Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lieutenant Commander Edward Lee Sr. For 34 years, Lieutenant Commander Lee has served in the United States Navy and in the fall will celebrate his retirement after decades of service to his community.

Lieutenant Commander Lee has deployed ten times to the Indiana Ocean, Gulf of Oman, Sea of Japan, and Mediterranean during his career. Promoted to his current rank of Lieutenant Commander in June of 2008, it is evident that Lieutenant Commander Lee has truly committed himself to the United States Navy. Subsequent to his time in the service, Lieutenant Commander Lee has taken great pride in furthering his education. In 2004, LCDR graduated Cum Lade with a Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Leo University. In addition Lieutenant Commander Lee received his Master's of Science in Information Assurance from University of Maryland.

Lieutenant Commander Lee's personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (four awards), and several other Service and Campaign ribbons and medals. He was promoted to the rank of E 8 (SCPO) in February of 1998, as a result of his selecting for the Limited Duty Officer Commissioning Program. After that, he worked his way up to the rank of Lieutenant Commander

Lieutenant Commander Lee's long and impressive career showcases his commitment and service to not only his local community but also to the Nation. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in thanking LCDR Edward Lee Sr. for his work and congratulate him on the occasion of his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Shelly Yanoff. For 25 years, Ms. Yanoff has served as executive director of the Public Citizens for Children and Youth, PCCY, and in the fall will celebrate her retirement after decades of service to her community.

Ms. Yanoff's celebrated career began in the mid-1960's when she crafted the strategy to save the ``Get Set'' day care program of 5,000 children in Philadelphia. She went on to lead a rally in Harrisburg of 2,000 Philadelphians who insisted on more State support for neglected children. In 1987, Ms. Yanoff began her career as executive director for PCCY where she has touched thousands of children and their families through her leadership.

During her career, she has played a major role in expanding the scope and quality of services to children and their families in the region. Ms. Yanoff launched a child health watch in neighborhoods around the City of Philadelphia and taught families how to secure health insurance for their children. In addition she has advocated and helped craft the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, and continued to work on securing healthcare for the region's children.

Ms. Yanoff's long and impressive career showcases her commitment and service to her community. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in thanking Shelly Yanoff for her work and congratulate her on the occasion of her retirement.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me the time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition, along with my colleague, Mr. Fattah, to this amendment.

The V 22 Osprey program is a truly revolutionary system that is being used around the world today by both our United States Marine Corps and the Special Operations Command in support of our Nation's missions.

This amendment would eliminate the only cost-effective way to replace the fleet of aging medium-lift aircraft in our inventory. Canceling V 22 does not remove the requirement to replace legacy CH 46 and HH 53 airframes. It would only interrupt the carefully planned transition to a more capable and more cost-efficient alternative--at an additional expense to the American taxpayer.

I quote the United States Air Force Special Operations Command Commander, Lieutenant General Donald Wurster:

This aircraft is the single most significant transformation

of Air Force Special Operations since the introduction of the

helicopter. Nearly every mission we have faced in the last 20

years would have been done better and faster with the V 22.

Mr. Chairman, who are we, sitting here guarded and completely safe, to not listen to the brave men and women and their commander and not give them everything they need and request to keep them safe and give them the tools to do their job?

I urge you to support the President's budget request and vote ``no'' on the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Pennsylvania, which serves over 280,000 Pennsylvania residents through Medicaid, Medicare and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Pennsylvania has been under operation for more than 20 years, serving the healthcare needs of low- income Philadelphians. On May 4, 2012, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan opened a new multicultural community office in South Philadelphia to make its services more accessible to its members and to the larger community. UHC has staffed the new office with employees from a variety of ethnic groups to show the diversity of the surrounding-community.

At the UnitedHealthcare Multicultural Office in Philadelphia, residents of the community will be able to apply for low or no-cost health insurance, renew their health coverage, gain more understanding of their health benefits, and attend special events such as health and wellness workshops, citizenship and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and free health screenings.

It is with great honor that I recognize the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Pennsylvania and the new UnitedHealthcare Multicultural Office in Philadelphia as valuable resources of the state of Pennsylvania. I am proud to have such a wonderful organization in my state and community, and I look forward to watching it continue to succeed and grow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Alfred L. DeSerio. A 42-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and respected member of the community, Alfred died Saturday at the age of 105.

DeSerio was born and raised in Philadelphia where his family operated a bakery. He would help deliver Italian bread on a horse-drawn carriage. Before his 18th birthday, he lied about his age to enlist in the Marines where he attained the rank of master sergeant.

Mr. DeSerio was a perfect example of the ``Greatest Generation.'' He served our nation with distinction in the Pacific Theater of World War II and in the Korean War. During World War II, one of DeSerio's duties was to escort the honored remains of fellow Marines home to their families. It was a job he took very seriously.

Mr. DeSerio served his country twice during the Vietnam War.

After retiring from the service in 1970, DeSerio moved to Collingdale. He was a maintenance worker at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby until his retirement in 1988. Unfortunately, he lost his wife Mary in 1985.

A resident at St. Francis Country House since 2002, he was often recognized for his years of service while receiving proclamations from state government and a challenge coin from the commandant of the Marine Corps. His military decorations include the World War II Victory Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with one star, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palms and frame, the National Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.

DeSerio was a longtime member of the Upper Darby Marine Corps League Detachment No. 884, which named him Citizen of the Year in January.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you, and my other distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing the life of Alfred L. DeSerio and his service to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Ma Ying-Jeou's second inauguration as president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on May 20, 2012. I am honored to celebrate President Ma Ying- Jeou's second inauguration because of his diplomacy skills, work on improving the relationship between Taiwan and mainland China, and efforts to reduce crime along the Taiwan Strait.

Since President Ma Ying-Jeou took office, his pursuit of an open society is evident. Many of the world's great religions are openly and enthusiastically practiced in Taiwan. These denominations include Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and many more. Labor unions, NGOs and various activist groups are also free to operate in Taiwan. Taiwan is, further, home to many languages, dialects and cultures from across Asia.

For Taiwan, the fifth direct presidential election on January 14, 2012, is a milestone. This election is testament to Taiwan's embrace of democracy. Under President Ma Ying-Jeou's time in office, Taiwanese citizens finally experience and exercise democracy. Taiwan is a shining example not only for Asia but for the entire world.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize President Ma Ying-Jeou's second inauguration, and ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating President Ma on his second inauguration and honor him for the lasting influence he has made on Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Walter D. Palmer Leadership Preparatory Academy Foundations of Leadership Class of 2013.

These young men and women are completing a rigorous curriculum that ensures the highest level of student performance while fostering lifelong learning and growth. In addition to their academic curriculum, these students also mentor elementary and middle school students and participate in several peer activities. This unique combination of academics and community service puts them in a great position to not only be productive members of the Philadelphia community, but also be community leaders.

On behalf of the first district, I would like to congratulate these young adults for their academic and civic progress, and anxiously await the contributions these young Philadelphians will make to our city and country in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of John ``Jack'' Fortin, who passed away on April 20, 2012. Jack and I coached football together at St. Thomas More High School in West Philadelphia in the 1970s.

From his start as a truck driver for 7Up, Mr. Fortin became one of our nation's greatest entrepreneurs. He bought a small chemical manufacturing company in North Philadelphia that had about $150,000 in revenue and three employees in 1975 and built it into Haas Group International, a company with 1,300 employees and revenues of $560 million that does business in more than 75 countries around the world.

Mr. Fortin, known as Jack, grew up in Southwest Philadelphia. He took on his first job at age 8 delivering alcohol for his uncle during Prohibition.

He attended John Bartram High School and played second base on Bartram's championship baseball team in 1941.

After graduating from high school in 1942, Mr. Fortin joined the Navy that July. As a radioman second class, he spent his active duty in the Pacific and was in Nagasaki, Japan, two weeks after the atomic bomb was dropped. He earned two medals before his discharge in 1945.

After the war he drove a truck for 7Up, where he met his future wife, Maria, who was the switchboard operator. He then got a job with Quaker Chemical in 1957. Eighteen years later he bought Haas Chemical. He retired in 2000, and in 2007 his family sold the business to the Jordan Co., a private equity firm.

Mr. Fortin was a lifelong sports fan and spent more than 20 years coaching youth and CYO football. His last stop was as assistant varsity coach and head freshman coach at St. Thomas More High School in West Philadelphia until it closed in 1975.

During his lifetime, Mr. Fortin received many awards and commendations for his contributions to youth sports but perhaps his greatest thrills in sport were leading all hitters at the age of 62 at Phillies Dream Week in 1985 and receiving the Matt Guokas Sr. Memorial Award from the Philadelphia Basketball Old Timers Association.

Together with Jack's family and friends, I mourn his passing but celebrate his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Tom Lederer. A lifelong resident of Philadelphia who gave much to the community, Tom was called by his Creator on Thursday March 22nd.

Thomas John Lederer was born on September 29, 1934 in Philadelphia to a family that believed in the principles of democratic government and civil service. His father Miles served as both Chair of the Democratic Party in Philadelphia and as a state legislator. His brothers Raymond and Bill would also serve in the legislature, with Ray becoming a member of Congress. Tom's brother Miles headed the local Riggers Union, while his brother Fran was the Chief of the County Detectives. Tom spent a lifetime serving as an inspector with the Philadelphia Water Department and raising kids, first his own six and then sixteen grandchildren. He also served the community as Boy Scout leader, community organizer and educator.

He was an active member of his Church, St. Michael's Roman Catholic, and his community. He was a Board Member of the Roman Catholic Alumni Association, Past President of the St. Joseph Prep Father's Club, Chairman of Kensington South Neighborhood Advisory Committee, Boy Scout Master of Troop 488, Member of the Horticultural Society of Philadelphia and Penn State's Gardening Progress program, winner of a ``Black Eye'' community award, but most of all he was ``Pop'' to his sixteen grandchildren.

However, in his mind, his most proud association was being Rita Lavery's husband. Born two days apart, they were married for 56 years and friends for 70 of his 77 years. They started kindergarten at St. Michaels on the same day and were classmates and pals thereafter.

Together with Tom's wife, Rita, his six children, his sixteen grandchildren, and all his family and friends, I mourn his passing but celebrate his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Mrs. Christine Jackson Washington, who died last week. She was the wife of the deceased Father Paul Washington, the long time, much revered rector of the Episcopal Church of the Advocate, and an internationally recognized peace and rights activist.

But, Mrs. Washington was also a community change agent. She founded the non-profit Advocate Community Development Corporation, a neighborhood-based community development corporation that provided affordable housing and social services to the residents of North Philadelphia. The bedrock of her family, Mrs. Washington sang on the choir, taught Sunday school, and helped out at the church's food kitchen that fed more for more than 350 people daily.

However, beyond all of these responsibilities and accomplishments Mrs. Washington is remembered for his kindness, gentleness, and graciousness. We were all blessed to have known her and we cherish her memory.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, March 16, 2012, the U.S. Government Printing Office, GPO, officially retired GPO Access, GPO's online repository of federal government documents since 1994. GPO has completed the transition from GPO Access to its successor, GPO's Federal Digital System, FDsys, which was first launched in 2009 and became GPO's official system of record in December 2010.

GPO Access was established pursuant to Public Law 103 40, Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993. In President Clinton's statement upon signing the Act on June 8, 1993, he remarked:

It is with great pleasure that I sign into law S. 564, the

``Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access

Enhancement Act of 1993,'' which will enhance electronic

access by the public to Federal information. Under this Act,

the public will have on-line computer access to two of the

major source documents that inform us about the laws and

regulations that affect our daily lives: the Congressional

Record and the Federal Register . . .

This important step forward in the electronic dissemination

of Federal information will provide valuable insights into

the most effective means of disseminating all public

Government information . . .

Upon its release, GPO Access ushered in an era of unprecedented access to Federal government information. Never before had American citizens from one end of this great country to the other been able to access the Congressional Record, Federal Register, bills and resolutions, and a host of other Federal government publications literally hours after their release. GPO Access marked a quiet revolution in government transparency on the same scale as C SPAN. With hundreds of thousands of Federal government titles posted online and millions of downloads every month, GPO truly embodied the spirit of the Thomas Jefferson quotation: ``wherever the people are well informed they can be trusted with their own government'' and the James Madison quotation: ``A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.'' However, even our Founding Fathers could never have imagined the era of access to government information which we have come to enjoy since the advent of GPO Access, and the story only gets better.

GPO's FDsys, www.fdsys.gov, provides the American public with free online access to about 50 different collections of authenticated U.S. Government information ranging from public and private laws to U.S. court opinions to the President's annual budget. It allows users to search easily across multiple government publications; perform advanced searches against robust metadata about each publication; construct complex search queries; refine and narrow searches; access metadata in standard XML formats; download content and metadata packaged together as a single ZIP file; and browse alphabetically by collection, by congressional committee, by date, and by government author.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in commending the hard- working men and women of GPO on their remarkable achievement with GPO Access. I look forward to GPO's continuing contribution to ``Keeping America Informed'' through its successor, FDsys.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jim Lewis on the occasion of his retirement. Mr. Lewis has contributed over thirty-three years of faithful service to the School District of Philadelphia.

Since 1981, Jim has worked for the School District of Philadelphia in various capacities, serving as a Maintenance Mechanic, Foreman, Supervisor, and Compliance Officer; an Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer, and eventually as Senior Vice President for Facilities and Operations and for Special Projects. A registered Master Plumber for twenty-five years, Jim is also the President and CEO of ``Just in Time'' Plumbing and Heating. He benefitted greatly from this body's enactment of the 1973 Comprehensive Employment Training Act, which helped give him the skills he needed to succeed.

Mr. Lewis's accomplishments and contributions to his community stretch far beyond his employment. He is a past President and current board member of the Emerald Education Committee, of which he has been a member for 32 years; and a current member of the Masons. Jim has been involved in politics for the past thirty years, and serves as a Committeeman for the 58th Ward, 41st Division. He has been married for thirty-two years to Eileen Lewis, with whom he has raised two children, Jim and Christine.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in thanking Jim Lewis for his years of service and dedication to the School District of Philadelphia and for his greater service to his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Anne Marquess Garrott and the Southwest Belmont Community Association.

The Southwest Belmont Community Association, SWBCA, was a result of the Colored

Women's Christian Association which was organized in 1870 by Black women in South Philadelphia. The mission of the Colored Women's Christian Association was to provide residential living in a Christian environment for young, newly freed Black women coming from the rural south and seeking jobs in Philadelphia. In 1912, after more than 40 years of petitioning, it was accepted as a branch of the Philadelphia Young Women's Christian Association, YWCA.

The SWBCA was a hub of community activity and offered a variety of programs including poetry, music and dance. It housed an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a gymnasium and meeting rooms available for use by civic groups.

Ultimately the branch became an independent, non-profit organization. The SWBCA is well respected for its leadership in support of the advancement of Black women long before the desegregation of national women's organizations.

Mrs. Garrott was involved with the YWCA movement from an early age. As a child she took part in the many programs at the SVVBCA and as a teenager she taught swimming and tennis. She was later named Director of the Health and Physical Education Department. Throughout her decades long career, she served in many administrative capacities, not only at the SWBCA but also at YWCA's across the Nation. Today she is a revered matriarch who is nationally and internationally recognized for her contributions in support of the mission and goals of the YWCA and her beloved community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you, and my other distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing Mrs. Anne Marquess Garrott and the members of the Southwest Belmont Community Association for their many years of service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Glenn Ellis, Sr. Mr. Ellis is an internationally respected health educator, complementary medicine consultant and author.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Mr. Ellis attended the University of Pennsylvania more than three decades ago. It was just the first step in his lifelong commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of others. Mr. Ellis continued his studies at the International College of Bio-Dynamics and the Atlantic Academy of Classical Homeopathy.

He maintains a busy lecture schedule in the U.S. and abroad, where he highlights health disparities and medical ethics. Mr. Ellis speaks at churches and community centers and is a popular and well sought-after university guest lecturer. He has made scientific presentations in Belgium, Germany, Cuba, and The Netherlands.

For years, health-conscious Philadelphians have tuned into his weekly radio broadcasts and commentary, where Mr. Ellis can be relied upon to dispense practical medical information. Mr. Ellis' unique broadcasts are now heard in 53 U.S. markets and 53 countries around the world.

Mr. Ellis serves on the Institutional Review Board and the Ethics Committee of Mercy Health Systems in Philadelphia. In 2005, he became a member of the Institutional Review Board of Thomas Jefferson Health Systems. He was a part of the Black Media Delegation at the 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria, and presented recently presented on Inclusion and Retention of African Americans in Clinical Trials in Havana.

In addition to serving on the Board of Universal Charter Schools and Communities in Schools Philadelphia, he was recently appointed to serve on the Blue Ribbon Commission on Youth Violence by the Mayor and School superintendent of Philadelphia.

Mr. Ellis was a Borough Councilman in Yeadon, Pennsylvania until 2001, serving as Chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee. Currently he is President of Strategies for Well-Being, LLC, a health education and consulting company headquartered in Philadelphia, where he consults with national corporate clients on promoting and providing health education for consumers and providers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you, and my other distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing Mr. Glenn Ellis, Sr. for his accomplishments and service.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to House Resolution 496, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to House Resolution 496, which would reduce spending in most of the committees of the House by an average of 6.4 percent below the level provided in House Resolution 147, which was adopted last March. That resolution, which passed the House unanimously, cut committee funding 5 percent lower than the levels for the 111th Congress.

I've been pleased to work in a bipartisan fashion with my friend and my chair, Mr. Lungren, to find ways to reduce the cost of running Congress. We have worked together in finding cuts in printing, subscription, and technology services, and we have worked together opposing cuts to the Capitol Police and in providing for the safety of our visitors and our staff. But this deeper cut to committees is the wrong cut at the wrong time.

In reality, we have no idea what effect these new cuts will actually have on committee operations. Testimony at our committee's oversight hearing last November by both chairs and ranking members confirmed that additional budget cuts could undermine our ability to conduct legislative and oversight operations.

I am fearful that further cuts to committees could continue to handicap our ability to effectively oversee the executive branch. We are cutting deeply into committees who oversee billions of dollars of Federal spending. We may not agree on this resolution, but we certainly agree that Congress is the first watchdog on executive power and executive spending. We need the necessary tools, and they need the necessary tools, to do that work.

I urge my colleagues to defeat this resolution. I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.

I thank the gentleman again.

I urge my colleagues to defeat this resolution, and I urge a ``no'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.