Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I wish to correct a vote that I made on the amendment to H.R. 2112. During the rollcall votes, I voted no on the Campbell amendment to prohibit funding for the Animal, Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) from being used for lethal methods of wildlife control to protect livestock. It was my intent to support the amendment, as I stand in strong support of the federal government's use of humane and non-lethal animal control whenever possible. My record on this issue clearly shows my longstanding support of this position and I hereby state my disapproval of the use of lethal methods of trapping, aerial hunting and poisoning wildlife in order to protect livestock by the APHIS.

I wish to clearly state for the Record that I supported the Campbell- DeFazio-Peters amendment and did not intend to vote against it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend and constituent, Alfred E. Zampella, for his unwavering commitment to education and activism in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Al Zampella was born in Jersey City on February 8, 1923 and has lived there ever since. As the youngest of five boys in an iconic Jersey City family, Al and the Zampella brothers each grew to make significant contributions to their community in their respective fields. Al's lifelong service to his community and his country began during World War II; Al served as a Lieutenant and saw sea combat in the Asian Pacific Theater of Operations. The State of New Jersey recognized Al for his heroism and bravery by awarding him the Distinguished Service Medal. He earned his bachelor's degree from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, and a master's in Education Administration and Supervision from New York University--right across the Hudson River from his hometown of Jersey City.

Al went on to serve as principal of Jersey City Public School No. 27, shaping the lives of students and teachers as he worked to keep kids in school and engaged in their own education. He was a great support to his fellow educators, motivating them and working together to make P.S. 27 a solid foundation for the future success of its students. After many years of devoted service, Al retired in 1990. Only several years later--on November 7, 1996--P.S. 27 honored its beloved former principal by unveiling its new name: Alfred E. Zampella Public School No. 27. The school continues to be a highly regarded educational institution, having received many prestigious honors and awards in recognition of its success. This year's graduating eighth grade class held a ceremony to present Al with a gift: the unveiling of a beautiful new sign for the Alfred E. Zampella Public School, recognizing his dedicated community involvement.

Although he retired from P.S. 27 over 20 years ago, Al remains an active contributor to his community, serving as a member on many boards and organizations in North Jersey. In 2009, Al received the Jersey City Heights Legend Award, recognizing his tireless community involvement, which continues today. As my Hudson County Community Outreach Director for the past 12 years, Al serves the people of Jersey City diligently and with enthusiasm. I am very fortunate to have such an experienced and well-regarded individual on my staff; Al is a great role model for young people with a passion for serving others. And, despite his remarkable career in public service and the numerous accolades he has received for it, Al's proudest accomplishment is his beautiful family. Together with his wife Jaclyn, the Zampellas have three talented and successful sons: Edward, Walter, and Gary. They have been blessed with six grandchildren: Bailey, Evan, Lauren, Matthew, Francesca, and Juliana, each of whom is an endless source of joy for their proud grandparents.

Mr. Speaker, today I have the privilege of recognizing my good friend Alfred Zampella for his exceptional devotion to Jersey City, Hudson County, and Northern New Jersey at large. Al has shaped Jersey City indelibly, working for decades to improve his community and making a memorable impression on everyone he meets. My most sincere appreciation and very best wishes go to Al Zampella and his loving family, and I thank him for a lifetime of serving his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend, Andreas Comodromos, for his exemplary involvement in many community, business, and political endeavors, both locally and at the national level. While his dedication to serving others extends to numerous causes, today I would like to recognize his unwavering commitment to the nation of Cyprus, the Cypriot-American community, and the Hellenic-American community at large.

Andreas ``Andy'' Comodromos was born in Vatili, in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, on March 27, 1949. The oldest of six children, Andy married Cyprus native Anna Zachariades in 1973. They made their home in Cyprus and, after having their first child, moved to the United States in 1974 so that Andy could pursue a college degree. He graduated magna cum laude from Saint Peter's College in Jersey City, New Jersey with a B.S. in Accounting, and soon joined the international accounting firm of Ernst & Ernst. Andy earned his CPA certification in 1982 and, the following year, co-founded the accounting firm of Comodromos Associates, P.A. with his late brother, Michael. Andy has served as president and managing partner of the Paramus-based firm ever since.

Despite leaving Cyprus nearly four decades ago, Andy's dedication to his homeland and to Cypriot-Americans is unwavering, and the well- deserved accolades he has received are numerous. He is the founding president of the Federation of Hellenic-American Organizations of New Jersey, a group which is proudly honoring him at their annual gala on June 5, 2011. He has served in several capacities on the Executive Committee of the Cyprus Federation of America, CFA, including two consecutive terms as the CFA's Supreme President, from 1991 to 1995. The CFA honored Andy with the 2001 ``Justice for Cyprus Award'' in recognition of his untiring services and dedication to the Cypriot- American community. He was honored with the Offikion Archon Dikaiophylax by his Eminence Archbishop Iakovos in March 1996, and was subsequently elected to the National Council of the Order of Saint Andrew, for which he serves as Assistant Treasurer. He is a member of the Metropolitan Council for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey, of Evangelismos Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox community, and of Saint Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church in Paramus. In 2000, Andy was honored as ``Man of the Year'' by Evangelismos Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church in Jersey City. He received the 1996 Ellis Island Medal of Honor for outstanding contributions to America and distinguished community service, and in 2009, was appointed by Governor Jon Corzine to the New Jersey Hellenic-American Heritage Commission.

Andy is the Founding President and current Chairman of the Cyprus- U.S. Chamber of

Commerce, serves on the board of the Cyprus Children's Fund, and has served as Treasurer of the World Federation for Overseas Cypriots (POMAK). He is a member of the Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) of the North and South American Region, as well as the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, AHEPA. And, while his involvement in these and many other organizations is as extensive as the plethora of honors he has received, Andy's family is his proudest accomplishment. He and his lovely wife Anna have been blessed with two children and three grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate my dear friend, Andy Comodromos, and thank him for his devotion to the Cypriot-American community, both in the great State of New Jersey and across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring to your attention an unintended consequence brought on when we enacted last year's emergency supplemental appropriations bill to fund additional border resources--H.R. 6080, the Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.

This bill was fully paid for by imposing additional fees for new H-1B and L-1 visas on a select group of companies. Specifically, the companies impacted are those with more than 50 employees, and with a US workforce in which more than 50% are on a professional temporary visa-- basically the H-1B and L-1 visas. While, I applaud the intent of this provision to incentivize job creation at home, I would like to express my concern about the implementation of the additional visa fees.

These fees were meant to be targeted at companies who utilize H-1B and L-1 visas at very high levels for the purpose of building their employees' proficiencies in IT, so that they can take this knowledge and the work back to their home countries. It turns out however, that some US companies are being impacted by these fee increases because many of their professionals are stuck in green card backlogs and in the meantime remain in temporary visa status.

In his remarks at the time of Senate passage of H.R. 6080, Senator Charles Schumer commented that, when the H-1B visa program is used as a stepping-stone for skilled immigrants to obtain permanent resident status, it is ``a good program for everyone involved. It is good for the company. It is good for the worker. And it is good for the American people who benefit from the products and jobs created by the innovation of the H-1B visa holder.''

I agree with Senator Schumer's remarks, and encourage my colleagues to work with me on a technical fix that would ensure that the implementation of this bill is consistent with these policy goals. The clearest way to achieve these goals would be to exempt from the so- called ``50/50'' calculation any H-1B or L-1 worker who has sought to acquire permanent residence by taking steps to file or is the beneficiary of a pending or approved application for alien employment certification with the Department of Labor, or a pending or approved immigrant petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Those H-1B and L-1 workers are best defined as `intending immigrants,' as they relinquish their nonimmigrant intent when their employers pursue a Green Card application on their behalf.

We should not punish companies that are doing the right thing by investing considerable

resources to sponsor professionals for permanent resident visas. They are building a highly skilled workforce in the US within technical specialties in which few American workers with applicable skills exist. This is something we need to do if we are going to grow out of our current economic difficulties.

I suggested to the Secretary of Homeland Security that she consider making the technical fix as part of regulatory guidance on this new fee. The Department later informed me that such a fix required congressional action.

I raise this issue Mr. Speaker, because it is my hope that we can work with our colleagues in the Senate to ensure that companies that are trying to do the right thing are not unintentionally hurt by this provision. Since this unintended consequence was caused by a provision in an appropriations bill, I hope that we can make the necessary technical fix on an appropriations bill at the appropriate time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Adele T. Macula, a lifelong resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, for three decades of devoted service as an educator. Dr. Macula is retiring as Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for the Jersey City Public School District after having touched the lives of countless students and colleagues throughout her tenure.

Adele Macula was born and raised in Jersey City, where she would go on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Jersey City State College (now known as New Jersey City University) and a Master of Arts in Education in Computer Science/Data Processing from Saint Peter's College. She also earned her doctorate in Educational Administration from Seton Hall University. Dr. Macula began her career as an elementary school teacher in the Jersey City Public School District in 1978, was promoted to District Supervisor for Programs that Maximize Potential in 1993, then to Special Assistant for the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 1999, and finally to Associate Superintendent in 2000. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University in the Masters in Teaching Program, and at Seton Hall University in the Executive Doctorate in Education Program. Dr. Macula has served on many district and state- wide education committees and has presented at local, state, national, and international conferences.

Dr. Macula has developed and implemented award-winning programs which have received recognition from the State of New Jersey as a Best Practice and national recognition by the American Association of School Administrators. She has also created collaborative professional learning programs for teachers and administrators, serving as a co- designer of the ECLIPSE! (Educational and Collaborative Leadership Institute for Principals and Supervisors Extraordinaire!) Program for new and aspiring administrators. Dr. Macula has written State and Federal grants which resulted in the Jersey City Public School District being awarded over $10 million.

For her career-long dedication to education in Jersey City, Dr. Macula has received numerous prestigious awards. She was the recipient of the Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County's Brian C. Doherty Community Service Award for 2011. The New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum (NJASCD) awarded her the Dr. Ernest L. Boyer 2009 Outstanding Educator Award. In 2007, she was presented with both the ``Service Above Self'' Community Service Award by the Rotary Club of Jersey City Daybreak, and the Women's History Month ``Award for Contributions to Multicultural Education'' by the Jersey City Public Schools. In 2004, New Jersey City University granted Dr. Macula its Distinguished Education Alumni Award, making her the first-ever recipient of this honor.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Dr. Adele Macula on an impressive career, to honor her many achievements in the field of education, and to thank her for her many years of hard work on behalf of the students and teachers of Jersey City.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my dear friend and longtime colleague, Mary Bustillo Donohue, on being honored by the Paramus Catholic High School Alumni Foundation for 31 years of dedication as a Spanish teacher and Chair of the Modern Language Department. Mary's list of accomplishments and causes to which she has devoted herself is as impressive as it is extensive. I am very fortunate and proud to have such a compassionate and hardworking individual as a member of my staff.

Mary was born on February 14, 1925 in Havana, Cuba, where she spent the first 8 years of her life until her family moved to New York City to escape the repressive Cuban government. Mary's passion for both education and civic involvement was instilled by her parents at an early age. She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. and summa cum laude with an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. Mary later pursued a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature at New York University, but the economic pressures of having five of her eight children in college during that time interrupted her studies and she was only able to complete 69 of the 72 credits required to obtain the degree. She became certified as a teacher and joined the faculty of Paramus Catholic Regional Boys High School, eventually becoming the Chair of the Modern Language Department and the school's first female administrator. She also served as an Adjunct Professor of Spanish Literature at Seton Hall University for 7 years.

Mary and her family moved to River Edge, New Jersey, where she quickly became involved in her church and in local political and civic causes. At St. Peter the Apostle Church, she was elected to serve on her parish's council, taught religious school, served as both a Lector and a Eucharist Minister, and became involved in various ministries. Mary joined the River Edge Democratic Club and went on to serve as Committeewoman for District 4 for 50 years. Mary was the first woman to ever be elected to the River Edge Council, where she served two terms. She was the first Hispanic-American ever elected to the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders. As a Freeholder, Mary's commitment to education was instrumental in creating the Bergen County Academies. She was elected to serve as a member of the Democratic National Committee during both of President Bill Clinton's terms in office, and was subsequently elected Chair of the DNC's Hispanic Caucus during that time. As a member of New Jersey's Hispanic Task Force, she helped empower and register Latino voters across the State. Under Governor Jim Florio, Mary served on New Jersey's Democratic State Platform Committee, drafting the component addressing environmental issues. In 1991, she ran as the Democratic candidate for New Jersey Senate in District 39, and although she did not win, her drive and desire to improve her community was hardly deterred. Mary is one of the founding members of the Latino American Democratic Association of Bergen County, LADA, an organization that was formed in 1993 and continues to grow today. She was appointed by Governor Christine Todd Whitman to the Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission, where she led efforts to rename the River Edge Post Office Sub-station as the New Bridge Landing Post Office, to obtain State Park recognition for Historic New Bridge Landing, and to rename the North Hackensack, New Jersey, Transit Station as Historic New Bridge Landing at River Edge. Mary continues to serve devotedly as the Vice Chair of this commission.

As a member of my staff in Hackensack, Mary works tirelessly to assist constituents with immigration and citizenship issues. Even outside of her diligent efforts as a Congressional caseworker, Mary is always striving to serve others in her community--whether she is teaching Spanish to senior citizens in Teaneck, working to beautify River Edge, or volunteering on a local Democratic campaign, I am in awe of Mary's boundless energy and devotion to civic duty. And yet, despite Mary's lifetime of accomplishments--of which there are too many to list here in their entirety--her proudest achievement is the beautiful family she created with her loving husband, Jerry Donohue. Throughout their 57 years of marriage, until his passing in 2003, Jerry and Mary remained steadfastly supportive of each

other and madly in love. Together, they raised eight wonderful children, who have blessed them with 17 grandchildren and 2 great- grandchildren, with two more great-grandchildren on the way.

Mr. Speaker, today I have the privilege of recognizing Mary Bustillo Donohue for her extraordinary work as an educator and a lifetime of devotion to helping others. Mary is an inspiration to all who meet her, and I cannot thank her enough for all that she has done for so many and that she continues to do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) on its 50th anniversary.

Throughout the past fifty years, China Ocean Shipping Company has evolved from a small coastal carrier to a global maritime leader and a diversified multinational ``Fortune Global 500'' company that is the 2nd largest shipping company worldwide. My congratulations go to all the employees of COSCO. This company, with its American headquarters located in Secaucus, New Jersey, continues to be a leader in maritime commerce between the U.S. and China; providing jobs and economic growth here at home, and supporting safety, environmental and security efforts.

International maritime trade is vital to New Jersey and has helped support U.S. consumers, companies and products. COSCO Americas Inc. was recognized for promoting office social responsibility and received the 2010 New Jersey Department of Transportation New Jersey Smart Workplaces (NJSW) gold award. This award recognizes the efforts of COSCO to help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by providing commuter benefits to their employees in New Jersey. These important contributions to our state deserve the highest recognition.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to congratulate COSCO on its 50th anniversary and honor its employees for their role in COSCO's continued global business success and conscientious work in the State of New Jersey.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to H.R. 1229 and H.R. 1230.

In April 2010, our Nation watched as millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico from an oil drilling rig off the coast of Louisiana. We saw photos of the disaster that ensued, the impact on our environment (including the damage caused to marine and coastal wildlife) and the devastating economic impact on communities in the Gulf Coast region. From the loss of fishing jobs and revenue from tourism to the harm of biodiversity in fragile wetland ecosystems and marine life breeding grounds, this oil spill caused immense destruction to a resource rich area.

I am concerned that without changes to the offshore drilling industry standards, a disaster like the Deepwater Horizon explosion of April 2010 could happen again. Today, the majority in the House is asking us to pass H.R. 1229 and to forget about the tragic events of last April and the inadequacies of our national energy policy in order to grant Big Oil access to the Gulf with less oversight--rushing lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico at an unprecedented pace and without proper environmental review. This bill is not only ill-advised, but it is unnecessary as well because the Obama Administration is already moving forward with the lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico with added reviews to ensure sound safety and environment protections.

In addition, H.R. 1230 would require the Interior Department to hold additional lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico over the next 4 to 8 months and open the eastern seaboard for drilling by requiring a lease sale off the coast of Virginia this year. This bill would require the Interior Department to rely on environmental reviews for these areas done by the Bush Administration prior to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, with many of the same demonstrably flawed and dangerous assumptions and inadequate review processes as the BP lease that led to the disastrous spill in April 2010. The majority in Congress is using rising gasoline prices as an excuse to grant large, multi-national energy companies greater access to even more of our precious shores, including on the Atlantic Coast which could affect New Jersey in the event of a spill.

I believe opening our coastal waters and protected wilderness areas to oil drilling is harmful, ineffective, and a step in the wrong direction that will damage our environment. We are currently drilling at a higher rate than we ever have and onshore production increased by 5% in 2010. Production in the Gulf of Mexico is at an all time high. Yet, of the 41 million acres of public lands now leased for oil and gas development, just 12 million acres are producing. Offshore, 38 million acres of the outer continental shelf are leased for oil and gas drilling, but just 6.5 million acres are producing. We have approved drilling leases on land where no drilling is taking place; the potential for higher production is there without expanding leasing to environmentally sensitive wildlife refuges or populated shore regions.

Moreover, the proposed drilling will not significantly lower gas prices. According to a 2009 study from the Energy Information Administration, opening up waters that are currently closed to drilling off the East Coast, West Coast and the Gulf coast of Florida would yield an extra 500,000 barrels a day by 2030, meaning that gas prices might drop a total of 3 cents a gallon. And that is years away. In the meantime, Big Oil companies continue to rake in record profits while taxpayers subsidize their costs. The American people have had enough, New Jersey has had enough and I have had enough. We need to stop Big Oil subsidies and explore alternatives.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my opposition to the Upton-Inhofe bill.

Clean air should be a priority that we all can agree on, but some in Washington, D.C. are playing dangerous games with public health. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Upton-Inhofe bill, an extreme measure that will eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) authority to address carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases and other harmful emissions. This legislation, which I opposed, reverses EPA's scientific finding that these pollutants are harmful to public health and the environment. The bill means that even with strong state-level environmental regulations New Jersey will suffer. Since the movement of air pollution isn't restricted by state borders, wind currents from neighboring states will push harmful pollution into the air that we breathe here at home.

As a father and a strong advocate for the environment, I am proud of New Jersey's leadership in keeping our air clean. In New Jersey, we've implemented laws to reduce toxic emissions and mercury pollution from power plants, increase clean energy from solar power, and speed up production of off-shore wind along the Atlantic seaboard. These regulations improve the quality of the air we breathe, but we should still be doing more and New Jersey cannot do it alone. Federal regulation of dangerous pollutants is necessary to make sure that states with tough emissions standards aren't unfairly subject to dirty air from neighboring states that have lenient emission laws. Some in Washington, D.C. may want to secure an extreme ideological ``victory'' by undermining the EPA, but the families, children, and elderly in New Jersey cannot afford the consequences of the Upton-Inhofe bill.

For many New Jerseyans, the impact of this bill could be deadly. For example, in the Ninth Congressional District--which includes sections of Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties--there are an estimated 80,000 people, including nearly 20,000 children, who live with asthma. Lower air quality standards will lead to more pollutants in our air and raise the risk of life-threatening asthma attacks. In fact, the National Institute of Health estimates that

5,000 asthma-related deaths occur each year in the United States. And those who suffer from asthma are just one group who will face drastic consequences from the Upton-Inhofe bill. Fully enforcing the Clean Air Act and a strong EPA will improve the lives of countless Americans (including New Jerseyans)--especially those who already have compromised health.

The Upton-Inhofe bill is harmful to New Jersey and our entire nation. Specifically, this legislation would weaken the Clean Air Act, overturn the Supreme Court ruling that gave the EPA authority to regulate dangerous air pollutants, and derail efforts to move toward energy independence by reducing emissions from cars and trucks. It is for these reasons and many others that health advocacy and environmental groups--from the American Lung Association and the Union of Concerned Scientists to Environment New Jersey and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America--oppose this harmful legislation. In opposition to the Clean Air Act and the EPA, and supporting the Upton-Inhofe bill, are groups like big oil companies and billion-dollar corporations with vested interests in avoiding the costs of cleaning up the environmental messes they make. I and many of my constituents and people throughout our state choose to stand with those who want to keep New Jersey's air clean, not those who put profit over public health.

There is a clear path forward to keeping our air clean in New Jersey. With the strengthening of the Clean Air Act in 1970, our country took a stand for the quality of our health, our air and our future. The EPA is planning to update the Clean Air Act to implement long-overdue federal limits on soot, smog, mercury, and carbon pollution. This solution makes sense--the Clean Air Act has proven to be one of the greatest tools we have to cost-effectively protect the health of Americans and our environment. We must stand up against efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act and work with the EPA to implement strong limits on pollution to protect the air we all breathe in New Jersey and throughout our country.

Mr. Speaker, I too am here to acknowledge the passing of a wonderful human being and my friend, John Adler. Congressman John Adler served in the House of Representatives representing a portion of our State of New Jersey. John was a hysterically funny guy, brilliant. He was a loving husband, a loving father to four outstanding young men.

He was a leader in the New Jersey State Senate, recognized for his intelligence and his contribution to the people of New Jersey. I am still in shock at his passing. He did not deserve to die young. He was such a good man. I want to convey my thoughts and prayers to his wonderful wife, Shelley, and to their four sons, Jeffrey, Alex, Andrew, and Oliver, on the passing of this great and good and wonderful man, John Adler.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Garfield Babe Ruth League on 50 years of service to the youth of Garfield, New Jersey. Since its founding in 1961, the League has provided countless young people with the opportunity to participate in a quintessential American pastime: youth baseball.

The Garfield Babe Ruth League is a proud member of the Middle Atlantic Region of Babe Ruth Baseball. Comprised of two divisions, 13- 15 year olds and 16-18 year olds, the League provides an important team experience and extracurricular outlet for as many as 200 young people each year. All of the coaches and league officials are volunteers, devoting their time to bring baseball into the lives of teenagers. These volunteers also maintain Columbus Field, home to all games played in the Garfield Babe Ruth League. Over the years, with the help of its invaluable volunteer coaches and officials, the League has been able to add a press box, score board, dugouts, club house, fencing, lighting, bleachers, and numerous other field enhancements. Garfield has hosted many District All-Star Tournaments and has been selected to host this year's New Jersey State Final Tournament for the 14-year-old division.

Throughout its half-century of service to the City of Garfield, the League has always provided the youth of the community with the opportunity to create cherished memories, have important character- building experiences, and celebrate proud accomplishments, both on and off the baseball field. The legacy of this organization only grows stronger as the League continues to touch the lives of all who become involved with it.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to celebrate the Garfield Babe Ruth League's 50th anniversary and honor all of its volunteers and participants for their role in keeping this wonderful tradition going for so many years. I wish the League continued success as it continues to proudly serve the community of Garfield, New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Reverend Edward Joseph Hildebrandt, Jr., and celebrate a life dedicated to serving the American people. On the ninth anniversary of his passing, I would like to commemorate the selflessness and devotion that Reverend Hildebrandt exemplified in every aspect of his work.

Reverend Hildebrandt was born on June 7, 1940, in Hoboken, New Jersey. His family life was difficult, and he grew up protecting and providing for his siblings in their broken and often abusive home. He eventually enlisted in the Army, serving for 4 years as a military policeman, including a tour of duty in Korea where he was stationed at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. After leaving the military, Reverend Hildebrandt worked as a union leader and postal clerk in the Carlstadt and East Rutherford Annex Post Offices. He also worked part-time as a house painter and metal foundry worker. Reverend Hildebrandt was never idle, providing for his family as well as others in their community. He would often invite less fortunate families into his home until they were able to get back on their feet.

Reverend Hildebrandt's strong desire to serve people and improve his community led to his becoming a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church in the late 1970s. He ministered to parishioners at churches in Little Ferry, Garfield, and East Rutherford; however, he would happily minister to those in need--people did not have to be a member of his congregation to receive his attention. With a growing population of Korean immigrants in his community, Reverend Hildebrandt used the cultural knowledge he gained during his military service in Korea to communicate with and provide aid to many families. He also served his community as a Boy Scout leader, Little League coach, and as a member of both the Knights of Columbus and the Rosary Altar Society. Reverend Hildebrandt was a published poet, part of the Hoboken Historic Society, and involved with the National Park Service. He was a founding member of New Kid Ministries in Stockholm, New Jersey.

Despite his deep involvement in many aspects of his community, Reverend Hildebrandt's most proud accomplishment was his 39-year marriage to his wife Rosemarie Ali Hildebrandt, and the nine children they raised together in the Borough of Carlstadt. He was also blessed with four grandchildren. Reverend Hildebrandt's passing on February 2, 2002, was a tremendous loss for both his family and the community which he served.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor the life of Reverend Edward Joseph Hildebrandt, Jr., and join his family and friends in fondly remembering his many years of devoted service to the people of Northern New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, the Republican side of the aisle, have suggested that America would be better off if we cut out foreign aid.

In my opinion, there could be nothing further from the truth, Mr. Speaker. Cutting foreign aid from the United States to our allies and others we want to work with around the world is vital to the U.S.'s national security.

I'll say it again. Our foreign aid that we give out, which, by the way, what's the percentage of foreign aid in our budget compared to the whole budget? It's 1 percent. It's actually less than 1 percent. Some people think it's 20 or 30 percent. It's less than 1 percent of our whole budget. And what do we do with that foreign aid? We make alliances with trading partners. We make alliances with strategic military partners all over the world. I think most Americans understand we still live in a very dangerous world and we need allies and friends and partners.

By the way, what does that foreign aid budget include? It includes money for embassies and diplomats, interpreters. Now, would we be better off in a big complex, interconnected, hostile world if we didn't have embassies all over the world? If we didn't have people who understood foreign languages? If we didn't have people who had lived in these countries, who are Americans who lived in these countries but nonetheless understood the cultures and way of thinking and history of these other nations whom we are not yet friends with or whom we are friends with but want to be better friends with, or countries on the fence whom we want to bring over to democracy and to Western values?

I think we'd be far poorer if we did not have a foreign aid budget. And don't just take my word; take the word, for example, of the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen, who said to Congress last year, the more significant the cuts to foreign aid, the longer military operations will take, and the more lives will be at risk. That's the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not some crazy, wild-eyed, naive person, but the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff saying cutting diplomacy in the State Department and foreign aid threatens the lives of our warfighters, of our men and women in uniform.

Or how about when Secretary of Defense Gates, then under President Bush, said in 2008, referring to cuts, proposed cuts to foreign aid, that it has become clear that America's civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long. This is Defense Secretary Gates, under former President Bush, relative to what we traditionally spend on the military and, more important, relative to the responsibilities and challenges our Nation faces around the world.

My goodness. Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, North Korea, China--to say now is the time to have fewer people understanding foreign languages, fewer embassies, fewer diplomats to try to avert war and nuclear proliferation when it constitutes less than 1 percent of the budget already? That's going to solve our problems? That not only won't solve our economic problems, that will create more and more danger to U.S. national security.

That is why, while we need to cut spending, while we need to get rid of waste, while we need to find additional sources of revenue, like the unnecessary $4 billion that this Congress now gives already to the oil and gas and energy industries, to do what--$4 billion to do what? To encourage them to look for energy. Well, I thought they were making a profit at that already, the greatest profits in their histories. Yes, they are. So why give them $4 billion in subsidies? Let's use that for other purposes. Cut taxes--use that to reduce our deficit. Use that not to cut foreign aid, which returns probably 1,000 times per dollar than what we contribute in terms of the 1 percent of our budget that goes to diplomats, embassies, the State Department, and the meager foreign aid we provide to our essential military allies who are helping us protect against al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood, who are helping us protect our vital sea lanes and economic lifeblood around the world.

I look forward to working with my Republican colleagues, but priorities are priorities, and we ought to make cuts where they make sense, not where they jeopardize U.S. national security.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in recognizing my friend, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, members of her staff, and other victims of the senseless attack which took place on January 8, 2011 in Tucson, Arizona.

Gabby is kind, brilliant, beautiful, charming, intellectually curious, honest, and a powerful presence. She is truly one of the most amazing people I've met in my life. She is devoted to public service for all the right reasons--to make America stronger, safer, better- educated and to protect America from its enemies. She is thoroughly dedicated to her district and selflessly serves her constituents. Her constituents, even those who do not always share her political views, respect her for being ready to help them and fight for what is right. I know my colleagues on both sides of the aisle recognize her as a person of great integrity who fights tirelessly for her principles.

Madam Speaker, my thoughts at this time are with my friend Gabby. We are all hoping and praying for her complete recovery, as well as for the families of those who were killed and those who were wounded and are struggling to recover. Violence and threats have no place in our democracy.

``Immediately after they shall be assembled in consequence of the first election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The seats of the Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year, of the second class at the expiration of the fourth year, and of the third class at the expiration of the sixth year, so that one-third may be chosen every second year.''