Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Barbara Heiser O'Neil, a resident of Hawthorne Township, New Jersey, for her 35 years of devoted service to the citizens of New Jersey as a Constituent Affairs Manager at Public Service Electric and Gas.

Barbara O'Neil grew up in Paterson, New Jersey and studied at Montclair State University and Yale. She held various roles as an employee at Public Service Electric and Gas (PSEG), eventually becoming a Constituent Affairs Manager. Mrs. O'Neil is well known to every Congressional District Office in New Jersey. Congressional members and staff know that when a constituent need arises, Mrs. O'Neil will always help in a manner that is both timely and caring.

Mrs. O'Neil has had a significant impact on my constituents throughout her career at PSEG, yet her contributions to the people of New Jersey extend beyond her role as a Constituent Affairs Manager. She is devoted to giving back to her community as a volunteer, currently serving as a member of the Board of Bergen Community College and Gilda's Club of Northern New Jersey. She has also served on the Board of the American Cancer Society. Mrs. O'Neil's commitment to improving the lives of her fellow New Jerseyans shines through in all that she does.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to recognize Barbara Heiser O'Neil's dedication to the State of New Jersey and congratulate her on her outstanding career. I send her my best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Elaine and Mike Adler for their generous contribution to Ramapo College of New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Adler have recently announced a $2 million gift that will finance the new Adler Center for Nursing Excellence. This donation will be the lead gift in Ramapo College's capital campaign to renovate its Science Center.

The Adler Center for Nursing Excellence will provide a new home for Ramapo College's nursing programs. This building will double the size of available laboratories and classroom

space for nursing students. The Adlers' gift will help fulfill a critical need, felt both on campus and across the Nation, for an increase in facilities, resources, and educators to train our future nurses. The Nursing Programs at Ramapo College have clinical partnerships with Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, as well as The Valley Hospital. These unique partnerships allow students to experience some of the best nursing departments in the country. Ramapo College is one of the few institutions that offers a masters of science in nursing, which prepares nurses to serve as educators in their field.

Mike and Elaine are longtime supporters of Ramapo College. Amongst their many contributions, the Adlers have established an endowed scholarship program to ensure that financially disadvantaged students are not excluded from receiving a quality college education. Elaine serves on the Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors, which exists to provide resources that will make a difference in the college's quest for educational excellence. In 1999, Mike and Elaine received honorary degrees and were recognized at Ramapo College's Distinguished Citizens Dinner. The Adlers are a true embodiment of the American dream. In 1949, they founded Myron Manufacturing in the basement of their home, and it has since grown into a large international corporation, based out of Maywood, New Jersey, within my congressional district.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to express my profound thanks to my dear friends Elaine and Mike Adler for their generous contribution to Ramapo College's nursing programs and for their lifelong commitment to serving their community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize my dear friend Mr. Albert Burstein upon his appointment as Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the President of the French Republic, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy. This prestigious distinction was conferred upon Mr. Burstein on November 11, 2010 to express the deep appreciation and gratitude of the French people for his contribution to the liberation of their country during World War II.

Mr. Burstein joined the United States Army on May 8, 1943 in Fort Dix, New Jersey. He became a member of the 44th Infantry Division and was soon shipped overseas, where his outfit was quickly engaged in combat in the south central region of France. Having received Army specialized training in the German language, Mr. Burstein was placed in charge of troops at the front lines in order to watch for oncoming German counter attacks. Following his honorable discharge from the Army, Mr. Burstein was awarded both the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Bronze Star Medal.

Albert Burstein's extraordinary accomplishments and steadfast devotion to public service continued after his departure from the military. Al served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1971 to 1981, during which he held several leadership positions, including Chairman of the Assembly Education Committee and Assembly Majority Leader. He remained committed to improving the quality of schools in the State of New Jersey and across the country, serving as a member and chairman of numerous education commissions and boards. On the federal level, Mr. Burstein was appointed by the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare to serve as Chairman of the Model Adoption Legislation and Procedures Advisory Panel from 1978 to 1979.

Mr. Burstein continues to provide his expertise and leadership to the people of New Jersey as partner in a distinguished law firm in Hackensack, New Jersey--Herten, Burstein, Sheridan, Cevasco, Bottinelli, Litt & Harz, L.L.C. He is an active member of his community and has been recognized for his legal work in Bergen County. Mr. Burstein is a great source of pride and admiration for his loving family, including his wife Ruth; his children Jeff, Diane, and Laura; and his grandchildren Alexandra, William, and Julia.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to congratulate Albert Burstein on being honored by the people of France and thank him for both his military heroism and his lifelong commitment to serving our great Nation. I am grateful to have had such a dedicated and outstanding individual as an honored friend and role model for over 30 years.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of my constituents, Dr. Aaron R. Graham, who is the Bergen Executive County Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Graham should be congratulated on his retirement for a job well done and celebrated for over 40 years of public service as an educator.

Dr. Graham received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from North Carolina Central University and received his Masters of Science in Education from the University of Akron. He earned his Doctorate of Education in Administration and Supervision from Fordham University. He has also completed postgraduate studies at Montclair State University and the State University of New York.

Dr. Graham began his educational career as a Science Teacher in the National Teachers Corps and Public Schools in Akron, Ohio. He has taught students on every level from pre-school through graduate school. In New Jersey, his career experience includes: Science

Teacher in Palisades Park Junior-Senior High School; Educational Specialist and Educational Planner for the New Jersey State Department of Education; District Project Director and Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction at New Jersey City University. He has lectured at several colleges and has presented at the University Council for Educational Administration Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Bergen County is the largest county in New Jersey with over 895,000 residents and more than 135,000 students. As Bergen Executive County Superintendent, Dr. Graham supervises the county's 78 school districts and nearly 300 schools. In this capacity he has provided educational leadership to school leaders and staff members on strategic issues, student achievement, program improvement, fiscal review, curriculum and professional development. He has provided leadership in building positive relationships between and among school boards, administrators, staff, students, parents, and communities.

In 2002, Dr. Graham received a Congressional Citation for Excellence in Educational Reform and Leadership. In 2003, he received the first Bergen County Leadership Award from the Bergen County Association of School Administrators. In 2005, the New Jersey Congress of Parents and Teachers awarded Dr. Graham lifetime membership, and in 2006, he received a 50th Anniversary Honoree Award from Bergen Catholic High School. Dr. Graham serves on the National Faculty of the National Principals Leadership Institute and served as the President of New Jersey Council of Education from 2008 to 2009.

Madam Speaker, I know that my colleagues will join with me in honoring Dr. Aaron Graham for his fourteen years of service to Bergen County, New Jersey and on his retirement as one of America's finest educators.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize October 10, 2010 as the 99th National Day of the Republic of China. Taiwan's National Day, also known as Double Ten Day, celebrates the October 10, 1911 Wuchang Uprising. This uprising in the city of Wuchang was the beginning of the Xinhai Revolution, which led to the collapse of the imperial Qing Dynasty and the subsequent establishment of the Republic of China.

Double Ten Day is commemorated annually in Taiwan and across the globe, beginning with the raising of the flag of the Republic of China and followed by parades, festivals, and other celebrations. In my own state of New Jersey, the Double Tenth will be celebrated at a special event held on October 3, 2010 in Edison Township. I am proud to recognize this important holiday and express my continued support for a strong Taiwanese democracy.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to congratulate the Republic of China on its 99th National Day and offer my best wishes to Taiwan as it looks toward its centennial year!

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Garfield Deputy Mayor Stanley J. Moskal for his selection as grand marshal of the 2010 Pulaski Day Parade. The parade, which will be held on October 3, 2010, in New York City, is the 73rd annual celebration of Polish heritage and General Casimir Pulaski's heroic military contributions during the American Revolutionary War.

A lifelong resident of Garfield, New Jersey, located within my Congressional District, the Honorable Stanley Moskal was elected to the Garfield Council in 2004. In 2008, he was re-elected to the council as Deputy Mayor. Mr. Moskal is an active community leader in the City of Garfield, serving on the Board of Directors of both the Garfield YMCA and the Garfield Vistula Soccer Club. He is Vice President of the Pulaski Parade Association of Garfield and has served as a commissioner to Garfield's Joint Insurance Fund. Mr. Moskal is a member of Garfield's Community Response Team, having been one of the first councilmen in New Jersey to complete this program.

Deputy Mayor Moskal is an active parishioner of Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Roman Catholic Church, where he has served as an usher for their Sunday Mass since the age of 15. In 2004, he was selected to be Marshal of the Garfield Contingent in the Pulaski Day Parade, making him the youngest ever individual

to lead Garfield in this annual celebration. Mr. Moskal's election as 2010 Grand Marshal brings him the additional distinction of being the first-ever Garfield resident to serve as Grand Marshal and one of the youngest Grand Marshals in the history of the Pulaski Day Parade.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to congratulate Deputy Mayor Moskal on this exciting honor and thank him for his extraordinary contributions to the City of Garfield. I am proud to have such a dedicated and enthusiastic leader as part of my constituency.

Madam Speaker, just say no? That's not a solution. The Democrats in the House of Representatives want to find solutions and pay for them, and that's what we are doing.

Earlier this year, 42 governors wrote to us and said they needed help paying for health care for the poorest people in their States and 42 governors were out of money. So the Democrats came up with a solution to provide money to these States so that they could provide health care to their poorest people, and we found a way to pay for every penny of it and not add a penny to the deficit and this way help those poor people who needed it, help the governors, and reduce the burden of taxes on local and State taxpayers. We did it by cutting loopholes for corporations who were getting a tax break for taking their companies overseas.

See who votes which way. The Democrats came up with the solution. We paid for every penny of it. We are helping the States, the taxpayers, and those in need. We are moving the country forward.

We will not allow this country to go back to the policies that brought us to the brink of disaster.

Mr. Speaker, I will be attending my daughter Karen's high school graduation today, and thus will be missing the votes on H.R. 2194, the Conference Report on Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act; H. Res. 1359, the resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit; and H.R. 5175, the DISCLOSE Act. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes'' on these measures.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Nancy Maria Grassano Pirone, an extraordinary resident of New Jersey's Ninth District, in celebration of her 90th birthday on June 21, 2010. Born in Matera, Italy, Mrs. Pirone immigrated to New York City with her family when she was only 11 months old. In 1941, she married her husband, Carmine, and 3 years later, their daughter Esther was born. In 1953, they moved to Leonia, NJ, where Mrs. Pirone has lived ever since.

From the beginning of their time in Leonia, Mrs. Pirone and her husband established themselves as active and devoted members of the community, becoming involved with the St. John's Altar Society, the Women's Club of Leonia, the American Legion, Leonia's annual Memorial Day Parade, and many other groups and events. Because Esther had Down syndrome, the Pirones were active volunteers with The Arc of Bergen and Passaic Counties. They helped organize The Arc's ``Camp Rainbow,'' a special needs summer camp that was constructed at a time when only minimal services were provided for children like Esther.

Mrs. Pirone is also widely known in Leonia for her 28 years as a crossing guard, having served longer than any other crossing guard in the borough. She retired 2 years before her 30th anniversary to care for Carmine during his battle with cancer. Mrs. Pirone has lived through the passing of both her husband and her daughter, Esther, a mere 3 years apart, yet she still remains a warm and positive influence on everyone she meets.

I am proud to have such a kind-hearted and generous individual as Nancy Maria Grassano Pirone as part of my constituency and I am grateful for her many years of service to the Borough of Leonia, New Jersey.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to wish Mrs. Nancy Pirone a happy 90th birthday and continued good health and happiness!

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlelady from California for your leadership on this matter and for the very kind words you said about these two heroes, and I'd like to associate myself with your words, as well as the gentleman from Ohio's words which were equally eloquent and true. These were great American heroes who lost their lives defending our country and our country's interests in Iraq.

I wanted to take a few moments, Madam Speaker, to share with you a bit of the pain that the people of Carlstadt still feel in their hearts when they think about the loss of these two citizens. This matter was brought to my attention by a friend, indicating to me that the families would be sympathetic and would be honored if this post office was renamed in honor of Frank T. Carvill and Lance Corporal Michael A. Schwarz. When I called the mayor of the town and I said, Is this true, I don't want to intrude on anyone's privacy, and he assured me that this was, in fact, the case.

As was said before, the town of Carlstadt, New Jersey, is only a few miles from what were the twin towers, and my district in northeastern New Jersey suffered a number of lost lives on that terrible day on 9/ 11, and then, again, we suffered the loss of these two individuals.

Memorial Day just passed, and I remember saying to all of our veterans and all of our young people gathered at these ceremonies, why is Memorial Day important, and in a sense, why would it be important to rename this local post office after these two individuals. It is not just so that we have a daily reminder in Carlstadt, New Jersey, of the heroism and sacrifice of these two brave individuals--and certainly, we hope and expect that the renaming of this post office will have that effect--but also, Madam Speaker, it will be to remind everyone, whether they knew these two fine heroes or not, of the price of liberty for all of us here in America, paid not only by these two outstanding men but by every man and woman who has paid the ultimate price to defend our country.

So I am indeed honored and proud to have the opportunity to express the sentiment of the people of Carlstadt, New Jersey, who want the families to know, who want their fellow Americans to know, and who want the world to know how proud they are of these two men and that we still live in a country with brave men and women like Army Staff Sergeant Frank T. Carvill and Marine Lance Corporal Michael A. Schwarz, people willing to defend our Nation and protect the greatest Nation on the face of the earth.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Staten Island, Congressman Nye, and Congressman Poe for your work on this important issue.

Madam Speaker, why is it important for the United States to defend the national security of the State of Israel? Well, it is important because the national security of the State of Israel is critically important to the national security of the United States of America.

How is that so? Well, we know first of all that the United States has been working with Israel and her technicians on improved missile defense technology. The Arrow missile system is a joint U.S.-Israel technological wonder that protects the United States and its forces around the world from incoming missilery from within zero to 600 miles. We know that the U.S. is working on a project with Israel called David's Sling, again a defensive system to protect U.S. forces and Israeli forces and people from rockets and mortars fired between 43 and 150 miles.

We are also working with the State of Israel, the United States is, on a very sophisticated anti-missile system called Arrow 3, which would allow us to defend against ICBMs fired as far as 1,200 miles away and get those missiles 1,200 miles away before they were over American soil or over our troops in the region or over our ally, the State of Israel.

So the money that we invest in missile defense with the State of Israel and having our scientists working jointly together is in the vital national security interest of the United States and in the vital national security interest of the State of Israel which provides Americans so many benefits, not just the benefits of supporting a fellow democracy and a nation who our Founders referred to as people deserving of the right to return to their natural homeland.

Israel has a strategic importance to the United States as well. It is located on the Mediterranean. It is located near the Red Sea. It is a bad neighborhood. A lot of the actors who would want to hurt Americans around the world and on U.S. soil are inspired, if not financed, from that region.

Israel has one of the world's greatest intelligence services. We Americans get day-to-day updates from that intelligence service which benefit us in our fight against terrorists who are trying to kill Americans around the world and on American soil.

And of course the money that we give Israel for its military acquisitions, 70 percent of the money is required to buy American-made munitions; American made.

Those are just some of the reasons. U.S. generals want Israel to have a missile defense system that will be able to be used to protect U.S. troops in the region as well as our ally, the State of Israel.

Also, as one of my colleagues mentioned earlier, we increase the chance for peace if potential adversaries know not only that we have a strong offensive power, but that we have a strong defense. So if they know that whatever they shoot at us won't land, won't blow up on us, and that we will then respond with overwhelming power and they haven't laid a glove on us, so to speak, then they will be deterred. They will say, gee, if I throw everything at them and it won't work because they are protected by this anti-missile system, and they will respond overwhelmingly, why the heck should we fire at them in the first place.

That is why a missile defense system for the United States has been so important. That's why a missile defense system for our number one strategic military ally in the region, the Jewish State of Israel, is so important for the United States. It will help protect Israel. It will help protect American troops in the region, and it will help reduce the chances of war if those who want to destroy Israel know Israel can survive an attack and then be ready with its own offensive response.

I thank the gentleman for offering this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it as well.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the New Jersey Legislature's declaration of April 28th as Denim Day and to thank advocates across the state for their tireless efforts to promote sexual assault awareness and provide assistance to victims of sexual assault. Recently, New Jersey became the newest state to adopt Denim Day as an annual event to raise awareness for acts of sexual assault. The establishment of Denim Day across the state of New Jersey is an important call to action reminding us that we must do everything possible as a community and as a nation of laws to stop rape and sexual assault and help survivors.

Denim Day originated in 1998, when a decision to overturn a case of sexual assault by the Italian Supreme Court caused outrage among Italian legislators and the public. A statement released by the Head Judge of the Court stated, ``Because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them . . . and by removing the jeans . . . it was no longer assault but consensual sex.'' The women in the Italian Parliament protested by wearing jeans on the steps of the Parliament building and the protests that followed eventually spread to the United States.

The movement that originated in Italy reached New Jersey in 2008 and 2009 when several county-based Sexual Violence Programs in New Jersey launched Denim Day. I am proud to say that the YWCA of Bergen County Rape Crisis Center, located in my district, has been a champion of this cause. Today, they will be hosting the third annual ``Denim Day in NJ'' in Bergen County. This is also the first year that Denim Day will be observed officially throughout the state of New Jersey thanks to a New Jersey State Legislature resolution designating April 28 of each year as Denim Day to promote rape awareness throughout the state.

I commend the ongoing efforts of the YWCA of Bergen County Rape Crisis Center to provide free and confidential assistance, counseling, and medical and legal services to survivors of sexual assault. I stand united with the YWCA, survivors of sexual assault, and their loved ones in observing this important day.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 80th birthday of George Gallup, Jr., the accomplished son of Dr. George Gallup, Sr., the founder of the renowned Gallup Poll.

George Jr. has followed in his father's footsteps; a close friend described George as a ``political junkie,'' a characteristic that clearly runs in the family. It comes as no surprise that George has become so involved and intrigued by the political process, since he has either observed or participated in polling for his entire life. His father pioneered the random sampling technique, which has been used for decades to gauge public opinion on everything from presidential approval to the economy. He also founded the George H. Gallup International Institute, of which George Jr. is the current Chairman. In this role, George Jr. oversees preeminent economists, psychologists, and sociologists all over the world in their efforts to investigate what people think about the most pressing issues of the day.

George is from Princeton, New Jersey and has been a lifelong advocate for children's rights locally and nationally. He has made the world a safer place for kids through working closely with Child Lures Prevention, an organization which helps protect children from violence, drugs, and sexual abuse. He also wrote a passionate letter to President Obama in support of the organization and the admirable cause for which it fights.

George would agree that the influence of the Gallup Poll over the past 75 years has been much more than symbolic--the organization has provided our political leaders and lawmakers with objective, unbiased information about the ever-shifting values and expectations of the American people. In short, polling makes the government more responsive and accountable to the electorate.

Madam Speaker, I know that my colleagues will join me in honoring a man who has been instrumental in keeping our leaders honest and the American public informed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 62nd Anniversary of the Jewish State of Israel. On April 19, 2010, Israel celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut, the national Independence Day of Israel, which commemorates its founding in 1948. In that spirit, the following is an op-ed I wrote regarding the benefits of U.S. aid to Israel.

Rothman: The Dividends of U.S. Support For Israel--April 13, 2010--The

Record.

The argument that American military aid to Israel is

damaging to the United States is not only erroneous, it hurts

the national security interests of this country and threatens

the survival of Israel.

U.S. support for Israel is essential, not only for Israel's

national security, but for America's. Every bit of that

support--and more--withstands all reasonable scrutiny.

Under the 2010 U.S. budget, about $75 billion, $65 billion

and $3.25 billion will be spent on military operations and

aid in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan during this fiscal

year, respectively. Israel will receive $3 billion, in

military aid only. There is no economic aid to Israel, other

than loan guarantees that continue to be repaid in full and

on time.

There isn't enough space here to discuss the relative

merits of the expenditures in these other countries, but we

already know the critically important return we get for

helping our oldest, most trusted ally in the strategically

important Middle East--the most powerful military force in

that region, the pro-United States, pro-West and democratic

Jewish state of Israel.

Here's how:

First, it's important to remember that about 70 percent of

the $3 billion aid must be used by Israel to purchase

American military equipment. This provides real support for

U.S. high-tech defense jobs and contributes to maintaining

our industrial base. This helps the United States stay at the

very top in the manufacturing of our own cutting-edge

military munitions, aircraft, vehicles, missiles and

virtually every defensive and offensive weapon in the U.S.

arsenal--with the added contribution of Israel's renowned

technical know-how.

Second, the United States and Israel are jointly developing

state-of-the-art missile defense capabilities in the David's

Sling and Arrow 3 systems. These two technologies build on

the already successful Arrow 2, jointly developed by our two

countries, which is already providing missile defense

security to Israel and U.S. civilians and ground troops

throughout the region.

A multiplier effect

The knowledge we gain from these efforts also has a

positive multiplier effect on applications to other US.

military and non-military uses and jobs here.

Third, given Israel's strategic location on the

Mediterranean, with access to the Red Sea and other vital

international shipping and military lanes of commerce and

traffic, it is critically important to the United States that

Israel continue to serve as a port of call for our troops,

ships, aircraft and intelligence operations.

Israel also has permitted the United States to stockpile

arms, fuel, munitions and other supplies on its soil to be

accessed whenever America needs them in the region.

Fourth, America's special relationship with Israel provides

us with real-time, minute-to-minute access to one of the

best, intelligence services in the world: Israel's. With

Israeli agents gathering intelligence and taking action

throughout the Middle East and, literally, around the world,

regarding al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Iran and Hamas, the US.

receives invaluable information about anti-U.S. and terrorist

organizations and regimes.

Fifth, imagine the additional terrible cost in U.S. blood,

and the hundreds of billions more of American taxpayer

dollars, if Saddam Hussein had developed nuclear weapons, or

if Syria possessed them.

Then remember that it was Israel that destroyed the almost-

completed nuclear reactor at Osirak, Iraq, in 1981 and

Syria's nuclear facility under construction at Deir-ez-Zor in

2007.

And think about the many operations that Israel's Defense

Forces and intelligence agents have undertaken to foil, slow

and disrupt Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapons

capability. A nuclear-armed Iran would threaten the lives of

hundreds of thousands of Americans in the region, all of

Iran's Arab neighbors, the world's largest oil supplies and

those who rely on that oil.

Access to lethal Iranian technology

It also would provide anti-U.S. terrorists with access to

the most lethal Iranian technology and probably set off a

nuclear arms race in the region.

For about 2 percent of what the United States spends in

Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan this year, Americans can take

pride in the return on our investment in aid to Israel.

And with Israel's truly invaluable assistance to America's

vital national security, we can take comfort that--in actions

seen in Tehran and Damascus and noticed by al-Qaida and other

anti-U.S. terrorists everywhere--the United States is safer

and made more secure because of the mutually dependent and

beneficial relationship between us and Israel.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth and celebrate with them on their 150th Anniversary of service and dedication to serving their Church and community.

The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth come from a long legacy of public service that stretches back to the 19th century. This legacy is interwoven with the founding and development of the Catholic Church in New Jersey. Under the authority of the first American bishop, Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore, Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton founded the American Sisters of Charity in 1809 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Fifty years later, Sister Mary Xavier Mehegan was assigned by the New York Sisters of Charity to take charge of the new community that the first Bishop of Newark, James Roosevelt Bayley, nephew of Mother Seton, wished to establish.

Following the example of Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, the new community was formally ordered and established in Newark, New Jersey on September 29, 1859. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth founded the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, the first secondary school for young women in the state, near Morristown in 1860. In 1899, at a time when New Jersey had no baccalaureate-degree-granting college for women, Sister Mary Xavier Mehegan founded the College of Saint Elizabeth, New Jersey's oldest four-year college for women and one of the first colleges for women in the United States.

Under Sister Mehegan's leadership, the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth moved their ministries beyond New Jersey to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Following her passing, they further expanded their work into China, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. While their endeavors continued to grow and expand abroad, they did not hesitate to toil restlessly for those who were disadvantaged and discriminated against at home. During the period of segregation, the Sisters of Charity opened a school for black children in Pensacola, Florida. The Sisters truly believe it to be self evident that all men, women and children are created equal.

From this rich history, the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth have become a beacon of hope throughout the community. Their mission is to work with and for the poor, to alleviate suffering, to dispel ignorance, and to promote justice. They participate in the mission of the Catholic Church through ministry supported and nourished by prayer and a vowed life of service to the community. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth serve as a true example of selflessness and service. They continue to embody President John F. Kennedy's grand instruction: ``Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.''

Madam Speaker, I know that my colleagues will join with me in honoring the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth for their 150 years of faithful service to New Jersey.