Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the accomplishments of Ms. Dolores M. Bojazi. A graduate of Temple Law School, Ms. Bojazi began her career working to aid battered women and union workers, and she continues to advocate for important causes in her career as an attorney.

Ms. Bojazi is an accomplished attorney who began her career as an advocacy coordinator at Women Against Abuse. While there, she trained the Philadelphia Police Force in legal response procedure and proposed an appeal procedure for emergency protection orders, which was adopted into law in 1988. She continued her advocacy work as a union organizer for the United Auto Workers, where she represented the union at the National Labor Relations Board. Ms. Bojazi then began working as a Public Defender in the Philadelphia Defender Association, and later worked in the Burlington and Camden Public Defenders Office. She has also worked at Freedman and Lorry and Mattleman, Weinroth, and Miller. Ms. Bojazi currently practices law in her own office where she focuses on criminal and family law. Ms. Bojazi will be honored by the Marian Anderson Historical Society on May 31, 2014.

I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Ms. Bojazi for her countless years of dedication to improving the lives of those in Pennsylvania's First District. She has and continues to work tirelessly in her advocacy to help others in Philadelphia.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the accomplishments of my

friend, Ms. Audrey R. Johnson-Thornton. Ms. Johnson-Thornton is the president and founder of the American Women's Heritage Society, and was instrumental in turning the broken down Belmont Mansion into a museum to honor those who aided slaves in their flight to freedom.

The Belmont Mansion was named as the most significant structure to be at risk in an assessment of ten historic structures in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. This finding was followed by a historical study and architectural analysis of the Belmont Mansion Historical Structures Report and then became the first major project of the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust in 1994. The Underground Railroad Museum at Belmont Mansion is one of the first 2,000 recipients to receive funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and its partner the American Association for State and Local History. The American Women's Heritage Society still operates the now restored mansion as a historic site. Ms. Johnson-Thornton will be honored by the Marian Anderson Historical Society on May 31, 2014.

It is a privilege to recognize a person whose leadership and commitment to preserving our city's history has enriched the lives of countless individuals. I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in commending Ms. Johnson-Thornton for her lifetime of service and dedication to Pennsylvania's First Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the accomplishments of Ms. Patricia Jackson, whose energy and initiative has helped a number of people in the Philadelphia region through her corporation Alpha Security & Consulting Incorporated.

After graduating from Perdue University, Ms. Jackson began working for General Mills in Human Resources and Labor relations, where she spearheaded a minority equality reform campaign for the corporation. She soon left to join Lever Brothers Company. There she worked tirelessly in its Training and Development Department to aid women climbing the corporate ladder. Ms. Jackson couldn't stay still for too long, soon beginning work at Conrail, which brought her to Philadelphia. Soon after, the University of Pennsylvania asked her to join their stag where she was the head of the Department of Affirmative Action for the University. As CEO and founder of Alpha Security & Consulting Incorporated, she worked with local construction companies to create nearly 600 jobs. She helped in building the New High School for Creative and Performing Arts, and as a result served as chairs of both the Ridgway Library and the Performing Arts Theater. Ms. Jackson extended Alpha to create a Culinary Arts Training Program for underprivileged youth. In 2005, Ms. Jackson took a position as the Director of Immigration Reform at the National Union of American Families. She now serves on the Board of Directors for the National Historical Marian Anderson Society and is an advisory director for a number of other boards and organizations. Ms. Jackson will be honored by the Marian Anderson Historical Society on May 31, 2014.

It is a privilege to recognize a person whose leadership and initiative have aided so many in the Philadelphia region. I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in commending Ms. Jackson for her lifetime of service and dedication to Pennsylvania's First Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the accomplishments of Ms. Enid Adler, whose tireless work for human rights has bettered the city of Philadelphia. A graduate of Temple University, Villanova University School of Law, and Dickinson University School of Law, Ms. Adler has had a lifelong career as a human rights advocate.

Enid Adler operates her own practice, which focuses on asylum immigration, family reunification, and international human rights. Ms. Adler is the past chairwoman of the International Law Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association and, in 1997, formulated the only United States Twinning Program between the Philadelphia Bar and the Barreau de Lyon in France. In 2001, Ms. Adler was a founding member of the International Criminal Board and was crucial in creating its Code of Ethics. Ms. Adler is a member of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) and serves on the Coalition's Team on the Crime of Aggression negotiations. This team created an amendment to the criteria to give the court jurisdiction over the crime, and it was completed

and passed in June 2010 at the International Criminal Court First Review Conference. She is a member of the CICC's teams for Women for Gender Justice, Legal Initiative, Victims Rights, Trust Fund for Victims, and serves on the Philadelphia Bar's International Business Initiative, Civil Rights, and other committees. In 2012, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the International Criminal Court, Ms. Adler initiated a series of three celebratory symposiums in Philadelphia, which were attended by the President and Vice President Judges from The Hague. Ms. Adler will be honored by the Marian Anderson Historical Society on May 31, 2014.

It is a privilege to recognize a person whose commitment to human rights advocacy has brought attention to this issue for the Philadelphia region. I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in commending Ms. Adler for her lifetime of service as a human rights attorney.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the accomplishments of Mr. Daniel J. Tann, Esquire, who was born and raised in Philadelphia and has continued to work tirelessly as an ``attorney for all generations.'' A graduate of LaSalle University and Drake University Law School, Mr. Tann has not only fulfilled his dream of founding his own law offices but has also worked as a tireless advocate for a number of social organizations in Philadelphia.

Mr. Tann began his illustrious legal career at Drake University, where he was named President of the local chapter of the Black Law Students of America, and was recognized in ``Who's Who Among American Law Students.'' In 1985, he began practicing law in Philadelphia at Spear, Wilderman, Sigmond, Borish, Endy, and Silverstein, where he soon became the department manager of the general practice group. Later, he became the Senior Litigation Attorney with Gordon and Weinberg, P.C., and in January 2002, he fulfilled his personal dream when he founded the Law of Offices of Daniel J. Tan. He is involved in work with The National Bar Association, The Philadelphia Bar Association, The American Bar Association, The NAACP, Volunteers in Aid of Sickle Cell Anemia, the Gloucester County Minority Coalition, American Diabetes Foundation, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Philadelphia Boy Scouts of America, and the Fair Housing Council of Southern New Jersey. Mr. Tann will be honored by the Marian Anderson Historical Society on May 31, 2014.

It is a privilege to recognize a person whose leadership and commitment have inspired and supported so many in our region. I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in commending Mr. Tann for his lifetime of service and dedication to Pennsylvania's First Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the accomplishments of the great pianist Ms. Blanche Burton-Lyles, a native of South Philadelphia, whose dedication to music and service has left a lasting mark on Philadelphia.

Ms. Burton-Lyles attended the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, on the recommendation of her mentor Marian Anderson. There she studied under Madam Isabella Vengerova, one of the founders of the Curtis Institute, and Leo Ornstein, Sr., world renowned composer and pianist. Ms. Burton-Lyles also received a music degree from Temple University. She worked as a music educator in the Philadelphia Public School System for many years. A recipient of many performance awards and humanitarian honors, Ms. Burton-Lyles is the first African-American woman to perform in Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and played a number of times in the personal home of Marian Anderson. In January of 1998, she received Anderson's historical residences, which are now international attractions for visitors worldwide. Ms. Burton-Lyles is the Founder and President of the Marian Anderson Historical Society, Inc. and maintains the Marian Anderson residence and museum. Ms. Burton-Lyles will be honored by the Marian Anderson Historical Society on May 31, 2014.

It is a privilege to recognize a person whose leadership and commitment have inspired and supported so many in our region. I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in commending Ms. Blanche Burton-Lyles for her lifetime of service and dedication to Pennsylvania's First Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia, the oldest African American founded Baptist congregation in Pennsylvania.

The First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia was established in 1809. Since then, it has helped establish many other churches and institutions, including the Downingtown Industrial School. The First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia has also played an integral role in helping to promote equality in Pennsylvania by establishing the first African American savings and loans bank and the first mortgage company for African Americans.

Throughout its rich history, thirteen pastors have held the honor of leading its distinguished congregation. Currently, The Reverend Terrence D. Griffith serves as the church's pastor. At its centennial celebration in 1909, the church welcomed Booker T. Washington as its keynote speaker. In 2009, both Ed Rendell and Arlen Spector joined the church to celebrate its bicentennial anniversary. This year, the church will be celebrating its 205th anniversary, which I am personally attending.

I invite you and all of my colleagues to join me in commemorating The First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia's 205th anniversary. May its success and commitment to helping the City of Philadelphia be an inspiration to all of us in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 2014 inductees of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame. The inductions will be held on May 10, 2014 during the 67th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet.

Dating back to 1947, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame recognizes the best of our region's soccer community. Through hard work and dedication, the inductees and award winners have achieved both on and off the field.

The banquet is an opportunity to gather in celebration and recognition of the area's soccer community. This being the 67th banquet is a testament to the strength and standing of the Hall of Fame within the soccer community. As the world of soccer has evolved, so has this organization, ensuring that future generations will have the chance to participate in this great game. I congratulate and thank all of those honored for their important contributions.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame also deserves special recognition for their Coats for Chester event. Since 2010, the Hall of Fame along with many dedicated volunteers collected over 4,800 winter coats to donate to needy families in Chester, PA.

I invite you and all of my colleagues to join in congratulating the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame and those being honored at the 67th Hall of Fame Banquet.

Madam Chair, earlier during debate colleagues criticized the production of secure credentials by the Government Printing Office for Federal agencies. Some of the statements, particularly the claim that this represents an ``overreach'' of the GPO's statutory authority and that the GPO has a ``monopoly on this issue'' are simply not true, and I want to correct the Record.

At the request of then-Public Printer Robert Tapella, the Joint Committee on Printing, which I had the honor to chair during the 110th Congress, authorized GPO to perform this function. Since that time, every JCP chairman has overseen the GPO's production of secure credentials and approved the GPO's annual expenditures for this purpose.

Far from an ``overreach,'' secure credential work is firmly within the GPO's statutory authority. GPO has a long history of secure credential work, such as with the manufacture of U.S. passport blanks since 1926. By definition, passports and all other forms of government credentials involve ``printing,'' the production of something in printed form. With secure credentials, intricate, multi-color modern printing embedded with anti-counterfeiting features is utterly indispensable to render a document immediately recognizable by handlers as the genuine article and thus inspire the confidence necessary to establish identity, facilitate border crossings and other purposes.

While serving as Public Printer, Mr. Tapella once declared that the production of secure credentials for the Federal Government does not belong in the private sector. I happen to agree with him and believe Congress should direct as much secure credential business to GPO as possible. In my view, the production of Federal credentials is as inherently a government function as the production of United States currency, which is produced solely by the Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

But however much the former Public Printer and I may agree on this issue, the GPO today--under the leadership of Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks--has taken a far more reasonable approach and simply makes the GPO available to all Federal agencies who wish to use its services. GPO asserts no ``monopoly'' nor can it as a practical matter, as Federal agencies are able to seek the services of either the public or private sector to meet their secure credential needs. With respect to the product at issue here, the GPO produces blank border-crossing cards for the State Department's visa office, and the cards are subsequently personalized by the State Department's own contractor, MorphoTrust. Moreover, the State Department continues to employ MorphTrust to produce passport cards, another secure credential. As here, the State Department and a number of other agencies contract directly with private companies for many of their secure-credential needs. To say, therefore, that GPO has a ``monopoly'' on the work is silly.

On December 4, 2013, the House Administration Committee, on which I serve as Ranking Minority Member, held an oversight hearing on the recent report by the National Academy of Public Administration entitled ``Rebooting the Government Printing Office: Keeping America Informed in the Digital Age.'' Congress ordered the study. Among other things, the Academy found that unlike with passports, ``the GPO is not the sole provider of smart cards [secure credentials]. Agencies may obtain smart cards from private sector vendors as well.'' The Academy's report endorsed GPO's work in that field.

I urge my colleagues to read the Academy report, currently available on the Academy's web site. I also urge Members to review the response provided by the GPO to questions submitted for the record of the December 2013 hearing concerning secure credentials, reprinted below. Clearly the GPO does not deserve the criticisms lodged earlier and elsewhere. The men and women of the GPO perform a valuable and necessary service in providing secure credentials to support the missions of Federal agencies involved in securing our borders and other law enforcement tasks.

Excerpted Questions for the Record Submitted to the Public Printer,

Davita Vance-Cooks, Following the House Administration Committee

Hearing Held December 4, 2013

Question 7. GPO produces the millions of passports and

related documents provided to Americans every year by the

U.S. Department of State. You also provided sizeable

quantities of other so-called ``secure and intelligent

documents'' to the Department of Homeland Security. Do you

foresee this portion of your business expanding in the

future? Could GPO also produce such documents for state and

local governments, as suggested in the NAPA study's

Recommendation #9?

Response. In the wake of 9/11 and the introduction HSPD-12

and related Federal identification requirements, there has

been an increase in the Government's need for secure

credentials. With the approval of the Joint Committee on

Printing, GPO implemented a capability in FY 2008 to help

address this need. While GPO is far from the only provider of

such requirements for Federal agencies, the volume of work

processed by our capability has increased and is projected to

increase in future years, as the report of the National

Academy of Public Administration recently concluded.

Regarding the production of secure credentials for state and

local governments, GPO does not have the statutory authority

to produce work that is not authorized by Federal law, nor

are we equipped and staffed to handle secure credentials for

all Federal agencies, much less for state and local

governments.

Question 8. It is my understanding that aside from printing

passports, GPO has also undertaken the manufacture of Border

Crossing Cards and trusted traveler cards. Government

agencies have been procuring from the private sector and

issuing to their employees and contractors secure ID

documents for decades. When did GPO get into the business of

creating and providing secure credentials, other than

passports? Can you please provide rationale as to why GPO

believes that it should do this work for government

agencies as opposed to the private sector, which has

invested heavily to develop these new technologies?

Response. GPO provides a government-to-government solution

to fulfill the requisitions of Federal agencies for secure

credentials. Our program is staffed by cleared personnel and

backed by a secure supply chain.

The establishment of our secure credential capability was

endorsed to GPO management by GPO's Inspector General in

2005. GPO's proposal to set up a secure card center with its

Security and Intelligent Documents business unit subsequently

was approved in FY 2008 by the Joint Committee on Printing,

which since then has also approved--on a bipartisan basis--

all funding for this program in GPO's annual spending plans.

In 2010, we became the only Federal agency certified by the

General Services Administration to graphically personalize

HSPD-12 credentials. In 2012 the Joint Committee on Printing

approved the establishment of a COOP capability for our

secure credential operations.

GPO serves as a card integrator, working closely with

private sector providers to obtain the products and services

needed to fulfill requisitions submitted by Federal agencies.

For several years we have been accepted member of the Secure

Card Alliance, a consortium of private sector companies and

Federal agencies including the National Institute for

Standards and Technology, the Department of Homeland

Security, the Department of State, the Department of

Transportation, and the General Services Administration

(http://www.smartcardalliance.org/). We work with the private

sector for consulting, fabrication, design, materials, and

supplies, essentially incorporating the best that industry

has to offer into solutions sought by Federal agencies that

requisition the work from us.

GPO's secure credentials capability serves as a valuable

resource to a number of Federal agencies, including the Joint

Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the U.S.

Capitol Police, which relied on us to provide secure law

enforcement credentials for the 2009 and 2013 Presidential

inaugurations. In addition to satisfactorily fulfilling

Federal agency requisitions for secure

credentials, our card production program was endorsed in the

recent report of the National Academy of Public

Administration. GPO provides secure credential products and

services on a reimbursable basis with no appropriated funds.

Throughout the existence of GPO's secure credentials

program, we have been open and transparent about its

operation. As noted above, we are a well-known member of the

Smart Card Alliance. We are subject to the oversight of the

Joint Committee on Printing and our House and Senate

legislative oversight and appropriations committees.

Additionally, our program has been the subject of oversight

by our Office of Inspector General (see for example http:// www.gpo.gov/pdfs/ig/audits/11-06_AuditReport(Issued_

March_31_2011).pdf); the IG's semiannual reports to Congress

for several years routinely tracked oversight of the GPO's

secure credentials program as a ``management challenge'' (see

for example http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/ig/semi-annual/11-30- 09.pdf). We have kept the public informed through press

releases (see for example http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/news-media/ press/09news19.pdf, http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/news-media/press/ 10news39.pdf, and http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/news-media/press/ 11news60.pdf), YouTube videos (see for example http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=levIY1qIPy0, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ettaBOW4UEA, and http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mQxH1EZA71I), GPO annual reports to Congress, and

other media.

Question 9. GPO's mission statement, articulated recently

in your agency's strategic plan ``is to produce, protect,

preserve, and distribute the official publications and

information products of the Federal Government.'' Do you

consider the production of secure credentials as

fundamentally related to or falling under GPO's mission? Do

you believe that the manufacture of secure credentials falls

within the definition of ``printing'' under Section 501 of

Title 44 U.S.C.? If so, has the GPO communicated this

interpretation to federal agencies in any of its discussions

with federal agencies? For ID cards and passports: what is

the cost of the ink and graphics component per security card?

What is the cost of the technological component per card?

Response. Our ``produce, protect, preserve, and distribute

the official publications and information products of the

Federal Government'' mission statement appears in our

strategic plan and elsewhere to describe the informing

function that GPO carries out, a function that is traceable

to Article I in the Constitution. However, the public

printing statutes of Title 44, U.S.C., make it clear that the

performance of printing for the Government extends to a broad

variety of products and services, some of which do not

necessarily relate to an informing function. Over the years

GPO has produced or procured tax forms, census forms, Social

Security cards, ration cards, letterheads, envelopes,

passports, postal cards, and other printed products that are

associated with the operations of the Government. These

products are produced by printing processes, including the

processes of composition, presswork, and binding, which are

defmed in Title 44 as within GPO's authority to perform. The

production of secure credentials for Federal agencies also

involves printing processes, and so GPO is authorized to

produce them (though as a practical matter, GPO is able and

equipped to produce only a limited amount of secure

credential work). As long as Federal agencies submit a

requisition that complies with the relevant provisions of

Title 44 (certifying that the products requested are

authorized by law, necessary to the public business, and

backed by the necessary funding), GPO will perform the work.

Federal agencies who have contacted us to discuss our secure

credential capabilities are aware of this fact. Regarding the

cost of ink and graphics component per security card, ink is

a very small percentage of the material cost for any of our

products (less than 1%). The technological component of our

card business (chip and antenna) is about 20-25%.

Question 10. As you know, only about 16 percent of the GPO

is appropriated by Congress. The rest of GPO's funding comes

from ``operating profits.'' Did Congress appropriate the

money for the Secure Credential Innovation Center--which is

what I understand to be a new multi-million dollar GPO

facility? Or was that facility funded through operating

profits from ID card and other sales? Will the facility

affect overhead costs?

Response. There appears to be a misunderstanding about

GPO's Secure Credential Innovation Center (SCIC). This is a

small (529 sq ft) work space on the 5th floor of GPO's

building C that is staffed by one FTE and equipped with a

single opening laminator, laser cutter, CNC mill, plasma

torch, UV epoxy curing station, and related equipment for the

design and testing of security features requisitioned by

Federal agencies for passports and other secure credentials.

It is not a ``multi-million dollar'' facility. It was funded

through the revolving fund, not appropriated funds.

We also opened a secure card COOP capability at our

Stennis, MS, facility in 2013, with the approval of the Joint

Committee on Printing. The capital investment proposed for

this project was $2.2 million dollars, including $1.5 million

for a card printer and installation, $450,000 for the

required IT infrastructure, $175,000 for necessary space

renovations and security upgrades, and an estimated $75,000

in support and travel costs. All costs were funded through

GPO's revolving fund, and the project came in on time and

under budget.

As costs of GPO's SID business unit, neither the Stennis

facility nor the SCIC are included in overhead costs for the

GPO as a whole. They are direct costs that are recovered

through the rates charged for SID products.

As noted earlier, none of the funds for GPO's secure card

capability are appropriated by Congress. Concerning GPO's

finances under section 309 of Title 44, U.S.C., GPO does not

generate ``operating profits'' but is limited to recovering

its costs. Part of these costs includes the ability to

generate funds for investment in necessary equipment and

plant improvements.

Question 11. I've heard that GPO ``sales teams'' have been

telling the State Department, the Department of Homeland

Security, and other agencies that utilize ID card

technologies for various programs--for example, to control

access to our borders and to verify immigration status--that

they are required by law to obtain their secure ID documents

from the GPO, because the GPO is the government's printer. Do

you believe that this is the case? Do you believe government-

issued secure ID cards must be manufactured by and purchased

from the GPO, rather than the private sector? If so . . . do

you believe the GPO has the technological and security

capabilities to produce these types of items? If not . . .

are GPO sales teams in error if and when they state that

federal agencies are required to purchase these items from

the GPO by law?

Response. In hearings before the House Legislative Branch

Appropriations Subcommittee for FY 2010, former Public

Printer Robert C. Tapella said, ``I believe that Federal

credentials belong in a Federally-owned, Federally-operated

production environment and not in the private sector. And I

think it is an inherently governmental activity'' (Hearings,

Part II, April 28, 2009, p. 166). GPO management today does

not endorse this position nor would it be practical. As a

member organization of the Smart Card Alliance, we

acknowledge the role of the private sector secure credentials

industry in providing products and services to Federal

agencies, and we work closely with them in the integration of

card components to meet the requirements of products

requisitioned from us. We do not compete against private

sector companies for secure credential work. GPO provides a

limited capability that is available for the use of Federal

agencies seeking the provision of services in a govermnent-

to-government setting, staffed by cleared personnel, and

backed by a secure supply chain. As a postscript, GPO's SID

business unit has one FTE (no sales teams) responsible for

addressing inquiries for SID products and services that come

from Federal agencies.

Question 12. It is my understanding that GPO either will

soon or has recently begun manufacturing the US Border

Crossing Card. The GPO ``won'' that business away from a

private sector vendor. Please explain the process by which

GPO ``won'' the contract away from the private sector and the

decision-making behind GPO taking over production of the

Border Crossing Card.

Response. We do not compete against private sector

companies for secure credential work, and as a result we do

not ``win business away'' from them. The Department of State

submitted an SF-1 requisition to GPO for the production of

the border crossing card. The decision to come to GPO for the

production of this card was made by the Department, and the

Department's requisition to us fulfilled all lawful

requirements. GPO cannot participate in Federal agency RFPs

where the private sector is involved. We are required by law

to respond to requisitions for printing services from Federal

agencies.

Question 13. Are you aware of testimony before the House

Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on National

Security that said that over 30,000 counterfeit US Border

Crossing Cards have been found at our US borders? Now that

GPO will be producing Border Crossing Cards, could you please

explain to the Committee how you will ensure that these cards

have the anti-counterfeit technologies required to make these

cards truly secure? Do you feel that GPO has the technical

expertise and capability to ensure that these cards are

equipped with anti-counterfeit technologies?

Response. We are familiar with this testimony, which is

posted online by the Subcommittee. (In reviewing the

testimony provided at the hearing, we noted that the number

of Border Crossing Cards identified as fraudulent rather than

counterfeit by Chairman Chaffetz was 13,000, and that this

number was identified in FY 2009, at http:// oversighthouse.gov/hearing/border-security-oversight-part- iii-border-crossingcards-b1b2-visas/, 2:04:15). GPO received

the requisition from the Department of State to begin

producing the Border Crossing Card in 2013. We also noted

that in the hearing the value of the Nexus card, which used

to cross the border with Canada, was described very

positively. GPO produces the Nexus card for the Department of

Homeland Security.

Concerning GPO's ability to produce cards with anti-

counterfeit technologies, GPO has significant expertise in

the field of secure document design based on our work with

passports. We have designed Government credentials with

advanced security features. We work closely with the

Department of Homeland Security's fraudulent document lab

experts to validate credential designs and utilize both

Government and commercial laboratories to test and evaluate

our credential performances. For the Border Crossing Card,

GPO worked with forensic document examiners at the Department

of Homeland Security and with Department of State personnel

to develop a product designed to withstand attempts at

counterfeiting. We have the expertise and capability to

ensure that these cards are equipped with anti-counterfeit

technologies.

Question 14. I have heard that one of the ``selling

points'' GPO uses with executive branch agencies is that the

GPO can manufacture cards for them while also avoiding the

competitive bidding requirements under Federal Acquisition

Regulations. Do you believe that the GPO is required to

follow the Federal Acquisition Regulations when it buys

microchips, antennae, software, laminating materials,

substantive expertise and training for its employees? Do all

of those items need to be competitively bid to the private

sector? Or can GPO buy essentially whatever it wants from

whoever it wants, because it is doing so with money from

operating profits rather than congressionally appropriated

funds? Do you believe that following Federal Acquisition

regulations would save the GPO money?

Response. GPO's Materials Management Acquisition Regulation

(MMAR) is based on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

and is used as the authority for all procurements we make.

Under the MMAR, GPO competitively bids for the acquisition of

products and services used in GPO operations, including those

required for the production of secure credentials. GPO's

utilization of sole source procurement authority follows the

same provisions established in the FAR for other Federal

agencies.

As noted earlier, under the law GPO does not generate

``operating profits'' but is limited to recovering its costs.

Part of these costs includes the ability to generate funds

for investment in necessary equipment and plant improvements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia, the oldest African American founded Baptist congregation in Pennsylvania.

The First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia was established in 1809. Since then, it has helped establish many other churches and institutions, including the Downingtown Industrial School. The First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia has also played an integral role in helping to promote equality in Pennsylvania by establishing the first African American savings and loans bank and the first mortgage company for African Americans.

Throughout its rich history, thirteen pastors have held the honor of leading its distinguished congregation. Currently, The Reverend Terrence D. Griffith serves as the church's pastor. At its centennial celebration in 1909, the church welcomed Booker T. Washington as its keynote speaker. In 2009, both Ed Rendell and Arlen Specter joined the church to celebrate its bicentennial anniversary. This year, the church will be celebrating its 205th anniversary, which I am personally attending.

I invite you and all of my colleagues to join me in commemorating The First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia's 205th anniversary. May its success and commitment to helping the City of Philadelphia be an inspiration to all of us in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 863, a bill to establish the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Women's History Museum, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York. While Natural Resources is the primary committee, the legislation was referred to the Committee on House Administration as an additional referral because H.R. 863 suggests that the Commission study whether or not such a museum, if created, should be part of the Smithsonian Institution. Our committee discussed that issue at a hearing before we filed our report in the House.

I want to draw attention to an issue which was not addressed in amendments to this legislation by either committee--the proper structure of the Commission. The bill would create an 8-member commission, but previous commissions of this type to study whether museums should become part of the Smithsonian proposed a larger group, 23 members. The larger number seems more practical for ensuring a variety of opinions and providing sufficient personnel to be available to do the Commission's work. There is likely to be significant interest by well-qualified persons to serve on the commission. Additionally, the bill only provides for appointments by the bipartisan, bicameral congressional leadership of each chamber of Congress, but not by the president. The recent commissions to study the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is now under construction on the Mall, and the National Museum of the American Latino, which is now awaiting a hearing in the House Administration Committee, had presidential appointees. I believe this is a prerequisite for creating a truly national museum. When this legislation reaches the Senate, I hope that the other body will make appropriate adjustments to achieve this goal.

I include the Additional Views submitted by the Democratic members of the Committee on House Administration as part of our committee report, H. Rept. 113 09411, Part 1, filed in the House on April 10, 2014:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the future leaders of LaSalle Academy, Class of 2015, on their Leadership visit to the Nation's Capital on May 6th 2014. This trip, through the sites they will see, the leaders they will meet, and about whom they will learn, will expose them to the attributes effective leaders must possess in guiding individuals toward a value-based, common goal. I trust this trip will afford these young men and women not only an opportunity to learn effective leadership skills, but also the worth of selfless leadership to themselves, their school, community, and nation.

LaSalle Academy of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has inculcated a robust value set in its curriculum and has readied these young men and women for this leadership role. Knowing they are our leaders of tomorrow, I and the teachers and staff at LaSalle Academy are happy to have provided them the opportunity to see leadership in action in our nation's capitol.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to congratulate these students on their interest in our government and in becoming inspirational leaders. Please join me in wishing them every success in their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 39, proudly celebrating their 125th anniversary in May, 2014. Their motto of Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity can be seen throughout the division's history, from helping Irish immigrants obtain work in the early 1870's to the present day, by awarding scholarships, holding fundraisers for those in need and collecting thousands of dollars and much needed supplies for those in New York and New Jersey who were devastated by super storm Sandy.

In 1884 Irish immigrants built and attended St. Leo's Catholic Church, which still stands today. In 1885 an Irishman and Hibernian, Frank Jordan, built the Tacony Music Hall, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Today ancestors of the Irish immigrant families still reside in the Tacony area of Philadelphia. During the 1950's and 1960's many more divisions of the Ancient Order of Hibernians were started in Philadelphia and surrounding areas and Division 39 lost members. By the late 1960's when there were less than 50 members remaining, the officers and members undertook a revitalization of this once great division. By the early 1980's Division 39 had over 300 members, and by the mid 1990's there were over 900 members, making Division 39 the largest in the country. As of today the membership remains at approximately 750 members.

Some of the annual functions at the division are the communion breakfast, Veterans Day mass and social, children's Christmas party, mass before the St. Patrick's Day parade and post parade party, awarding of scholarships based on a written essay, three scholarship awards on Thanksgiving Day to Father Judge High School football players, erection and dismantling of the Christmas creeche in downtown Philadelphia, the annual chili cook off and membership drive and weekly crab night. These events are only some of the ways the Division 39 gives back to the community.

I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in congratulating The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 39, on its 125th anniversary of serving the Tacony community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Peter Wirs, a friend and a neighbor, who will soon become the first diabetic and oldest individual to step into an international freestyle wrestling mat at this year's USA Wrestling's National Open, taking place in Las Vegas on April 17. Peter Wirs currently serves as the 59th Republican Ward Leader in Philadelphia.

But despite what Peter has accomplished, diabetes continues to be an epidemic. One in 12 Americans has diabetes, and an additional one in 3 Americans is at risk for developing the disease. Every 17 seconds, another individual is diagnosed with diabetes. Shockingly, this disease kills more Americans every year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. The American Diabetes Association's latest research estimates the total costs of diagnosed diabetes have risen to $245 billion in 2012 from $174 billion in 2007, when the cost was last examined, representing a 41 percent over a five-year period. Diabetes costs severely impact American productivity, let alone billions in healthcare costs.

Pete Wirs could have given up ten years ago. When I first met Pete Wirs he weighed 250 lbs. Today, he weighs 180 lbs. He exercises at 5:30 in the morning every day, followed by drills and wrestling holds and moves practice every night after work at the Pennsylvania Wrestling Club headquarters, located in my District.

Mr. Speaker, we don't know whether Leader Wirs will win or lose his first match. But no matter what the final score ends up being, Pete Wirs will have scored a moral victory by simply stepping onto the mat, by getting his diabetes under control, and by proving to all of us that physical fitness is not a diet or a fad, but a life-long commitment to healthy eating, continuous exercise, and sports activity.

Mr. Speaker, Pete Wirs remains an inspiration to all diabetics and indeed to all of us who should be exercising and participating in sports and recreation. I join my colleague, Congressman Jim Jordan, in congratulating Leader Wirs, and all of his fellow team members, coaches and boosters in what is sure to be a sports event for the history books.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, a distinguished former member of the Philadelphia education and Catholic community.

Bishop McFadden was born in Philadelphia on May 22, 1947. Attending Catholic schools for his elementary and secondary education, Bishop McFadden was an involved and active student. He then enrolled in Philadelphia's Saint Joseph University, where he matriculated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Politics. Bishop McFadden's childhood and education prepared him well to be a life-long advocate for education in Philadelphia.

After teaching and coaching at West Catholic Boys High School from 1969-1976, Bishop McFadden entered Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. Ordained as a priest on May 16, 1981, Bishop McFadden continued in his passion of higher education. He received a Master of Divinity, graduating Summa Cum Laude, upon completing his studies at Saint Charles Seminary.

Bishop McFadden served as an Honorary Prelate to Pope John Paul II for two years. In 1993, Cardinal Bevilacqua appointed Bishop McFadden as the first President of Cardinal O'Hara High School. As President, the Bishop was vital to increasing the school's enrollment to 2000 students and initiating the program ``Laptops for Learning.''

Bishop McFadden began his service as a pastor in Downingtown in 2001, until he was appointed to be an Auxiliary Bishop in Philadelphia in June 2004. He was ordained to the Episcopacy on July 28, 2004 and was named the tenth Bishop of Harrisburg on June 22, 2010. Unfortunately, Bishop McFadden passed away on March 2, 2013. His passing is still mourned by the Catholic community. This week, Bishop McFadden will posthumously be given the Distinguished Catholic School Graduates Award by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for his service to Catholic School education in the state of Pennsylvania.

I invite you and all of my colleagues to join me in commemorating Bishop Joseph P. McFadden. May his legacy and commitment be an inspiration to all of us in the years to come.