Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark an important milestone in the civic life of Stony Brook, New York, a picturesque college town on the shores of Long Island Sound. In 1909, a small group of volunteers founded the Stony Brook Fire Department, beginning a tradition of service that has continued uninterrupted for 100 years.

The job of volunteer firefighting has changed significantly in the past century. Fire alarms in Stony Brook are no longer broadcast with church bells, and the Fire Department's original hand-drawn chemical firefighting apparatus has been replaced with state-of-the-art equipment.

However, Madam Speaker, the spirit of volunteer firefighters remains undiminished, and is as vital today as ever before. I join their neighbors in thanking the Stony Brook Fire Department for 100 years of protecting the community and wish them the best as they enter a second century of service.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution honoring the heroic actions of the pilot, crew, and rescuers of U.S. Airways Flight 1549.

What will be remembered in New York as the ``Miracle on the Hudson'' owes less to divine intervention than it does to the training, experience and quick thinking of Captain Sullenberger, his crew, and the first responders who bravely rescued every passenger aboard Flight 1549.

All too often we hear about delays, breakdowns, and disappointment in air travel. We frequently overlook how hours upon hours of flight training and simulation keep air crews sharp and prepared. And rarely do we stop and praise them for making the kind of good decisions every day that are surely responsible for saving lives and keeping us feeling confident when we fly, but that otherwise go unnoticed.

On behalf of the pilots, flight attendants and first responders I represent, I thank the gentleman from New York, Mr. Crowley, for offering this resolution to make sure we recognize those heroic acts on and above the Hudson. This measure, Madam Speaker, like the crew of Flight 1549 and the first responders who answered the call that day, goes a long way to preserve our faith and confidence in air travel.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the exceptional achievements of the Riverhead Blue Waves Football Team: 2008 Long Island Class II Champions and the first Long Island squad in history to compile a record of 12-0. The Blue Waves also earned the overall championship for Suffolk County and the Rutgers Award as the county's consensus best team.

As always, Riverhead's success was built on strong teamwork, solid coaching, and the contributions of talented individuals. Anchoring a potent offense that averaged 35 points per game, senior running back Miguel Maysonet was voted the top offensive player in Suffolk County by opposing coaches. The same group recognized one of their own, Riverhead Coach Leif Shay, as coach of the year.

Madam Speaker, the success of Riverhead's football team has brought great pride to their school and the community. I am pleased to join all residents of Riverhead in congratulating the Blue Waves on their accomplishments, and wish the departing seniors the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join the Port Jefferson Volunteer Ambulance Corps in celebrating 50 years of dedicated service to our community. An historical shipbuilding town renamed in honor of our third President, Port Jefferson is now a thriving village of nearly 8,000 residents, growing in the summer with the arrival of tourists from Connecticut on the Cross-Sound ferry.

In the fifty years of its existence, the Port Jefferson Volunteer Ambulance Corps has expanded to meet the growing needs of the wider community, including the villages of Belle Terre and Mt. Sinai. Starting with a single ambulance, the Corps now operates three ambulances and a first-responder car, with 120 volunteers ready to answer the call 24 hours a day.

Madam Speaker, ambulance volunteers embody the best aspects of the American spirit and play a vital role in keeping our communities safe and healthy. I am proud to represent the membership of the Port Jefferson Volunteer Ambulance Corps and to join them in marking fifty years of service to their neighbors. I wish them the best as they continue their important, frequently life-saving mission.

Madam Speaker, our brave men and women in uniform are all heroes. But the exceptional few who make the supreme sacrifice to protect the lives of their brothers-in-arms become more than heroes; they become legends. Today, I rise to honor U.S. Army Private First Class Garfield M. Langhorn, a resident of Riverhead in Eastern Long Island who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Pleiku Province, Vietnam, 40 years ago this month.

As they attempted to rescue the crew of a downed helicopter, PFC Langhorn's unit was trapped under intense enemy fire. As night fell and U.S. air support was called off, enemy fighters began to probe their perimeter. The citation for PFC Langhorn's Medal of Honor reads:

``An enemy hand grenade landed in front of PFC Langhorn and a few feet from personnel who had become casualties. Choosing to protect these wounded, he unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade, scooped it beneath his body and absorbed the blast. By sacrificing himself, he saved the lives of his comrades. PFC Langhorn's extraordinary heroism at the cost of his life was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.''

Madam Speaker, PFC Langhorn's sacrifice half a world away remains a credit to the Riverhead community, which is proud to celebrate his achievements on the 40th anniversary of his death. May his example continue to inspire all those who aspire to service ``beyond the call of duty.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of the late Senator Claiborne Pell, who passed away last week after an inspiring career as a Senator from Rhode Island and as a strong advocate for higher education. Most famously, Senator Pell authored legislation in 1972 that created the higher education grant program that bears his name and that has allowed millions of low- and middle-income students to attend college.

Senator Pell was known as a modest man, and he often shied away from the attention he received for creating the Pell Grant program, originally entitled the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, and that was modeled after the GI bill. Senator Pell believed that the fastest way for Americans to prosper was through education and that making education accessible was essential.

While grant awards under Senator Pell's program have risen since it was first enacted, they have not kept pace with the rising cost of attending college. Despite the efforts of the 110th Congress through the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to raise the Pell Grant maximum to $6,000 per year, many families are still burdened by the rising costs of higher education.

In the 111th Congress, I hope we continue Senator Pell's goal of educating our youth by working to ensure adequate funding for all forms of student financial aid such as the Perkins loan program and SEOG. Funding for these programs will help to ensure that higher education is affordable and accessible to all students regardless of one's income or background.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a public servant of rare devotion and accomplishment. My constituent, Patrick R. Vecchio is marking his 30 year anniversary as supervisor of the town of Smithtown, a historic community on the shores of Long Island Sound. His tenure as supervisor is the longest in New York State's 231-year history, and has few rivals anywhere in the Nation.

On October 23rd, I was proud to join the Smithtown Historical Society at its gala in St. James in the town of Smithtown, New York, at which it honored Supervisor Vecchio for his steadfast commitment and countless contributions to the people of Smithtown.

Mr. Speaker, Supervisor Vecchio is a lifelong public servant, U.S. Army veteran and retired NYPD detective sergeant. During his tenure as supervisor, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility and low taxes while protecting vital government services. His legacy is clear: Today, Smithtown is on solid financial footing and has the lowest debt level of the 10 towns in Suffolk County.

Pat Vecchio is more than an exemplary public servant, he is a friend and a role model. You can always trust that the words that come out of Supervisor Vecchio's mouth will be the truth, to the chagrin of some. As someone who was new to public service when I was elected to Congress in 2002, I learned a lot simply by watching and talking to Pat.

In 1655, an English settler, Richard Smith, struck a unique bargain with local Native Americans where he was entitled to settle all of the area he could ride around on his bull in a day's time. Smith's ride on his bull, Whisper, formed the boundaries of modern-day Smithtown. Richard Smith's ride is the stuff of legends.

I don't know if Pat Vecchio ever rode a bull. But I know he has gotten into a boxing ring with a champion fighter; I know he has guarded the President of the United States; I know he has taken on organized crime and I know he has done it all without a hint of ego. In short, Mr. Speaker, Pat Vecchio's life is the stuff of legends. I am honored and humbled to help honor his lifetime of service to the town of Smithtown and our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor one of Long Island's finest public servants, Frank C. Trotta, who recently left office after serving for a quarter century as mayor of the village of Bellport--a historic community, which, thanks in no small part to Mayor Trotta's leadership, has successfully preserved its character and identity.

On October 30, I was proud to join the Bellport Chamber of Commerce in honoring Mayor Trotta for his steadfast commitment and countless contributions to the people of Bellport. This tribute was celebrated at the Bellport Country Club, which could not have been a more appropriate location considering that it was losing $35,000 a year when Mayor Trotta entered office.

Today, the golf course generates more than $1 million a year in revenue for Long Island's economy which is one of the main reasons that village taxes are among the lowest on Long Island.

During his tenure, Mayor Trotta demonstrated a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility and low taxes while protecting vital government services. His legacy is clear: Today, Bellport is on solid financial footing and has been recognized by CNN and Money Magazine as one of the best places to live on the east coast and is 1 of the 10 ``hottest'' Zip Codes in New York State.

I have been privileged to know Frank Trotta for nearly 35 years, long before either of us entered public service. We attended graduate classes together in the summer of 1974 at Southampton College and I am proud to say that we have been friends ever since. I watched with great pride as Frank's career blossomed. As someone who was new to public service when I was elected to Congress in 2002, I learned a lot simply by watching and talking to Frank.

Although Frank and I do not belong to the same political party, we share a common philosophy, which is that you always put the needs of the community first. There must always be a place in public service for a man like Frank Trotta who understands that political partisanship has no place in village government and we should all treat one another with courtesy and civility.

For anyone who has ever walked with Frank during Bellport's Fourth of July parade, it is plain to see how much he loves his community and how much that community loves him. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to help honor my friend, Frank Trotta, for his years of service to the village of Bellport and our Nation. On behalf of New York's First Congressional District, I wish him continued success, happiness and good health in his future endeavors as a private citizen and one of Long Island's favorite sons.

Madam Speaker, earlier today I was detained by a previously

scheduled commitment in my district. Due to my absence, I request unanimous consent for the record to reflect that had I been here, I would have voted in the following manner:

Rollcall vote No. 600, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 601, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Harry A. Marmion who recently passed away after a long and distinguished career in which he served of president of two colleges and as president of the United States Tennis Association during the time when the Arthur Ashe Stadium what constructed and opened.

He was an outstanding leader in all of these roles, but more than that, he was an outstanding person. He remained active and involved in life until the day he died. And I am proud to have called him my mentor and my friend.

Harry Marmion loved people, and they loved him. His quick wit and engaging personality enabled him to rally people to get the job done, whether it was establishing the John Steinbeck Room in the Southampton College Library or overseeing the naming of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Following his graduation from Fairfield University, Harry served for 2 years in the United States Marine Corps as an infantry officer. He then served in the Marine Corps Reserve for 26 years, retiring as a colonel. Dr. Marmion held a law degree from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut.

At the age of 37, he was appointed president of St. Xavier College in Chicago, a position he held from 1969 to 1972. In 1972, he was appointed president of Southampton College of Long Island University. During his presidency, I was an administrator at the college and thus I had the opportunity to see firsthand his leadership style and his ability.

He was always accessible and able to talk to people from all walks of life. He helped position Southampton College as a liberal arts institution with specialties in marine science and the fine arts, and it was during his tenure that Southampton students won the college's first three Fulbright Scholarships.

Harry was always available for advice and good counsel. I often relied on his judgment and advice after I was appointed provost of Southampton College and later when I was elected to Congress.

In 1980, he was appointed vice president for academic affairs and professor of law and management at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

He retired after 10 years, only to embark on a second career with the United States Tennis Association.

His love of tennis began in the 1980s when he was ranked a senior player in the East, despite the fact that he had never played tennis until he was in his 30s. After serving as the president of the Eastern Tennis Association and on the USTA's board of directors, Harry became its 43rd chairman and president of the USTA's board in 1997. During his tenure, he oversaw the renovation of the USTA's facility in Flushing Meadows. He was instrumental in ensuring that the stadium be named in honor of Arthur Ashe, the great African American athlete, rather than for a corporate sponsor.

Harry loved a good joke as much as anyone I know, but he also loved a good cause and was never afraid to do the right thing. He played a key role in the election of Judy Levering as his successor at the USTA, the first female to hold that position. And when Southampton College was facing closure in 2005, he helped form the ``Save the College'' group and served as one of its most influential members, proudly participating in the ultimately Stony Brook/Southampton campus.

Always active in the community, Harry served as Southampton Democratic Town Chairman and as a member of the board of trustees of Southampton Hospital. He also wrote two books: ``The Case Against the Volunteer Army,'' and ``Selective Service: Conflict and Compromise.''

Harry was also a devoted family man. He and his wife, Pat, were married for 54 years. They have three daughters, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Sheila, and nine grandchildren.

At a February 1997 press conference when the USTA announced the naming of the new stadium, Harry said, ``Arthur Ashe was an outstanding tennis player, but we naming our new stadium in his honor because Arthur Ashe was the finest human being the sport of tennis has ever known.''

Mr. Speaker, the same could be said of Harry Marmion: he excelled at his career and as a human being. I, along with hundreds of others he touched over the course of his life, loved Harry Marmion. I will miss him greatly.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

I rise in strong support of the rule and the underlying conference report, and I urge my colleagues to vote both for the rule and for H.R. 4137.

Let me commend Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon and Subcommittee Chair Hinojosa and Ranking Member Keller for presiding over such a collegial and bipartisan process. We entered into this process with the goal of enhancing access and affordability, and I truly believe that H.R. 4137 makes significant progress on achieving both of those very important goals.

Let me talk about some specific elements of the bill that I think are worthy of mention.

First, the bill very much strengthens the Perkins Loan program, the loan program that this administration has seemed determined to kill but has strong bipartisan support here in the Congress. The conference report increases the maximum awards that students may receive in any one year, it also increases the aggregate awards, and it also strengthens the revolving loan fund by ensuring that funds collected be returned to the revolving loan fund so that they may be reloaned to future needy students. And all of this helps to reduce the dependence on private loans for needy students, and that was one of our goals as well.

The conference report simplifies the financial aid delivery process by simplifying the completion of the so-called FAFSA form which is a very daunting form for many families, yet it is the gatekeeper to eligibility for all students' financial aid. It includes the provisions of the Student Loan Sunshine Act. This results from investigations conducted by the attorney general of my home State that revealed several abuses in the student loan program, and this legislation restores confidence and trust to the financial aid delivery system.

It also reestablishes a Federal role for supporting cooperative education which helps students gain valuable career information and also finance their education. It has many very valuable features in this bill.

I urge my colleagues to support it, and I thank my colleagues for working so hard on it.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3352) to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on S. 3352 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3352, a bill to temporarily extend programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

We are at the final stages of completing the Higher Education Act, which we anticipate bringing to the floor for consideration of the conference report this week.

The bill under consideration today, S. 3352, will extend the programs under the Higher Education Act until August 15, 2008 to allow sufficient time for the Clerk to enroll the bill and send it to the President for his signature.

It has been nearly 10 years since the Higher Education Act was last authorized. I look forward to joining my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both Chambers in completing the work on the HEA on behalf of our Nation's hardworking families and students.

Let me take a moment to commend the leadership of the Education Committee on both sides of the Capitol and on both sides of the aisle and their staffs for working so hard and so diligently to bring this very important piece of legislation to the floor in a bipartisan fashion.

The conference report has virtually unanimous agreement, and it includes in it several very important areas that will move us forward on issues of access and affordability on behalf of our students. It simplifies the student financial aid application process. It strengthens the campus-based financial aid programs principally through strengthening the Perkins loan program. It improves access to higher education for veterans. It deals with the abuses that we all now know so much about in the student loan program by incorporating the provisions of the Student Loan Sunshine Act. It strengthens the role of creditors, cracks down on diploma mills, and it strengthens college prep programs such as the TRIO programs.

These are just some of the important and beneficial features of the Higher Education Act that are now working their way through the conference process. Once it reaches the floor, I urge my colleagues to support it and to participate in the speedy passage of this important legislation.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, today is the 12th anniversary of the TWA Flight 800 tragedy, which took the lives of 230 men, women and children off the south shore of my district on Long Island.

We must keep alive the memory of those who perished over the Atlantic on July 17, 1996--just 12 minutes after departing for home, school trips, and to visit loved ones.

Just as important, the anguished families of the Flight 800 victims deserve our recognition. As do the emergency personnel, volunteers and other Long Islanders who selflessly worked for days on end in the recovery efforts.

As we recall that fateful day, we must also examine what steps the FAA has taken to safeguard the flying public and prevent a similar catastrophe from occurring as a result of defective fuel tanks.

After 12 years, the FAA finally issued a rule today requiring flammability reduction in new and existing fuel tanks, as well as new design standards and operating rules for retrofitting existing planes.

Madam Speaker, again, my deepest condolences go to the surviving families and friends of the Flight 800 crash victims. And my thanks to everyone who helped memorialize those who died 12 years ago today and who have worked toward making sure the flying public is safer today.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1323) commending the Arizona State University softball team for their victory in the 2008 Women's College World Series.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1323 into the Record.

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

I rise today to congratulate the Arizona State University softball team for their victory in the 2008 NCAA Division I tournament.

On June 3, softball fans were treated to an exceptional game as the Arizona State Sun Devils defeated the Texas A&M Aggies and clinched their first national title.

The resounding 11-0 defeat is the largest margin of victory for a championship game in Women's College World Series history.

I want to extend my congratulations to Head Coach Clint Meyers and Assistant Coaches Kirsten Voak and Robert Wagner. This talented coaching staff was named the NFCA's NCAA Division I Coaching Staff of the Year for their outstanding leadership during the 2008 season. Coach Meyers returned to his alma mater 3 years ago and picked up his first Pacific-10 Coach of the Year honor this season. He has now led the school to its first conference championship and national title in softball.

Congratulations are also in order for pitcher Katie Burkhart who was named the Most Valuable Player in the Women's College World Series. Burkhart, a senior from San Luis Obispo, California, also struck out an impressive 53 batters during the World Series and posted a perfect record of 5-0. In her tenure at Arizona State, Burkhart has amassed 15 shutouts and 3 saves in her 32 career starts.

And for Kaitlin Cochran, a junior from Yorba Linda, California, who hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning of the final game to give the Sun Devils a 4-0 lead. In fact, Cochran was such a big offensive force this season that she was intentionally walked a record 29 times. Cochran was also named the Pac-10 conference Softball Player of the Year and earned the Conference's batting title for the third year in a row.

The extraordinary achievements of this year is a tribute to the skill and dedication of the many players, coaches, students, alumni, families and the fans that have helped to make Arizona State University a premiere softball program. Winning the National Championship, finishing the season with a 66-5 overall record, and winning the Pac-10 Conference championship has brought national acclaim to Arizona State University. I know the fans of the university will revel in this accomplishment as they look forward to the 2009 season.

Mr. Speaker, once again I congratulate the Arizona State University softball team for their success, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I wasn't sure that we were here to discuss energy. But since the subject has been broached, let me say that the messaging continues. The messaging clearly is to blame the Democrats for a problem that, in fact, grows out of legislation that was pushed by the Republican majority.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 that was passed in this Chamber, most Democrats voted against it. Most Republicans voted for it. It is an energy policy that was written by the secret energy task force convened by the Vice President. And at the time that was written in 2005, the Energy Information Administration predicted that it would do absolutely nothing to reduce the price of gasoline at the pump, and would most likely result in an increase in the price of gas at the pump. And guess what? Here we are 3 years later and that is exactly what has happened as a result of the policy that was put in place by the Republican leadership of this chamber and the Republican White House.

And so what the messaging is about is about blaming Democrats for a policy and a situation that exists as a result of Republican-enacted legislation.

Let me say one other thing, and that is, that what the American people deserve is a short-term solution and a long-term solution, and increased drilling provides neither. If the President and the Republicans were truly interested in a short-term solution they would join the Democrats in this Congress and they would urge the President to release 70 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, something that would almost undoubtedly immediately bring down prices at the pump. And if they were interested in a long-term solution, they would join us in embarking on a policy that would give us a clean and independent energy future that would reduce our demand on foreign oil.

With that, I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Mitchell).

We have no further speakers, Mr. Speaker, so I yield back the balance of my time as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1259) congratulating the Hamilton College Continentals on winning the NCAA Division III women's lacrosse championship, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1259 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Hamilton College Continentals women's lacrosse team for their victory in the 2008 NCAA Division III tournament.

On May 18, Hamilton College Continentals women's lacrosse team celebrated their NCAA Division III championship title after defeating the Franklin & Marshall College Diplomats 13-6 in Salem, Virginia.

This was the first NCAA championship title for not only the woman's lacrosse team but also for Hamilton College. However, amidst the recognition of this single moment, the individuals that constituted this significant occasion should be the main focus of praise. Each individual's hard work and dedication in the course of the entire season should be noted and celebrated.

First, I want to recognize Nicole Tetreault, class of 2008. As a result of her outstanding performances throughout the season, she has received numerous awards and recognitions including 2008 Liberty League Player of the Year, 2008 NCAA Division III All-Tournament team, First Team All-America for the second consecutive year, and 2008 ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-America Women's At-Large Team. Furthermore, Tetreault was granted the honor of Academic All-American, a recognition given to exceptional athletes who also demonstrate academic excellence. Tetreault has proven to be an admirable role model to students and athletes alike.

Additionally, I want to extend my congratulations to head Coach Patty Kloidt who has propelled Hamilton College's women's lacrosse program forward ever since she assumed the position 6 years ago. Kloidt rightfully received the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse title Coach of the Year. Moreover, Kloidt and her assistant coaches, Amanda Nobis and Mackay Rippey, were named the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year in 2008. They are an excellent representation of outstanding leadership.

The Hamilton College women's lacrosse team made many more accomplishments apart from the ones already mentioned. Four of the women Continentals won All-American awards and six were selected to the All-Region team. They had an impeccable season with a record of 21-1, winning 19 straight games. And I'm sure their lacrosse program will only move forward with many victories in years to come.

It is very rare that a team is granted with an exceptional coaching staff and athletic ability. Yet it takes tremendous leadership and teamwork for potential to be fully realized and for any team to perform at their best. Again, I do not only congratulate the Continentals for their championship title, but the exceptional individuals that made the victory possible. These athletes and coaching staff are truly an outstanding model for any group to refer to, whether it is athletics, academics, or politics as an example of cooperation, tenacity, and excellence.

Mr. Speaker, I once again congratulate the Hamilton College Continental women's lacrosse team 2008 NCAA Division III championship title.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Before I close, let me congratulate Mr. Castle on the success of his alma mater.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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