Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to be introducing the Early Warning and Rapid Notification Act, which will fix some of the communications problems that plagued the effort to effectively warn people about the tsunami of December 26, 2004.

Mr. Speaker, exactly one month ago over 160,000 people in the Indian Ocean region died as a result of a catastrophic tsunami caused by the largest earthquake the world has seen in over 40 years. In the wake of that disaster, an outpouring of sympathy across this country has resulted in over $350 million in private donations, with the United States government pledging nearly that much as well. Having witnessed such devastation, we're now asking the question: How can we keep this from happening again?

There were two entirely avoidable problems that contributed to the scale of the December 26 tragedy. The first was a lack of tsunami sensors in the Indian Ocean, which made it difficult for the scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii to determine if the massive earthquake had in fact spawned a killer wave. In response to this we've seen a number of proposals, both from this Congress and around the world, to establish a global tsunami sensor network. I support these proposals, since there is no reason why we should be caught unaware in the event of any disaster where we have the ability to detect it beforehand.

The second problem on December 26 was far more fundamental, and far more maddening. It was, in this era of cell phones and instant text messaging and worldwide satellite coverage, a complete breakdown of communications. In some cases, we had the ability to let people know, but couldn't. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center simply wasn't sure who to contact in those countries bordering the Indian Ocean that were in danger from the tsunami. They did an excellent job in reaching who they could, but there was too much confusion, and far too much time passed before they could get the warning to those who needed it. There's no reason for this. The United States should know exactly who to contact in every country in the world if we have information about a natural disaster that they need. In this legislation, the State Department is directed to conduct a study examining the lines of communication about natural disasters between the United States and other countries, and to make recommendations to strengthen those lines if they're found lacking.

But even if we had known exactly when, where, and how hard the tsunami was going to hit, and had been able to get that info to the governments of every nation in the region, not much would have changed. Because in order to save lives, you have to get that information to the people in danger. The people in the towns and villages along the coasts. The tourists on the beaches. Without a way to get warnings to these people, all the sensors in the world won't do a bit of good.

Mr. Speaker, in this country we're used to all types of warning systems. Warnings about tornadoes, warnings about floods, warnings about hurricanes; warnings about chemical spills and potential terrorist attacks; we grew up with the Emergency Broadcast System to warn us about the unthinkable. In short, we have one of the most advanced systems in the entire world for warning people about all types of hazards. And these warning systems save lives. But many other countries are missing even the most rudimentary ways of getting warnings to people at risk, which results in tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths each year.

The United Nations recognizes the need for a comprehensive, worldwide effort to establish early warning systems in countries that don't have them, and last week launched the International Early Warning Programme. The Programme identifies four elements of effective early warning systems: knowing what the risks are, detecting disasters, disseminating warnings, and making sure people know how to respond.

The legislation I am introducing today directs the United States to work with the United Nations in implementing the International Early Warning Programme, and authorizes $50 million to help establish early warning systems in other countries for all types of hazards. This isn't merely protection against another tsunami; it's protection against floods, fires, storms, volcanoes, and any other event where a timely warning can save lives. This bill also expands the scope of our existing research programs on early warning systems to include an international component, and directs additional research into the use of advanced technologies to provide quick and effective warnings, both at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, setting up a worldwide tsunami warning system is important, but the sad likelihood is that far more people will be killed from floods and storms in the future than from another tsunami. This legislation will help establish systems that provide effective early warnings around the world for all types of hazards, and will help protect lives and property from the next disaster that, I fear, will come all too soon.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 49), and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 50) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of House Resolution 49, the Clerk be directed to make the following correction:

In the paragraph regarding the Committee on Financial Services, strike ``Gene Green of Texas'' and insert in lieu thereof ``Al Green of Texas''.

Mr. Speaker, I was absent from votes in the House on Thursday, January 6, due to a previous and unavoidable commitment in my congressional district. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote 7.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nina Dobkin for her exceptional community service and unwavering commitment to helping others. Mrs. Dobkin was honored at a dinner dance for the Richard A. Rutkowski Association's 26th anniversary gala on January 15, 2005, in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Mrs. Dobkin has spent decades advocating for important community causes and offering her time and support at various institutions. Her participation has included serving as a past president of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) and as a member of the YWCA advisory board and the School 3 Parent-Teachers Council. Currently, she is a trustee of the Bayonne Board of Education.

An extraordinary leader, Mrs. Dobkin has demonstrated her keen ability to develop new and successful outreach programs, especially in the areas of children, health, and education. Her accomplishments include gathering support for the development of a local mental health center, starting a pre-school program for neurologically impaired children, and organizing a coalition to raise money for the establishment of the Community Day Nursery. She also worked in conjunction with the NCJW to co-sponsor a national taskforce to study and address issues affecting children and youth, and testified before Congress regarding day care regulations.

Other projects have included developing a national survey about young girls and the problems they face in the juvenile justice system, helping to develop the Phone Friend program, and coordinating the distribution of Passover food to those in need.

Mrs. Dobkin graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in music and has worked as a piano teacher for more than 50 years. She and her husband, Earl, are the proud parents of two children and two grandsons.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Nina Dobkin for her impressive ability to spearhead and develop worthwhile community endeavors, her passion to help those in need, and her desire and drive to improve social services. Her work has touched the lives of countless individuals in Bayonne and the greater community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Charlie J. Fabyanski for his dedicated service to the community throughout the years. Mr. Fabyanski was honored at a dinner dance for the Richard A. Rutkowski Association's 26th anniversary gala on January 15, 2005, in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Mr. Fabyanski has served the Bayonne community in a variety of capacities. For more than ten years, he has worked as the institutional representative of St. Andrew's Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Sea Scouts. He has also graciously volunteered his time at the Special Olympics of Hudson County, the Windmill Center, the Highways programs, and as an usher at church.

A leader in many organizations, Mr. Fabyanski has been a trustee of Hudson Milestone, president of the Hudson Ability Bowling League, treasurer of the Bayonne Friends of the Handicapped, secretary of St. Andrew's Holy Name Society, and past president of his parish's seniors' group.

Mr. Fabyanski's honorable service has extended well beyond the Bayonne community. A veteran of World War II, he bravely served his country as an army sergeant and fought in the infamous battles of Normandy and St. Lo.

As a licensed state engineer, he worked for 25 years as a supervisor of air conditioning and refrigeration at the former Military Ocean Terminal. Mr. Fabyanski graduated from the Lincoln Technical Institute and is the proud parent of two sons and two grandchildren.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Charlie J. Fabyanski for his years of devoted volunteerism and leadership. His deep commitment to serving others is well respected and his work has positively impacted the lives of those in his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Paquito D'Rivera, a Cuban saxophonist and clarinet player who has made incredible contributions to the world of music during his 50-year career. Paquito starred in his own 50th anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall on January 10th, 2005, in New York City.

The son of renowned Cuban classical saxophonist and conductor Tito D'Rivera, Paquito was a child prodigy, performing at the National Theatre in Havana by age 10. It was not long before he became a soloist for the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. In 1981, Paquito defected from Cuba and moved to the United States where legends like Dizzy Gillespie, David Amram, Mario Bauza, and Bruce Lundvall helped him make the transition.

A six-time Grammy award winner, he has recorded over 30 solo albums that display his command of multiple music genres, such as Latin/ Caribbean, classical, jazz, and bebop. He performs regularly with his various ensembles, the Paquito D'Rivera Big Band, the Paquito D'Rivera Quintet, and the Chamber Jazz Ensemble. This year, he will begin a tour with guitar masters Sergio and Odair Assad. Paquito has also lent his talents to collaborations with world-renowned orchestras, such as the National Symphony Orchestra, the London Royal Symphony, and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, among many others. He has performed with musical legends from around the world, including Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Carmen McRea, Benny Carter, McCoy Tyner, Roger Kellaway, and Claudio Roditi.

In addition to performing, Paquito is an accomplished composer, commissioned by orchestras and chamber groups. He is also the artistic director of jazz programming for the New Jersey Chamber Music Society, an artist-in-residence for the New Jersey Performing Arts Commission, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center, Chamber Music America, and Chamber Music International.

Paquito has received numerous awards throughout his distinguished career, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Latin Music and the Clarinet of the Year 2004 award from the Jazz Journalists Association. Most recently, he was bestowed with a 2005 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship, the highest honor a jazz musician can receive from the government.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Paquito D'Rivera for his many accomplishments over a career spanning five decades. His outstanding talent as an instrumentalist combined with his passion and innovation has helped to create music that delights fans all over the world. We look forward to experiencing more of his musical endeavors in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and would like to commend my colleague and the Ranking Member on our committee for his work on this resolution. Mr. Lantos, I realize that as the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in Congress, these events, which for many of us are a part of history, are personal for you. We honor you for your story and thank you for your leadership.

This week we, along with countries around the globe, mark the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Sixty years ago this week, Soviet soldiers arrived at a camp only recently evacuated by the Nazis and liberated nearly 7,000 people. They found people on the edge of death who had witnessed horrors beyond belief and lost their families and their homes. It is almost incomprehensible to understand what took place at Auschwitz, the largest of the concentration camps. Over a million Jews, as well as at least 70,000 Poles, 21,000 Roma, and 15,000 Soviet POWs were killed there.

Sixty years ago seems like a lifetime away. Generations of children have been born since then. Generations have been raised thinking that the Holocaust and events like it are from a distant past.

But these events are not distant and are not in the past. Today, those who survived the camps live to tell us their story and the stories of their families and their lives before the Holocaust. And their children and grandchildren are here with us, too. They are living testimony to the strength, courage, and optimism of their parents and grandparents. But in their hearts and in their souls they feel the pain and suffering of those who raised them. In them, too, the past is present.

Unfortunately, the past is also present in the rising anti-Semitism we see today. According to a new report released by the State Department, anti-Semitism has ``increased significantly'' in Europe, is a serious problem in the Middle East, and is appearing in countries with no historic Jewish community. From verbal and physical attacks to vandalism, this new surge of hate must be confronted, condemned, and stopped.

We must also say no to the naysayers who deny the horrors of the Holocaust. It is only by remembering the past that we can change the future.

Before I close, I must also note that we are marking another significant event. Yesterday, for the first time in its history, the United Nations' General Assembly held a special commemorative session on the anniversary of the liberation of the camps. In the past, certain groups within the U.N. have blocked commemoration of the Holocaust. I hope that this is a turning point for the U.N. I hope that this commemoration is only the beginning. I hope that we see more United Nations actions, like this one, taking a strong stand against anti- Semitism throughout the world.

Today is a day for quiet remembrance and strong action. We pause to commemorate all those who were killed in the Nazi genocide and in other acts of genocide around the globe. We honor those who survive. We remember the past. We will act to create a future without genocide, without anti-Semitism, and without hate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ethel Pesin for her years of dedicated public service and commitment to improving the community. Ethel Pesin will be honored at her 90th birthday celebration in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Mrs. Pesin's involvement in a variety of civic and community endeavors throughout the years has earned her great respect and appreciation. Her willingness to volunteer her time helping those in need and her genuine concern for the improvement and preservation of local landmarks has made a significant impact on Jersey City and the surrounding area. Working with the Hudson County Citizens Committee, Mrs. Pesin was instrumental in helping to save the Boulevard and the Hudson County Courthouse from being demolished. Some of her past volunteer efforts include participating in ``Meals on Wheels'' and offering piano performances at the Academy House, a center for the mentally ill.

Throughout the years, Mrs. Pesin's greatest passion has been devoted to the establishment and conservation of Liberty State Park (LSP). As a founding board of trustees member of the Friends of LSP, she has worked tirelessly to oppose commercialization and maintain and improve the beautification of the urban waterfront. In the past, she served on the LSP Public Advisory Commission and is currently a member of the LSP Interdisciplinary Planning Committee.

The daughter of Latvian immigrants, Mrs. Pesin was raised in Jersey City. She graduated from Syracuse University in 1935 with a degree in music and taught at Snyder Junior High School and Lincoln High School before teaching private lessons for seven years. She later served one term as president of the Jersey City State College Community Orchestra. Many in Jersey City also know Mrs. Pesin from the popular clothing store she and her husband, Morris, owned for 28 years. Mrs. Pesin and her husband were married for 54 years and she is the proud mother of two children, Sam and Judy.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Ethel Pesin for her unwavering commitment to improving the natural and historic beauty of her city and her dedication to helping those in need throughout the community. Mrs. Pesin's warmth, compassion, love for family and friends, and enthusiasm for life has touched all who know her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Reverend Thomas C. Blessin, S.J., for his 55 years of service to the Society of Jesus and the people of his community. Father Blessin will be receiving the 2004 Reverend James F. Fox, S.J. Award at the Loyola School of New York's Annual Alumni Dinner on January 7, 2005.

Throughout the years, Father Blessin provided a strong spiritual foundation for the members of his community. Born, raised, and ordained in Staten Island, he later moved to New Jersey where he spent decades ministering to the community and attending to the spiritual needs of congregants at various churches, missions, and spiritual retreats.

In addition to his work with churches around the area, Father Blessin served for 9 years as the assistant headmaster at Loyola High School and an additional 2 years as the school chaplain. For 25 years, he was a chaplain and active member of the New Jersey National Guard. He later worked at St. Peter's College where he offered mass and assisted with student services. Currently, he is retired and living in the Jesuit residence at St. Peter's College in Jersey City.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Reverend Thomas C. Blessin, S.J., for his outstanding spiritual leadership and years of faithful service to the people of New Jersey. His dedicated work throughout the decades has helped to enrich the lives of so many throughout our community.

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act, which would force the federal government to finally get serious about protecting our nation's transit and intercity rail passengers.

This bill addresses the tremendous disparity between what we spend on security for each airline passenger and what we spend for each bus and train passenger, who are no less vulnerable than those who fly. In fact, data from the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism shows that public transportation passengers are in far more danger worldwide than airline passengers. Since 9/11, there have been over five times as many attacks on public transportation targets around the world than on aviation targets, with nearly ten times the number of fatalities.

The recent attacks in Spain, and intelligence that terrorists may strike the rail and transit systems here in America, dictate that we now broaden our attention to also include rail and transit security. Each year, approximately 24 million intercity rail passengers ride Amtrak, and 9.6 billion people travel by transit. Every day, 32 million commuters, students, and tourists depend on our public transportation system. One of the ripple effects of 9/11 was that the aviation industry was shut down for several days. Imagine the social and economic dislocation that would occur if a major attack destroyed people's confidence in our transit system, or made it grind to a halt. The economic impact would be far greater than 9/11.

Our nation's rail and transit systems are highly vulnerable, and require at least $5.2 billion in capital equipment and $800 million in annual operating expenses to adequately meet security needs, according to the American Public Transportation Association. This legislation provides that funding, and just as importantly, it allows operating expense grant money to be used for the best security device of all: more police officers.

Giving our transit agencies money for fences, cameras and explosive detection equipment is necessary, but only a half-measure unless we also give them money for the cops and security officers that make all that equipment work. This bill allows money to be used for hiring new cops and security officers, pay them overtime when necessary, deploy additional K-9 units, conduct helicopter patrols, and more. In short, it unties the hands of our transit agencies and lets them spend the money where they need it.

This legislation also provides badly needed security and safety funding for Amtrak, including $670 million for safety upgrades to the tunnels that run underneath New York, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. These tunnels are simply not properly equipped for rescue operations or evacuation should either be necessary. An additional $62 million for Amtrak to put towards security expenses, including the hiring of additional police officers, is also provided.

Mr. Speaker, this bill would authorize new research and development grants to help develop new technologies for both passenger and freight rail that can help reduce the threat of terrorist attacks. And since rail security involves more than just deterring terrorist attacks, the legislation would establish new inspection procedures for rail track, and set new standards for tank cars, to make sure their hazardous cargo isn't released in the event of an accident.

I believe this bill is already long overdue. I urge my colleagues to imagine what we would have done, what action we would have taken, if the Madrid train bombings had occurred in our homeland, on our soil. What immediate investments would we have been ready to make? What urgent action would we have been willing to take?

Well, we can do it now. Let's make that investment and take those actions now. Let's take what steps we can to reduce the risk to our nation's transit. We don't need commissions and studies after a tragedy in order to act, so let's not get mired in that now. Nearly three years of needs assessment and analysis have occurred, and we have the data to put a program in place. All it takes is Congress having the gumption to act before a tragedy on the rails takes place in this country.

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to be introducing the Preserving Access to Affordable Drugs Act to preserve the drug benefits that millions of seniors in our country currently enjoy. 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. Based on these and other detrimental provisions in the new law, which seniors continue to oppose vehemently, we should simply repeal the entire bill outright. But in the meantime, the bill I'm introducing today highlights the most egregious loss of benefits that seniors will suffer under the new law, and provides mechanisms to ``hold harmless'' those seniors who already have good drug coverage.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that as many as 1.7 million retirees could lose their employer-based prescription drug benefits as a result of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. Also as a result of the new law, hundreds of thousands of seniors currently enrolled in state pharmacy assistance programs (SPAPs) will be forced out of those programs and into a private Medicare drug plan. Approximately six million seniors who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will lose access to their Medicaid prescription drug benefits, which is more generous and has greater access to a variety of drugs. And, despite the fact that the new Medicare law has huge gaps in coverage, seniors who choose to enroll in the new drug benefit will be prohibited from purchasing Medigap coverage to pay for prescription drugs not covered by the new Medicare benefit.

In my home state of New Jersey, alone, 94,000 retirees will lose their employer-based prescription drug benefits. More than 150,000 low- income seniors in New Jersey who are dually eligible for, and enrolled in, both Medicare and Medicaid will lose access to the Medicaid drug benefits they currently rely on. And 220,000 New Jersey seniors who are currently enrolled in Pharmaceutical Assistance for the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) and Senior Gold, the state's pharmacy assistance programs for the aged and disabled, will face disruption in coverage and will likely receive less drug coverage than they currently receive.

It is my view--and based on what I have heard in town hall meetings in my district, the view of an overwhelming majority of seniors in this country--that no senior should be made worse of by the new Medicare law.

The legislation I'm introducing today will:

Preserve employer-based retiree prescription drug coverage by allowing employer expenditures on drug costs to count toward the out- of-pocket threshold of $3600. By not counting toward the catastrophic cap any costs covered by employer-provided retiree benefits, those employers that maintain their retiree health benefits would see their retirees receive less of a Medicare subsidy than a beneficiary without employer-provided benefits. Without this fix, approximately 94,000 New Jersey seniors and 1.7 million retirees nationwide will likely lose their employer-based drug coverage.

Enable states, if they choose, to administer the Medicare prescription drug benefit through their existing state pharmacy assistance program. This means that my home state of New Jersey could continue to provide prescription drug benefits to seniors through the very successful and popular existing PAAD and Senior Gold programs. As a result, these seniors will not have to enroll in the less-generous Medicare drug program, will be able to remain in PAAD and Senior Gold, and will experience no disruption in coverage.

Ensure that States can provide supplemental Medicaid prescription drug coverage to complement the Medicare drug benefit to seniors who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Currently in New Jersey, 152,000 low-income seniors and disabled individuals who are Medicare eligible receive 100% of their drug coverage through the state Medicaid program. The Medicare bill replaces Medicaid coverage with more limited drug coverage and prohibits states from wrapping around the Medicare benefit with Medicaid coverage. This bill will enable states to completely wrap around through the Medicaid program.

Restore Medicare beneficiaries' ability to purchase supplemental drug coverage through the Medigap program. Under the new law, those who participate in the new Part D drug benefit are prohibited from purchasing supplemental drug coverage through the Medigap program.

Eliminate the premium support (Medicare privatization) demonstration program. This is particularly important for Gloucester, Camden, Burlington and Salem counties in southern New Jersey, which currently meet the qualifications to be selected to participate in this program.

Simply stated, a Medicare prescription drug benefit that chips away at the generous drug coverage that some seniors already enjoy is hardly a benefit at all. The new Medicare law is bad for seniors and should be repealed; but in the meantime, at the very least, we must do no harm.

That's exactly what this bill intends to do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer legislation to honor my great friend, the music icon, Celia Cruz, who lost her courageous battle with cancer on July 17, 2003.

Today, in the People's House, I am joined by my colleague, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, to introduce legislation that will posthumously award Celia Cruz the Congressional Gold Medal.

Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alonso was born on October 21, 1924, in Havana, Cuba. Her career blossomed when she left Cuba for the United States in 1960, where she eventually made Fort Lee, New Jersey her home.

Over a five-decade career as an entertainer, Celia Cruz became known as the ``Queen of Salsa,'' and claimed the calling card cry of ``Azuuuucar!'' Celia's passion, boundless energy, and charisma transfixed generations of salsa fans and musicians. She recorded more than 70 albums and her collaborative efforts with other performers including the legendary salsa artist Tito Puente, pop star David Byrne, and hip-hop producer Wyclef Jean helped break down ethnic and cultural barriers. She was one of the few bridges that crossed cultural and racial divides.

Celia's musical talent earned her hundreds of awards worldwide, including five Grammy's, two Latin Grammy's, and the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor bestowed on an artist in the United States. She was a Hispanic Heritage Awards Lifetime Achievement recipient, and has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Her music was a unifying force, and her passion for a free Cuba was evidenced in both her music and her words.

Celia touched the lives of millions. More than 100,000 individuals mourned her loss at her wake in Miami, Florida and 75,000 people lined the streets of Manhattan to pay their respects as her funeral procession made its way through the streets of New York City.

Celia Cruz made countless contributions to American society and the world as an entertainer, and she was an ambassador of Latino culture and a voice of freedom. Her music, her words, and her love of freedom live on. This legislation would make Celia the first Latina to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I urge the leadership to bring it swiftly to the Floor for a vote.

Mr. Clerk, as chairman of the Democratic Caucus, I am directed by a unanimous vote of that caucus to present for election to the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 109th Congress a lady of great distinction, a lady of integrity, a fighter for America's children and families and a leader not only of House Democrats but a leader for our Nation and this Congress, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, a Representative-elect from the State of California.