Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained on rollcall vote No. 60 on an amendment to S. 25 to clarify that the reduction in the cost of living adjustment for military retirees applies only to those members or former members of an armed force who became a member of a uniformed service on or after January 1, 2014. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted ``aye'' and ask consent that my statement be included in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Community Options of New Jersey, as they celebrate their 25th anniversary this year.

Founded in 1989, Community Options, Inc. was established around the belief that all people should have the freedom to experience the highest degree of self-determination. The non-profit is built around that philosophy and provides housing and support services, and advocates on behalf of people with disabilities.

Originating in New Jersey, Community Options has expanded its services across multiple states to support people with mental retardation, autism, physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury and dual diagnoses. Recognizing that people with the most severe disabilities require environments and support that are tailored to very specific needs, Community Options works with state and county based authorities to facilitate community placement and work opportunities that encourage individual choice and flexibility.

Community Options is the sixth-largest nonprofit organization in New Jersey, and has developed a number of partnerships with Non- Governmental Organizations in countries across the world. Providing advocacy assistance to empower people with disabilities, Community Options believes that all people, regardless of disability level, should live and work in the community with dignity, choice and self- determination.

I have seen firsthand how their facilities in Wayne and Morristown work to create the best possible environment for persons with disabilities. This includes 24-hour residential services, supported employment to match people with disabilities for competitive jobs, entrepreneurial businesses, as well as programs supporting persons with very significant medical needs.

The mission and work of Community Options has made the nonprofit an important asset to New Jersey. Their continued dedication to support thousands of families, and champion the rights of persons with disabilities, is to be commended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Community Options, Inc. of New Jersey as they celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Chatham Train Station, located in the Borough of Chatham, Morris County, New Jersey, as it celebrates its Centennial Anniversary.

Chatham first became a stop on the Morris & Essex lines in 1838. In 1914, the current station building was built. The building was designed in-house under the supervision of Frank J. Nies, the architect for the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroads (DL&W).

The station complex consists of a station building for the inbound traffic, and a shelter house for the outbound traffic. They are connected by a concrete pedestrian tunnel.

The Chatham Station was designed in the Renaissance Revival style, adapted to the functions of an early twentieth century combination station. The exposed beams and oversized brackets seem to relate to the Stick style, and may have been deliberate gestures to the suburban architectural tradition. The Chatham complex was build in conjunctions with a track elevation project with the roadbed, Fairmount Avenue, built up to its present level after the station and shelter was completed.

In 1929, the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroads, the owners of the railway at that time, spent $100 million to electrify 173 miles of track over 78 miles of road on the Morris & Essex lines. This meant that Chatham station would be served by electric trains, some of the first in the country.

After World War II, the presence of the Chatham Station would prove to be key in the population increases in neighboring Chatham Township. During this time, rural lands in the township started to be developed for residential use, due to the easy commute to Manhattan.

Today, the Chatham Station is a commuter rail station and a branch of the Morris & Essex Lines. The station serves trains on the New Jersey Transit's Morristown line. These trains travel from Hackettstown to New York's Pennsylvania Station. In 2012, over 80 thousand people used the station.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating both the Chatham Station, and Friends of Chatham Station as it celebrates its Centennial Anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. I thank him for his leadership.

First of all, it is a pleasure to rise to support this bill, and let me specifically address the defense portion, which is, indeed, our primary constitutional responsibility, a strong national defense.

First I want to thank my ranking member, Pete Visclosky, for his help in crafting this bill. It was not an easy task, given the short deadlines, but I think we have produced a bipartisan product that meets our national defense needs.

I thank all the committee members and our professional staff for their hard work.

A few words about our allocation, which is a direct result of the decision we made in mid-December. The base allocation is $486.9 billion, which is $29 billion below the President's budget request and $25.7 billion below the bill we passed, the defense bill we passed in July.

The Overseas Contingency allocation is $85.2 billion, which is $4.5 billion above the request. Even with the small increase in the Overseas Contingency allocation, which we essentially use for buy-back readiness, the subcommittee's task was formidable. We cut $24.5 billion from the administration's budget request.

I want to assure my colleagues that not many programs were left untouched. We did our best to protect quantities of critical major weapons systems and avoid significant disruption to vital programs.

Importantly, we gave our military leaders much badly needed predictability about future expenditures and preserved jobs in our defense industrial base.

Most importantly too, we protected readiness. Our Constitution's first priority is to provide for a strong national defense so if the Commander in Chief needs to call our troops, they will be ready and prepared.

Madam Speaker, the measure before us clearly re-affirms our first obligation to provide for national defense under Article One, Section 8 of the Constitution.

I urge support for the Consolidated Appropriations Act and rise to address specifically the Defense portion that our primary constitutional obligation

First, I want to thank Pete Visclosky for his help in crafting this bill. It was not an easy task, given the short deadlines, but I think together we have produced a bi-partisan product that meets our national defense needs. I thank all Committee members and our professional staff for their hard work.

A few words about our allocation, which is a direct result of the Bipartisan Budget Act we passed in December.

The base allocation is $486.9 billion, which is $29 billion below the President's budget request and $25.7 billion below bill the House passed in July.

The Overseas Contingency allocation is $85.2 billion, which is $4.5 billion above the request.

Even with the small increase in OCO allocation, (which we used to essentially buy-back readiness) the Subcommittee's task was still formidable--cutting $24.5 billion from the Administration's budget request.

Our Committee, like others, recognizes that the Department of Defense needs to be part of the deficit solution!

We consulted with civilian and military leaders within the Department and the Intelligence community, who provided input and made some ``suggestions'' for reductions to help meet our allocation.

Let me outline just a few highlights:

$15.2 billion for 8 ships, including 2 Virginia-class submarines;

$5.1 billion for 29 Joint Strike Fighters, and $1.5 billion for their continued development;

$3 billion for 16 (P-8) Poseidon aircraft;

$1.9 billion for 21 (E/A-18) Growler electronic attack aircraft;

$1.4 billion for 17 of the latest variant of the C-130--an incredible workhorse;

$1.0 billion for the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account--to support the citizen-soldiers who fight side-by-side with our active duty troops;

$3.0 billion reduction in Afghanistan Security Forces Funds;

The agreement also places restrictions on funds to Rosonboro-export, the Russian manufacturer of the Mi-17 helicopter;

In addition, the bill prohibits targeting a U.S. person under section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and bars the acquiring, monitoring, or storing of the electronic communications of a U.S. person from a public service provider under section 501 of FISA;

And finally, the bill amends the December Ryan-Murray Agreement to ensure that medically retired personnel and survivor benefit recipients do not have their cost-of-living benefits (temporarily) reduced-- guaranteeing disabled veterans and surviving families receive the full benefits they are due.

I assure my colleagues that not many programs were left untouched, but we did our best to protect quantities of critical major weapon systems and avoid significant disruptions to vital programs. Most importantly, we gave our military leaders badly-needed predictability about future expenditures and preserved jobs in our defense industrial base. And we protected readiness, our committee's first priority.

Some contingency-related requirements--which had moved from OCO to our base bill in previous years--were shifted back to OCO in an effort to protect readiness the Subcommittee's first priority--to allow our troops to execute missions wherever and whenever they are called upon by our Commander-in-Chief.

Mr. Chairman, our military and intelligence agencies badly need stability and predictability after years of budget uncertainty. This conference report provides that for at least a few years. At the same time, we preserve private sector jobs with a more reliable and dependable appropriations process.

Colleagues, this is a fiscally-conservative, bi-partisan measure that protects readiness and maintains our commitment to servicemembers and their families, while meeting the budget caps established in the Bipartisan Budget Act.

I urge its adoption, thank Mr. Visclosky and all members of the Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Montclair Art Museum, located in the Township of Montclair in Essex, County, New Jersey, as it celebrates its Centennial Anniversary.

When the Montclair Art Museum opened in 1914, it was not only one of the country's first museums to primarily focus on American and Native American art, but also was one of the first museums in the nation to be accredited by the American Association of Museums. The museum's collections began with gifts from Montclair residents, which acted as the foundation of its holdings. The American collection started with a gift of 36 paintings from William T. Evans, while the Native American collection was initiated by Mrs. Henry Lang, both co-founders of the museum. When the museum opened, it dedicated a gallery to America's landscape painter George Innes, who spent the last nine years of his life creating artwork in Montclair, New Jersey.

In 1924, the museum founded its art school, now known as the Yard School of Art. The school has operated continually since then, offering a wide spectrum of artistic courses to children, teenagers, and adults. In 2011, the school added a Ceramics Studio and Digital Media Laboratory. Two additional programs include training for teachers in the arts, and a new contemporary art program. The museum provides programs for seniors and special needs individuals, as well.

Since the opening in 1914, the Museum's collection has grown to over 12,000 works. The American collection includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and photographs dating from the 18th Century to the present and features works by Benjamin West, Asher B. Durand, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Andy Warhol. The Native American Collection contains over 4,000 pieces including basketry, pottery, and jewelry from various cultural areas across the United States. The museum also features young and emerging artists.

The Montclair Art Museum maintains a strong sense of community presence through its public and family programs. Each year, 10,000 students from Kindergarten to twelfth grade visit the museum, coming from 190 school districts. The museum also holds events such as Family Days, Montclair Art Museum Park Bench, Home School Days, Family Learning Laboratory, and birthday parties.

As it celebrates its Centennial, the Montclair Art Museum continues to work towards bettering its education programs, outreach efforts, exhibitions, and informing and inspiring diverse audiences.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Montclair Art Museum, its trustees, staff and many volunteers, as they celebrate their Centennial Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, and to thank Representative Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania for his sponsorship of this legislation.

Volunteer firefighters, first aid squads, and emergency medical technicians are vital in ensuring safety in my home state of New Jersey and across the nation. Many communities rely exclusively upon such dedicated volunteers for protection and emergency medical services.

The National Volunteer Fire Council reports that there are 783,000 volunteer firefighters in the U.S. comprising 70 percent of the firefighting force, and our nation has over 20,000 volunteer departments.

However, thousands of volunteer groups across the nation could be forced to shut down because the towns cannot afford the high costs of the President's new healthcare law.

Due to the Affordable Care Act's requirements, fire departments, emergency squads and municipalities may have to provide health insurance for volunteers working more than 30 hours a week. The current law stipulates that the `employer mandate' will apply to organizations that have at least 50 employees, which can include multiple fire departments and EMS houses within one community.

The vast majority of volunteers I speak with do not expect to receive health insurance from their departments or organizations. Volunteer firefighters and EMS responders do not see their work as a career or a part-time job--it's a call to serve the community passed down from one generation of a family to the next.

I know that volunteer fire and EMS departments operate on a shoestring budget, and won't have the resources to pay for health insurance for their personnel. Without this new bureaucratic burden, most departments already have difficulty making ends meet.

I am deeply concerned that subjecting fire departments and municipalities to this provision will result in vital volunteer services being reduced or eliminated in our communities.

This is why I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 3685, the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, and again thank Congressman Lou Barletta for his leadership in addressing this critical public safety issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Episcopal Church of Saint James, located in Essex County, New Jersey, as it celebrates its 125th anniversary.

The Episcopal Church of St. James began as a small, sixteen person group in 1887 lead by Reverend P.M. Bleecker. As the group grew, a Missionary Committee was established and, at the suggestion of the Bishop, the name ``St. James Church, Upper Montclair'' was adopted. Within that year, the congregation would grow to consist of 45 people. On December 12, 1888, the Bishop gave canonical permission to form a Parish in the Diocese of Newark. On December 27 of that same year, the Articles of Association were signed. The next day the articles were filed and the church became official.

Around the same time, the church purchased the ``Cliffside Chapel'' from a nearby Presbyterian Church, which now serves as the cornerstone of the current church.

In 1892, an Alter Guild was formed to attend to the clerical vestments and appointments of the alter. That same year, the Rood Screen was added to the Chancel, and gas was introduced for lighting. The first Vested Choir began in 1898, two members of which continued to sing for the church for over forty years.

In 1902, the church organ was not functioning properly because the building lacked electricity. Later that year, a pipe organ was anonymously donated to replace it. Ten years later, the church ordered a new organ, which was so large they had to modify the roof to fit it.

In 1941, the Willet Studios of Philadelphia began to commission the stained glass windows for the church. That same year, the church installed the Hildreth Meiere painting of James and John fishing over the alter. By 1956, the ``Windows of St. James'' were completed.

Since the church was built, the congregation has significantly grown. So, the church has developed many programs and groups to help its members. These programs include Youth Groups, Bible Studies, Adult Education, as well as a pre-school.

The church also participates in community service and outreach locally, nationally, and internationally. They work with many organizations to send their congregation, along with others who are interested, on missionary trips to various places in need of aid. Previous trips have been to Appalachia and New Orleans.

The most recent trip was to the Jersey Shore to assist in the clean-up from Superstorm Sandy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Episcopal Church of St. James in celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Morris County Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, located in Morris County, New Jersey, as it is celebrating 30 years of community service.

Established in 1946, The Links, Incorporated is a not-for-profit organization that combines the ideals of friendship and community service to focus on civic, cultural, and educational endeavors. The Morris County Chapter of The Links, Incorporated (The Links) was chartered in May, 1982, under the guidance of Elizabeth Quick. One of the organization's first projects was the Open Door program, established to provide newly relocated minorities with an orientation and welcoming committee, often catering to particular needs. Around the same time, The Links also began the Hands Across Generations program to help establish and build relationships between senior citizens and the younger generations.

As new technologies were brought into society's everyday life, the organization developed the Digital Divide. The Digital Divide partners with Morristown High School and its students to help teach senior citizens how to use computers.

The organization also maintains a strong commitment to the arts through various events and exhibits. One very special program, the Literary Teas program, utilizes forums to promote African American authors within the community.

Three years ago, The Links began Working with the Morristown Neighborhood House, an organization that supports our low-income community and fosters cross-cultural acceptance, and developed a program called Rhythms for Life: Music Matters in Morris County, which offers instructor-led violin lessons to grammar and middle school students.

The Links has directed many of its programs and activities towards the youth of Morris County. The organization provides and sponsors various mentoring and educational programs. The Film Workshop, a recent mentoring program, teaches students the phases of film making. So far the program has produced three films that have won national recognition. The Links also recognizes the importance of education, and has awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships to deserving college students in Morris County.

The Links, Incorporated looks forward to facing the challenges ahead and plans to continue promoting and maintaining civic, educational, and intercultural activities to help enrich the members of the Morris County community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Morris County Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, as they celebrate 30 years of community service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Nutley Public Library, located in Essex County, New Jersey, as it celebrates its Centennial Anniversary.

The Nutley Public Library has a strong history, as its building and collection have continued to grow since its opening in August, 1914. The origins of the Nutley Public Library begin in 1896, when a private library held the starting 3,000 book collection. The intention of the private library was to hold the books until the Township of Nutley could find a location for a library. However, it was not until 1914, when the town was provided an Andrew Carnegie grant that the new public library, designed by Armstrong and DeGelleke, was built, and the collection was moved to its current home.

In January 1942, the library expanded the original building to accommodate its ever-growing collection. Through the funding of a Federal Works Project Administration Grant and local funds, the library added three stories, designed by Behee and Kramer.

On August 25, 1980, the second floor ceiling collapsed. The fall of the 65 by 40 foot ceiling section knocked over many bookcases, and caused severe damage. Thankfully, the library was closed at the time of the collapse. The first floor was able to remain open through the duration of the repairs, with the librarians retrieving books from the upstairs rooms when requested.

In October 1990, an addition and renovation completed the library's current facility. Designed by James Goldstein and Associates, a 20,000 square feet addition was added on, with its appearance preserving the essence of the original and historic Carnegie structure. The library used its own reserve funds, and turned to the community, to help pay for the renovation. The library received its financial help through the Friends of the Nutley Public Library, Township bonds, and a New Jersey State Library Construction Grant.

The Nutley Public Library became the 70th member of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System in 1996. This system allows the library to be fully computerized and view the holdings of all the BCCLS libraries, and is accessible 24 hours a day.

Today, the Library maintains a collection of approximately 90,000 books. The collection includes reference books, adult books, young adult books, and approximately 25,000 children's books. The Library is able to provide large print books, magazines, videos, music, downloadable eBooks, and audio books. It is currently governed by a Board of Trustees and two ex-officio members. The Board members are chosen by the Mayor and serve five year terms. The two ex-officio members include the Mayor and the Superintendent of Schools, or their delegates. The library is currently funded by the New Jersey Per Capita State Aid, donations, and the Township. Eighty percent of interest from these funds is used for the purchase of books and other material. The library is proud to celebrate its history and look forward to its continuous growth in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Nutley Public Library and thanking the Friends of the Nutley Public Library as it celebrate its Centennial Anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I was honored to be asked by the Young family to be among those who delivered eulogies for my departed friend and mentor last week in Largo, Florida. I ask unanimous consent that my statement be included in the record:

``From the back row of the House Chamber, Congressman C.W. ``Bill'' Young was able to see across the House Floor. And, for over forty years, through the terms of eight Presidents and 16 Secretaries of Defense, he watched members of both parties meet and greet each other as both Democratic and Republican Speakers presided.

``From that prized vantage point, he could also keep tabs on his longtime Defense Appropriations Committee counterpart and partner, Jack Murtha, sitting opposite him in the back row of the Democratic side of the aisle known as the `Pennsylvania section.'

``Jack Murtha left us a few years ago, but Bill soldiered on. In recent months he used a walker or sat in a wheelchair taking greetings from colleagues from both sides of the aisle. He was beloved--engaging everyone with a smile and handshake, however he might have felt on that particular day. He was always gracious, well-humored and accommodating to freshmen and old-timers alike.

``It is well known that Bill Young chaired the House Appropriations Committee, and twice, its Defense Subcommittee. He also served as Ranking Member when the majority changed hands. He loved our committee, constantly saluted our members for their dedication and fully expected each one to support the process, limit debate, support open rules and with a minimum of partisanship and `do the nation's business.'

``A copy of the Constitution was ever-present in his pocket, to remind all of Article 1, Section Nine, Clause 7. For those of you unfamiliar with this provision, I suggest you look it up!

``On the Defense Subcommittee, he always spoke of the dedication of members of our Armed Forces and the sacrifice of their families and our committee's obligation to serve them!

``He would say at every meeting: our soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen and women are the ones doing the work of freedom--the ones who work every day to make the world safer for Americans and our friends and more dangerous for those who would do us harm.

``That's why Bill Young would often state on the House Floor, `there is no room for politics in our bill'--we must always be there for all those who serve and sacrifice.

``As you know, Bill and Beverly visited the old Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the old Bethesda Naval and the newly-expanded Bethesda National Military Medical Center just about every week.

``They were quiet visits, executed without fanfare or press release.

``Each time, they met with our wounded warriors and their families, adopting their hardships and often underwriting their expenses--helping them meet every type of crisis: food, travel, rent, inattention from medical personnel or hospital administrators.

``The Youngs confronted military brass whenever necessary in order to get those with physical and mental wounds the best care and support possible. They were fierce in their determination!

``And wherever they were with the troops, the Youngs took names, called their families and carried grievances to `the top' to be resolved. This was their SOP, their passion, and woe to those who underestimated their dedication and resolve!

``You might say from time to time they `rang a few chimes' to get a tough situation resolved! In fact, I am confident that there are many officers with us here today who would vouch for that. I won't ask for a show of hands, but you know who you are!

``Typical was the story Bill told us once--about a Saturday lunch at a small restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia--an area teeming with military personnel on-duty and off-duty. As Beverly left the table to greet another soldier or Marine, Bill was presented with the meal check and was stunned! `$171 for a tuna fish sandwich and a burger and two cokes?!?!' The waitress calmly replied that `It's not just a sandwich and a burger, sir. Your wife volunteered you to pay for that soldier at that table and that Marine family over there and the sailor in the corner and a couple that have already left.'

``I also know that, over the years, many military families were pleasantly surprised when their grocery tab was covered by Bill or Beverly Young standing behind them in the supermarket check-out line.

``Bill and my late father served together for a few years before my father retired from Congress in 1974. With that early tie, he has been a friend and mentor to me since my arrival.

``I know these personal connections may not count for much these days, but were it not for Bill, it is likely that I would not be serving on the Defense Appropriations Committee or honored to be speaking here today.

``Nor would I have had the opportunity to occupy the back row of the House chamber--from which Bill Young had an expansive view of American history as few others ever did or as few others ever will.

``He personally made much of that history, directing an appropriations process that actually worked, despite its procedural flaws and partisan challenges.

``It is well-documented that his strong support for our national security made America the envy of the world and improved the lives of our servicemembers and their families in more ways than they will ever know and assured that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

``A reverent hush has now fallen over that back row of the House chamber.

``The Congress has lost a leader.

``The nation has lost an experienced authority on national security.

``Our Armed Forces have lost a valuable partner.

``And whether they know it or not, the troops and their families have lost one of the best friends they ever had.

``We all have lost a great, principled man who lived a life from which we all could learn.

``May the tributes and prayers that have flowed in recent days be a source of comfort and strength to you, Beverly, and to Billy, Patrick and Rob and the rest of the Young family and his loyal, long-serving staff--past and present--both in his personal offices in Washington and Florida and the Defense Committee's staff--the unsung majority and minority professionals who make the Committee work.

``Ladies and gentlemen, the sun is setting on an American life of service. Bill Young, now an Honorary Marine, may be gone, but he will never be forgotten!

``From the back row of the House chamber, Bill Young had a front row seat to history--a history he helped shape. And for that, our nation is a stronger and a better place.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Saint Peter the Apostle Church, located in Parsippany, Morris County, New Jersey, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Saint Peter the Apostle Church has been serving the growing Catholic community of the Lake Parsippany and Lake Hiawatha areas since its beginning on June 29, 1938. Bishop Thomas McLaughlin, the church's founder, along with Father Philip J. Coyne, the church's first pastor, began Saint Peter the Apostle Church's momentous progression. Initially in 1938, the church borrowed space from the Lake Hiawatha Fire Station to host mass. In September of 1939, Father Coyne and Bishop McLaughlin signed the contracts to begin construction of the facility that would house Saint Peter the Apostle Church for nearly 50 years.

Reverend James P. Smith's arrival as pastor in 1941 was yet but another key moment in the church's history. In tandem with the Archdiocese of Paterson's Bishop James A. McNulty, Father Smith coordinated a $450,000 project to construct a new convent, school, and auditorium in March of 1959. Later that year the school opened its doors to its first body of students ranging from kindergarten to fourth grade. Under the supervision of Sister Mary Mueller, OP, the principal, Saint Peter

the Apostle School received Middle State accreditation, one of the school's most notable accomplishments.

June 8, 1965 marked the start of another expansion within the church and it began with the appointment of Reverend William F. Wanerka as pastor. The church's pastoral family grew once again in the 1980s with the addition of Reverend George Dimler and Reverend David Richardson as the first permanent deacons. However, it was not until the addition of Monsignor Flanagan on June 15, 1985 when the church and the school underwent its largest transformation to date.

The first few years of Monsignor Flanagan's tenure witnessed the rapidly increasing church community outgrow the original facility built in 1939 and 1940. As the church community grew in those few years, Monsignor Flanagan supervised numerous workers and volunteers to plan and construct a new, larger church capable of accommodating up to 1,000 people. Opening on February 20, 1988 the new and improved facility was capable of hosting programs like their new Sunday Gospel Program for children. This new facility gave the parish the ability to serve even more members of the Parsippany community.

Unfortunately, the increase in church members did not bring an increase in Saint Peter the Apostle School enrollment. However, rather than close the school and relinquish their ability to provide an education for those students that remained, the Saint Peter the Apostle School merged with Saint Christopher School, another parish in Parsippany. The new school, All Saint Academy, now serves the children of three Parsippany churches, Saint Peter the Apostle, Saint Christopher, and Saint Ann. The merger has allowed the Saint Peter the Apostle Church to serve an even larger number of children within the Parsippany area for many years to come.

Saint Peter the Apostle Church has provided an invaluable and meaningful service for the people of Parsippany and will continue to do so with the continued support of the members of the parish and of the community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Saint Peter the Apostle Church as they celebrate their 75th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 371, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 76) making continuing appropriations for the National Nuclear Security Administration for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on House Joint Resolution 76, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present critical legislation that will ensure our Nation's nuclear security, the Nuclear Weapons Security and Nonproliferation Act, the joint resolution just mentioned.

This legislation continues funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration at the current level provided in fiscal year 2013 until December 15, or until full-year appropriations have been signed into law. There are no new anomalies and there is no special treatment, but continuing these activities without interruption is vital to our national defense.

The National Nuclear Security Administration is responsible for maintaining our nuclear deterrent, securing vulnerable nuclear materials around the world to keep them out of the hands of terrorists, and supporting our Navy's nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.

Funds will be used to keep the doors open so our scientists and engineers can keep our nuclear arsenal at the ready and our nuclear fleet operating efficiently.

These vital programs keep our country safe and secure and require well-trained, dedicated personnel.

So far, these high-priority national security missions have been sustained during this shutdown by operating off prior-year funding. While most of the Department of Energy's science and energy laboratories have enough carryover funding to operate through November, the national security laboratories and stockpile production sites of the NNSA are not in that same position.

This week, the NNSA sites began notifying workers that they would be shutting down as early as October 17 to preserve remaining funds for essential functions like protecting nuclear materials. By the end of the month, 90 percent of the personnel at our nuclear weapons sites may be laid off, halting work to keep our nuclear weapons reliable. Once laid off, some of these vital workers may never return.

Suspending an ongoing nuclear production operation is no simple task. That interruption will lead to higher costs and only make it more difficult to maintain an aging stockpile. We must act now to prevent disruption of these important nuclear security activities.

We must also sustain the critical work the NNSA's nonproliferation experts perform overseas. Despite hopeful press reports, Iran has not turned off its centrifuges; North Korea may have restarted its reactors to make more plutonium; and the Russian and Chinese Governments continue to build nuclear-armed ballistic submarines.

The technical expertise provided by our nuclear security experts is essential to our Nation's ability to monitor and respond to international developments such as these. We simply cannot afford to lose this oversight of nuclear weapons and their potential for proliferation.

Finally, our nuclear deterrent relies on the mission of our submarines, the very capable assets of which are maintained by the Naval Reactors Program at the Department of Energy. We must ensure they have adequate support to perform their mission across the globe.

Colleagues, I do recognize that this bill will not solve the larger funding problem. We must enact full-year annual appropriations to meet today's requirements, as voted on earlier this year, and not rely on continuing resolutions to keep the government open.

In this regard, my thanks to Ranking Member Kaptur for her leadership and support of our annual appropriations process. Until we get back to regular order, this bill will provide critical funding to our Nation's security, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the full Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry), a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Heck), also a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner), a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Ms. Kaptur, do you have any further speakers?

I would be happy to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Mr. Speaker, it has been a pleasure to work with Ms. Kaptur.

In closing, Robert Spalding wrote in The Washington Post recently an article called ``Nuclear Weapons are Instruments of Peace.'' In his close, he wrote:

The sensible path to peace starts with the realization that

peace can be secured only through strength. Nuclear weapons

represent that strength. We must embrace it through funding

and rhetoric.

Indeed we do. Nothing is more important than the reliability of our nuclear weapon stockpile, as is obviously our responsibility to the world to prevent nuclear proliferation, and one of the ways that we protect America and provide for a strong national defense is to have a strong naval reactor program so that our aircraft carriers and subs can truly do the work of freedom.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the gentlewoman's motion.

Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order that the instructions contained in the motion violate clause 7 of rule XVI, which requires that an amendment be germane to the bill under consideration.

As the Chair most recently ruled on October 10, the instructions contain a special order of business within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Rules, and, therefore, the amendment is not germane to the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I insist on my point of order.

Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 91) making continuing appropriations for death gratuities and related survivor benefits for survivors of deceased military servicemembers of the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 91, the Honoring the Families of Fallen Soldiers Act.

Our government has no greater responsibility, Mr. Speaker, than to take care of the families of our brave men and women who have fought and died for our country. This bipartisan legislation provides continuing appropriations to ensure that, if troops are killed serving our country, our government will honor its obligations to them and their families without delay.

Specifically, the bill would provide for the payment of death gratuities and other benefits, such as military housing allowances, to the families of our fallen soldiers. It would provide for authorized funeral and burial services for servicemembers and their families.

This measure would also pay for families to travel to meet the remains of their loved ones returning home. This bill provides appropriations to pay benefits upon the deaths of military servicemembers.

My colleagues, while this bill is written as a ``continuing appropriations act,'' I want to be very clear. The intent of this legislation is to fully fund the specific benefits for all authorized recipients.

Mr. Speaker, we have a solemn duty to take care of our troops and their families, especially as we remain a Nation at war.

Our men and women serving in uniform, serving in dangerous places all over the globe, deserve the peace of mind of knowing that during the worst of times their families will receive the benefits they deserve immediately. This bill removes any ambiguity on this point.

This is a bipartisan bill with Democratic and Republican cosponsors that, I believe, should pass with overwhelming support.

Mr. Speaker, we are all looking for legislation upon which we can reach consensus. I am hopeful this bill will bring us together, and I urge support for it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), chairman of the full Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.J. Res. 91, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry), a distinguished member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), a member of the Armed Services Committee.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

We anticipate, through the Chair, several more speakers; but I assume we are both waiting, perhaps, for some additional.

I would be happy to.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me say to the gentleman that I want to salute you and Chairman Young for sponsoring this legislation, which is truly bipartisan, for bringing it to the floor and for giving Members of both parties an opportunity to join together. At a time when there is a lot of disjointment around here and lack of consensus, on this there is no argument at all; and I am highly appreciative of all that you have done to assist in this process?

I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, our government has no greater responsibility than to take care of the families of our brave men and women who have fought and died for our country. This legislation will ensure, as we've said earlier in this discussion, without question and any ambiguity, that the Department of Defense should provide payment of death gratuities and other benefits to families of our fallen men and women in uniform.

I urge support for this bipartisan legislation, and I thank Chairman Young and Ranking Member Visclosky for their leadership in making sure this bill gets to the President as quickly as possible.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better than a Federal Government that is largely shut down--services curtailed, employees furloughed. They deserve better than a President who says he will not negotiate and a Senate that apparently cannot negotiate.

Mr. Speaker, the House has sent multiple continuing resolutions to the Senate to fund government operations through mid-December. The Senate dismissed each one, including our request to establish a House- Senate conference committee to engage in dialogue to discuss our differences and, yes, to work toward solutions. After all, compromise should not be a four-letter word here in Washington. But the President won't negotiate and the Senate won't talk.

To paraphrase a recent military leader: Tell me how this ends.

Until they come around, we must all remain committed to ending this government shutdown and for fighting for fairness in the President's new health care law.