Floor Statements

Offered By: Mr. Menendez

Amendment No. 14: Page 3, line 15, insert ``(decreased by

$50,000,000)'' after ``$146,084,000''.

Page 26, line 23, insert ``(increased by $50,000,000)''

after ``$2,781,300,000''.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am proud to join my colleagues in the United States Congress and world leaders in celebrating the creation of the State of Israel on this 57th anniversary of Israel's Independence

Day. On this historic day, we honor the achievements of the Jewish people and the Jewish state, and salute a young and proud nation that has accomplished so much in so little time.

In the 57 years since independence, Israel has welcomed immigrants from all corners of the world, including over a million new immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Israel today is a vibrant democracy, the only democracy in the Middle East, and a world leader in technology and agricultural innovation for arid regions.

We must remember that these great achievements have come at a great cost. More than 20,000 Israel Defense Force members have died fighting for the cause of a Jewish state in the years since the war of independence--over 169 Israeli soldiers in the past year alone, since the last Remembrance and Independence Days. Their sacrifice has created a beacon of democracy and hope for millions of Jews around the world.

We must also remember those innocent civilians who have been killed by terrorists trying to destroy the State of Israel and her people. By remaining strong in our convictions and our support of Israel, we honor their memory and move closer towards creating a peaceful and prosperous future.

On this Day of Independence, the United States of America and Israel stand side-by-side in our commitment to democracy, to peace, and to the State of Israel. The United States will never flinch and will never waiver in its support for the safety and security of the State of Israel and of her people.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding me this time.

On September 11, more than 700 of our friends and neighbors from my State of New Jersey never returned home from work and never returned to their families. The smoking ruins of the Twin Towers were visible for my entire district to see, and many of the police and emergency response personnel that responded so heroically to the attacks were from New Jersey.

Yet, here we are 3 years and 8 months later and our current homeland security funding is not based on risk and threats. That is why I rise in strong support of this important legislation which will finally direct Federal assistance to those first responders serving where the need is greatest. We know the enemy seeks to attack again. We just do not know when and where it will occur.

New Jersey faces unique terrorism threats that require a greater portion of homeland security aid due to its proximity to New York City and to its vast number of potential targets of terror, such as the largest seaport on the east coast, one of the busiest airports in the country, an area known as the ``chemical coastway,'' our four nuclear power plants, and the six tunnels and bridges that connect New Jersey to New York City.

If that were not enough, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has placed more than a dozen New Jersey sites on

the National Critical Infrastructure List and has called the area in my district between Port Newark and Newark International Airport the most dangerous 2 miles in the United States when it comes to terrorism. A recent article in the New York Times pointed out that this 2-mile area provides a ``convenient way to cripple the economy by disrupting major portions of the country's rail lines, oil storage tanks and refineries, pipelines, air traffic, communications networks and highway system.''

Yet the State's homeland security funding was cut in this fiscal year by 34 percent. In my district, two high-risk urban areas saw their funding reduced by 17 and 60 percent respectively. Mr. Speaker, the current system of allocating homeland security funds is broken and needs to be fixed immediately.

The 9/11 Commission report said that, ``Homeland security assistance should be based strictly on an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities.'' That is exactly what the Menendez substitute to the intelligence reform bill would have accomplished last October. That is exactly what I fought for in the conference report on that legislation and what I sought to accomplish earlier this year when I introduced the Risk-Based Homeland Security Funding Act with Senators Corzine and Lautenberg.

We must take every step to secure our communities from the threat of terrorism, and this bill will ensure that the first responders on the front lines of this war in both New Jersey and across the country will receive a much-needed increase in Federal homeland security funding.

The House of Representatives must pass this important piece of legislation today, and the Senate should act as quickly as possible to get it to the President's desk.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. It will turn the 9/ 11 Commission's recommendation into law, while protecting those areas and targets that are at the greatest risk of a future attack.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to join a bipartisan group of original cosponsors of this resolution which supports the development of democracy and civil society in Cuba. As you know, on May 20th, opposition leaders are organizing a historic Assembly on the 103rd Anniversary of Cuban independence.

In this momentous meeting of 365 irdependent organizations, Cuba will hear a dialogue of freedom and progress. This Assembly will continue a discussion--from within Cuba--of how to begin the process of reconstructing a democratic culture, promoting civil society, combating poverty, and establishing labor rights. They are Cuba's bravest and brightest--they are Cuba's future.

Who among us would not be supportive of the right to peaceful assembly and public discourse? That is what this resolution and Cuban civil society is calling for on May 20th.

As we learned in a Western Hemisphere Subcommittee hearing early this year, the organizers and the participants in this event are risking their personal freedom for the freedom of the Cuban people.

This resolution makes it clear that we oppose any attempt by the Castro regime to repress or punish the organizers and participants of the Assembly, as Castro has done with so many others who have spoken out against repression. News reports indicate that Cuban dissidents who are choosing to participate in the Assembly are already being harassed.

This past April 20th--not even a month ago--three of these dissidents took the time to speak to many of us about their situation. They told of the beatings, detentions, interrogations, harassment and political slander which they and other dissidents are being subjected to as the Cuban regime continues to try to repress and de-legitimize their struggle for freedom.

And let us not forget the crackdown on human rights two years ago, when Castro arrested 75 dissidents, subjected them to summary trials, and sentenced them to long jail terms. Many of the prisoners, along with other prisoners of conscience, spent over a year in solitary confinement. Some have been deprived of adequate medical treatment, and reports from Cuba detail beatings and harassment.

Clearly, the Castro regime has no respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article 4 that, ``No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.''

That is why I am proud of my resolution that passed with bipartisan support condemning Castro's brutal crackdown and demanding that the Cuban regime immediately release all political prisoners, legalize all political parties, labor unions, and the press, and hold free and fair elections.

On that day, we came together from both sides of the aisle, to stand together for a universal cause, human rights, and to celebrate the strength and perseverance of the Cuban people.

That is why I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. This resolution

says again that we stand behind those who risk repression and harassment to bring freedom to their long-suffering people.

It says that the international community is watching Castro, and that we will not accept the abuses of human and civil rights that the Castro regime employs so indifferently.

And it says that we believe in the Assembly and the ability of a group of individuals with a strong faith in democracy to free their people from a tyrant's restrictive grasp.

To my brothers and sisters who suffer in Castro's jails, under his regime, to their families and friends both here in the United States and in Cuba, to the leaders and participants in the Assembly to Promote Civil Society in Cuba, and to the Cuban people, I say that Castro's days are numbered. Over a hundred years ago, the Cuban people won the battle against brutality and oppression and fought for their freedom. I have no doubt that we will win again. I look forward to that day, which is coming soon, when on May 20, our independence day, we will all celebrate a free and democratic Cuba.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, today, I join my friends and colleagues around the world in commemorating the horrors inflicted during the Holocaust.

Today, we bear witness to the millions of Jews and countless other innocent people who were brutally murdered in Nazi concentration camps.

We bear witness to the horrors of genocide that shocked the world, and ask ourselves if we have truly upheld the promise of ``never again,'' when we hear the echoes of the Holocaust in the rising threat of anti-Semitism today.

We bear witness to the millions of people who were persecuted and enslaved for their political or religious beliefs, or their mental handicaps in the name of social cleansing.

But we also remember amazing acts of courage and kindness, when those with everything to lose risked their lives and freedom to help those most in need, and the bravery of those who would not go willingly to a certain death.

There is a reason why we call this day not an anniversary, but a remembrance. Every day, but especially today, we must remember not only the horrible acts committed by the Nazis but also the actions, and the lack of action, that led to those horrors.

In remembering, we honor those who suffered--but our memories must also serve as a constant reminder of the vigilance required from each of us to prevent it from happening again, or to take action if we see it happening.

Never again should the innocent be left to languish. For those who perished, for those who survived, for those who fought and for those who liberated, we must not falter and we must not fail. We must learn from history so that we are not doomed to repeat it.

We must bear witness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Concerned Citizens of Bayonne (CCB) for its remarkable work in the community and its endless service to local residents. This year, the organization is celebrating its 35th anniversary and will be receiving special honors from the mayor.

The CCB is a civic group that offers assistance to non-profit organizations in the area and provides a wide range of services to local residents. The city of Bayonne greatly benefits from endeavors sponsored by the CCB, such as the Marine Corps League's Toys for Tots drive, an after-school literacy program, and an annual scholarship award for high school seniors. Additionally, the CCB sponsors many local sports teams and assists veterans in hospitals throughout the state. With the help of dedicated CCB members, the organization has been successful in raising money for many worthy causes, among them the Police Athletic League (PAL), Bayonne's First Federated Church, and the battleship New Jersey.

To celebrate the CCB's outstanding work, Bayonne Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr., declared that April 23, 2005, was Concerned Citizens of Bayonne Day. Special recognition was also given to Frank and Jean Perrucci, who have diligently offered their time and energy to the CCB since its founding in 1970. As an additional sign of gratitude, the mayor renamed the corner of 29th Street and Avenue A ``Concerned Citizens Way'' on April 30, 2005.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Concerned Citizens of Bayonne for its extensive involvement in developing and sponsoring programs that benefit local residents. I applaud the CCB's dedication to serving its community over the past 35 years and have no doubt it will continue its admirable work in the city of Bayonne.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the UJA Federation of Bayonne for its outstanding service to the Jewish community. The UJA Federation hosted its Holocaust memorial program on May 3, 2005, in New Jersey.

As an umbrella organization for Jewish residents, the UJA Federation strives to support and sustain the local Jewish community. Apart from development, it focuses on issues related to the Holocaust and the remembrance of that tragic event.

The UJA Federation of Bayonne will soon be hosting its Holocaust Remembrance Day Observance. The keynote speaker will be Edward Mosberg, a survivor of the Krakow Ghetto and the Plaszow and Mauthausen concentration camps, who will share his experience of living in Poland during World War II. The observance will also include readings by children from local Jewish schools and a candle lighting ceremony by local Holocaust survivors. The day will serve as an opportunity to reflect on this dark hour of world history, in the hope that we may gain wisdom for the future by remembering the past.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the UJA Federation of Bayonne for its support and outreach to the residents of New Jersey and its worthwhile efforts to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Brett Harwood for his outstanding accomplishments in the business world, his commitment to serving the community, and his generous philanthropy. Mr. Harwood will be honored for his impressive and visionary work by Liberty Health at its annual gala on May 5, 2005, in New Jersey.

A successful businessman, Mr. Harwood helps run his family's company, Harwood Properties, LLC, which is based out of Jersey City, New Jersey. Founded in 1920, the business has been passed down through the generations and continues to flourish. Mr. Harwood has achieved great success in the parking services industry. Apart from his work in New Jersey, he currently serves as director of the National Parking Association in Washington, DC.

Throughout the years, Mr. Harwood has combined his strong leadership skills with his desire to support and develop multiple community and charitable organizations. As the former vice-chairman of the Liberty Health Board of Trustees, he gave his time and energy to ensure the completion of the Jersey City Medical Center-Wilzig Hospital. Additionally, he made the first donation to the Capitol Campaign, which has raised 16 million dollars to support the new medical center. Mr. Harwood has also generously donated to the Jewish Home and Rehabilitation Center and to Franklin and Marshall College.

Actively involved in the community, Mr. Harwood is a member of Temple Sharey Telfilo Israel in South Orange, the Ben Franklin society, and the Franklin and Marshall Leadership Council.

Mr. Harwood was born in Orange, New Jersey and holds a bachelor's degree in government. He graduated with his J.D. from Temple University Law School and was admitted to the New Jersey Bar that same year. Before joining Harwood Properties, LLC, he worked at various law firms, concentrating on creditor's rights. He and his wife, Margie, are the proud parents of two children and are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this year. When Mr. Harwood is not busy with his business and community affairs, he spends his free time sailing, traveling, and relaxing on the beach.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Brett Harwood for his dedication to serving others, his admirable work in the community, and his great efforts to improve the quality of life for people of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, the Nation's $2.6 trillion budget was filed just over 3 hours ago, and we have not even had a chance to review it. But from press reports this budget adds more than $4 trillion to the deficit in the next 10 years without even including the enormous costs that have been left out of the budget such as funding for continued military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

So let us be clear that when Members come to the floor representing their constituencies, they should understand that a vote for this budget resolution is a vote to increase the debt ceiling of the United States to $8.6 trillion. This will ensure that our tax dollars do not go to Social Security and Medicare or to investing in our people, but to simply paying interest on this debt that Republicans continue to raise without any concern about future generations.

By not restoring the budget enforcement rules, the rules that say we have to pay for the expenditures of the Nation as we go, they continue to spend wildly, making tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, and driving us and the deficit into deeper debt, a debt that will not educate one child, provide lifesaving health care to someone who needs it, or treat and care for those veterans that are returning from war.

This budget only guarantees that the middle class will be further squeezed. It does nothing to help these families provide quality affordable health care for them and their children nor make a college education more affordable nor ensure a secure retirement nor lower the prices of gasoline that have reached an all-time high. These are not the values we share.

Republican priorities are making the wealthy tax cuts permanent regardless of the damage that will be caused not only to the citizens and families of this country but to the Nation's economic well-being.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this conference report. It may be the last opportunity to preserve America's future and the intergenerational responsibility this Republican majority cares nothing about.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 2nd Battalion, 113th infantry on their return from Guantanamo Bay. On Thursday, April 21, 2005, family members, commanding officers, local officials, friends and neighbors came together to honor their return with a Welcome Home Ceremony at the Jersey City Armory in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry has a distinguished record dating back to the Revolutionary War. Their nine month long deployment, from June 2004 to April 2005, was part of Operation Enduring Freedom in support of the ongoing global war against terrorism. The battalion was an integral element of Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO). I had the honor of visiting with many of these soldiers in December during a trip to Guantanamo, and I can personally attest to their dedication and commitment to protecting the freedoms we all hold dear as Americans.

I would also like to provide a special mention of the Expert Infantry Badge Recipients: Capt. Jurandir Araujo, Jr; 1st Lt. Curtis R. Boyd; 2nd Lt. Peter B. Hegsethl Staff Sgt. Nicholas L. Forrestal; Staff Sgt. Michael J. Klock; Sgt. John Casiano; Sgt. Julio C. Garcia, Jr.; Sgt. Daniel M. Kim; Sgt. Benjamin G. Ouckama; Sgt. Winston G. Ouckama, Jr.; Sgt. Roque L. Rodriguez, Jr.; Sgt. Daniel E. Torres; Sgt. Carl M.l. Cabanas; Spc. Damian P. Caceres; Sgt. Damien N. Joseph; Spc. Jorge M. Oliveira; Spc. Ernesto D. Rances; and Spc. Anthony Scally.

Brave members of the National Guard, I believe they can no longer be viewed as simply `weekend warriors,' but as full-time soldiers making sacrifices to defend our freedom. I believe they all deserve to be treated as such.

Today I ask my colleagues to join me in appreciation of their service, and in fighting to provide health care for these brave men and women and their families, to reduce the retirement age for guardsmen, and to provide readjustment assistance such as counseling, job training, and family assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 227, which would honor the contributions of Indian Americans in the field of information technology.

Like so many other groups, Indian Americans lend creativity, technical expertise, and innovation to their chosen fields. Every day, they show their dedication not only to improving the economy and competitiveness of this country, but to advancing a positive relationship between the United States and India.

This resolution presents us with an opportunity to thank those who have such an important impact on our society. Indian Americans have created thousands of jobs in the U.S. and hold senior positions at Fortune 500 companies, national labs, universities, and venture capital firms. And through their work as economists, researchers, educators, and social and political leaders, they have ensured that their extraordinary commitment will benefit not only this generation, but the next, as well.

That is why I support this resolution. The cornerstone of our society was built on the contributions of many groups who brought intelligence and originality to their work in this country. And that is why I urge my colleagues to join me today in thanking Indian Americans by recognizing their contributions to information technology.

Mr. Speaker. A todos mis hermanos y hermanas quienes sufren en las carceles de Castro bajo su regimen, a sus familias y amistades aqui en los Estados Unidos y en Cuba, les digo que el pueblo americano esta con ustedes. Y, aqui en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos, vamos a defender su libertad y ganar la lucha contra la brutalidad y la opresion.

Por eso, junto con mis otras colegas en el Congreso, escribi esta resolucion que condena la ola represiva contra los disidentes que hizo la regimen Castro hace dos anos y que declara que la gente cubana debe tener los derechos humanos y la libertad--la libertad de expresion y de asociacion--y el derecho de tener elecciones libres.

To all my friends here today who don't speak Spanish, don't worry, I won't spend the rest of my time speaking in Spanish. But I did want to take a moment to speak directly to the Cuban people to let them know that we stand with them in their fight for freedom and human rights.

We are debating this resolution today under the shadow of the 2nd anniversary of the crackdown on dissidents in Cuba. We often think of an anniversary as a moment to celebrate--but clearly we have nothing to celebrate today. Instead, we use this anniversary to mark a tragedy in the lives of the Cuban people and to the lives of all those who support democracy and human rights in the hemisphere.

The whole world was horrified as more than 75 journalists, human rights activists, and opposition political figures were arrested, given summary trials, and then sentenced to prison terms of up to 28 years. Many of the prisoners, along with other prisoners of conscience, spent over a year in solitary confinement. Some have been deprived of adequate medical treatment and reports from Cuba detail beatings and harassment.

I am not fooled by the recent release of a number of dissidents, by this attempt to trick the international community. I am not fooled because I know that when they released those dissidents, who should never have been in jail in the first place, they also arrested new dissidents. I am not fooled because I know that they only released these dissidents on ``parole,'' meaning that they could be arrested again at any time.

Hundreds of political prisoners remain in Castro's jails today. Clearly, the Castro regime has no respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article 4 that, ``No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.'' And the world has recognized these injustices. The State Department calls this wave, ``the most despicable act of political repression in the Americas in a decade.''

Castro's human rights record has been condemned by Amnesty International, Freedom House, and other human rights groups.

In a statement, Amnesty International said that these ``prisoners of conscience'' should be immediately released and called on the Cuban regime to, ``comply with the principles laid out in international rights standards for the treatment of prisoners.''

Freedom House included Cuba in its report entitled, ``The Worst of the Worst, The World's Most Repressive Societies, 2004.'' And the House of Representatives has condemned Castro's human rights record as well, in multiple resolutions. This year, on the two-year anniversary, we are here to pass a resolution that condemns Castro's brutal crackdown and demands that the Cuban regime immediately release all political prisoners, legalize all political parties, labor unions, and the press, and hold free and fair elections.

Today is a time for all of us to come together, from both sides of the aisle, to stand together for a universal cause: human rights.

Today, in voting for this resolution, we will celebrate the strength and perseverance of the Cuban people.

Today, we will vote for the universal values which we all share.

So I call on all of the Members of the House of Representatives to join me in the fight for human rights and democracy for the Cuban people.

Now is the time for us to stand together against brutality, torture and dictatorship.

Now is the time for us to stand together for freedom, for the right to free speech and free association, and for human rights in general.

Now is the time for us to stand together as we call on the Cuban regime to immediately release these prisoners of conscience, who were jailed for standing up for democracy and human rights against a brutal dictatorship.

To my brothers and sisters who suffer in Castro's jails, to their families and friends both here in the United States and Cuba, and to the Cuban people, I say that Castro will not succeed in his vain attempt to suppress the spirit of the Cuban people. I look forward to the day, which is coming soon, when we will all celebrate a free and democratic Cuba. It is the spirit of the Cuban people and their courage that will ultimately be Castro's downfall.

So, I ask each of you to join me in voting yes for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, ``those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'' That saying is as true today as it was almost a hundred years ago when the philosopher George Santayana first wrote it.

So, today we are here to remember. We are here to remember that the Ottoman Empire brutally tortured and murdered 1.5 million Armenians 90 years ago and that half a million Armenians were forced to flee their country. Let us also remember and honor those who survived the genocide. Although few survivors of the Armenian Genocide are still living today, those who endured the horrors of 1915 are heroes for all time.

We are here to honor those who died and to call for recognition of the Genocide carried about by the Ottoman Turkish government. We are here to remember so we don't repeat the same mistake, anywhere, in any country of the world.

In my view, all Americans must recognize that the atrocities committed from 1915 to 1923 constitute genocide. We do not use that word lightly. But the word, itself, makes a powerful statement about the horrors suffered by the Armenian people. As Samantha Powers, the leading expert on genocide said in a letter to the editor of the New York Times, ``The extermination of Armenians is recognized as genocide by the consensus of scholars of genocide and Holocaust worldwide. The failure to acknowledge this trivializes a human rights crime of enormous magnitude.'' Today, the people of Armenia and her diaspora are proudly seeking to rebuild their country.

From the ashes of despair born of the genocide, and from the ravages of seven decades of communist rule, Armenians the world over are striving to secure a safe and prosperous future for Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh.

As Armenian-Americans join with Armenians from throughout the world to help to rebuild their homeland, and as they seek to secure an economically prosperous state founded on firm democratic principles, I will stand by them.

As a Member of the House leadership and the House International Relations Committee, I promise to do all I can on behalf of Armenia and to ensure that the Armenian genocide is recognized. In closing, I remind you that Adolf Hitler once stated: ``Who today remembers the Armenians?''

I am here to say that we remember the Armenians. The children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of the survivors and of those who perished, remember the Armenians. The friends and neighbors of Armenia, remember the Armenians. And here in the United States, we remember the Armenians.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein for her exceptional efforts and unwavering commitment to worker issues. Assemblywoman Greenstein received the Hubert H. Humphrey Friend of Labor Award, sponsored by the AFL-CIO, at the annual Labor Awards Breakfast on Sunday, April 17, 2005.

As a third-term Assemblywoman for the 14th legislative district, Assemblywoman Greenstein has proven herself to be an outstanding political leader. She currently serves as the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, the Assistant Majority Leader of the Assembly, the Vice- Chair of the Assembly Federal Relations Committee, and as a member of the Budget Committee.

In the Assembly, she has strived to achieve positive policy changes, particularly in the areas of labor and the protection of personal freedoms and workers' rights. Assemblywoman Greenstein is the main sponsor of the Call Center Disclosure Bill and the author of New Jersey's anti-telemarketing law. She sponsored the bill-turned-law that added two union members to the State Health Benefits Commission. Throughout the years, she has consistently supported bills that would enact workers compensation reform and ensure the rights and well-being of New Jersey citizens.

Her past leadership endeavors include serving as Vice-President of the Mercer County School Boards Association and being elected to the Plainsboro Township Committee for six years. Currently, she is a board member of multiple community organizations, such as the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and the Boy Scouts of America.

Besides her political career, Assemblywoman Greenstein has had an extensive law career working as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia, a Clinical Associate Professor at Seton Hall Law School, and a Deputy Attorney General in the Division of Criminal Justice in Trenton.

Assemblywoman Greenstein attended Vassar College, John Hopkins University, and the Georgetown University Law Center. She and her husband have one son and live in Plainsboro.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein for her dedicated commitment to serving her community, her extensive involvement in political affairs, and her tireless efforts to serve the people of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the city of Hoboken, New Jersey, on its sesquicentennial celebration. The people of Hoboken will be commemorating this event with a series of activities throughout the spring and summer. Last weekend, the community held its 150th Anniversary Parade on April 16, 2005.

Located on the shore of the Hudson River, Hoboken is known for its lively atmosphere and rich history. The area was developed almost single-handedly by Colonel John Stevens, who bought the land for $90,000 in 1784. On March 28, 1855, it was incorporated as a city. The late nineteenth century brought a sharp increase in immigration due to Hoboken's proximity to Ellis Island and, by 1890, over 40 percent of the population was foreign-born. Hoboken developed and grew as a manufacturing hub with shipbuilding as the primary industry. The 20th century also brought the development of public transportation and the railroads, ferries, and Port Authority Trans-Hudson, PATH, Tube that transformed Hoboken into a bustling transportation center. The city piers soon became a focal point for trans-Atlantic commerce. More than three million Americans passed through Hoboken on their way to or from World War I. In the past few decades the shipyards have closed as Hoboken has transformed from an industrial area into an affluent neighborhood full of young professionals and known for its variety of restaurants and vibrant nightlife.

The birthplace of Frank Sinatra, Hoboken also claims such famous citizens as photographer Dorothea Lange and painter Willem de Kooning. Additionally, it boasts many notable firsts, including the first ice cream cone, the first steamboat, the first locomotive, and the first brewery. Many also believe that the first organized baseball game was played on Hoboken's Elysian Fields in 1846.

In order to commemorate its momentous sesquicentennial birthday, Hoboken has planned a wide variety of celebrations that will serve to honor the progress and development of the past 150 years. Some of these activities include the creation of a time capsule, the painting of a historical mural, an anniversary gala and fundraiser, an evening concert series, and a spaghetti dinner block party. Hoboken will also host a vintage baseball festival and an arts and music festival.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the city of Hoboken on its 150th anniversary. This momentous occasion allows us to reflect on the city's colorful past and look towards its promising future with hope and enthusiasm. I am proud to be a resident of this community, and I congratulate the people of Hoboken on making this city a wonderful place to call home.