Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order.

Mr. Speaker, is the gentleman allowed to make allegations, false allegations about another Member on the floor of the House during this time?

Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate a ruling.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time of the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

Mr. Speaker, in January I attended the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. This month and over the next several weeks, the world will pause and reflect on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of so many Holocaust death camps and, in fact, the drawing to a close of the Holocaust.

Every day the memory of the Holocaust diminishes as survivors find their eternal rest. And that is why it is so profoundly important that we teach the lessons of the Holocaust to our young people, to generations who become more and more removed and more and more distant from that gruesome experience.

I recently received a poem from a very bright young woman who met with a survivor from Auschwitz named Josephina Prins. I want to read this poem on the floor of the House because it shows just how powerful that experience was, bridging the divide of generations and making one of histories most unfathomable tragedies real for a 13-year-old girl named Ophelia Snyder. The poem is entitled ``The Miracle, Josephina Prins.''

They called you a number,

A thing.

They called you an animal.

You were a star.

You were a Jew.

They treated you like a smudge,

Like an object.

You are a person just like us.

Prick your finger.

What comes out?

Ask a friend.

What comes out?

Red blood.

We are all the same.

Then why,

Why did you seem so different?

Why are you not treated the same?

Are you not flesh?

Are you not blood?

Does your heart not beat?

Are we not the same?

74937.

You are special.

But then you are the same.

74937.

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, I rise today to pay tribute to oncology nurses. This year the Oncology Nursing Society is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. During that time, we have seen great advancements in cancer care. Cancer patients have a better chance of survival than ever before. In the past 20 years, the survival rate has doubled from 32 percent to 64 percent. Oncology nurses have played a big part in that.

Oncology nurses are vital to providing quality care. They are on the frontlines in our nation's battle against cancer, and serve an essential role to, not only their patients, but also to the American public. Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, the director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, has stated, ``By 2015, we can eliminate cancer suffering and death.'' Dr. von Eschenbach's goal can only be achieved with oncology nurses. Every day, oncology nurses see the pain and suffering caused by cancer and understand the physical, emotional, and financial challenges that people with cancer face throughout their diagnosis and treatment.

These nurses are principally involved in the administration and monitoring of chemotherapy and the associated side-effects patients experience. As anyone ever treated for cancer will tell you, oncology nurses are intelligent, well-trained, highly skilled, kind-hearted angels who provide quality clinical, psychosocial and supportive care to patients and their families. In short, they are integral to our nation's cancer care delivery system.

The Oncology Nursing Society's mission is to promote excellence in oncology nursing and quality cancer care. To that end, ONS honors and maintains nursing's historical and essential commitment to advocate for the public good by providing nurses and healthcare professionals with access to the highest quality educational programs, cancer-care resources, research opportunities and networks for peer support. ONS has 13 chapters in my home state of New York, which help oncology nurses provide high quality cancer care to patients and their families in our state.

I thank all oncology nurses for their dedication to our nation's cancer patients, and commend the Oncology Nursing Society for all of its efforts and leadership over the last 30 years. They have contributed immensely to the quality and accessibility of care for all cancer patients and their families, and I urge my colleagues to support them in their important endeavors.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

I rise for two reasons: First, to support the right of America's small, independent gas and auto repair stations to a level playing field; and second, because we all know that a level playing field ensures free and fair markets, competition and lower gas prices.

In recent years, we have seen a sweeping consolidation of the oil industry at almost every level, the manufacturing level, wholesalers, refiners, and retailers. One corporation can control the prices at every single step, and that increases prices at the street corner.

My amendment is very straightforward. It directs the Comptroller General to study the effects of consolidation on prices, on market economics, and small business ownership.

Most people who live in a community for a long time are accustomed to talking about their local service station, where they know their mechanic and their owner, where they know the prices; but those days are in the past. Now their local facility is controlled by a giant corporation which has gobbled up their local facility. And lower prices on the street corner have also become a thing of the past.

In 2002, the Senate Committee on Government Reform Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations studied consolidation of fuel refineries. The subcommittee's findings are now over 3 years old, and are alarming in their prescience. As the report indicated, corporate interests are dominating pricing, controlling the market and pricing out privately owned retail outlets. Corporations are earning windfall profits while privately owned stations are struggling to keep afloat.

The subcommittee did not focus on wholesale and retail consolidation. This amendment would achieve that goal and give us the data we need to ensure that consumers are protected from price inflation and our small business owners can compete in a fair market.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

The studies that the gentleman cites did not take a look at the top- to-bottom consolidation of the oil industry. There have been a number of studies, but each study has been conducted almost in a vacuum without considering the entirety, the entire scope of this problem, a problem that is putting small, independent retailers out of business and driving up prices on every street corner in America.

We are not taking a position necessarily on the issue. We are simply saying it ought to be a responsibility of the Federal Government to investigate this situation, to talk about the marketplace.

The other side speaks passionately about free and fair markets and competition. The purpose of free, fair and competitive markets is to help drive prices down. By opposing this amendment, we are protecting an industry which is driving prices up.

I am deeply disappointed that the other side would take that position. I urge them to reconsider.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of Mr. Castle's amendment.

Under current law three new liquid natural gas facilities have been constructed in recent years and six others approved. Current law permits construction of liquid natural gas facilities but it doesn't do what this bill in its present form would do: virtually guarantee construction of liquid natural gas facilities in any location where there is a strong energy demand regardless of state and local concerns that arise. These concerns can include safety, environmental risks and/ or terrorist threats.

These are not concerns that should be divorced from the approval process. In fact, these concerns, and state and local governments' ability to represent them, ought to be elevated in importance. Our nation has a heritage of listening to the voice of its people. This legislation serves only to silence the voice of Americans.

The leadership of this House has turned a deaf ear to the concerns of Long Islanders and to the many Americans in predicaments like my constituents. By granting full authority over the zoning of liquid natural gas facilities to the federal government, this bill grossly violates the so-called Republican principle of local control.

Before moving forward with any legislation in regards to liquid natural gas facilities, this body must fully vet the issue through hearings and the commissioning of appropriate studies. Not a single hearing on the pros and cons of the consequences of shifting zoning authority away from the states and to the federal government was held. This is nearsighted and irresponsible.

The Castle amendment ensures that local oversight over these vital zoning issues remains. It provides time for the proper detailed review of potential legal changes. I urge my colleagues to support the Castle Amendment and to prevent this federal power grab.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of one of the world's most remarkable leaders of the past century, Pope John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II was special not only to Catholics, but also to those of us outside his religious faith. He was a giant in the advancement of peace, spirituality and human dignity. I join the rest of the world in grieving his loss and celebrating his life.

After witnessing two of the greatest evils of the past century firsthand, Nazism and Communism, Pope John Paul II made the betterment of humanity the centerpiece of his service both to the church and to the world. Having emerged from poverty and oppression to become the first Polish Pope in history, Pope John Paul II became a beacon of good will.

Pope John Paul II worked to breakdown barriers between countries, faiths, and people. Among many other profound and groundbreaking gestures, this Pope was the first to visit a German death camp, visiting Auschwitz in 1979. There he prayed first at a Hebrew stone and second at a Polish stone.

The Pope understood that different people saw the world through different lenses but he fought the biases that long characterized the fault lines of differing cultures. He counseled us, ``Peace is not built in mutual ignorance but rather in dialogue and encounter. Unity is not uniformity.'' Pope John Paul II built a culture of tolerance, openness and understanding. ``Solidarity helps us to see the other not as an object of exploitation but as a neighbor in the banquet of life to which all are equally invited,'' he reminded us.

Let me close by capturing a deeply held conviction of the Pope's that I have long held dear to my own service as a Member of the United States Congress. The Pope steadily and forcefully worked towards a better future for all of mankind and he saw this future embodied in children.

He remarked, ``We must all work for a world in which no child will be deprived of peace and security, of the right to grow up without fear and anxiety.'' The greatest challenge for any generation is to leave behind a better world for our children. This Pope truly understood and embraced this challenge.

We will miss Pope John Paul II for his spirituality, for his dignity, for his leadership and for his profound humanity. But, much as his faith indicates that his soul will live on eternally, the impetus and legacy of his principled life will live on eternally here on earth.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. And we all thank the gentleman for organizing this Special Order. He has already demonstrated his leadership in this Chamber simply by taking this action tonight, by leading the United States Congress in paying special tribute and honoring the life of John Paul II.

Mr. Speaker, so much has been said on this floor, on the news channels, throughout the world about the life of Pope John Paul II. And I just wanted to share with my colleagues a reminiscence that I have. I never met the Holy Father, but I did connect to him through one profound moment that I experienced when I visited the Auschwitz death camp in January with Vice President Cheney and two Members of this body as part of the delegation of Americans who went to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. John Paul II could not attend that event. His health did not allow him to. So he sent a special message.

That camp is located near Krakow, a community in Poland that knows the Holy Father very well. And at that camp in the middle of a rather severe snow in very cold weather, a Vatican emissary read a message from John Paul II. He talked about his own visit to Auschwitz in 1979, and he talked about how, while he made that visit, which had to be exceedingly difficult for him, he stopped before a memorial and prayed in Hebrew, and then he stopped before another memorial and prayed in Polish.

John Paul II was a builder of bridges. He was a uniter. He had a deep faith and a profound belief in concepts which guide us every day right here in this body. We start every day, and every classroom, so many classrooms throughout America start every day, by pronouncing a very simple concept: liberty and justice for all. That is something that the Holy Father believed in profoundly. Liberty and justice for all.

He believed in peace, but he also had the fortitude and the compassion and the commitment and the raw courage to oppose two of the greatest evils that the 20th Century had ever witnessed in communism and nazism. He was not simply an eyewitness to those evils. There were plenty of eyewitnesses to those evils. He was a vigorous opponent of those evils, an outspoken opponent not simply when they were occurring, but even years after they occurred, because he always wanted to remind us of our moral obligation, our fundamental moral obligation, to speak the truth against evil no matter when it occurred, where it occurred, how far back it occurred.

I want to conclude by sharing with my colleagues some statements that John Paul II has made because I think those statements continue to guide us even today even at this difficult time. The Pope understood that different people see the world through different lenses, but he fought the biases that have long characterized the fault lines of different cultures. He counseled us. This is what he said: ``Peace is not built in mutual ignorance but rather in dialogue and encounter. Unity is not uniformity.'' He built a culture of tolerance and openness and understanding. He said, ``Solidarity helps us to see the other not as an object of exploitation but as a neighbor in the banquet of life to which they are all equally invited.'' A very important reminder.

And, Mr. Speaker, let me close by capturing a deeply held belief of the Pope's that I have long held dear in my own service as a Member of this body. The Pope steadily and forcefully worked towards a better future for all humankind, and he saw this future embodied in our children. Those are the people that we have our most important obligation to because they are our future. The Pope said, ``We must all work for a world in which no child will be deprived of peace and security, of the right to grow up without fear and anxiety.'' Mr. Speaker, the greatest challenge for any generation is to leave behind a world that is better for our children than it was for us. This Pope truly understood and embraced that challenge.

We will all miss Pope John Paul II for his spirituality, for his dignity, for his convictions, for his leadership, and for his profound humanity. But much as his faith indicates that his soul will live on eternally, the impetus and legacy of his principled life will live on eternally here on Earth.

I again thank the gentleman for his leadership in organizing this Special Order.

Mr Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, New York to the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of American POWs at the end of World War II.

Sixty years ago this spring, over 100,000 American and Allied POWs were liberated by Soviet troops as they swept aside enemy forces in Eastern Europe. This liberation marked the end of forced marches, stinging cold, constant hunger and the everpresent threat of summary execution by a collapsing Nazi regime. Simultaneously, advancing Allied forces also discovered Hitler's death camps and their wretched legacy of inhumanity.

As we observe this anniversary, I am truly proud to have the American Airpower Museum at the Republic Airport in Farmingdale in my congressional district. The museum has established a new permanent tribute to honor those who endured the POW ``stalags'' and to solemnly mark the liberation of the death camps built by the Third Reich for the purpose of murdering millions of European Jews.

The museum's tribute includes a recreated watch tower and barracks, a detailed diorama of a German ``stalag,'' the names of those New Yorkers who were POWs during World War II and a tribute to American POWs in other conflicts. This will mark the first permanent museum tribute to American POWs in the New York region.

It is vital that we continue to remember the horrors of the Holocaust and pay tribute to both the victims and the brave soldiers who contributed to the liberation of Europe from Nazi rule. I strongly commend the leadership that the American Airpower Museum of Farmingdale has taken on this issue and urge other museums to follow suit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments of Andrea Leeds. Andrea's steadfast involvement in the community has truly enriched the lives of children and families in our Long Island communities.

Upon graduating from Boston University with a BA in Psychology, Andrea began her career in Human Resources at Kenyon and Eckhardt Advertising. She continued in the Wall Street offices of Chemical Bank as a Corporate Training Specialist. Finally, as Assistant Director of Human Resources at Ziff Davis Publishing, she met her favorite applicant and most notable ``hire''--Michael Leeds. Following their engagement, Andrea left Ziff Davis to become Director of Human Resources at Lebhar Friedman Publishing.

While Michael was expanding CMP Media, Andrea became a full-time mom--raising three daughters. With her focus on the family, she became very involved in numerous school activities--most notably the PTA and girls' athletics.

Andrea's involvement in the community extends far beyond her own family. As a founding member and President of the Woodbury Jewish Center Sisterhood, Andrea was honored by the community as ``Woman of Achievement.'' She is currently a Trustee of the Woodbury Jewish Center and is the Board liaison to the Senior Citizens Group.

Andrea also co-chairs the United Jewish Agencies Long Island Legislative Committee and is Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors of the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center. Throughout her service to center, which is the largest non- profit mental health center on Long Island, Andrea has led numerous initiatives including the establishment of the Trauma and Bereavement Center. Along with her husband, Michael, Andrea was recognized with the prestigious ``Family Life Award'' in 2002.

Together, this dynamic spouse-team runs the Andrea and Michael Leeds Family Foundation, which focuses on community health care, education and support for Israel. The Center upholds one of Andrea's core beliefs that the ``key to success and understanding each other begins with education.'' This statement is one that Andrea maintains throughout her abundant work in our community, and I applaud her many achievements and contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and sacrifice of Sergeant Michael Espisito, U.S. Army. On March 18, 2004, SGT Espisito made the ultimate sacrifice for his Nation--he gave his life while fighting on the frontiers of freedom in the small town of Miam Do, Afghanistan.

Referring to heroes of World War II, Sir Winston Churchill once stated, ``Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'' I believe that Churchill's sentiments reign truer then ever when applied to today's historically small contingent of service men and women. The challenge facing us is similarly great: the defeat of terrorism. But the number bearing that burden has never been so small.

Michael Espisito not only recognized that challenge, he embraced it. He volunteered to serve, to bear that burden, and he loved it. In a letter to Michael's parents, Captain Jorge Cordeiro, Michael's Company Commander, reflected back on the first battle he fought in with Michael. Captain Cordeiro wrote, ``I can recall him telling me it was the best day of his life and how proud he felt to have fought for his country.''

Assigned as a Team Leader in A Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division, Sergeant Espisito took each word in his title to heart.

Team: Sergeant Espisito never cared as much about himself as he did about the men surrounding him, his brothers in arms. He put their interests first; he put their safety first; he put their success ahead of his own. But Michael Espisito's team extended beyond those he fought with. His team was the Army, his family, his Nation and, in many ways, the people of Afghanistan. Just before Sergeant Espisito was mortally wounded in Afghanistan he successfully evacuated two women from the same building in which he was fighting. Those women were on SGT Espisito's team and they were saved because of it.

Leader: In the U.S. Army infantry there is a short slogan that is often repeated: ``Follow me!'' Michael Espisito didn't just say ``follow me,'' he lived it. He led his men from the front in every combat maneuver they took part in. In so doing, he earned the trust, the respect and the confidence of all around him. As his Battalion Commander wrote of him, ``He was a shining example of a soldier and non-commissioned officer to the end.'' SGT Espisito was leading from the front when he breached a door in an enemy compound and was mortally wounded in an exchange of fire.

Michael Espisito was a special human being. He was different. He was a hero. You get the feeling he was put on this earth to serve. He knew his mission, he understood his roll and he embraced it. And he lived his life, did his work and executed his missions with dignity, vigor and excellence. Our world is better because of his sacrifice but it is poorer because of his loss.

Churchill reminds us how much we owe to those few men and women like Michael Espisito. We owe Michael our commitment to a better world. We owe Michael our commitment to living better, more principled, more service oriented lives. And we owe Michael the memorializing of his life and his sacrifice, best completed by living the lives he would have wished for each us. Michael is gone but he will never be forgotten.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this Amendment that aims to commit $3 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA has asked its donor countries for about $28 million for women who were victims of the tsunami. The money in this amendment is about 11 percent of what they are asking for.

In January, I visited areas devastated by the tsunami. I visited what was left of a three-story maternity hospital. Three hundred women and infants were located here when the first wave hit. The rush of water toppled a high cement fence, knocked down utility polls like toothpicks, and shattered all of the glass windows in the front facade. Of the 300 women and their babies, all but one--a newborn--was saved from the crashing waves. We met with one doctor who finished a C- Section--in absolute darkness, after the generators were underwater, as the rest of the building was evacuated. The hospital was practically destroyed. The beds were pushed and piled against each other by the flooding, and shards of glass crunched under our feet. The sheets were strewn about like wet rags, and saturated packages of medicine were thrown in useless piles.

Natural disasters are particularly harsh on pregnant women. The loss of medical care and its infrastructure is compounded by malnutrition, disease and the trauma of the disaster. These issues can cause miscarriage or early labor, which both require medical care that is unavailable. The result can be maternal death.

The situation that women face in the areas is dire. The Indonesian Midwife Association has also reported that 1,650 of their 5,500 members, that is about 30 percent of their members, died in the tsunami. Many of the surviving midwives are picking up the pieces of their own lives and dealing with their personal loss. Reestablishing maternal health services will be a main use of this money, which is of great concern to the region.

There are 150,000 pregnant women in the tsunami-affected areas-- 50,000 are scheduled to give birth in the next three months. They need personal hygiene kits in refugee camps; and safe-birthing kits in hospitals, clinics and health centers. They need soap and sterile cotton cloth, antibiotics, emergency obstetric equipment, and drugs for treating sexually transmitted infections. Relief efforts often overlook these supplies, and the UNFPA is uniquely prepared to provide them.

The UNFPA has experience working with women in disaster areas: They have participated in emergency projects in more than 50 countries and territories. They already have offices in tsunami-affected countries, and they understand the distinctive ways that disasters affect women and children. Women are more

vulnerable to sexual assaults during times of disaster. Women who are pregnant, nursing, or caring for small children do not have the capacity to stand in line for long periods of time for supplies.

The funds in this amendment are intended to be used by the UNFPA to help women in these circumstances by: Providing tools and medicines needed for safe childbirth; preventing and treating sexual assault; promoting access to clean water, food and healthcare; providing sanitary supplies; and providing psycho-social counseling.

The tsunami devastated an entire region, and I am glad that this Congress is appropriating funds to help address the many issues that the people in region now face. It is my hope that my colleagues will vote for this amendment, which will help some of the most vulnerable of the region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Edwin Robinson, an exemplary young man who recently completed a semester of service to the House of Representatives through the Congressional Page Program.

Mr. Robinson is a junior at Wyandanch Memorial High School, where he has one of the highest grade point averages in his class. Outside the classroom, Edwin takes part in his school's Junior Military Program, where he demonstrates leadership and civic responsibility to younger students and his community. He is also an active member of the First Church Ministries where he serves as Vice President, an Usher, a member of the Sunbeam Choir and Sunday school teacher.

Edwin is a member of the 2004 Town of Babylon Minority Internship Program, Ujima, a Swahili word that means collective work and responsibility. Ujima seeks to introduce a select group of high school students to the inner workings of local government, provide an environment where they can develop a one-on-one relationship with elected officials, and enable them to develop their professional skills in the workplace.

Through this experience and his semester as a page on Capitol Hill, I have no doubt that Edwin has a bright future ahead of him in public service. His strong presence, positive disposition and sharp intellect have made Edwin a role model for Wyandanch students and a respected leader among his fellow pages. Edwin represents the future of American leaders and I look forward to hearing of his continued achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 30, a resolution that recognizes and supports the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

HIV/AIDS impacts the African-American community worse than any other ethnic group in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that African-Americans account for 50 percent of all new HIV infections, which is an incredible number considering only 12 percent of the American population is African-American. The CDC further reported that 69 percent of all children born to infected mothers were African-American. A study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that African-Americans accounted for 56 percent of deaths due to HIV in 2002.

Public awareness about HIV/AIDS is vital. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day will help educate the African-American community about the disease, including prevention and treatment. The first annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was held on February. 23, 2001. The slogan for the day was ``Get Educated, Get Involved and Get Tested.'' February 7 of each year is now recognized as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

I was proud to cosponsor this important resolution that encourages State and local governments, including their public health departments, to publicize the day in African-American Communities and to promote testing. The resolution encourages media organizations to carry messages in support of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Most importantly, it encourages enactment of effective HIV prevention programs.

HIV/AIDS is a formidable threat to our African-American communities. However, we can work together to ensure that the public is aware of the ways to prevent transmission of this disease and how individuals can protect themselves. But we can't do this without funding. The Minority AIDS Initiative needs to be fully funded. The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is authorized through FY2005, so this year we need to ensure that no programs are under funded or dropped altogether.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution will result in increased public awareness. As advocates work together to protect the African-American community, we in Congress need to ensure the Federal Government is doing our job to fund the programs that will halt the spread of HIV/

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Suffolk County Commissioner of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services David H. Fischler. Suffolk County has been the beneficiary of Commissioner Fischler's remarkable skill, his dedication to public service and his tremendous leadership all displayed over a distinguished 28-year career devoted to the people of Suffolk County. On January 8, 2005, Commissioner Fischler retired completing a final ten-year tenure as Commissioner. His service will not soon be forgotten; his shoes will not soon be filled; but his legacy of excellence and service will forever last within the Suffolk Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services community.

Commissioner Fischler began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter with the St. James (NY) Fire Department, where he later served as an Assistant Chief and Chief-of-Department for 8 years. While still serving the St. James Fire Department in a volunteer capacity, Commissioner Fischler began his leadership in the Suffolk County, a county with 1.4 million residents and approximately 12,500 providers in 136 fire and EMS agencies. Commissioner Fischler first served as the county's

Emergency Manager before he began his tenure as Commissioner.

Commissioner Fischler has commanded major incidents, including hurricanes and coastal storms that destroyed 104 homes in 48 hours, the 1995 Wildfires, the 1996 TWA incident, and the county's response in 2001 to the World Trade Center in support of our neighbors in New York City. His skill as a leader, manager and emergency services expert invariably saved lives, property and hardship for the people of our community in each of these instances. Most importantly, he ensured professional, timely, organized response in the event of each challenging disaster.

Commissioner Fischler is also a vice-president of the NYS Emergency Management Association, a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Terrorism/Homeland Security Committee and has spoken extensively throughout the country. Furthermore, the Commissioner is an attorney and is heavily involved in community activities.

During Commissioner Fischler's distinguished tenure, Suffolk County became the first county in New York State to develop and implement a Hurricane/Coastal Storm Plan and Special Needs Sheltering Program. Additionally, it is believed that Suffolk County became the first municipality in the nation to develop a Mental Health Special Needs Sheltering Program. Finally, Commissioner Fischler's leadership prompted Suffolk County to be the first county in New York State and the greater northeast to be designated ``Storm Ready'' by the National Weather Service.

Commissioner Fischler has served Suffolk County with the highest degree of professionalism and excellence. I wish to extend a sincere thank you to Commissioner Fischler for his many years of remarkable public service to the people of Suffolk County, for the legacy of excellence he leaves behind for our fire, rescue and emergency services and for his highly capable, selfless and steady leadership during our most trying and dangerous times over the past ten years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of A.J. Richard, a vital member of the New York community. Throughout his life as a successful businessman, dedicated family man, concerned citizen and creative innovator, A.J. Richard defied the odds in keeping his family business running and growing when other community competitors were closing their doors. Today his legacy lives on in the type of business he left behind: it is owned and operated by family; it is as much a part of the community as it is a service to the community; and it places customers ahead of profits. A.J.'s business is a reflection of a certain value system, a value system we rarely see in today's largely faceless corporate culture. That value system is about community, family, work ethic, optimism and integrity. While A.J. has passed, his business and that special value system live on. We are all thankful for this legacy he leaves with us.

In his honor, I would like to share the following obituary of A.J. Richard as it appeared in the N.Y. Times on January 5, 2004:

``A.J. Richard, whose contagious enthusiasm for new gadgets transformed P.C. Richard & Son from a hardware store into a major retailer of consumer appliances and electronics, died on Dec. 28 in West Islip, N.Y. He was 95 and lived in Bay Shore and Port St. Lucie, Fla.

The cause was pneumonia, said Alan Meschkow, the company's advertising director.

Although Mr. Richard's father, Peter Christiaan, started the business, it was A.J. who in 1924, at the age of 15, insisted on selling newfangled electric irons alongside the store's kerosene lamps and plumbing supplies.

``It's beautiful, look--it's chrome, it's polished, it fits your hand,'' went Mr. Richard's sales pitch, Mr. Meschkow said. ``And look at the tip, the point--you can go right in between the buttons.'' He asked his first buyer to pay 50 cents a week toward the total cost of $4.9.5, and other customers soon followed.

Over the next six decades, including several years he spent living above his store in Ozone Park, Mr. Richard sold New Yorkers all kinds of new electric devices, from toaster in the 1920's to the Walkman in the 1980's.

His methods were often ingenious. In the early 1930's, when people seemed content to scrub clothes on washboards, he sent salesmen door to door offering families $5 to try out washing machines. In the 1950's, he let people watch Friday-night boxing matches on a television displayed in the store's window, and some inevitably bought their own 10-inch black-and-white set, which cost nearly $400. In the 1980's, the company offered cooking classes to demonstrate microwave ovens.

P.C. Richard & Son now reports annual sales of roughly $1 billion, making it the country's largest family-owned and operated seller of appliances and consumer electronics. Based in Farmingdale, N.Y., it has grown to 49 stores in New York and New Jersey, even as competing regional chains like Crazy Eddie and Newmark & Lewis have closed. Many people can whistle its five-note advertising jingle, ``At P.C. Richard.''

Much of the advertising still carries pictures of A.J. and his two sons: Gary, son the company's chief executive, and Peter, who is executive vice president. A grandson, Gregg Richard, recently became president, and a granddaughter, Bonni Richard, is head of human resources.

Alfred Joseph Richard was born in Brooklyn on Oct. 11, 1909, the same year his father, a handyman who emigrated from Amsterdam, opened the family's first store in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn.

``I waited on customers when I was 7,'' he told The New York Times in a 1995 interview. ``I was a 100 percent hardware man by the age of 9.''

He was also a tinkerer, and he started the store's service department after learning to repair radios as a teenager. He took over the company in 1947.

His wife, the former Vicky Himmelman, died in 1997. He is survived by his sons, Gary and Peter, both of Long Island; eight grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.''