Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I am both honored and privileged to congratulate Frank Pumilia on his installation to another term as President of the Margate Association of Condominiums.

As a young boy growing up in Brooklyn, Frank attended local political events with his father and it was these early memories that inspired Frank to become an active member of numerous community organizations. A retired pretrial negotiator, investigator and paralegal expert, Frank served as Chairman and Chief Examiner of the Margate Civil Service Board from 1994 to 2002, and was a member of the Senior's Foundation of Broward and the Florida Business and Professional Board.

Frank currently serves as the President of the Margate Democratic Club and as a board member of the Broward County Democratic Executive Committee. In addition to his current political involvement, Frank has long dedicated his time to the Margate condominium community. As the current President of the Margate Association of Condominiums, Frank has been tirelessly working to bring relief to the many condominium owners who are facing the threat of foreclosure. Most recently, Frank's community activism was recognized by his induction into Senior Hall of Fame by the Aging and Disability Resource Center.

I am honored to have Frank's many years of friendship, and I wish him congratulations and continued success as he embarks on another term as President of the Margate Association of Condominiums. Frank's dedication to the Margate community has truly earned him the title, ``Mr. Margate.''

Madam Speaker, I am both honored and privileged to congratulate the over five hundred Enterprise Association of Steamfitters, United Association Local Union 638 retirees and their families who live in the state of Florida as they celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of their great union.

Steamfitters Local 638 was chartered in 1884 as Local Assembly 3189 under the Knights of Labor. In 1914 the Local Assembly became one of the first Enterprise Association of Steamfitters locals to join the United Association, eventually being incorporated as United Association Local 638 in August of 1947. Since their incorporation, the Enterprise Association has trained close to 3,000 apprentices, ensuring a dignified wage, benefits, and a skilled trade to all who have passed through the program.

Although many things have changed throughout its distinguished history, the Enterprise Association has preserved its reputation as an organization of highly skilled craftsmen dedicated to the preservation and protection of its members and their trade. The presence of so many Local 638 members in our community has helped Florida's working families overcome many barriers in their daily struggle to earn a living wage. South Florida is truly a better place because of their active engagement in the betterment of our community.

I salute the Enterprise Association for 125 years of service to the trade union movement and for facilitating a dignified living wage. I wish the members and retirees of United Association Local 638 congratulations during this momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, as the newest Member of Congress, I just spent 6 months talking to voters every day, and I can say with confidence that there are a lot of partisan issues out there. However, there was one issue that united people of all political persuasions. That was our urgent need to

prevent an economic meltdown from happening again.

I have only been in Congress for a week, but I can say that the actions of those turning Wall Street reform into a political issue are no less appalling in person than they are on TV. For the millions of seniors who lost so much of their life savings, Wall Street reform is not a political issue. For the 8 million workers who lost their jobs, Wall Street reform is not a political issue. And for the 2.2 million families who lost their homes, Wall Street reform is not a political issue. For them Wall Street reform is about financial security. It is about oversight and honesty. And, most importantly, it is about accountability.

Let's put politics aside and do the job that the American people sent us here to do by passing Wall Street reform and sending a tough bill to the President's desk.

Madame Speaker, I am both honored and privileged to congratulate Commissioner Roy Gold as he begins his tenure as the 53rd President of the Broward League of Cities.

This most recent achievement is one of many honors during Commissioner Gold's distinguished career in public service. The Commissioner has long been a leader in the Broward community, serving as a member of the Coral Springs City Commission since 2004, and Vice Mayor from March 2006 through November 2007. Commissioner Gold also serves as the Chair of the Florida Intergovernmental Financial Commission and as a member of both the Broward County Resource Recovery Board and the Broward County Oversight Committee.

Beyond the City Commission, Commissioner Gold has dedicated his life to his family, a successful business career, and community and environmental activism. While serving as co-president and CEO of Cambridge Diagnostic Products, Inc., the commissioner has tirelessly worked to improve the community of Coral Springs. He is a founding member of the Coral Springs Neighborhood and Environmental Committee, a founding site leader for the Broward Waterway Cleanup, a founder of the Broward Adopt-a-Mile program, and a site leader for Broward County Adopt-a-Street. In addition to Commissioner Gold's environmental activism, he is currently a board member of the Coral Springs Charter School and the Coral Springs Museum of Art.

Commissioner Gold's dedication to community activism in Coral Springs is a testament to his dedication to greater Broward County, and the Broward League of Cities will be well served to have him as their new President.

I wish Commissioner Gold, his wife Janet, and his children Michael and Lauren congratulations and continued success.

Mr. Speaker, the motion before us today is based on the simple fact that a nuclear-armed Iran is an unacceptable threat to our national security, poses an existential threat to our vital ally, Israel, and will ignite a destabilizing arms race throughout the Middle East.

We must take whatever action is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terror; its President denies the Holocaust, and he has openly declared his intention to wipe Israel off the map.

To be included among the powerful sanctions in this legislation is the removal of barriers that State pension boards raise which prevent the divestment of holdings in companies that help to fund Iran's nuclear weapons program.

In 2007, the Florida legislature passed critical legislation that mandated that workers' pension funds could not be used to support Iranian nuclear weapons. In Florida alone, we removed more than $1 billion from companies that put their profits ahead of this Nation's national security. That is one State. This legislation will permit every State to divest from Iran just as Florida and 20 other States have already done. The divestment effort will become a full-fledged movement.

The threat from Iran is real. This threat is unacceptable, and it demands this aggressive effort on the part of the United States and our allies.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, as the Nation's newest Member of Congress, it is truly an honor to have my first remarks on the floor be in commemoration of Israel's 62nd anniversary.

Today I proudly rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 260, which recognizes the independence of the Jewish state of Israel and reaffirms the unyielding friendship and unshakable alliance between our two great nations.

As Israelis and Jewish communities throughout the world celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut, this resolution holds a special significance for me and my constituents in Florida's 19th District. I proudly represent a district with one of the Nation's largest number of Jewish

Americans, as well as Holocaust survivors.

So many of my constituents remember when the promise of Israel was only an unlikely possibility, and over the years they watched the amazing realization of this dream and the establishment of this great nation.

For so many of my constituents and to so many Americans, that day in 1948 when Israel declared its independence was the day that a promise was fulfilled to the Jewish people who for so long struggled to find a place they could call home. Sixty-two years later, Israel has grown into a thriving democratic state with a technologically advanced economy and a rich, democratic culture.

The people of Israel embrace freedom, and through art and literature, music and business, the entire globe has benefited from Israel's existence and success. Throughout these 62 years, the people of Israel have shown an open-hearted desire to live in peace and a fierce resolve to protect the security of their citizens no matter what the cost. This nation and these citizens have shown incredible determination and fortitude in the face of terrorism and threats from those who deny and threaten Israel's very existence. Whether they be attacks from terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah or the continued financial sponsorship of terrorism by Syria and Iran, the people of Israel should know that the United States will always, unequivocally stand in support of Israel's right to self-defense.

The relationship between the United States and Israel is unbreakable. The relationship is one between two peoples, our common values, the history we share, our commitment to freedom, and our joint vision of a secure and peaceful Middle East.

From the recognition of the new state of Israel by President Harry Truman in 1948 through today, let me make this clear: The United States stands with Israel and the United States will always stand with Israel. The relationship is secure and the relationship is strong.

This resolution not only reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense but recognizes that the single most serious threat facing Israel's security is that of a nuclear-armed Iran. Iran's illicit quest for nuclear weapons poses an existential threat to the state of Israel and an unacceptable threat towards the United States. The importance of this issue cannot be understated.

Just this week, the very week we celebrate Israel's independence, news organizations have reported that President Ahmadinejad has approved new uranium enrichment plans in Iran. This threat is real and it is unacceptable. Congress and the administration must work together and use every tool at our disposal to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The United States must take immediate aggressive action to ratchet up economic pressure on Iran, which I am hopeful the House will continue to work on tomorrow, and we must continue to demand that the international community join with us in this critical effort.

As a new Member of Congress, I look forward to working with my new colleagues from both sides of the aisle on initiatives that will strengthen our bond with Israel, enhance Israel's defense capabilities, and thwart Iran's nuclear weapons program.

America and Israel share a commitment not just to confronting terrorism and extremism but to bolstering freedom, human rights, and democracy across the globe.

The generosity and kindness of the Israeli people could not have been more evident than the days following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. It was Israel that arrived on the scene first and began rescuing men, women, and children trapped in the rubble. It was Israel that built the first field hospital in Haiti and began offering immediate medical care to the injured. And it was Israel that stood with those most in need because of a simple belief in universal human dignity.

Let us stand with Israel today by passing House Concurrent Resolution 260 and by expressing our most sincere hope that our dear ally Israel achieves the lasting peace it has long deserved.

Thank you, Speaker Pelosi.

This is a truly humbling day, and the honor of a lifetime. My constituents are an extraordinary collection of Americans, seniors who served our Nation valiantly in times of war and rebuilt this country after the Great Depression. They are hardworking families who strive to pass on a better world and greater opportunities to their children.

I want to thank Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer for their exceptional leadership. I am also grateful to my South Florida friends, Representatives Klein, Meek, and Wasserman Schultz, and especially our dean, Congressman Hastings. I want to thank Congressman Wexler for his service, as well as his support and friendship.

I will never forget my family, friends, volunteers, and most importantly voters, who helped send me here today. I want to profoundly thank my wife, Jill, and my three children, Gabrielle, Serena, and Cole, who are all here with us today. Their love and support means the world to me.

In all of her 86 years, my mother, Jean Deutch, never could have imagined hearing her name in this Chamber, and she is here with us today.

Mom, thank you for making me believe that I could be anything I wanted to be, because today I am a Member of the United States Congress.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.