laura, and eighteen grandchildren, Catherine, Michael, Abigail, Katelyn, Jessica, Bryan, William, Tyler, Zackery, Gillian, Seamus, Campbell, Rory, Damian, Gian, Jacqueline, Nicholas, and Timothy. They are all truly blessed to have a patriarch in the truest sense in Buddy Frank, and I thank them for the opportunity to share him as a positive influence in my life.

Buddy Frank will be turning 104 years old on December 24, 2010, and I wish him a happy birthday. I also wish him all the best in his future endeavors. He will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Donald L. Carcieri, Governor of the State of Rhode Island, for his remarkable leadership in the Ocean State. Governor Carcieri will conclude his second term as Governor in January after serving two incredible terms. His record of public service and advocacy for the people of Rhode Island is simply unmatched.

Governor Carcieri was inaugurated as Rhode Island's 57th Governor on January 7, 2003. A native Rhode Island resident, his election followed a career in business that was capped with his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of Cookson America and Joint Managing Director of Cookson Group Worldwide. He retired from that position in 1997.

Governor Carcieri, born December 16, 1942, was the first of Nicola and Marguerite Carcieri's five children. The family lived in East Greenwich where Nicola Carcieri was a beloved teacher and coach at the town high school. As a family man with four children and fourteen grandchildren, ten of whom live in Rhode Island, Governor Carcieri has always taken an active interest in what is going on in his community and the state.

Governor Carcieri has been instrumental in preserving the historic face of Providence: at his urging, the former Providence train station became the headquarters of Cookson America. The company offices overlooked Burnside Park on one side and the Rhode Island State House on the other. He exhibited unwavering leadership during the tragic Station nightclub fire and during the state's disastrous floods. He memorialized Rhode Island's heroes who fell during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I wish Don all the best in his future endeavors. He will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Philip Johnston, Chair of the Board of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, for his stewardship in the opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools Complex in Los Angeles, California on September 13, 2010. Named after U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, my uncle, the schools are devoted to social justice. Phil's work on behalf of the young people of Los Angeles is simply remarkable.

The 24-acre, $578 million schools complex on Wilshire Boulevard consists of six different schools for grades kindergarten to 12, with more than 4,000 students, the vast majority of them from Latino and low-income neighborhoods. Philip, 85, was a driving force behind the project, which was fraught with obstacles from the start, including Donald Trump's plans to build five towers at the site, one of them 125 stories tall. Later, Wal-Mart wanted to put a store there.

Senator Kennedy's commitment to social justice is evident throughout the campus with murals, quotations and similar exhibits.

Originally designed as a large, comprehensive K-12 school that would house more than 2,400 students, the school district determined in 2008 that the facility would host wall-to-wall pilot schools, which opened this fall. Pilot schools are innovative small schools that have charter-like autonomy over their budget, curriculum and assessment, governance, schedule and staffing, but are part of the public school system.

Among the new school's many features is a 500-seat auditorium and cafe at the site of the old Coconut Grove nightclub, built adjacent to the hotel in the 1920s, where LA's rich and famous would go to party. Howard Hughes was a regular there and several Academy Awards events were held there during the 1930s.

Groundbreaking on the new schools took place four years ago.

Phil has been instrumental in the improvement of public education in Los Angeles. I wish him all the best as he continues his important work on behalf of young people. He will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Major General Robert T. Bray for his stewardship in Rhode Island's Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery Program--Priority to Veterans. His contributions have been vital to the success of this program. His work with this important issue is simply unmatched.

Rhode Island's Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery Program--Priority to Veterans addresses the needs of individuals with mental illness such as post traumatic stress disorder and trauma related disorders involved in the justice system. In recognition of the dramatically higher prevalence of trauma related disorders among veterans, this program prioritizes eligibility for veterans.

General Bray assumed the duties as The Adjutant General and the Commanding general of the Rhode Island National Guard on 17 February 2006. As The Adjutant General, he is responsible for the mission readiness of all Rhode Island National Guard units for both federal and state missions.

General Bray joined the South Dakota National Guard in December 1971. He received his commission as a Field Artillery officer through the South Dakota Military Academy in 1974. Prior to this assignment, General Bray served as the Deputy Commanding General, Army National Guard, United States Army Field Artillery Center, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In that capacity he served as the advisor to, and as the personal representative of, the Commanding General (CG) for all Army National Guard Field Artillery matters.

General Bray has been instrumental in advancing Rhode Island's correctional institutions. I wish him all the best as he continues his important work on behalf of our nation's heroes, our veterans. He will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Maria Shriver, First Lady of the State of California and my first cousin for her work with her Women's Conference and Alzheimer's advocacy. Her work for those suffering from this disease is truly remarkable.

Cousin Maria is a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend, who proudly serves as the First Lady of California. An award-winning journalist and best-selling author, Maria has transformed the office of First Lady by approaching it not simply as a role, but as a job with real purpose and a platform to make a difference. Maria became California's First Lady when her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, became the 38th Governor of California on November 17, 2003.

From day one, Maria made the position her own by combining her journalist's eye for the needs of real people, with a deeply ingrained passion for service and activism, and a creative entrepreneurial spirit and vision that embraces bold ideas. She has used her voice to advocate on behalf of women, the working poor, the intellectually disabled and families struggling with Alzheimer's.

Maria has created groundbreaking programs and initiatives that educate, enlist, empower, connect, and honor people who are what she calls ``Architects of Change'' in their own lives and in the lives of others. Under a banner called WE, the WE programs have been successful in motivating people to get involved and unite across gender, economic, and party lines.

Under Maria's leadership, The California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women--an element of the WE Empower program--has grown into the Nation's premier forum for women, with more than 14,000 attendees every year since 2004. The conference encourages women to become ``Architects of Change'' in their own lives, in their communities, and in the country--and teaches them how. Hundreds of world opinion leaders and newsmakers have spoken at the conference, including Oprah Winfrey, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright, Barbara Walters, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bono, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Beyond her role as First Lady, Maria has announced a project called ``A Woman's Nation.'' This multi-faceted project, in partnership with the Center for American Progress and the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center of Communication Leadership and Policy, will take a new, empirical look at the status of American women, who, for the first time,

will make up half of the nation's workforce. The preliminary survey will be released in the fall, followed by a book.

Maria is also a vocal advocate for families that--like her own--are struggling with Alzheimer's disease. She was Executive Producer of The Alzheimer's Project, a groundbreaking four-part documentary series that premiered on HBO and won two Emmy Awards. One of the films, ``Grandpa, Do you Know Who I Am?'' is based on Maria's best-selling children's book dealing with Alzheimer's.

Maria also executive-produced the critically acclaimed ``American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver.'' The documentary aired on PBS and chronicled the life, accomplishments, and vision of her father, Sargent Shriver. Maria serves on the advisory board of the Sargent Shriver Peace Institute, which raises public awareness of her father's legacy as a peace builder and offers educational and training programs grounded in the principles of public service that motivate the many programs he created, including the Peace Corps, Job Corps, Head Start, and Legal Services for the Poor. In addition, she serves on the advisory board of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, a new institute that will serve as a national resource for the most current research and scientific information for the treatment of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases.

With a career in journalism spanning more than 2 decades, Maria has been a network news correspondent and anchor for CBS and NBC, winning Peabody and Emmy Awards. She is the author of six New York Times best- selling books. Maria is also a small business owner. In February of 2008, she launched an ice cream company called Lovin' Scoopful in supermarkets around the country. A portion of the proceeds from Lovin' Scoopful benefits the Special Olympics and other charities.

Maria is a graduate of Georgetown University, with a degree in American Studies. She and Governor Schwarzenegger have four children-- Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher. Maria says, ``When all is said and done, my main goal in life is to raise children who feel they are deeply loved . . . children who are kind, compassionate and aware of the world around them. If I can do that, I will consider myself a success.''

I wish Maria the best as she continues her important work on behalf of those with Alzheimer's. She will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with her.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Paul Schrade on the occasion of the dedication of a library in his honor at the Robert F. Kennedy Schools Complex in Los Angeles, California on September 13, 2010. Named after U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, my uncle, the schools are devoted to social justice. Paul was one of the five people wounded the night Senator Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel, where the Schools Complex is located.

Paul, a close friend and campaign staffer, was right behind Senator Kennedy when shots rang out shortly after RFK's victory speech following the California Democratic presidential primary on June 5, 1968.

The 24-acre, $578 million schools complex on Wilshire Boulevard consists of six different schools for grades kindergarten to 12, with more than 4,000 students, the vast majority of them from Latino and low-income neighborhoods. Paul, 85, was a driving force behind the project, which was fraught with obstacles from the start, including Donald Trump's plans to build five towers at the site, one of them 125 stories tall. Later, Wal-Mart wanted to put a store there.

Senator Kennedy's commitment to social justice is evident throughout the campus with murals, quotations and similar exhibits.

Originally designed as a large, comprehensive K-12 school that would house more than 2,400 students, the school district determined in 2008 that the facility would host wall-to-wall pilot schools, which opened this fall. Pilot schools are innovative small schools that have charter-like autonomy over their budget, curriculum and assessment, governance, schedule and staffing, but are part of the public school system.

Among the new school's many features is a 500-seat auditorium and cafe at the site of the old Coconut Grove nightclub, built adjacent to the hotel in the 1920s, where LA's rich and famous would go to party. Howard Hughes was a regular there and several Academy Awards events were held there during the 1930s.

Groundbreaking on the new schools took place four years ago.

Paul has been instrumental in the improvement of public education in Los Angeles. His lifelong mission, since RFK's death, has been to perpetuate the best of what Kennedy stood for. I wish Paul all the best as he continues his important work on behalf of young people. He will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for his remarkable work on environmental issues.

Cousin Bobby serves as Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper organization, and President of Waterkeeper Alliance which he founded in 1999. He is also a Clinical Professor and Supervising Attorney at Pace University School of Law's Environmental Litigation Clinic, and is co- host of the Ring of Fire radio program. Earlier in his career he served as Assistant District Attorney in New York City.

Bobby is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply. The New York City watershed agreement, which he negotiated on behalf of environmentalists and New York City watershed consumers, is regarded as an international model in stakeholder consensus negotiations and sustainable development. He has also worked on environmental issues across the Americas and has assisted several indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in successfully negotiating treaties protecting traditional homelands.

Bobby is a noted author and was named one of Time magazine's ``Heroes for the Planet'' for his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn over 190 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe. He is a graduate of Harvard University, studied at the London School of Economics, and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. Following graduation he attended Pace University School of Law, where he was awarded a Master's Degree in Environmental Law.

Bobby has been instrumental in advancing numerous environmental causes. I wish him all the best as he continues his important work on behalf of our natural resources. He will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ashbel T. ``A.T.'' Wall, II for his stewardship in Rhode Island's Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery Program--Priority to Veterans. His contributions have been vital to the success of this program. His work with this important issue is simply unmatched.

Rhode Island's Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery Program--Priority to Veterans addresses the needs of individuals with mental illness such as post traumatic stress disorder and trauma related disorders involved in the justice system. In recognition of the dramatically higher prevalence of trauma related disorders among veterans, this program prioritizes eligibility for veterans.

Director Wall was appointed director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections in March 2000. Prior to his appointment he served in the capacity of Assistant Director of Administration since 1987. He was Interim Director from October 1999--February 2000. Director Wall is the first native Rhode Islander and first employee from within departmental ranks to lead the agency in 22 years.

As director, Wall oversees a comprehensive correctional agency encompassing every aspect of Rhode Island's adult correctional system: jails, prisons, probation, parole, transitional housing and home confinement. He is responsible for setting policy direction and supervising all operations for a department that manages about 3500 pretrial and sentenced inmates in eight institutions and 27,000 offenders on probation, parole and community confinement. The budget totals approximately $160 million and its staff complement is 1,600.

In addition to his departmental duties, Director Wall serves on numerous state and national commissions on a wide range of topics including institutional security, prison overcrowding, racial disparity and probation and parole. He is a member of state's Information Resources Management Board, which sets policy for the state's management information systems development.

He has also served as an expert witness for the Federal District Court in the areas of correctional administration and inmate management (security issues, classification and gangs) for major litigation on conditions of confinement in Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's correctional institutions (1994-1999).

Director Wall has been instrumental in advancing Rhode Island's correctional institutions. I wish him all the best as he continues his important work on behalf our nation's heroes, our veterans. He will continue to carry

my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ethel Kennedy, my aunt, upon the occasion of the 2010 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award ceremony. This ceremony highlighted the abuses in Mexico and honored local hero Abel Barrera Hernandez, founder and director of the Tlachinollan Center, for his courageous defense of the rights of rural and indigenous people living in Guerrero State in southern Mexico. Aunt Ethel's work with the Human Rights Award is truly remarkable.

Aunt Ethel has been instrumental in advancing human rights. I wish her all the best as she continues this important work. She will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with her.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rory Kennedy, my cousin, for delivering the keynote address at the opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools Complex in Los Angeles, California on September 13, 2010. Named after U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Rory's father and my uncle, the schools are devoted to social justice. Rory's work on behalf of the young people of Los Angeles is simply remarkable.

On September 13, the six pilot schools that make up the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools Complex began instructing students in grades kindergarten through 12 on its campus located in the Pico-Union/Korea Town neighborhood of Los Angeles. The schools are located on the site of the former Ambassador Hotel and because of the historic nature of the site, there were legal challenges to converting the site to a school. Community members and organizations, including RFK-12, came together to advocate for a local school. In 2005, the Los Angeles Unified School District School Board and Superintendent Roy Romer appointed the Robert F. Kennedy Commission to provide recommendations on how to memorialize Senator Kennedy's life. The commission was chaired by former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, and included a number of civic leaders.

The Commission's major recommendation called for a social justice theme to permeate the curriculum, extending from kindergarten through high school that would reflect Senator Kennedy's commitment throughout his public life.

The schools activities include: the creation of a foundation guided by an Advisory Committee that will help to fund social-justice related activities and act as a resource for the schools on establishing relationships with community service groups outside the school locally and in the larger world, a speakers program, a fellows program that will bring emerging and established leaders to the school, and the creation of a public park recalling the inspirational speeches by the Senator and others.

The pilot schools are innovative small schools that have charter-like autonomy over their budget, curriculum and assessment, governance, schedule and staffing, but are part of the public school system.

Rory has been instrumental in the improvement of public education in Los Angeles. I wish her all the best as she continues her important work on behalf of young people. She will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with her.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Summer Kennedy, my cousin, for her stewardship in the opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools Complex in Los Angeles, California on September 13, 2010. Named after U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Summer's father and my uncle, the schools are devoted to social justice. Summer's work on behalf of the young people of Los Angeles is simply remarkable.

On September 13, the six pilot schools that make up the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools Complex began instructing students in grades kindergarten through 12th on its campus located in the Pico-Union/Korea Town neighborhood of Los Angeles. The schools are located on the site of the former Ambassador Hotel and because of the historic nature of the site, there were legal challenges to converting the site to a school. Community members and organizations, including RFK-12, came together to advocate for a local school. In 2005, the Los Angeles Unified School District School Board and Superintendent Roy Romer appointed the Robert F. Kennedy Commission to provide recommendations on how to memorialize Senator Kennedy's life. The commission was chaired by former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, and included a number of civic leaders.

The Commission's major recommendation called for a social justice theme to permeate the curriculum, extending from kindergarten through high school that would reflect Senator Kennedy's commitment throughout his public life.

The schools activities include: the creation of a foundation guided by an Advisory Committee that will help to fund social-justice related activities and act as a resource for the schools on establishing relationships with community service groups outside the school locally and in the larger world, a speakers program, a fellows program that will bring emerging and established leaders to the school, and the creation of a public park recalling the inspirational speeches by the Senator and others.

The pilot schools are innovative small schools that have charter-like autonomy over their budget, curriculum and assessment, governance, schedule and staffing, but are part of the public school system.

Summer has been instrumental in the improvement of public education in Los Angeles. I wish her all the best as she continues her important work on behalf of young people. She will continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with her.