Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House passed H.R. 4376, the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Massachusetts Act of 2005. This legislation authorizes the National Park Service to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf of the superb Springfield Technical Community College.

The Springfield Armory Museum is home to Longfellow's famous gun rack which inspired the arsenal at Springfield, home to the Springfield rifle, the Gerrand rifle, the site of Shay's rebellion and located on the Knox Trail which General Knox used and traversed as he moved to Boston and Dorchester for those fateful days of the American Revolution.

This legislation seeks to recognize and update the partnership between the Park Service and the college by authorizing the Park Service to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Commonwealth to provide financial assistance to the college for the purpose of maintaining, preserving, renovating and rehabilitating many of the historic structures within the Springfield National Historic Site.

This is a very important piece of legislation, Mr. Speaker, and it actually will allow a cooperative agreement to take place that will transform the complexion of what is also the site of the famous Olmstead Papers. I am grateful for this recognition that the House offered yesterday on behalf of these two individual sites.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, this marks the 10th anniversary of the passage of the 1996 welfare bill, a measure I voted for. And the legislation certainly was not perfect, but the system that it supplanted

was even worse. Ten years on, instead of having a pep rally for TANF, I think what we ought to be doing is having a serious conversation about whether the program is being implemented in a way that effectively and realistically moves everyone who can work into a job so that they might support their family.

With Bill Clinton, the TANF program rightly demanded that able-bodied people do everything possible to find and keep a job. But it also recognized the fact that single moms needed help with child care and transportation in order to successfully and permanently transition out of public assistance. So the Clinton budgets provided that traditional assistance.

The Clinton budgets also made enforcement of child support payments a top priority, which gleaned billions of dollars, that pulled thousands of women and children out of poverty. Bill Clinton insisted on an increase in the minimum wage and an expanded earned income tax credit, which helped people earning the lowest wages support themselves.

And the results spoke for themselves. Even as welfare caseloads dropped, poverty rates fell for every year that Bill Clinton was in office. So what has happened in the last 5 years? Child care, cut. Food stamps, cut. Medicaid, cut. Child support enforcement, cut.

So it is a disappointment but not a surprise that poverty rates are once again on the rise. According to the Census Bureau in 2004, there were 13 million children living under the poverty line. Almost one American child in five grows up in a family that cannot pay for the bare essentials of life like food, shelter, and clothing.

How can we let this happen? Today I want people to listen to this. Today a minimum wage worker in America who puts in 40 hours a week and never takes a vacation day, listen to this, they earn, at minimum wage, $10,700 a year before taxes.

That is not enough for a single mother with one child to clear the poverty line. But I think it is the new face of compassionate conservatism. That is a full-time working mom who cannot possibly make ends meet for herself and her child. One in five kids in this country grows up in poverty.

The welfare bill was supposed to counteract these trends, and when Bill Clinton was in office it was doing a good job. But the programs that helped welfare reform demonstrate progress like child support enforcement, child care assistance, have been eviscerated by this Congress and this administration. But we always have time here for tax cuts for rich people. If we cannot take care of Paris Hilton, who can? This welfare bill was a good start, and if properly implemented, it was during the Clinton years, we would still be on the path to reform.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4376, the ``Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Massachusetts Act of 2005.'' This legislation authorizes the National Park Service to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf of Springfield Technical Community College.

Over 30 years ago, in 1974, my predecessor, Congressman Edward Boland, and Senator Kennedy were successful in creating the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. This Boland-Kennedy legislation set in motion three decades of cooperation between the National Park Service, which manages the armory museum, and Springfield Technical Community College.

The National Park Service and Springfield Technical Community College are neighbors that together occupy the National Historic Site.

The Springfield Armory was the first national armory in the United States. In fact, the armory was founded in 1777, when the site was selected as the location for a magazine and laboratory for the development, production, and storage of guns and powder during the American Revolution.

Following the American Revolutionary War, in 1794 Congress officially established the Springfield Armory. George Washington visited the site, which also happened to be the site of Shay's Rebellion. For much of the 19th century, the Springfield Armory developed, manufactured and supplied most of the small arms used by the United States armed services. The Springfield Armory National Historic Site has a rich heritage that is an integral part of our Nation's history.

In 1968 the armory was deactivated as a military installation and in 1974 Congress established the National Historic Site. The National Park Service has operated the armory museum on these grounds, and it houses the most outstanding and historically significant arms collection in the country.

The future and fate of both the armory museum and Springfield Technical Community College are inextricably linked. Many of the historic buildings on the site are actually located on the college's property, not National Park Service land, although a visitor to the campus would not be able to tell where NPS property ends and college property begins.

The land outside the portion of the site administered by NPS is known as the ``Preservation Control Area.'' These college-owned buildings are subject to strict architectural and preservation rules. Many of these historic buildings owned by the college must be preserved and maintained pursuant to standards defined by the Secretary of the Interior. But these historic buildings are in a state of great disrepair and the college cannot easily move to maintain and preserve them absent the full participation of the Park Service. Not only does this deterioration of the facilities hurt the college, but also undermines the attractiveness of the National Park Service area, including the armory museum.

My legislation seeks to recognize and update the partnership that has existed over these many years between the Park Service and the college by authorizing the Park Service to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Commonwealth for NPS to provide financial assistance to the college for the purpose of maintaining, preserving, renovating, and rehabilitating the many historic structures within the Springfield Armory National Historic Site.

The Park Service frequently enters into such cooperative agreements where the object of the agreement is of direct benefit to the Park Service and its mission or for other public purposes. If these great historic buildings on the site can be renovated with the assistance of the Park Service, it will bring forward a more vibrant and attractive historic site and museum. The Park Service and the college will be able to partner on many joint educational ventures that utilize these revitalized historic facilities.

The Springfield Armory National Historic Site is a treasure to the city of Springfield, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to the Nation. The site is in desperate need of renovation. Enactment of this legislation is the first step toward ensuring the preservation of a site, which has played so vital a role in our Nation's history.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. Speaker, we had in constitutional scholars that were all asked at the Budget Committee meetings whether or not Congress currently possessed the ability within its governing responsibilities to balance the budget, and the answer was ``yes.''

This is a fake tool meant to cover the Republican Party. I opposed this with Ronald Reagan, I opposed it with George Bush, Sr., with Bill Clinton, and now with George Bush, Jr. And do you know what is regrettable about this debate, most regrettable about the debate? Conservatives won't stand up for principle.

The idea of a running mate in 1215 was to keep King John from being an autocrat. When Prince Charles invaded the House of Parliament and arrested members who disagreed with him, it was time to take action.

What do we do here? We cede more authority to the Executive. You put this tool in the hands of Lyndon Johnson, and you are going to regret it. You are going to regret the day you ever embraced this item. Calling down to the White House to see if your spending proposal was okay? As they say to you, Well, I was checking your voting record on some references you made to the administration recently. Now we will decide whether we are going to keep your item in. How ill-considered, how ill-timed in the middle of war that we would do this, to give the authority

to the Executive to make decisions that Mr. Madison and Mr. Jefferson correctly believed belonged with this body. And conservatives violate that spirit today by giving more authority to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Do you know what is going to happen? And you mark my words. The President will determine what spending priorities are and not the Congress according to our Constitution. Wake up to this issue and what we are about to do here today. The threats from the Executive are always a part of our lives in congressional reality, and everybody here knows it. I listened to that debate; it was the weakest debate I have heard. I had conservative Members come over and say, You are right. We agree with you, but we have got to do something.

Do you know what to do? Add some transparency to this system. Stop issuing press releases in the appropriations process. That would take care of this issue overnight.

Thank you, Mr. Rangel, very much.

What the other side wants you to believe today is that this is tax relief for the average American. What the majority whip said a couple of moments ago was interesting. He said the economy is growing; we have to keep the economy growing. He cleverly neglected to mention the deficits are growing, the insurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan are growing. You need the money to pay for those things.

You know what this is? This isn't for hardworking families. This is the Paris Hilton Tax Relief Act. That is who we take care of with this. Not Conrad Hilton, Paris Hilton. She will be in great spirits this evening when she finds out that the Republican Party has come to her assistance once again.

$2 trillion worth of tax cuts already, $800 billion more worth of tax cuts today, and friends across America, how do you square that with two wars? Seven tax cuts and two wars with no exit strategy in front of us, and they continue to cut taxes.

And the majority whip said, oh, he was cutting taxes for average Americans. We don't have time in this institution to raise the minimum wage. We don't have time for the people that clean the hotel rooms, make the beds, and shovel the streets. We don't have time for them. But, my God, today we have time for Paris Hilton. We will take care of her very well with this piece of legislation. The troops in Iraq? We will cut veterans benefits when they come home.

Let us make all kinds of changes here. But, my goodness, true to form, they are rich and they are not going to take it any more.

This Congress has bent over backwards to take care of the wealthy in America and the strong. And who do we neglect? People that do the menial jobs across this country that we depend upon every single day. Is there no end to this embarrassment of what we do on behalf of the powerful and the wealthy in America?

That is how much of the American population is going to benefit from what they do. Less than 2 percent of the American people are about to benefit from what they are going to do today.

I cannot believe the choice that this Congress is making today.

During the last 10 days, committees within the House have turned back efforts to raise the minimum wage. We won't provide any help to people who earn $5.15 per hour, $10,700 a year. At that wage, people have to work an entire 8-hour day in order to pay for a single tank of gas.

And after rejecting any relief for working poor families, what is the next order of business for the Republican Congress? Elimination of the inheritance tax--a tax that affects only the wealthiest 7,000 families in the United States.

The proposal under consideration today would cost $762 billion over its first 10 years in effect, all to benefit the tiniest share of the wealthiest and most successful members of our society--people who want for nothing, and who have enjoyed the largest share of the rest of the tax cuts that we have passed since 2001.

In this year's budget, the United States Congress cut funding for veterans. We cut funding for programs that helped the elderly and small children. We cut funding for student loans.

We have taken the step--unprecedented in our Nation's history--of conducting two wars with six large tax cuts.

And even after all of that, here we are today, contemplating a tax cut worth hundreds of billions of dollars that will go to the likes of Paris Hilton.

Three estates in every 1,000 would benefit from this tax break. This is not widespread tax relief. This is not Main Street tax relief. This is Park Avenue tax relief that Main Street has to pay for.

This bill costs almost as much as estate tax repeal, and the benefits accrue to the people in our society who need tax relief the least. We have a record deficit, we have a skyrocketing national debt, and we have two wars to pay for. This isn't fuzzy math, this is fantasy math.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege today to pay tribute to Chester and Irene Brozek of Three Rivers, Massachusetts, upon the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary.

It was June 16, 1956, that Chester and Irene wed at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Three Rivers, Massachusetts. They have lived their lives together in that small town, attended the same schools--in the same class--and raised four sons and a daughter; Steven, Jim, David, Carolyn and Michael.

Chester, or Zab, worked at the Monsanto Company in Indian Orchard for more than 30 years. Irene worked for the Town of Palmer in the Tax Collector's Office, becoming the tax collector and retiring from that position.

On Saturday, June 24th Chester and Irene will return to Saints Peter and Paul Church to celebrate with their children, their 12 grandchildren, relatives and friends this momentous occasion. I congratulate them and wish them health, best wishes and happiness in their years to come.

Mr. Speaker, the war in Iraq reached another troubling milestone yesterday with the announcement that 2,500 American soldiers have now been killed in the 3-year conflict. In Massachusetts alone, more than 35 families have mourned the loss of a loved one, killed in action in places like Ramadi, Fallujah and Najaf. And since President Bush declared an end to ``major combat operations,'' more than 17,000 troops have been wounded in combat.

Every Member of Congress supports the heroic efforts of our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the globe. These brave men and women in uniform, and their service to our country, should never be forgotten. We have the finest armed forces in the world and they represent the United States of America with remarkable courage, honor and dignity.

During a recent memorial service for a young soldier from western Massachusetts who was killed in Iraq, a Marine Commander paid tribute to our fallen service members by saying: ``we weep at their passing, honor their service and cherish their memories.'' I would simply add that we are also grateful for the enormous sacrifice they have made for our nation.

We are here today in this historic chamber to discuss the future of a war that has already taken so much from so many. A war that a majority Americans now disapprove of.

In October 2002, when this institution first debated authorizing the use of military force, I raised a number of concerns about a pre- emptive war with Iraq including its cost, the lack of connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11, and the fact that Iraq was not a credible threat to the United States. I also believed that a pre- emptive strike would act as an effective recruiting tool for radical Islamic fundamentalism worldwide. For these reasons, I was 1 of 133 House Members who against the Iraq war resolution.

Unfortunately, as I stand on the floor of the House, nearly 4 years later, many of these concerns still exist. According to the non- partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), the war in Iraq has now cost the U.S. taxpayer roughly $319 billion to date. That's $6.4 billion a month and more than $100,000 per minute. If you live in Massachusetts, $9 billion of your money has been spent in Iraq. And there is no end in sight.

I would point out to my colleagues that former White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey lost his job for predicting that the war would cost a mere $200 billion. From the start, the Bush administration has not been straight with the American people about the cost of the war in Iraq. And this partisan resolution does nothing to address that.

In fact, the White House has not been straight about most aspects of the war from the existence of weapons of mass destruction to the threat of the insurgency, and from Iraq's purchase of yellow cake uranium to Saddam's ties to al-Qaeda. And with this resolution, House Republicans will simply rubberstamp President Bush's poor planning and mismanagement. I believe it is time for a new direction in Iraq.

More importantly, so do many military leaders. Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni, Army Major General Charles Swannack, Army General John Batiste, Marine Corps Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold and others have all expressed real concerns about our future in Iraq. These are individuals who were deeply involved in the planning and execution of the war. And they do not like what they see.

As General Zinni recently said, ``we are paying the price for the lack of credible plan. Ten years worth of planning were thrown away, troop levels dismissed out of hand . . . These were strategic mistakes, mistakes of policy made back here.''

Mr. Speaker, like most Americans, I believe it is time for a new course in Iraq. I believe we need to develop an honorable exit strategy. I will vote against this resolution to give President Bush an open-ended commitment in Iraq. Let's bring the troops back home.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me time.

Mr. Chairman, this discussion is ill-considered and ill-advised. At a time when America foreign policy is under question everywhere across the globe, this is a remarkable achievement for our State Department and for Members of Congress.

In fact, the American role has been indefensible in bringing about a new day. This has had brought support cross Congress and across America, reminding ourselves that the European Union participates, Australia participates, and sectarian murders have almost been gone. We are down to a couple of small issues.

But the Good Friday Agreement is the way forward, and America and Members of this Congress can take great satisfaction in this achievement. It has worked extraordinarily well.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to pay tribute to the Congregation Kodimoh of Springfield, Massachusetts as it celebrates its 90 Year Anniversary this year.

It is my honor to represent a congregation whose contributions to Springfield and its Jewish community have been so significant over the years. On this special anniversary, I include in the Congressional Record Congregation Kodimoh's complete chronological history and extend my heartfelt congratulations to Rabbi Alex and Dr. Bella Weisfogel who will be honored for their accomplishments at a dinner on June 11, 2006.

Congregation Kodimoh in Springfield, Massachusetts, is proud of its history as a prominent Orthodox synagogue, which has made important contributions to the strength and vitality of the Jewish and general communities. Kodimoh's story reflects the common immigrant's success story and parallels the growth of the city of Springfield.

Kodimoh which means ``forward'' or ``progress'' in Hebrew was founded in 1916 by a segment of the Jewish community with a spirit of optimism caught up in the success of the first generation of Jewish immigrants and the boom of Springfield as an important economic urban center. The name further suggests the desire of the founding members for the congregation to fit in to the American way of life. The Jewish community formed in Springfield primarily in the North End section of the city in the mass immigration from Eastern Europe in the last decades of the 19th century and early 20th century. When the first generation of Jewish immigrants prospered and achieved economic success, a segment desired to provide for itself a better standard of living.

The move to the beautiful new neighborhood of Forest Park began, and a synagogue was needed. The first meeting of Kodimoh took place in the home of Moses Ehrlich, the first president of the congregation. Kodimoh was founded to maintain Orthodox standards and practices in modern America. English rather than Yiddish would be the language of sermons, while the synagogue and its members would participate in civic affairs. Tradition would feel at home in a new world.

The first building was completed in 1923 on Oakland St. and an adjacent school building was built in 1937. Through the '50s, as more Jews moved to the Park, Kodimoh took its place as a prominent institution in the Jewish community and in the city. The congregation maintained traditional Jewish practice and effectively educated the new generation. The membership required more space for the burgeoning program of services and activities, and the current modern facility was built in 1963, a short distance away on Sumner Ave. While a large segment of the Jewish community and several synagogues moved to Longmeadow, an adjacent suburb, the leadership of Kodimoh decided to keep the synagogue in Forest Park.

The new building witnessed extensive growth through the '70s as Kodimoh continued to follow its mission of maintaining Orthodox Judaism, involvement in the broader Jewish community, and local affairs. As the economic opportunities in Springfield declined, the synagogue also saw many young people seek jobs elsewhere. However, Kodimoh remains a vibrant and important religious center which makes a vital contribution to the community. We have faith that Springfield will continue to strengthen itself and the synagogue will benefit.

Many important rabbis have served the congregation. Rabbi Isaac Klein continued his prominent career in Buffalo, while Rabbi Norman Lamm became the President of Yeshiva University. Rabbi Alex Weisfogel from 1959-1982 led the synagogue during the construction of the Sumner Avenue building and oversaw the congregation's growth. As Rabbi Emeritus, he has remained in the community with his wife, Dr. Bella Weisfogel. Together they continue their involvement in synagogue and community activities. Not only did Bella support her husband's endeavors, in her own right she contributed in significant ways to the educational and social programming of the synagogue. For all of their accomplishments, Kodimoh honors Rabbi Alex and Dr. Bella Weisfogel at a dinner celebrating the 90th anniversary on June 11, 2006.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two of my most accomplished and most inspiring constituents. Dick Hoyt, of Holland, Massachusetts, and his son Rick, are a world famous pair, known around the world for their frequent appearances at road races, marathons, and triathlons. They are not, however, average athletes.

In 1962 Rick Hoyt was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. Doctors told Rick's parents, Dick and Judy, that their son would be unable to live on his own and that he should be institutionalized. They refused.

Instead, the Hoyts did all that they could to enroll Rick in public school with other children his age. Their first major breakthrough came when a group of engineers from Tufts University built, in 1972, an interactive computer that enabled Rick to communicate. His first words took his family by surprise. They learned that he had been following the Stanley Cup finals along with the rest of his family when he said, ``Go Bruins.''

From that moment forward, Rick was unstoppable. He was admitted to public school in 1975, and 2 years after that, asked his father to enter their first race together: a five mile benefit run for another local athlete who had been paralyzed in an accident. Dick says that he remembers Rick telling him that night that he did not feel handicapped when they were competing together.

They completed their first marathon, in 1981 in Boston. Four years later, they competed in a triathlon, for which Dick had to not only learn how to swim, but then do so in the race with a small boat tied to his waist with which he pulled Rick.

While continuing to race, Rick also furthered his education. In 1993, Rick graduated from Boston University with a degree in Special Education.

Today the Hoyts have completed 206 triathlons, 20 Duathlons, 64 marathons, and over 500 other races. They have biked across New England and America. Their best time for a marathon, running together with Dick pushing Rick, is 2 hours and 40 minutes, only 35 minutes short of the world record holder who, of course, was not pushing another person while running. This past year they competed in their twenty-fifth Boston Marathon. I personally have run the SIDS Road Race in Springfield, Massachusetts, with the Hoyts many times including this past fall.

Truly, the Hoyt's story is one of a deep love and commitment between father and son, and is one that speaks to all of us. They have won awards from organizations around the world, and regularly receive letters from others whose lives they have touched. Dick Hoyt and his son Rick are truly two of the most remarkable people I have the honor of calling friends, and I am proud to be able to pay tribute to them here on the Floor of the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday it was my privilege to attend the funeral of Cpl. Henry D. Connell. It was a heart-warming, emotional and unique experience. This funeral was particularly moving since Corporal Connell was only 17 years old when he died on the battlefield in the small village of Unsan in the Democratic Republic of Korea. It was here that his regiment fought with the Chinese People's Volunteer Army for four long grueling days, and where he, and more than 1,000 members of the 8th Regiment, lost their lives.

It was November 2, 1950 when the United States Army declared Corporal Henry Connell to officially be missing in action. And 43 years later, on July 12, 1993, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea turned over the remains of 17 soldiers believed to be unaccounted for U.S. servicemen from the Korean War. Corporal Henry D. Connell's remains were one of the 17 soldiers recovered.

All told, this Springfield soldier was missing in action for 55 years. He enlisted in the Army at age 17, eager to serve in the Korean War, and served for only 8 months before he died, not living to see his 18th birthday. During his brief tenure in the army, he earned a Bronze Star and was promoted to corporal. Henry Connell was born in Springfield, MA and was the son of the late Robert F. Connell and Beatrice (Creamer) Connell Lanzillo. And this past Saturday, his remains were buried alongside his late mother in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery on Tinkham Road in Springfield.

Mr. Speaker, this was a unique and moving ceremony, and I feel fortunate to have been able to attend. I thank everyone involved who made this appropriate remembrance possible, and extend my sympathies to Thomas W. Connell, Henry's brother, and his wife Patricia and their family at this difficult, yet special time.

I would also like to enter into the Congressional Record the official obituary that recently ran in the Springfield, Massachusetts newspaper honoring the life of Corporal Henry D. Connell. May Henry Connell now rest in peace.

[From the Republican, May 7, 2006]

Cpl. Henry D. Connell

1933-1950 Springfield.--Henry D. Connell, 17, a Corporal

serving with the United States Army L Company, 3rd Battalion,

8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division under the command

of Major General Herbart Gay, was declared missing in action

on November 2, 1950. He was born in Springfield, MA the son

of the late Robert F. Connell and Beatrice (Creamer) Connell

Lanzillo. Henry was educated from the Springfield School:

System, attended Cathedral High School, and joined the U.S.

Army shortly after his 17 birthday. He was injured during

combat on September 8, 1950, near the town of Taegu, R.O.K.,

and was evacuated to the 35th Station Hospital at Kyoto,

Honshu, Japan. Shortly after he rejoined his unit, the 8th

Calvary Regiment fought a pitched battle for four days with

the Chinese People's Volunteer Army near the village of

Unsan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It was during

this battle that over 1,000 soldiers serving with the 8th

Calvary lost their lives, Cpl. Henry D. Connell being one of

them. The United States Army declared him missing in action

on November 2, 1950. On July 12, 1993, the Democratic

People's Republic of Korea turned over 17 soldier's sets of

remains believed to be unaccounted for U.S. servicemen from

the Korean War near Unsan. Cpl. Henry D. Connell remains were

one of the 17 soldiers recovered, and missing in action, for

over 43 years. Henry leaves his brother, Thomas W. Connell

and his wife, Patricia (LeDoux) Connell of Stuart, FL; as

well as several nieces and nephews living in Stuart, FL; and

the Greater Springfield area. He was the brother of the late

Audrey (Connell) Spencer of West Springfield, who died in

2004. His funeral with full military honors will be held

Saturday, May 13, 2006, at Sampson's Chapel of the Acres, 21

Tinkham Rd., Springfield. During this service Henry's brother

Thomas W. Connell, will be presented with the Bronze Star and

Purple Heart for Henry's valor and dedicated service to a

grateful nation by the United States Army. Rites of Committal

will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Tinkham Rd.,

Springfield, where Henry will be buried next to his late

mother and sister in the Connell family lot. Contributions in

his memory may be directed to your nearest chapter of the

Disabled American Veterans.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Arizona said earlier we ought not to penalize success. What they are asking you to do today is to subsidize that success on the backs of working Americans. We are stuck in this situation because of what they did at the end of last year. Their own Members said their cuts

were too draconian and hurt too many families, but it allowed them to manipulate the rules so that we find ourselves back here today.

Let us talk about who gets what when this debate concludes. The average American family is going to get $20 with the Republican tax cut. By the way, this is the sixth and seventh tax cut while we are fighting two wars. Where is your conscience when they do not have body armor, they do not have the equipment they need in Iraq where they serve us so honorably while you cut taxes for Wall Street at the expense of Main Street?

Let us talk about that $42,000 that millionaires are going to get with the Republican tax cut and what it means. Think about what you could do with that for student aid, which they trimmed last year; as they cut Medicare, what you could do with that $42,000. They are giving it back to the investors, and where I live $42,000 is annual income for thousands of families. They are giving it back to millionaires with their tax cuts. And $42,000 is what we pay an enlisted soldier with 3 years of experience, and they are giving the $42,000 back to millionaires.

$42,000 as they cut Medicaid, $42,000 as they argue that it is okay to trim Medicare. It is $20 for those of you who go to work every day in America. You know what that means with this administration and this Congress, that is 6 gallons of gasoline. Where does it all end with their tax cuts?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment today to congratulate the members of the outstanding women's soccer team at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) who have recently won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III National Championship. What an honor!

This team of 14 women from Greater Springfield beat colleges from New Jersey, Maryland, and finally Texas to achieve this title. Two of the championship games went beyond overtime into penalty kicks, and the game was won by STCC on the last penalty kick.

These young women have distinguished themselves have and made all of us in Western Massachusetts so very proud of them. Their athletic talent and skill, and their qualities of courage, determination, teamwork, and leadership are among those that America holds highest. Each has demonstrated the qualities of teamwork in achieving this honor, and today I would like to honor them by inserting their names into the Congressional Record to forever be recorded in history: Christa Blair, Sarah Levesque, Crystal Dube, Jess Luszc, Hillary Flanders, Le Nguyen, Monica Gunn, Jackie Peloquin, Nora Healy, Chrissy Pikula, Stefiny Knight, Lindsey Pobieglo, Marianne Laford, and Kara Trzasko.

Congratulations also to the outstanding coaching staff: Head Coach Bob Fuqua, Assistant Coach Brewster Renn, as well as former Head Coach Martino Naglieri and Assistant Jim LaPlante for bringing this team together and achieving this national title. I would also like to make a special note of the contributions of STCC Athletic Director J. Vincent

Grassetti, and his predecessor Willie Manzi for their efforts in building such a fine athletics program.

Springfield Technical Community College Lady Rams 2005 Women's Soccer

Roster

The NJCAA Division III National Champions, November 13,

2005, in Herkimer, NY, against Cedar Valley College of

Dallas, Texas.

Sarah Levesque, goalkeeper, Ludlow High School.

Christa Blair, forward, Gateway Regional High School.

Stefiny Knight, midfielder, Ludlow High School.

Crystal Dube, midfielder, South Hadley High School.

Marianne Laford, defense/midfield, Springfield Central High

School.

Kara Trzasko, defense, Gateway Regional High School.

Nora Healy, forward, Chicopee High School.

Chrissy Pikula, defense/midfield, High School of Science &

Technology.

Jess Luszcz, midfielder, Ludlow High School.

Le Nguyen, defense, High School of Science & Technology.

Lindsey Pobieglo, midfield/forward, Palmer High School.

Jackie Peloquin, defense, Chicopee High School.

Monica Gunn, midfielder, Palmer High School.

Hillary Flanders, forward, Sabis International Charter

School.

Head Coach: Bob Fuqua.

Assistant Coach: Brewster Renn.

Athletics Director: J. Vincent Grassetti.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize on the House floor that 2006 marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Sinai Temple in Springfield, Massachusetts. I congratulate the members and leaders of the temple for the important role it plays in the Jewish community throughout the Springfield area. I hope the spiritual services and community cohesion the temple brings to its members will continue well into the future. I would like to insert into the Record a brief history of the Sinai Temple that honors its founders and leaders throughout the years.

A Brief History of Sinai Temple

Sinai Temple began in 1931 when newlyweds Samuel and Helen

Simons decided that

Springfield, Massachusetts needed an alternative to the

Orthodox and Conservative synagogues in the area. The last

major congregation to have been founded in the community was

Temple Beth El, which came into being in 1910. Although Sam

Simons had grown up in Springfield without a Reform presence,

Helen had grown up in a large Reform congregation in West

Hartford. She and Sam wanted to bring that kind of religious

opportunity to Springfield.

Services began in individual homes. After that a home was

purchased on Sumner Avenue and remodeled to serve as home for

the growing congregation. During the beginning years of the

congregation, Rabbis David Eichhorn, Judah Cohn, and Hershel

Levin led the congregation. Then, with the arrival of Rabbi

Herman Elliot Snyder in 1947, a building drive led to the

purchase of land at what was then the ``outskirts'' of

Springfield. Ground was broken for the building Sinai now

occupies on August 15, 1949. The building at 1100 Dickinson

Street was completed in 1950. Not too long after that, the

other Jewish institutions of Springfield followed Sinai so

that they are now familiar landmarks at the Dickinson Street/

Converse Street intersection: The Jewish Community Center,

Jewish Geriatric Services, Heritage Academy plus Temple Beth

El and Congregation Bnai Jacob.

Rabbi Snyder's era, from 1947 to 1970, saw the congregation

grow from 100 families to 450 families. With that growth came

a Religious School, Hebrew and Bar/Bat Mitzvah instruction, a

Cantor and choir, a well stocked library, and a commitment to

community.

When Rabbi Snyder became Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Bernard

Cohen guided the congregation through a year of transition.

He was followed by Rabbi Stanley Davids (1971-1977), Rabbi

Howard Kaplansky (1977-1983), and Rabbi Bernard Bloomstone

(1983-1988). In 1979, Emily Sleeper Mekler came to the

congregation as Cantor.

In 1988, Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro arrived in our community.

Rabbi Shapiro brought enthusiasm, a can-do spirit, along with

a heartfelt traditional way of embracing Judaism, tzedakah,

Torah, and social action. Rabbi Shapiro has overseen the

beautification of the Temple; the establishment of a second

endowment fund; the enrichment of our Religious School and

the expansion of our social action programming. The Rabbi is

also devoted to Torah Study and offers a weekly Shabbat

morning class. During the Rabbi's tenure at Sinai, many

innovations have also taken place in the style of our

worship.

Sinai Temple has also been blessed with excellent lay

leadership, both male and female. Throughout the years, each

president and his or her Board of Trustees have contributed

much to the tenor and health of the Temple.

We hope you'll want to learn more about Sinai. Call us,

please. We are eager to welcome you into our community.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. Rangel for yielding me the time.

But let us clear something up immediately. Let us not demean the intelligence of the American people when we hear waste, fraud, and abuse. Where has the spending gone? They are bragging on one hand about increasing military spending by 70 percent. Seventy percent for the military. We are fighting two wars, Iraq and Afghanistan. Have we forgotten about that? What about Katrina? Have we forgotten about Katrina? What about their prescription drug bill? Now, which of those qualifies for waste, fraud, and abuse? That is where the money has gone. The problem we have today in this House is their tax cuts that, by the way, went to the top 1 percent of the wage earners in America. The millionaires were taken care of with their largesse.

This budget takes the word ``compassionate'' out of ``compassionate conservatism.''

The Republicans would have the country believe that the budget cuts do not have any impact on Americans. There is not a family in America that will not be harmed by this budget. The President's budget was bad enough. I was honored as a Democrat to present the President's budget at the budget meeting. Do you know why? Because not one Republican would present the President's budget. The result, 39-0, we knocked down the President's budget.

But let us talk about what this budget does. It calls for freezing child care funding. It will eliminate a program that provides food for 420,000 poor elderly people, 50,000 poor mothers and their kids. It even ordered a 50 percent cut in housing assistance for people with disabilities. Their budget before us today takes an additional $100 million in cuts beyond what the President's budget proposed.

At a time when we ought to be concerned about families in America, this budget turns its back on those people. This budget is the polar opposite. Instead of throwing doors open for the American people, they offer less vocational training, fewer small business loans, less financial aid for colleges, less support for our veterans.

This budget lacks vision.