Floor Statements

Madam Speaker I rise to introduce a bill that would designate a permanent location in Washington, DC, for a memorial known as Dark Elegy, dedicated to all victims of terrorism. Pursuant to the Commemorative Works Act, my legislation authorizes Dark Elegy as a commemorative work, making it eligible to be located in the Washington, DC, area on land owned by the National Park Service or Government Services Agency.

Dark Elegy is currently located in Montauk, New York--in my home district of eastern Long Island--and has been exhibited around the Northeast for the past 16 years. The memorial was created by one of my constituents, the artist Suse Lowenstein, and consists of larger-than- life sculptures depicting the reaction of 76 mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and relatives as they responded with shock and grief upon learning of the death of their loved ones after the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Mrs. Lowenstein's son, Alexander, was one of 35 Syracuse University students aboard that flight.

Sadly, the creation of Dark Elegy spanned a growing number of terrorist attacks around the world. It is a striking and solemn coincidence that this work of art was dedicated on September 11, 1991-- exactly one decade before the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. If you are not familiar with Dark Elegy, I ask you to view ``Remembering the Moment,'' which will tell you more about the legacy of Dark Elegy than any written statement could ever convey and can be accessed at the following website: www.darkelegy103.com. Dark Elegy was created to remind the world of the devastation that terrorism leaves in its wake. It will serve as a lasting testament to the victims of terrorism worldwide in the unending struggle to eradicate this menace from the globe. In addition, it is intended to stand as a beacon for all peace-loving people throughout the world to unite.

Madam Speaker, it is my goal to help find a permanent home for Dark Elegy that can be visited by as many people from as many nations as possible. From its current display in my district, this memorial has assumed a unique role in both healing and remembrance for many individuals and families. It has been visited by families affected by terrorism including families of the victims of the September 11th attacks and by families of murdered children whose loss, while not terrorism-related, was equally painful. It is through their voices that the Lowensteins repeatedly heard, and continue to hear, the expressed belief that Dark Elegy should be placed somewhere prominent where people from all over the world can visit and experience it themselves.

It is important to note that establishing this memorial would not cost taxpayers any additional public funds. Once a permanent location is found, the artist and her family will donate the memorial to the public. Also, the artist and her family will personally finance the casting of each figure in bronze assuring the longevity of the sculptures that make up the memorial. It is their strong belief that this is an appropriate use of the money paid to them from the Libyan Government following the Pan Am 103 tragedy in 1988.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me in cosponsoring this legislation, and I call upon the committees of jurisdiction and our leadership to consider it pursuant to the Commemorative Works Act and related legislation in order to secure a permanent location for this worthy and poignant memorial to all victims of terrorism.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2693, the Popcorn Workers Lung Disease Prevention Act. Millions of Americans enjoy the convenience of microwave popcorn. However, few are aware that those bags of popcorn may contain diacetyl, an artificial butter flavoring and a deadly chemical when inhaled in high levels.

You earlier heard about Eric Peoples from Chairman Woolsey who worked at the Jasper Popcorn Company. Mr. Peoples has the debilitating disease of popcorn lung and as a result has only 24 percent of his lung capacity. Everyday activities are no longer possible for him.

Another worker at the Jasper Popcorn Plant, Linda Redman, started working at the plant in 1995. Within 2 years, her breathing was so impaired that she had to quit. I believe that Eric and Linda's pain may have been prevented if OSHA had acted to issue a standard to limit workers' exposure to diacetyl. OSHA has still failed to issue a standard, even though it was some 7 years ago that it was determined that worker illnesses were related to the chemical diacetyl.

H.R. 2693 is a simple bill. It requires OSHA to issue an emergency interim standard within 90 days to protect workers at popcorn and flavoring manufacturing plants to minimize diacetyl, and it requires OSHA to then issue a final standard within 2 years. An emergency standard will help protect the thousands of workers who come into contact with diacetyl every day. The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association, the leading industry association for the flavoring industry, recommended similar actions as far back as 2004.

The simple and sad truth is that OSHA has failed to do its job, and thus in this case Congress must act to protect workers. These workers deserve a safe workplace.

As Eric Peoples said, ``I played by the rules. I worked to support my family.

This unregulated industry virtually destroyed my life. Please don't let it destroy the lives of others.''

So I ask Members to join me in promising that we won't stand by and let this industry destroy the lives of others. Let's pass H.R. 2693.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight as a proud cosponsor of the Foreclosure Tax Relief Act. I commend its cosponsor, my colleague from Ohio, Mr. Space, as well as the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Rangel, for agreeing to take up legislation that would give a tax break to middle-class homeowners who have been caught up in the subprime mortgage fallout.

Nearly 3,000 homeowners in Suffolk County, New York alone, that's one out of every 180 homes in my district, have joined 2.2 million families nationwide whose subprime loans have already failed or will end in foreclosure. Adding insult to injury, they face massive tax bills once any portion of their mortgage is cancelled. The IRS treats that forgiven debt as income and can even tack on interest and penalties.

In response to this unfair phantom tax, the Foreclosure Tax Relief Act would set the tax exclusion for middle-class families up to $50,000 in forgiven debt on first mortgages and primary residences. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support foreclosure tax relief legislation.

Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Madam Chairman, let me start by thanking both Chairman Frank and Chairwoman Waters and their staffs for working with us on this amendment.

Very simply, my amendment would make it easier for those who owned fixed-foundation homes on leased land to receive a reverse mortgage. Current law allows seniors who own fixed-foundation homes on leased land to receive a reverse mortgage only if the lease is for a term of not less than 99 years or if the lease is for a period of not less than 10 years beyond the maturity of the mortgage. While this language covers some seniors, many elderly Americans who own a permanent- foundation home in a senior community where the land is leased are not covered by either of these two categories of leases.

My amendment would remove the provision in the bill that allows for a reverse mortgage if the lease term is for 10 years beyond the maturity of the mortgage and replace it with language that both clarifies and expands eligibility. Specifically, my amendment would broaden eligibility to seniors who have a lease term that ends no earlier than a minimum number of years beyond their actuarial life expectancy.

This amendment is a commonsense solution to a problem that affects many seniors, both in my district and across the country; and I urge its adoption.

Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

I would have no objection. In fact, I would welcome it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 300th anniversary of one of the most beloved and historic villages in the First Congressional District of New York, the Village of Sag Harbor.

Sag Harbor is a village of two square miles, settled in 1707 and rich in American history; from its early Algonquin Indian inhabitants to historical Revolutionary War battles which took place on the land. Sag Harbor is further distinguished by being the first official port of entry in the State of New York. It was officially established as a state port of entry in 1789 by the First Congress of the United States and approved by President George Washington, just one day before New York City.

The area grew in those early days as a result of its thriving whaling industry. Local men, together with foreign whalers, brought culture and customs from distant lands to Sag Harbor. During this time period Sag Harbor became a truly international port town, where diverse cultures came together. Sag Harbor was even prominently mentioned in Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick.

Today finds the village of Sag Harbor split between the Long Island towns of Southampton and East Hampton. With a population of about 2,300 friendly residents, bustling main streets and beautifully scenic areas, Sag Harbor Village has become a premier tourist destination in the United States.

It is with great pleasure and pride that I rise to recognize the unique contributions of the Village of Sag Harbor, and to commemorate its 300th Anniversary.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for me to summarize in 1 minute the attributes of this first-rate conference report, but let me just say this: For a period of time before I came to the Congress, I was the senior administrator in a college. I had a very simple rule when I was faced with a decision. That rule was: Is the decision I'm about to make in the best interest of students, will it help students? And by that measure, the answer to this question is an emphatic ``yes.''

We should be supporting the rule. We should be supporting the underlying legislation. This legislation helps students realize their dreams, and that's what this Congress should be about. This is about student aspiration, and this is about the Congress providing the resources to see to it that students can get their slice of the American Dream. And by increasing the Pell Grant maximum, by reducing the rate that students will have to pay when they borrow, and by streamlining the needs analysis system so that students have a more realistic measure of their ability to pay, we will increase access, we will enhance affordability.

We should support this rule and support this conference report.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and I thank him for his leadership on this very important piece of legislation.

It is imperative that we go to conference on this bill and that we pass the College Cost Reduction Act. It provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to help students afford college and to do so at no new cost to the taxpayer. Let me emphasize that point: At no new cost to the taxpayer.

We just heard this bill described, I believe, as containing unprecedented new spending, and I think it is important to point out that it is not new spending, it is redirected spending.

With this bill, the Congress is making a choice that we think it is important to take Federal resources, scarce Federal resources, and devote them to assisting needy students in meeting the cost of attending college, and it is more important to do that than it is to see to it that the student loan providers maintain what are already very healthy profit margins. I think that is a choice that the American people would support us in making, and it is certainly a reasonable choice.

If you were to look at today's front page article in the New York Times, an article that talks about how colleges are not raising tuition but they are raising fees, it underscores one of the central realities of higher education today, and that is, as public support for higher education is reduced, the burden falls on students and their families to make up the difference. We now have an opportunity to assist students and families with making up that difference.

This bill significantly increases the Pell Grant maximum, something, by the way, that the President has spoken quite favorably of doing. He has been promising an increase in the Pell Grant maximum since the campaign of 2000. It was not until the Congress acted with the continuing resolution for fiscal year 2007 that that increase became a reality for the first time. And now with this bill, we will dramatically increase the Pell Grant maximum to offset increases in tuition, increases in fees, and declining public support for education in other areas.

It also cuts student loan interest rates, which is very important. It is a point that continues to be missed by our friends on the other side. Access and affordability isn't just about the cost of attendance when the student is undertaking the cost; it is about looking at their future obligations. What this bill does is it enables students to make clear decisions about what they can afford and what they can't afford and have an expectation of what their future obligations are that is much more reasonable.

This is an investment. This is the kind of investment that we need to keep this Nation strong, to keep this Nation safe, to keep this Nation competitive. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I thank again the chairman for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica, as well as Subcommittee Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Baker and the committee staffs for their hard work and leadership on this important legislation--the first water improvement and conservation package in seven years.

Following several earlier impasses, I want to take this opportunity to commend the spirit of bipartisan and bicameral compromise on this important measure.

This bill benefits all Americans and their families who use and enjoy our Nation's waterways, public beaches--including over 300 miles of coastline along my district--and for U.S. businesses that depend on healthy and viable waterways throughout the country.

My district benefits from the good work that the Army Corps of Engineers does for coastal communities by helping small towns deal with multiple concerns ranging from erosion to longstanding environmental challenges. WRDA will allow the Corps to continue work on several projects on eastern Long Island that will protect the TWA Flight 800 Memorial, restore the quality of the Long Island Sound watershed, protect the famous Montauk Lighthouse, and continue environmental monitoring of the Atlantic coast of Long Island.

In addition, H.R. 1495 will go a long way toward supplying the Corps with all the resources it needs to protect coastal communities and vacationers by modernizing project planning and approval.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member again for their hard work on this issue, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure that we get a WRDA bill to the President as soon as we can. We simply cannot afford to let another year go by without passing this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report and commend the leadership as well as my colleagues involved in negotiating this landmark agreement.

Referring to the House of Representatives, Alexander Hamilton once said, ``Here, sir, the people govern.'' Today, that quotation no longer rings hollow.

The people are once again in charge of the people's House with this legislation. We followed through with our campaign promise by restoring integrity, transparency, and accountability in the way we do the people's business.

Members of Congress, lobbyists, and special interests will share the responsibility to disclose information that sheds light on how the influence of money in politics shapes the outcome of legislation.

In particular, I am proud to support transparency in reporting ``bundled'' campaign contributions, as championed by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen), of whose legislation I am an original cosponsor.

This agreement will help avert corruption and back-room dealmaking that undermines this institution and the faith our constituents have in the way we do business.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this conference agreement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, HR 2831. Although women have made great strides towards income equality in the workplace, a gap still exists. According to the Census Bureau, women continue to make 77 cents to every dollar that their male counterparts earn. No one knows this fact better than Lilly Ledbetter. She worked hard at a Goodyear tire plant for 19 years. Initially, Ms. Ledbetter was paid the same as her male colleagues but over time her salary did not continue to rise at the same rate as male colleagues. However, like many employees, she was unaware of the discrepancy for years. By the time she discovered it, the Supreme Court said she was too late to receive justice, a finding that overturns 30 years of established case law.

The Supreme Court held, that the plaintiff must file suit within 180 days of the initial so called discrimination. This may seem like a reasonable amount of time, but for wage discrimination cases, this is often not feasible. Many employers forbid workers from discussing their salaries and employees are often not even aware that they have been discriminated against until after they leave their job. This finding stands in stark contrast with 30 years of case law, which has found that the 180 day ``clock'' starts anew with each discriminatory paycheck. This bill codifies by starting the clock for filing a discrimination charge starts when a discriminatory pay decision or practice is adopted, when a person becomes subject to the pay decision or practice, or when employees affected by the pay decision or practice, including whenever receive a discriminatory paycheck.

During her testimony in June at an Education and Labor Committee hearing, Lilly Ledbetter said:

What happened to me is not only an insult to my dignity,

but it had real consequences for my ability to care for my

family. Every paycheck I received, I got less than what I was

entitled to under the law.

Sadly, Ms. Ledbetter's case is not unique, in fact from 2001-2006, some 40,000 wage discrimination cases were filed from workers, much like Lilly Ledbetter. This bill will finally give workers the ``what they are entitled to under the law''.

I thank Chairman Miller and my colleagues for bringing this legislation to the floor so quickly.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 9/11 Conference Report, which will go a long way toward protecting this Nation from the ever-present threat of terrorism and safeguarding our families from future attacks.

The 9/11 Commission gave us a nonpartisan blueprint for how to wage and win the global war on terrorism. This conference report helps us meet the unresolved challenges we have faced over the past 3 years since the commission issued its recommendations by expanding cargo screening at our ports, making air travel safer, and taking many other important steps to protect America from terrorism.

I am proud to represent many of the brave first responders who answered the call on September 11, 2001. I believe that this conference report honors the memory of the victims and rescue personnel who fell on that tragic day.

Mr. Speaker, I also firmly believe this legislation represents the single most important measure we can take to prevent future terrorist attacks. I commend the leadership and all of my colleagues who helped negotiate this agreement. Our Nation will be safer from terrorism as will future generations of Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the H.R. 2929, which I voted for, and which overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives. This common-sense legislation limits the use of funds to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq or to exercise United States economic control over the oil resources of Iraq.

In December 2006, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group released its recommendations for U.S. policy in Iraq. Included in those recommendations were two important provisions--the first advises the President against seeking permanent military bases in Iraq and the second encourages the Iraqi Government to take control of their own oil resources.

Accordingly, H.R. 2929 solidifies those recommendations and sends a very clear message to the Iraqi people that the United States is not an occupying force. The perception that the United States plans to keep a permanent military presence in Iraq and use its oil resources has only fueled the insurgency and violence against our troops. That has been exacerbated by President Bush's recent comments that our military presence in Iraq could extend 50 years into the future. In response, this legislation puts Congress on record opposing any permanent bases or attempts to control Iraq's oil revenues and helps take the target off our troops' backs.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose this war. I believe it is long past time to bring our troops home and end our involvement in this civil war. Although our withdrawal from Iraq will not happen tomorrow, this legislation is one way we can help put an end to our involvement today.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2641, the Energy & Water Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007. I applaud our colleagues on the Energy & Water subcommittee for producing a bill that fully funds some of this nation's most important basic research under the Office of Science.

In particular, I commend chairmen Obey and Visclosky, ranking member Hobson, and my fellow Long Island colleague, Mr. Israel, for their tireless support of ground-breaking research conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

I'm proud to represent BNL and the talented scientists who keep our nation at the cutting edge of basic research with projects like the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, which helps scientists unravel the big bang theory to explain the origins of our universe.

Fully funding this research will avert the same kind of uncertainty that threatened to derail it last year. Preserving BNL's status as a leading research institution will hopefully result in more decisions like yesterday's announcement that BNL will be the permanent home of the NSLS II, which uses intense light for x-ray imaging.

I also want to commend the committee for allocating $7 million for the Fire Island to Montauk Point project, which would protect 83 miles along Long Island's south shore.

Mr. Chairman, fully funding these research and infrastructure priorities are good for this nation and our economy. I am proud to support H.R. 2641 and again commend our colleagues for a good bill and their hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on the solemn occasion of the 11th anniversary of the crash of TWA Flight 800. Many Americans remember where they were when they heard the shocking and tragic news about Flight 800 when it crashed off the southern shore of Long Island 11 years ago tomorrow, on the evening of July 17, 1996, claiming the lives of all 230 passengers and crew on board.

The event remains one of the worst air disasters in history and led to one of the most costly and extended investigations to date. Today, that loss is still felt by hundreds of families whose loved ones perished but are remembered by the breathtaking monument to their lives that extends along the grounds of East Moriches, Long Island, overlooking the waters of the Atlantic Ocean where the plane fell.

Tomorrow, we honor the memory of those who perished, just moments after taking off from JFK International Airport bound for Paris. Some of the victims were on their way home; many were high school students on the first leg of an international field trip; and some were on the way to visit loved ones.

Just as the families who lost their loved ones to the crash deserve to be remembered, so do each of Long Island's emergency personnel, volunteers and neighbors who selflessly responded to the crash and who worked tirelessly over the next several days and weeks following the disaster to assist with the search and recovery efforts.

Like other challenging times our Nation has faced, the reaction to the Flight 800 catastrophe brought out the best, not only among my constituents, but in so many other areas in the surrounding towns, counties and States across the Northeast who joined in helping my community recover from its most horrific tragedy.

Throughout their grief and despite the unimaginable shock, the families of the victims worked tirelessly to build a permanent memorial with the help of Navy Seabees and thousands of dedicated local and building trade union members. The solemn monument serves as a constant reminder of our tremendous loss 11 years ago tomorrow.

Last year, it was my honor and privilege to attend the dedication of the memorial completed at Smith Point County Park just before the 10th anniversary of the crash.

The centerpiece of this breathtaking and poignant memorial is a black granite sculpture called ``The Light.'' It was designed by Henry Seaman, whose cousin died in the crash. The monument offers some measure of closure to everyone who was affected by this terrible tragedy.

The memory of the passengers of Flight 800 lives on because of the continued work of people like Henry's brother, John Seaman, who is President of the Families of Flight 800 Association and among the memorial's most passionate and hardworking advocates.

In the 11 years since Flight 800, hundreds of thousands of people have visited the park in an acknowledgment of a shared sorrow for those who died. The monument ensures that future generations can do the same.

As we recognize the 11th anniversary of the Flight 800 disaster, it is important for us to take stock in the progress achieved since 1996 to prevent air disasters. We have made some great strides in aviation safety, particularly with design upgrades for passenger and cargo aircraft planes.

In particular, ongoing research and development of ``inerting'' technology will help to mitigate the vulnerability of aircraft fuel tanks to flammability, the underlying cause of the Flight 800 crash.

In fact, the crash was likely caused by a spark from a short-circuit in the Boeing 747's wiring that ignited the tank's volatile vapors. Although this was determined years ago and we know how to prevent similar disasters, we still have not required technology upgrades to protect passengers against another tragedy like the one witnessed 10 years ago.

To date, however, the Federal Aviation Administration has delayed taking on this challenge and has declined to work with the industry to implement a final FAA directive that would protect every air traveler with existing technology.

We still don't have the mandate for change. That is why I introduced the Transport Aircraft Fuel Tank Safety Act, which requires the FAA to retrofit all planes with new technology and to increase safety. I am pleased to report that the pending FAA reauthorization bill, which was recently passed by the House Transportation Committee, of which I am a member, includes a similar provision.

Senator Schumer is sponsoring a companion measure and is working with his colleagues on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to move this legislation.

I am hopeful that my colleagues here in the Congress will work with me to bring an end to this delay. We have taken significant steps towards maintaining the memory of Flight 800, but we should also ensure that we don't allow this disaster to repeat itself.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again offer my deepest condolences to

the surviving families and friends of the victims of Flight 800 and encourage my colleagues to join me in commending each of them for the grace and dignity with which they have handled unspeakable pain.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise on behalf of New York's first congressional district in order to recognize the extraordinary achievements of Ms. Trudy C. Kramer, who will retire at year's end after 26 years of service to the Art Museum Parrish in Southampton, Long Island.

For over a century, the Parrish Art Museum has been devoted to the collection and preservation of American art with particular focus on displaying art of the eastern end of Long Island. The museum is a landmark in my district, known for its commitment to bringing art and people together in its education and outreach programs. Trudy Kramer has been an integral part of that mission for almost three decades, serving as the museum's director.

Trudy is widely admired for her vision and foresight, which helped expand the museum's membership and prestige. During her tenure, the museum also built upon its impressive collection of new works by renowned artists. She directed the acquisition of the museum's neighboring library, now known as the Carroll Petrie Center for Education. And she has been instrumental in the museum's expansion, which includes a truly breathtaking new facility in Water Mill, Long Island.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of a proud community that has long admired the Parrish Art Museum's contributions to the artistic legacy of Long Island's east end, I am especially proud to recognize Trudy Kramer's role in the museum's success and congratulate her on her retirement.