Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding accomplishments of Mrs. Dina Matos McGreevey, who was honored on February 7th at the Hispanic American Good Scout Award Dinner at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey.

The First Lady of New Jersey, Mrs. Matos McGreevey has been an exceptional member of her community and a true leader for New Jersey. Currently the executive director of the Columbus Hospital Foundation in Newark, Mrs. Matos McGreevey has worked to create programs such as the Senior Health Improvement Program, which provides free educational programs and screening for New Jersey seniors. As a member of the Portuguese American Congress of New Jersey and former president of the Portuguese American Congress--Continuing Political Committee, she organized voter registration drives and assisted thousands to become American citizens and registered voters.

Dina Matos McGreevey continues to demonstrate her compassion for improving New Jersey's communities. She is currently a trustee of the Ironbound Association, the Salvation Army Ironbound Boys' and Girls' Clubs and Senior Center Advisory Board, and the Women's Auxiliary of Columbus Hospital. Mrs. Matos McGreevey is also a participant in United Way's Celebrity Reading Program and is an honorary chair of the Special Olympics Complex Committee, the Drumthwacket Foundation, the Bernard W. Gimble Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center Annual Fundraiser, and D.A.R.E.

Mrs. Matos McGreevey has served as commissioner of the Planning Board of the City of Elizabeth and treasurer of the Portuguese American Scholarship Foundation and the Northern New Jersey Maternal/Child Health Consortium's Planning Committee, and has been a member of the New Jersey Health Care Public Relations and Marketing Association. She is a fellow of the United Way of Essex and West Hudson Project Leadership Class of 1999.

Dina Matos McGreevey and Governor James E. McGreevey are the proud parents of Jacqueline Matos McGreevey.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mrs. Dina Matos McGreevey for her exemplary service and dedication to the people and state of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Assemblywoman Nellie Pou of New Jersey who was honored on February 7th at the Hispanic American Good Scout Award Dinner at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey.

Currently deputy speaker of the New Jersey Legislature, Ms. Pou has led an impressive career and has quickly emerged as a leader in the New Jersey Assembly. She is the first woman and first Hispanic to represent the 35th Assembly District of New Jersey, and was named assistant minority leader after only three years in office. An active member of the legislature, Ms. Pou has authored a number of successful bills that reflect her commitment to health advocacy, child safety, and disabled and senior citizens. She has focused her efforts to improve education by reducing class-size and has secured funding to ensure the continuation of critical school programs across the state.

Assemblywoman Pou played a leading role in ensuring the 2000 Census was accurately reported and that New Jersey would not be underrepresented in the amount of federal aid it received. She was also a strong advocate for redrawing the legislative districts to fairly represent census results.

Ms. Pou holds an impressive record of service in government and working for the state of New Jersey. Before serving in the Assembly, Ms. Pou worked for more than 22 years in county and municipal government, and served as director of the Paterson Department of Human Services for 12 years.

Since being elected to the Assembly in 1997, she has served on two critical committees, the Assembly Budget Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee, which together oversee the development of the annual state budget. Ms. Pou has also served on the Assembly Housing Committee and the Task Force on School Facilities Construction Oversight. She is a member of the Women's Democratic Caucus, the Assembly Advisory Council on Women, and the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Currently serving her third term in office, Assemblywoman Pou is vice chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and a member of the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee, in addition to her appointment as deputy speaker.

Assemblywoman Pou is the mother of two children, Edwin and Taina.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Nellie Pou for her outstanding leadership and service to her district and the state of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Councilman Hector Corchado who was honored on February 7th at the Hispanic American Good Scout Award Dinner at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey.

A longtime resident of Newark, Councilman Corchado has proven himself to be an effective and dedicated member of his community. Elected to the City Council in 2002, Mr. Corchado began his career in the Newark Police Department over 14 years ago, where he served as a detective and sergeant in the Community Affairs Division. A natural leader in the Police Department, he went on to become deputy mayor of Newark before serving on the City Council.

Committed to improving the lives of Newark citizens, Mr. Corchado has been extensively involved with community organizations throughout Newark: he has organized neighborhood clean-up projects, coordinated Block Associations to work with other community groups, and assisted small businesses and churches with smart-growth development. While with the Newark Police, he developed a system now used to track and identify gang activity. He also helped draft legislation to ensure fair participation of local contractors and businesses in Newark.

Councilman Corchado has participated in the Leadership Newark Program and served as a member to the Essex County Commission on Unity.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Hictor Corchado for his dedicated service to his community and for his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of his fellow citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Daniel Humberto Jara, who was honored on February 7th at the Hispanic American Good Scout Award Dinner at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey.

The president and founder of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, Mr. Jara oversees a network of business partnerships that represent over forty thousand businesses throughout New Jersey and Philadelphia. He has attained national acclaim for his leadership and role in the Hispanic business community, and Hispanic Business Magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the nation. The Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey was rated first out of the top 50 chambers by Business New Jersey in 1998 and 1999.

In 1992, Mr. Jara was appointed to chair the National Hispanic Legislative Forum and in 1993 he chaired the National Convention of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He was elected to serve as vice chairman of the Board of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to founding the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, Mr. Jara was president of the Greater Paterson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for two consecutive terms, served on Governor Whitman's Advisory Council on Minority Business Development, and the Governors Study Commission on Discrimination in State Employment and Contracting.

Mr. Jara has received the Hispanic Achievement Award from Hispanic Magazine and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the New Jersey Policy Research Organization. He has also been an active advocate for the disabled community and has been recognized by the Association of Hispanic Handicapped of New Jersey for his exemplary contributions.

Mr. Jara obtained his bachelor's degree in Economics and master's degree in Finance and Business Administration from Rutgers University, where he was president of the Rutgers Newark Program Board and the head of a number of Hispanic student organizations. He is an honorary member of the Rutgers Leadership Recognition Society.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Daniel Humberto Jara for his leadership in the Hispanic business community and his contributions to the state of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Councilman Mariano Vega, Jr., who was honored on February 7th at the Hispanic American Good Scout Award Dinner at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey.

Mr. Vega's career demonstrates his dedication to social service and his compassion for families, children, and the elderly living throughout our community. Before serving on the City Council, he was director of Hudson County Department of Public Resources, chief of Hudson County Division of Social Services, and director of the Jersey City Division of Welfare.

A dedicated educator, Councilman Vega has worked in many capacities as part of his commitment to improving education. A former teacher and counselor, he also served as assistant director of Admissions at Montclair State College in New Jersey, and as acting director for the Equal Opportunity Office at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

A graduate of Montclair State College, Mr. Vega also studied at Rutgers University School of Social Work, School of Law, and Graduate School of Education; Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations; and has participated in the Leadership Institute on Workforce Development and the Hispanic Leadership Opportunity Program. Mr. Vega was a National Policy Fellow at the former Department of Health, Education and Welfare, which today is known as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Councilman Vega has served as president of the Jersey City Board of education and Jersey City Borinquen Lions Club and commissioner of the Jersey City Planning Board. He founded the Liberty Soccer Club and International Recreation and Educational Exchange Program, and was a founding member of the Liberty Academy of Visual Arts and the Hispanic Leadership Association.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mariano Vega, Jr., for his contributions to the City of Newark and the state of New Jersey, and his continued dedication to public service.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 79) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I want to speak tonight not as the chairman of the Democratic Caucus but as a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and I want to join my colleagues in their opposition to the nomination of Miguel Estrada for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is generally known as the second most important and powerful court in the land.

It is not lightly or easily that members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus come to the floor to oppose a nomination of an American of Hispanic descent to such a high position; but we do it out of a principled view, and those principled views are based in the fundamental belief that the reason that we advocate for Americans of Hispanic descent who are qualified, who are competent, who have the judicial temperament and the experience to be able to serve admirably for all Americans on the bench is because we want to bring to that institution and to other institutions the experience of what it is to be a Hispanic American in this country, to bring the challenges and the obstacles in this case in the judicial system.

I will never forget when I was actually trying cases of having judges who would yell at me about having my client look at them straight in the eye when they were talking to them and having to explain to that judge that in the culture of which my client came from that in fact it was a sign of defiance to look the judge straight in the eye but a sign of respect not to be doing so. I will never forget the trucker with a family of four who was trying to keep his job and who had been given a ticket for refusing to take a Breathalyzer test, but when we looked at the videotape of his particular case and saw that an officer who was not bilingual was telling him to breathe in instead of to blow out into that Breathalyzer machine gave him a ticket for refusal which would have meant a loss of his license. Luckily that case was won. But they are two simple examples of culture and language that affected the livelihoods and the futures of individuals who came before the court system.

And having someone from the community, as the White House has heralded this individual being, it was the White House in the first instance who said that Miguel Estrada, we are nominating him and he is a Hispanic American, he has a great Horatio Alger story, and in fact we are proud to be doing so. Once one puts that as one of the merits of the individuals, then it is truly legitimate to look at what experiences that individual has in the context of our community.

When Mr. Estrada came before the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for nearly an hour, he demonstrated no sense of what it is to be Hispanic American in this country.

He never participated in any national organization, he never participated in any State organization, he never participated in any local organization in the Hispanic communities. He never used the ability that he had as a lawyer to do work pro bono work on behalf of any individual or cause or community organization. He never used the opportunity in his firm to bring someone in from the Hispanic community, to open the door of opportunity for others.

He did not know some of the landmark cases that are crucial to the Hispanic community, like Lau v. Nichols, which is the question of what services a limited-English-proficient student

should have, a landmark case. This was not to discuss how he would judge in the future, but simply to say, what do you think about that ruling? Did that ruling make sense? Do you agree with the ruling or disagree with the ruling? Did the court go too far? That was only one of many examples.

Now, either this candidate did not know, in which case it is rather appalling, because even those, Mr. Chairman, as you have suggested in some of our meetings, who may not be lawyers, know about these landmark cases because of how important it is to our community. Yet this individual did not.

Nor did he seek to answer other questions as it relates to other landmark cases that are well established as the law of the land. So either he did not know or he chose not to answer because he was hiding whatever his true positions are.

Now, this is a lifetime appointment. It is a lifetime appointment. And I believe when someone is going to get a lifetime appointment, we clearly have not only the right, but the obligation to know what this person's opinions are, what is their view on the role of the judiciary, what is their view on some of these landmark cases determined by the United States Supreme Court, so we can determine.

Also what is their temperament? To be very honest with you, Mr. Estrada, in the hour he spent with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in which he was treated with great respect, did not exhibit the temperament that one would want of a Federal District Court judge, or, in this case, a Federal Appellate judge.

He also has no experience. He has never sat on the bench at any level, in a municipal court, a State court, a Federal court, at any level. So that is like going from the stockroom at AT&T to being the CEO of the company. That just does not happen in real life.

Having some experience, especially when you are coming as a member of a minority community, seeking to get onto these benches, and then doing a great job so others will be considered as well, is critically important to us.

So whether it is his lack of experience, whether it is his unwillingness to answer questions about what are landmark cases, whether it is his total, it seems to me, disdain for having anything to do with the Hispanic community, we asked him, what do you view, and I am not quite sure I want to paraphrase the question, because I am not sure exactly how the question was posed, but what does it mean to be Hispanic to you in the context of being a judge, and he said it was irrelevant. Irrelevant.

Well, the White House cannot have it both ways. They cannot say, this is a great Hispanic appointment, and yet the man tells us his being Hispanic is irrelevant to any experience he might bring to the bench.

When we asked him whether he would or has considered in the past qualified law clerks who may be from minority backgrounds, that answer was not in the affirmative.

So, for a wide range of issues, I do not know how one gives consent when one does not even have the information necessary by which one devises consent. And that is why the other body, as it is debating at this very moment, I think, debates on the fundamental crucial issue, which is the constitutional obligation of Members of the other body to give advice and consent; but to give advice and consent, you must have informed opportunities to make a decision.

The reality is, if a candidate is unwilling to give you substantive answers to critical questions or there is nothing to read about his writings because they will not give you his legal writings, or there is no history to look at, how does one make informed consent under the constitutional obligations required of the Members of the other body? They simply cannot.

This is the most stealth candidate that has ever come before the other body.

Announcement by the Speaker pro tempore

Mr. Speaker, this gentleman did not cast any reflections on the Senate. The question was, how does one make a decision under the Constitution. Is the Constitution not permissible to be talked about in this body in the context of what roles the Members of the United States Congress have in terms of the Constitution?

I am not characterizing Senate procedures in this case. I am raising the question of the obligation under the Constitution of Members of the other body. I thought one could not mention the word ``Senate.'' You just did, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in any event, the fact of the matter is, I hope I am not upsetting people, but the fact of the matter is that we have a set of circumstances under which we cannot be supportive of a candidate who absolutely does not want to be forthcoming; that is not providing for informed advice and consent.

I would simply say, Republicans cannot have it both ways. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has supported Republican, conservative judges nominated by this administration. A judge in Florida, a judge in my home State of New Jersey, got the unanimous support of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

This is nothing about partisanship. It has nothing to do with the question of ideology in terms of conservative or liberal. But those individuals received our support because they had the history and the background and the abilities with which we could in fact say, when they go to the bench, they are going to represent our community.

Lastly, I find it incredible to hear those voices who would suggest that those of us who represent Hispanic Americans in this country, over 10 or 12 million Hispanic Americans in this country, are being anti- Hispanic. That is just incredible.

Those voices who are saying they are anti-Hispanic, those are the ones that denied Judge Paez a hearing for 4 years. They are the ones who denied judges coming out of Texas even an opportunity to have their nomination be heard before the committee. Those are the voices that called us ``enemies of the state'' on this very floor during campaign finance reform debate. Those are the voices who say, we want to shut the door on you and we want to deny, as they just did on the welfare reform bill, that legal sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers of the United States citizens living in this country legally, that they cannot receive any of the benefits that they pay taxes for.

So you cannot have it both ways, my friends. You cannot, as Republicans, come to this floor and question us, when you have consistently, consistently, acted in ways and voted in ways that dramatically hurt our community.

That is the most outrageous set of circumstances, and I applaud the Members of the other body who are doing everything they can to uphold their constitutional obligations under the law.

Announcement by the Speaker pro tempore

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished ranking member for yielding me this time.

As our country grieves for the tragic loss of the Columbia crew, we want their families to know that we are truly grateful for their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers.

America is not alone in mourning the loss of the Columbia heroes. We are joined by the entire global community. No country understands our loss more than Israel and India for whom that loss is particularly acute, having first rejoiced as two of their own realized the dream of participating in the American space program only to have this joy turned into sorrow.

This great Nation was founded by those rare men and women who are willing to risk their lives in the name of exploration. The Columbia astronauts and their colleagues in the space program are our true explorers. So as our Nation mourns the loss of these seven heroes, we are united in our grief and sorrow and united in our determination to move forward in our exploration of space, and our experiments in space that will, undoubtedly, continue to improve our lives with new technologies and new medicines. The lives of these selfless pioneers were not lost in vain, and so we must reenergize our space program and make sure that Congress and the President fund NASA at levels that guarantee safety and progress.

When America ventures into space, we send more than just a shuttle; it is more than just a mission. We send our hopes and our dreams. The men and women who served on Columbia represented those hopes and dreams for all of us; and their bravery, their courage, their imagination has not died, and will never die. It lives on.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Bayonne High School Fighting Bees for winning the New Jersey North 1, Group IV state championship for the first time in the school's history. Their hard work, dedication, and talent led them to victory, and to the ultimate of high school football prizes, winning the state championship.

Coach Rich Rodriguez's philosophy, that every play of every game was of the utmost importance, proved true in the 25-23 win over Hackensack High. There was no room for the players to let up on their intensity. Bryan Smith took this philosophy to heart. Running hard, he rushed for 233 yards on 23 carries, and his determination was an example of the entire team's tireless efforts to reach their goal.

As they move on in life, the team can remember the lessons that earned them the honor of being able to call themselves champions--that with great effort, teamwork, and dedication to a cause, one can accomplish goals and win not only on the football field but also in life.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Bayonne High School Fighting Bees for their accomplishments on the football field. Congratulations, you make our community proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the many accomplishments of Carol Cruden, who was recognized Friday, January 24th, at Ireland's 32 annual dinner dance held at the Hi-Hat Club in Bayonne, New Jersey.

A Bayonne native, Carol Cruden has dedicated her life to creating a healthier and more educated community. She is currently the president of the Hudson County School Nurses Association, a member of the New Jersey Association of Health Educators, and the Family Life Education Council. She has been the director of Bayonne Public School Nurses for 25 years, supervisor of Employee Health Services for the Board of Education since 1991, and is a part-time nursing supervisor at Bayonne Medical Center. For her work towards the prevention of child abuse, Carol was nominated by the New Jersey School Nurses Association as the 2001 honoree of the New Jersey Child Assault Prevention Project.

She is a member of the Gold Star Wives of America, Mayor's Council on AIDS Awareness, Nursing Advisory Committee for Bayonne Medical Center School of Nursing, Bayonne's Community Health Steering Council Secretary for the Advocates of Bayonne Children, and Ireland's 32.

An accomplished student, Carol graduated from Bayonne High School and Holy Name Hospital School of Nursing. She earned her B.A. and M.A. from Jersey City State College, receiving the academic distinctions of Magna Cum Laude and membership to the Kappa Delta Phi National Honor Society. Carol is a certified school nurse and a teacher of licensed practical nursing.

Carol, the only child of Sarah and Hugh Finney, married the late Marine Staff Sergeant Donald Cruden, and has three children, Daniel, Michael, and Sally.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Carol Cruden for her positive influence and hard work on behalf of the nursing community and all of Bayonne's residents. Thanks to Carol, Bayonne is a healthier and happier community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John L. McGoldrick for his outstanding contributions to our world community. He will be recognized at the American Jewish Committee Institute of Human Relations Award Dinner on Thursday, January 30, 2003, at the Hyatt Regency in Princeton, New Jersey.

Mr. McGoldrick is Executive Vice President of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Vice Chairman of the Company's Executive Committee, and responsible for global corporate policy. He is general counsel and director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, and previously, served as a senior partner of the law firm of McCarter & English, LLP, where he sat on the Executive Committee.

A man with a global vision, Mr. McGoldrick played an integral part in Bristol-Myers Squibb's HIV/AIDS initiatives in Africa, including the ``Secure the Future'' program in Southern and Francophone Africa, and the ACCESS program making antiretroviral therapy more accessible in developing countries.

A man with both a national and local vision, Mr. McGoldrick has served as a director of the United States third largest passenger rail and bus company, the New Jersey Transit Corporation, since its founding in 1979. In addition, he has served as Vice Chairman, and is currently the senior ranking member of the board. He is director of Zimmer Holdings, Inc., the NYSE-listed manufacturer of artificial hips and knees, and a member of the Board of Directors of AdvaMed, the medical devices trade association. He has served on government reform commissions in New Jersey, leading Bristol-Meyers Squibb's efforts to support the State of New Jersey Commission on Holocaust education.

He is a member of the following organizations: the Aspen Institute on the World Economy; the Council on Foreign Relations; the World Economic Forum (Davos); the Association of General Counsel, the Council of Chief Legal Officers; the Executive Committee of the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution; and the American Law Institute. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial lawyers, the American Bar Association, and of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.

Mr. McGoldrick graduated from Harvard College and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring John L. McGoldrick for exemplifying the American Jewish Committee's vision; he has made a global impact, and his exceptional leadership and many accomplishments in the fields of healthcare, education, and justice have truly made this world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the many accomplishments of William Dwyer, who was recognized Friday, January 24 , at Ireland's 32nd annual dinner dance held at the Hi-Hat Club in Bayonne, New Jersey.

A life-long Bayonne resident, William Dwyer has spent his career dedicated to the medical community. He has worked at Passaic General Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and was a past president of the New Jersey Healthcare Human Resources Administrators. For almost 11 years, Mr. Dwyer has been the vice president of Human Resources, Risk Management, and Corporate Compliance, at Children's Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, New Jersey, the largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital in the United States.

William Dwyer, an active member of the community, is currently the president of the Kiwanis Club of Mountainside, New Jersey, and head of the St. Andrew's Cub Scouts. He is a member of the following organizations: the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Employees Federal Credit Union; the Executive Committee of St. Peter's Prep parents organization; and the parent teacher organization of School 14. He is a past President of the St. Andrew's Parish Council, and past Vice President of the Bayonne Rangers; a New Jersey-based youth ice hockey organization. In addition, he has volunteered at the Bayonne Little League CYO and City Basketball Leagues.

William and his brother, Jim, founded the Irish singing group, The Bantry Boys, and recently celebrated their 20th anniversary of performing together. The band enjoys playing their Irish folk music for all, especially for the students of Bayonne elementary schools and the children at the Children's Specialized Hospital.

Bill attended Marist High School, and received his B.A. from St. Peter's College, and M.A. in Education from Seton Hall University.

William Dwyer, the youngest of four children born to Mary and John Dwyer, is married to the former Mary Reilly, and they have two children, Bill and Megan.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring William Dwyer for his selfless dedication to Bayonne's residents and for brightening our days with music.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Varda Wendroff, who was recognized on Saturday, January 18, 2002, by the Richard A. Rutkowski Association at a gala dinner-dance at the Hi-Hat Caterers.

An innovative and passionate teacher for over twenty years, Varda Wendroff is currently the director of World Languages, ESL, and Bilingual Education for the Bayonne public school system.

Varda Wendroff has given her heart and soul to the community of Bayonne. The loss of her daughter, Lauren, and her family's first-hand experience in the Holocaust influenced and greatly impacted her life, making her an admired healer, educator, and role model for the community. She has truly given back to Bayonne, by investing in the families and the young people of our community.

A two-year president of the Jewish Community Center and member of the Bayonne United Jewish Federation, Varda Wendroff teaches Holocaust studies for the United Jewish Appeal, and assists with the Lauren Wendroff Early Enrichment Program and the organization's camp. As a member, and current co-leader of the Compassionate Friends, a national and international organization helping parents to cope with the loss of a child, she has been helped and continues to help parents cope with their grief.

Some of Mrs. Wendroff's honors include finalist for Teacher of the Year; recipient of the Governor's Teachers of Excellence award; and, listed in the ``Who's Who Among America's Teachers,'' awarded by her students for her selfless dedication to teaching and her lasting influence on their lives.

Varda Wendroff earned her B.A. degree from Montclair State University, and M.A. from New Jersey City University.

Varda Wendroff and her husband, Arnie, have a son, Jason, and daughter-in-law, Tracy.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Varda Wendroff for being a guiding light in the lives of our youth and an inspiration to all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the many accomplishments of Tony Barberi, who was recognized Friday, January, 24th, at Ireland's 32 annual dinner dance held at the Hi-Hat Club in Bayonne, New Jersey.

In 1973, Tony Barberi immigrated to America, making Bayonne, New Jersey, his new home. After working for a year in construction for a local contractor in Bayonne, Tony, along with his father and brothers, founded the Barberi Brothers Construction Company and Graziella Tile Imports. What was once a family dream rapidly became a great and wonderful reality. His family-run construction business grew, and over the years has continuously provided top quality community development to Bayonne and its residents. The Bayonne Housing Authority received national acclaim for the outstanding Roverson Homes project completed by none other than the exceptional Barberi Brothers Construction Company. Tony is currently the President of Barnac Builders and Developers.

A soccer enthusiast, Tony, for the past 12 years, has been a coach and sponsor of the Bayonne Youth Soccer Association. He is a state- licensed soccer coach, and since 1996, has been the head varsity soccer coach at Holy Family Academy.

Tony is a member of the following organizations: the New Jersey State Contractors Association; the Sicilian Citizens Club; the Nick Capodice Association; National Soccer Coaches Association of America; and New Jersey Girl's Soccer Coaches Association.

Tony dedicates his time to the Spinal Bifida Foundation, the Simpson Barber Foundation for the Autistic, and Holy Family, St. Andrew's, and Our Lady of Assumption Parishes.

The son of Pietro and the late Grazia Barberi, Tony has two brothers, Nunzio and Mario. He is married to Fina, and has three children, Pietro, Graziella, and Rosalia.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Tony Barberi for living the American dream: nurturing a family; establishing a business; investing in the community; and selflessly giving his time to making Bayonne a better place for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and acknowledge Dr. Ross J. Simpson. Dr. Simpson who was honored on Saturday, January 18, 2003, by the Richard A. Rutkowski Association at a gala dinner-dance at the Hi-Hat Caterers.

A captain in the U.S. Army, Dr. Simpson served our country as the chief of chest surgery at the Osaka Army hospital in Japan during the Korean War, and was honored with the United Nations and Korean Service medals for his service. Upon his return from the war, in 1952, he started his surgical practice in Bayonne. His medical career was extensive, and Dr. Simpson worked as a chief of surgery at Bayonne Hospital and the Pollack Hospital, and as an attending surgeon at St. Francis Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital, Morristown General, and the French Hospital in New York City.

Dr. Simpson has held leadership positions ever since his service in the Army. At Bayonne Hospital, he served as president of the medical staff, president of the Board of Trustees, and chairman of the Board of Trustees.

He has not only been a surgeon, but also a professor of surgery at the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry. He is published in the Annals of Surgery and in the AMA journal for his nationally renowned work on foreign bodies of the chest and heart. Dr. Simpson is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons, and a diplomat of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

A founding member of the Simpson Barber Foundation for the Autistic, Dr. Simpson will serve as the Chairman of the 1st Annual Regatta of the Foundation. He is a communicant of St. Henry's Church, and in 1995, he received the Brotherhood Award from the Bayonne Chapter of Christians and Jews.

Dr. Simpson is married to Marguerite O'Reilly, the proud father of five, Ross Jr., Thomas, Christopher, Mary Anne, and Marguerite, and proud grandfather of fifteen.

Dr. Simpson earned his B.A. from St. Peter's College, and his medical degree from NYU Medical School.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dr. Ross J. Simpson for his outstanding contributions to the medical community, for treating the injured and the sick, and for saving countless lives in times of war and peace.