Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Linda Smith for her years of dedicated service and outstanding commitment to the labor movement. Mrs. Smith received the Labor Person of the Year Award, sponsored by the AFL-CIO, at the annual Labor Awards Breakfast on Sunday, April 17, 2005.

For 25 years, Mrs. Smith has been a member of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local Union 1082. During that time, she has demonstrated strong leadership skills as president of the Local 1082 for the past eight years and as an elected member of the executive board for ten years. Mrs. Smith is known by her fellow Local 1082 members for her willingness to volunteer her time and help in whatever capacity necessary to support the union, and her perseverance and self- sacrifice cannot be measured.

When she is not involved with the Local 1082, she is serving as vice- president of the Middlesex County AFL-CIO Labor Council and as a labor representative to the Middlesex County Workforce Investment Board. Additionally, she is a committee person for the Franklin Township Democratic Organization.

Apart from her involvement with labor and community groups, Mrs. Smith has worked for 25 years at the Middlesex County Board of Social Services. A graduate of Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School, she has also studied at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies and Rutgers University. She is the mother of three sons and lives in Somerset.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Linda Smith for her active participation in the CWA and her exemplary service to her fellow union members throughout the years.

Mr. Speaker, I was absent from votes in the House on Tuesday, April 19, due to a previous and unavoidable commitment. Therefore, I was unable to vote on H.R. 683 (rollcall No. 109), H.J. Res. 19 (rollcall No. 110), and H.J. Res. 20 (rollcall No. 111). Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all three measures considered before the House.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Boehlert- Markey amendment. Despite the bill's claims to meet our Nation's energy needs and provide for our Nation's future, H.R. 6 ignores a pivotal approach that will reduce our foreign dependence on oil and alleviate our high oil consumption, increasing fuel economy standards.

Let us look at what we know. We know that fuel economy standards have helped to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. We know that raising the standard to 33 miles a gallon over the next 10 years, which this amendment would do, would save 10 percent of the gas we will consume, and we know that we have the potential in this country to make cars and light trucks much more efficiently.

Mr. Chairman, we need to unlock that potential. We have the technology; we have the innovation. Despite all of this, the bill before us makes no effort to increase those standards. We have a choice: Do we want an energy future that is stagnant and dependent on traditional sources, or do we want a future that will break new boundaries in innovation and technology, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, increase conservation and efficiency and ensure the security of our Nation?

Let us prove that we are serious about our Nation's energy future. Increasing fuel economy standards should be part of the solution and part of our National energy policy. And I urge my colleagues to vote for the Boehlert-Markey amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chuck Wepner for his outstanding boxing career.

A Bayonne native, Mr. Wepner received no formal training, practicing at the gym part-time while working as a salesman during the day. In his prime, he was ranked in the top ten among some of greatest names in boxing, including George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Muhamad Ali.

Mr. Wepner boasts a feat that few have matched: 30 years ago he boxed with Muhamad Ali and was able to knock him to the mat. Though 36 years old and ranked seventh at the time, he went a full 15 rounds with ``the Greatest.'' While Ali eventually won the March 24, 1975 fight, Mr. Wepner is one of only three men to have ever knocked him down. Adding to his achievement is the fact that Sylvester Stallone used Mr. Wepner's personal story of an underdog taking on a prize fighter as the basis for his ``Rocky'' movies. Mr. Stallone acknowledges he used many aspects of Mr. Wepner's life in the boxing films.

Though retired from the ring, Mr. Wepner remains in contact with legends such as Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, and even Sylvester Stallone. Thirty years after his formidable fight, he is busy working as a motivational speaker at schools and various organizations across the country. Additionally, he is developing a movie project and considering writing a book.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Chuck Wepner for his career achievements as a boxer. He has proven to be a strong, inspirational force both in and out of the ring, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to be introducing a revised version of the Preserving Access to Affordable Drugs (PAAD) Act. Unfortunately, the misguided Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 threatens to reduce or eliminate the prescription drug benefits that millions of seniors across the country already have. And if the law isn't bad enough as is, the Administration has ignored the recommendations of the President's State Pharmaceutical Assistance Transition Commission and denied New Jersey's request to automatically enroll those Medicare beneficiaries currently enrolled in New Jersey's PAAD and Medicaid programs into a preferred Medicare prescription drug plan.

This ruling effectively blocks New Jersey's efforts to preserve the generous prescription drug coverage the state currently provides to the 190,000 seniors enrolled in New Jersey's PAAD program and the 140,000 seniors and disabled enrolled in the state's Medicaid program when the new Medicare prescription drug benefit goes into effect on January 1, 2006.

In an effort to right this wrong, the bill I'm introducing today will ensure that our seniors have a seamless transition to the new Medicare Part D drug benefit, without a reduction or disruption in their coverage.

The PAAD Act will allow states to automatically enroll PAAD and dually eligible Medicaid beneficiaries in one or more preferred prescription drug plans to ensure that these beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare drug plan that maximizes both their federal and state prescription drug coverage. This will ensure that New Jersey seniors who currently receive prescription drug benefits under PAAD or through the state's Medicaid program are not made worse off by the new Medicare law.

In addition, the PAAD Act will allow New Jersey to provide supplemental Medicaid prescription drug benefits to low-income seniors and disabled who currently receive generous prescription drug benefits under the Medicaid program and who will now receive their prescription drug benefits through Medicare.

With approximately six million seniors nationwide, including 140,000 in New Jersey, who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, it is absolutely critical that they do not lose access to their Medicaid prescription drug benefits, which are more generous than the new Medicare benefit will be. Not to mention, hundreds of thousands of seniors across the country, and 200,000 seniors in New Jersey, currently are enrolled in state pharmacy assistance programs, and will be forced into a private Medicare drug plan. We need to make sure the new Medicare Modernization Act transition happens with the least amount of confusion and loss of coverage possible. With this bill, we will solve these outstanding problems.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Hispanic Organization of Students in Technology (HOST), the New Jersey Institute of Technology's student chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). HOST/SHPE was honored for its outstanding achievements at the Region IV Student Leadership Conference (RSLC) Gala Banquet on March 19, 2005.

The Hispanic Organization of Students in Technology/Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers represents a group of extremely talented and dedicated students who, at a young age, have already shown amazing promise and success. The HOST/SHPE RSLC offers new members the opportunity to share valuable knowledge and learn from other SHPE leaders. The goal of RSLC is to provide students with the leadership skills necessary for success in the business world, as well as the organizational, managerial, and technical skills essential for developing and enhancing the infrastructure of their respective SHPE student chapters and pre-college programs. In addition, students learn how to interact and network with SHPE corporate officials, which can lead to long-lasting, professional relationships. Under the strong leadership of Daniel Lozano, the conference has been organized to assemble more than 200 students from across the eastern United States, including Puerto Rico.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the achievements of the students in HOST/SHPE, as well as the strong commitment on the part of the RSLC Committee and Daniel Loranzo to organize this worthwhile event. I applaud the students' dedication and their success, and wish them the best as they head towards an already bright future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Jack Smith for his outstanding courage and important service abroad as a physician in Afghanistan.

After being called to duty in October 2004, Dr. Smith was sent to serve in the 325th medical combat unit of the United States Army. While in Afghanistan, he spent much of his time in platoon hospitals, often near dangerous combat operations. The situation required that Dr. Smith utilize his strong skills both as a physician and as a soldier.

Dr. Smith recently returned to the United States to resume his private practice and has been welcomed with enthusiasm and admiration by family, friends, and coworkers. Born

and raised in Bayonne, Dr. Smith works at the Bayonne Medical Center.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dr. Jack Smith for his brave work in Afghanistan. We are grateful for his courage in the face of danger and his service to our country in the name of freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues here in the United States Congress in celebration of the 184th anniversary of Greece's Independence Day. We would not be standing in this very building were it not for the influences of ancient Greek architecture and ancient Greek notions of freedom, democracy, and independence.

On the anniversary of Greek independence, we honor the achievements and contributions of the Greek people and the Greek state, and salute a proud nation that has accomplished so much in history, science, philosophy, mathematics, literature, and art. But by far the most notable of all their achievements is the notion of democracy. Our own founding fathers incorporated the ancient Greek's political experience and philosophy when they formed our

representative democracy. In 1821, the Greeks continued this tradition by revolting against nearly 400 years of repressive rule by the Ottoman Empire and began their journey toward independence.

Greek concepts of government and freedom have had an immense and inestimable influence on the world. The world witnessed this as Greece, home of the first Olympics, hosted the Games once again in 2004. So March 25th marked a historic day for the world, not just for Greece alone. It is yet another day for all to celebrate the principles of democracy, freedom and self-governance.

Over the years, the United States and Greece have shown their commitment to and admiration for democratic ideals. Greece is one of only a handful of countries that stood by the United States in every major international conflict in the 20th century: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and the Balkans. The Greek government responded to the September 11th terrorist attacks with strong political support, as well. The United States and Greece have formed a special bound based upon their shared commitment to democracy and freedom.

Today, the world needs to come together and stand on the basis of Greek principles to protect the human and religious rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. While this is an issue that concerns the Greek community, it is one that is vital to all communities. We must protect the rights of Ecumenical Patriarchate as Turkey has: refused to recognize the Ecumenical Patriarchate's international status and its significance of Orthodox Christians around the world; prevented the Orthodox Christian church from selecting bishops from anywhere in the world to become the Ecumenical Patriarch by requiring Turkish citizenship; confiscated Ecumenical properties since 2002; and levied a retroactive tax on the Balukli Hospital, a philanthropic institution run by the Ecumenical Patriarchate which treats thousands of patients a year.

We also call on Turkey to grant appropriate international recognition and ecclesiastic succession to the Ecumenical Patriarch, along with the right to train clergy of all nationalities.

Finally, the resolution calls on Turkey to respect the property rights and religious rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

From the history of democracy to the religious freedom and human rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we share a common vision with Greece and all of her people. On this day, the United States of America and Greece stand side-by-side in our commitment to the principles of democracy, freedom, and independence. And I would like to thank the Greek people for leading the way and giving us the inspiration and strength to pursue these ideals.

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to introduce a resolution urging Turkey to respect the human rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarch, which are being violated by the Turkish government.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world, including millions of Americans. The Turkish government continuously violates the Ecumenical Patriarch's religious rights and freedoms by refusing to recognize its international status. Training for the clergy has also been effectively banned because the Turkish government refuses to reopen the Greek Orthodox Halki seminary. Furthermore, the Turkish government requires all candidates for the Patriarchate be Turkish nationals, thus severely limiting the field. Additionally, the Turkish government has confiscated 75 percent of Ecumenical Patriarchal properties since 2002 and has levied a 42 percent retroactive tax on the Balukli Hospital, a philanthropic institution run by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Meanwhile, Turkey is scheduled to begin accession negotiations with the European Union in October 2005.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation I am introducing today is very simple. This resolution calls on Turkey to meet the criteria on eliminating all forms of discrimination set forth by the European Union, particularly those based on race or religion. This bill urges the Turkish government to grant the Ecumenical Patriarch appropriate international recognition and ecclesiastic succession, the right to train clergy of all nationalities, and demands that Turkey respect the property rights and human rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. These are simple demands, Mr. Speaker. The path of democracy must be laid with the bricks of freedom and tolerance--without them, democracy becomes a hollow word devoid of promise and hope. We must take a stand for religious rights and freedoms. We must call on Turkey to fulfill its obligations to the European Union and stop violating the human and religious rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Father Taras Chubenko on his 25th anniversary as pastor of St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. Father Chubenko celebrated the event at the Dinner and Dance on March 12, 2005, in Carteret, New Jersey.

During his time with the Cathedral, Father Chubenko has worked diligently to help improve St. Demetrius and its services. Under his strong leadership, St. Demetrius has successfully completed various restructuring and renovation projects. Additionally, Father Chubenko is a member of the Diocese's Metropolitan Council and has served as Dean of the New Jersey Deanery. In the past, he held the positions of Consistory Business Administrator and Treasurer of the Diocese for more than seven years.

Father Chubenko is active in many organizations and plays an integral role in the community. For 25 years, he has been the Chaplain to various groups in Carteret, including the Office of Emergency Management, the volunteer fire department, and the police department. At one time the president of the Carteret School Board of Education, he spent a total of nine years as a member of the board. In the past, Father Taras served as the chairperson of the mayor's Children's Relief Fund and 9/11 World Trade Center Scholarship Fund Committee. He has also lent his wisdom and time as the mentor of two mayors of Carteret.

Born in Germany, Father Chubenko and his family immigrated to the United States when he was a child. He studied at St. Sophia's Seminary and became an ordained priest in 1980. That same year, he began his service at St. Demetrius, where he has remained ever since. For his outstanding service, Father Chubenko was promoted to the rank of Proto- Priest in 1982 and later achieved the highest rank of Protopresbyter in 1990.

He and his wife are the proud parents of four sons.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Father Taras Chubenko for his many years of dedicated service to St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral and the people of Carteret. His strong leadership and active involvement in the community has helped revitalize the Cathedral and improve the lives of many.

Mr. Speaker, I was absent from votes in the House on Monday, March 14th, due to a previous and unavoidable commitment. Therefore, I was unable to vote on H. Res. 135 (Rollcall No. 66), H. Res. 101 (Rollcall No. 67), and S. 384 (Rollcall No. 68). Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all three measures considered before the House.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 161) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) for yielding me this time and for his work in developing a budget for all Americans. Every year the administration and Congress are taxed with developing a budget that reflects our Nation's priorities in spending, priorities that reflect our country's values.

Unfortunately, the budget resolution we have before us, and the values it represents insults the true values of the American people, given the extensive cuts to first responders, community policing, veterans benefits, health care, and education funding.

Under the Republican leadership the entire budget process has become a complete fraud on the American people. 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. It is past time for this House to be honest and restore fiscal responsibility to this process and to the Nation, the same fiscal responsibility that each of our constituents face when they try to balance their household and business budgets.

Unfortunately, this budget shows that the Republican Congress does not share the values of the American people. What type of values would cut funding to the Fire Act Grant Program which helps meet the basic needs of firefighters by 30 percent? Firefighters on the front lines of the war on terror in New Jersey stand to lose $4 million under this resolution, which means they will have less protective clothing, fewer portable radios than they need to protect our citizens.

What type of values would slash funding to the COP program by 95 percent, a program that has put over 4,800 police officers on the street in New Jersey? In doing so, this budget dismantles a critical instrument in New Jersey's fight against crime.

What type of values would raise health costs for many of the over 620,000 veterans in New Jersey, increasing drug copayments and imposing new enrollment fees that will cost veterans more than $2 billion over 5 years and drive more than 200,000 veterans out of the system entirely?

What type of values would cut discretionary health programs by 6 percent and slash Medicaid by billions of dollars?

New Jersey would lose more than $100 million per year in Federal Medicaid funding, enough funding to provide health coverage to 6,400 seniors or 34,000 children. And what type of values would underfund education and, specifically, the No Child Left Behind Act by over $12 billion, creating a 4-year deficit between what was promised and what was actually delivered of $39 billion?

If this budget passes, over 53,000 children in New Jersey will go without promised help in reading and math and 34,000 will no longer be able to enroll in the afterschool programs that not only keep kids safe but also boost academic achievement. That is why the Democratic substitute will restore fiscal responsibility to secure our homeland, provide for America's seniors and veterans, fund education initiatives to guarantee our children's future success in an ever increasingly competitive world and lay the foundation for a society that truly reflects our values and our commitment to a better more prosperous and stronger America.

I urge my colleagues to support the Democratic substitute and vote down the woefully inadequate Republican budget.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 21.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the transportation bill that our distinguished committee leadership worked for so long and so hard to bring to the Floor this week. I commend them on a tremendous job in crafting a bill that works within such title fiscal constraints, yet still manages to focus on so many of our transportation priorities. I want to particularly thank the Committee on Rules for making the Pascrell/Menendez/LoBiondo pay to play reform amendment in order.

I appreciate the hard work of the distinguished ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), who has been a strong supporter of our amendment. I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for his strong comments in support of the amendment as well.

Like many here, I had hoped that there would be a lot more money in this bill. As a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I know how important transportation investment is for the good of the Nation as a whole. As the representative of the 13th District of New

Jersey, which is densely packed with almost every transportation mode imaginable, I know firsthand how important this investment is for the well-being of the people in our community because transportation is more than about getting from one place to another.

The money we spend in this bill will create jobs, stimulate new businesses, revitalize neighborhoods, reduce congestion, clean our air and make us more secure. That is why I am disappointed that we have been forced to adhere to an unnecessary low level of funding the administration has forced upon us.

Those of us in the New Jersey-New York metropolitan area learned on September 11 how important it is to have a multiplicity of transportation modes. When the bridges and tunnels out of Manhattan were closed, it was ferries that allowed people to evacuate the city to New Jersey. When the airports were closed, it was rail service that allowed people to travel across the country. September 11 showed us that the national security value of making a strong investment in multiple modes of transportation is necessary.

Those of us from New Jersey know particularly well how desperately we need the money in this bill. We are the most densely populated State in the Nation with very old highways that are desperately in need of repair; 71 percent of our major roads are in either poor or mediocre condition. Over 36 percent of our highway bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, far above the national average. And despite being the fifth smallest State, we are the 11th most traveled on our highways.

These miles take a toll on our environment. Every county in the State has unhealthy levels of ozone, and over half of the counties have dangerous levels of airborne soot. By providing enhanced funding for public transportation and other pollution control measures, this bill will help to clean our air.

One of the other problems we have in New Jersey is with pay to play. That is a process by which contributions, often very large contributions, are offered to politicians and State officials with the hope of being able to gain a government contract. It is in my mind a very corrupting practice and severely undermines the trust and credibility of the government.

What my colleagues and I from New Jersey are trying to do is change the nature of that process. Now, this is not merely an issue for New Jersey. This is an issue for any State that hopes it can strike a blow for clean government by limiting such a corrupting influence. And the issue is simply about the right of any State, of any State, to take the steps it needs to maintain the trust of its people. Nothing in what we are trying to do would force any State to enact a pay to play reform law. Nothing in our amendment would alter the competitive bidding process one bit.

The amendment strictly conforms to the ideals behind the current Federal highway contracting statute which is to ensure fairness and integrity in the awarding of public contracts.

I for one am surprised that we even need this amendment at all. For 50 years, Section 441(c) of Title 2 in the U.S. Code has banned political contributions from Federal contractors. The Federal government clearly recognizes the corrupting influence of pay to play and has taken steps to control it, steps that the Federal Highway Administration now says that New Jersey is not allowed to take on its own.

Clearly, the Federal Government recognizes that there are situations where merely looking for the lowest bidder is not the best way to serve the public interest.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has also enacted its own pay to play protection regulation, Rule G-37, which is even stronger than the Federal statute in Section 441. Brokers and municipal security dealers are forbidden from making political contributions to any official who issues municipal securities for 2 years before any business can be transacted. The rule was challenged and upheld in Federal court. Clearly, the SEC recognized and the courts agreed that restricting campaign contributions by people who are looking to do business with government is in the public interest and helps maintain the public trust.

I have heard some arguments that the problem with this amendment is that it would open the flood gates. Once we add a restriction about campaign contributions to highway contracting, this argument goes, we will not know where to stop. I strongly disagree.

First of all, New Jersey's Pay to Play Reform Act is not a highway issue. It only became one when the Federal Highway Administration, which is apparently not very concerned with Section 441 of the Federal law, decided to make it one by withholding New Jersey's highway financing.

Second, we already put a number of restrictions on highway contracting and procurement in Federal law. We give, for example, priority to minority-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, women- owned businesses, businesses owned by Native Americans or the disabled. We do these things because they are right to do and because they serve a social good. Limiting campaign contributions by prospective contractors is also a social good. It preserves the integrity of the government. It preserves the trust of the public in the contracting process. And it will very likely save the government money by lowering the cost of contracts.

Mr. Speaker, this amendment is simple. It is straightforward, and it is fair. It is also bipartisan and supported by a broad range of good government groups, such as Common Cause, the Center of Civic Responsibility, and Democracy 21.

I urge my colleagues, when it comes time, to pass the Pascrell/ Menendez/LoBiondo amendments and the underlying bill so we can protect the rights of the States and allow them to combat corruption as they see fit. This will apply only to those States that, number one, choose to have such legislation for their States, and it will only apply to office holders in their States of a State nature.

I do not think the Federal Government should be telling the States that they cannot do that to preserve the trust and integrity of the contracting process in their States.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his gracious amount of time.

Mr. Chairman, three quick points. This does not require any State to do anything. It simply allows a State to perform a reform in the context of contracting. We recognize this already under Federal law in section 441 of the Federal highway bill. The SEC has done the same type of thing in its context. No State should be prohibited from enacting reforms as it relates to improving the integrity of public contracting in their State. It will not apply to any Federal officeholder, but it will allow States ultimately to pursue reforms in the context of contracting and the integrity of its process.

We should support the amendment.