Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself whatever time I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support of H. Res. 499, a resolution that condemns the recent violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity by Russia.

I want to begin by thanking Chairman Royce for his leadership on this issue, as well as Ranking Member Engel, and for their introducing this resolution.

As the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, I, along with Leader Pelosi and Whip Hoyer and my colleagues on the Ukrainian Caucus and the Foreign Affairs Committee, have watched the developments in Ukraine with concern, particularly over the last 9 months.

Long before the Vilnius Summit and then-President Yanukovych's surprise announcement in November that he would not sign an Association Agreement with the EU, our administration noted with concern the pressure exerted over Ukrainian authorities to act against the interests of their own people.

It began with Russian threats of trade embargo and gas supply cutoffs in Ukraine if they signed the Association Agreement.

After peaceful demonstrators took to the streets in subzero temperatures, chilling cold, risking their own well-being in Kiev to protest the decision, Russia threatened to withhold billions of dollars in promised financial assistance if Yanukovych did not crack down on it.

In mid-February dozens of peaceful protesters were tragically killed by Ukrainian special police receiving orders from then-President Yanukovych.

Now, under the most disingenuous of pretexts, Russian President Putin has ordered his troops to invade an independent, sovereign country in blatant violation of international law. Enough is enough. We must stand with the people of Ukraine at this critical moment.

The people of Ukraine, and the people of all countries in the region, and throughout the world for that matter, have the right to determine their own future free of pressure, free of threats. As Ukrainians attempt to chart out their own course, they should know that the United States stands with them and that we are committed to helping them build a more democratic, prosperous, secure, and just Ukraine.

Before I go any further, I would like to commend the administration, and in particular Secretary Kerry, Assistant Secretary Nuland, Ambassador Pyatt, and the women and men of our Embassy in Kiev, who have worked so tirelessly throughout this crisis to support the democratic aspirations of Ukrainian people.

I witnessed them work tirelessly during this effort, not letting 2 days go by without imploring the leadership in Ukraine to move forward. I noticed the Vice President interceding virtually 3 times a week in that same effort. So I welcome the administration's initial actions in response to Russia's invasion of Crimea, including the announcement of an executive order authorizing visa bans and sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for activities threatening Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

If Russia continues to refuse to pull back troops to its bases, there must be further consequences. These consequences must be severe, including trade and economic sanctions and expulsion from the G8. This resolution puts President Putin on notice that his reckless actions will have consequences. It calls on him to accept international monitors in Crimea and return his troops to its bases. It makes clear our support for meaningful assistance to Ukraine and to Ukraine's interim government.

Therefore, I call on all my colleagues to support this House resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), a leader and a voice for Ukraine's strong move to democracy, a person who is cochair of the Ukrainian Caucus and a person who is committed to Ukraine and is one of the strongest voices here in the U.S. for that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his comments.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this is important, not just with what the resolution says; it is important how we say it as a country. We are gathered here today, and it is no surprise in this Chamber that from time to time we do not see eye to eye on issues. This important matter has brought both sides together, Republican House Members standing shoulder to shoulder with Democrats, joining with the other Chamber, the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans alike with one voice with the administration.

It was only a few weeks ago that I was in Munich and had the opportunity to sit down with Vitali Klitschko, who has been in the midst of all this move for democracy, and, tragically, in the midst of all the violence and killing that has occurred. He spoke with sincerity and passion over what his people are going through right now. He spoke about his country's need to be a free people with a rule of law, stamping out corruption and moving forward in a democratic fashion. He asked that the U.S. speak as well. With this resolution, we have the opportunity to speak in one united, loud, determined voice for democracy.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the cochair of the Ukrainian Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

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

I also want to mention that it was just a few weeks ago, also, I met with Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, as well. We had time to discuss this issue. We had time to, again, recount the valor and courage of those people who took the streets and risked their lives.

It is worthwhile to note that the Prime Minister is in Washington this week, and we want to commend him for his efforts and stand beside him.

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our minority whip, who has taken this action forward, who has spoken so loudly, and has provided great leadership on this issue.

I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

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

In closing, just recounting the fact that so many of us in this Chamber have the opportunity to travel, to go to different countries, I must say that, each time I go, I will look at different countries, and I will look at the fact that there is no strong rule of law, I will look at the fact that there are no human rights protections, no protections against someone's freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of speech.

I come back to this country, and I kiss the ground that we walk on and take for granted daily.

I have looked at what has transpired in this region. I have looked at the way that laws were put in place in Ukraine and, fortunately, repealed that denied the right to gather together, that denied the right to speak up, human rights violations that I found to exist, too, in Russia, the country that is moving in such an aggressive manner towards Ukraine.

Since 1991, the United States has strongly supported a democratic, prosperous, sovereign Ukraine. In keeping with this commitment, we supported a peaceful, negotiated resolution of the recent crisis there and as hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens came out in the streets of Kiev and throughout Ukraine to express their desire for a more democratic and just state, many of them risking their lives, too many sacrificing their lives.

The recent selection of a new interim government signaled that Ukraine was back on a path toward stability and political and economic health; but instead of gathering here to welcome this event, sadly, we are gathered, now, dealing with an international crisis in Crimea.

We must support Ukraine's efforts. Their efforts are our efforts. Their move for democracy is the staple of our own government.

I urge the entire membership to join with us, to join with Chairman Royce, to join with Ranking Member Engel, and the rest of this House on the resolution moving forward.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the EACH Act on behalf of my constituents in Massachusetts that are seeking to continue to take advantage of the religious conscience exemption to the individual mandate that is currently provided to them under the 2006 Massachusetts health reform law.

Since the individual mandate went into effect in Massachusetts, Donna Smiley, a Christian Scientist from Centerville, has taken advantage of the religious exemption provided in the law that prevents her from being penalized for her religious beliefs. Each year on her state tax return, the form has included a section for her to attest that because of her sincerely held religious beliefs she has chosen not to purchase medical health insurance.

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Donna would no longer be able to take advantage of the Massachusetts religious conscience exemption and would be penalized by the federal government for not having insurance. The EACH Act, modeled after the process that has been in place in Massachusetts for the past seven years, would ensure that a fair solution is reached so that Donna and other Americans are not penalized for their religious beliefs next year.

The legislation would modestly expand the religious conscience exemption in the Affordable Care Act to certain individuals who have sincere religious beliefs against medical insurance and related medical care. As we saw in Massachusetts, which served as the model for the Affordable Care Act as well as the EACH Act, it is clear that a similar exemption in no way adversely affected the risk pool or generated a rise in abuse or fraud. According to the most recent report from Massachusetts' health insurance exchange, approximately 0.1% of the population or 6,500 residents apply annually for a religious exemption.

Allowing for this narrow exemption to the Affordable Care Act is the fair and equitable path forward to ensure religious diversity.

I believe there is a bipartisan coalition of support for this measure.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Accelerating Medicines Partnership and to reaffirm our commitment to responding to lupus, Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.

This long-awaited and vital partnership brings together the National Institutes of Health, 10 biopharmaceutical companies, and several nonprofits to transform the way we identify and validate biological targets of disease for diagnostics and drug development for

debilitating diseases like lupus. Through this initiative, we can work on disease prevention and reduce the amount of risks in the drug development process. We hope that the partnership will stimulate investment in new effective treatments and help improve the quality of life of the millions of people worldwide living with lupus and other recurring diseases.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans. Approximately 90 percent of those with lupus are women, but men and children can also develop lupus. Lupus strikes without warning, has unpredictable, sometimes fatal effects, and has no known cause and no known cure. Lupus is also difficult to diagnose, and on average it takes an individual four years and three doctors to get an accurate diagnosis. Traditionally, there has been a lack of investment in research of this debilitating disease. This partnership is a strong step in the right direction. As co-chair of the Congressional Lupus Caucus, I applaud this important initiative, and I have confidence that is a step in the right direction toward finding a cure for this disease.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the Accelerating Medicines Partnership and in thanking these tireless advocates for their persistence and dedication to improving the lives of millions in the United States and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Nancy Oates upon her retirement after thirty-one years of service to her community.

In April 1983, Ms. Oates was first elected to serve the town of Duxbury as Town Clerk. She has since been re-elected ten times, and has honorably served her community during her thirty-one years in office. During her tenure, Ms. Oates has supervised many town, state, and federal elections, and she has provided invaluable assistance to the citizens of Duxbury every day. She has long been known as a kind and trusted figure within the town, and her many accomplishments have been invaluable the people she has served.

Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to honor Ms. Nancy Oates upon her retirement. I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking Ms. Oates for her many years of public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to echo the concerns of Americans across the country and call upon my colleagues in Congress to extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC). Yet again, these essential tax credits have fallen victim to political jockeying and were allowed to expire at the end of 2013. If we are serious about meeting our renewable energy standards and, importantly, putting Americans back to work, then it is time to end this uncertainty and bring stability to a growing industry.

The PTC has encouraged nearly $20 billion in nationwide private investment annually over the last 5 years alone, while the ITC serves as the most fundamental federal tax incentive for offshore wind farms. As we promote investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and serve as a central part in our fight against global warming and climate change, it is essential to remember the spillover of job creation and specialized expertise that will follow.

Support for the PTC and ITC is bipartisan--and vocal. It is well- understood that the voids we create with our inaction will not remain unfulfilled. They will be filled by foreign companies who will not be ``Making It in America.'' I find it to be nonsensical that investments in renewable energy continue to face an uphill battle.

At home, we have witnessed firsthand the critical economic development opportunities that renewable energy projects provide to States. Our region has undergone an economic regeneration with the promise of Cape Wind--slated to be the Nation's first offshore wind farm. From the Port of New Bedford, which will serve as the staging area for assembly, to the ferry captains who will provide eco-tours of offshore turbines, no sector of our community is left untouched.

Massachusetts is consistently recognized as one of the States for clean energy, particularly wind energy. 106MW of wind power is produced state-wide, powering over 32,000 homes. In my district alone, 23MW of wind energy is produced. These impressive figures do not account for the thousands more of potential wind power that exists offshore.

Support for a long-term extension is bipartisan and urgent. I call on my colleagues to join me in supporting an extension of these important incentives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the action taken by Secretary of State John Kerry and U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague to deny visas to perpetrators of sexual violence in times of armed conflict. This announcement sends a clear signal to sexual offenders and enablers of sexual violence that the United States will not tolerate these depraved acts.

Secretaries Kerry and Hague were joined by the U.S. Ambassador-at- large for global women's issues, Catherine Russell; the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, Anne Richard; and United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zanaib Bangura in announcing this policy and shining a light on the sensitive yet urgent topic of rape and sexual violence as a tool of war.

Since my days in the Massachusetts state legislature and then as District Attorney, I have been a staunch supporter for survivors and victims of sexual assault. I brought this passion to Washington, where I have been proud to support passage of legislation that would strengthen whistleblower protections for those who report sexual assaults in the military, and have consistently worked to protect essential programs that serve victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including the Violence Against Women Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. And, as co-chair of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, I have worked to ensure that military service victims' rights are protected through access to legal assistance and expedited transfers from his or her attacker.

Secretary Kerry has exhibited commendable leadership on this issue, and I look forward to working with him, the State Department, the Department of Defense, and our global counterparts to end this culture of negligence that exists within our armed services and create a safe and transparent environment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Middleborough May Flower Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons upon the occasion of its one hundred and fiftieth year of continued fellowship.

The Middleborough May Flower Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons was formally organized on March 4, 1864. Since then, the Lodge has provided fellowship, charity, education, and leadership to not just its members, but also to the town of Middleborough and surrounding communities. Since its chartering, the Lodge has actively increased its membership, currently totaling to two hundred members. The Lodge has worked vigorously over the years to promote self-improvement, personal study, and social betterment through the ideals of philanthropy and community involvement. My district in Massachusetts has great appreciation for the work that this Lodge has done, and it serves as an example for how community service and brotherhood can benefit our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the Middleborough May Flower Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons upon this significant anniversary. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating them as well as wishing them many more happy and productive years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce upon its one-hundredth anniversary.

The Chamber of Commerce plays an essential role in the Falmouth community, connecting local businesses and offering visitors an important perspective on much of what this beautiful Cape Cod town has to offer. Founded in 1914, the Chamber of Commerce has grown to represent many small businesses that form the backbone of Falmouth's thriving local economy. From museums and banks to churches, charities, and seaside attractions, the Chamber represents a diverse array of the organizations that help to give this community its unique character. Every day, these businesses provide vital services to the area's year- round residents and to its countless visitors. The one hundred years of hard work by the Chamber of Commerce have been essential in developing the town's vitality, a characteristic that draws so many to Falmouth every year.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce, its leaders, and the businesses and organizations it represents for their years of service to the town of Falmouth. I am certain that we will see many more great things from the Chamber in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H. Res. 447, a resolution supporting the democratic and European aspirations of the Ukrainian people and their right to choose their own future free of intimidation and fear.

As an original co-sponsor and as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, I believe it is essential for Congress to continue to show its strong support for the Ukrainian people. In the two decades since Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union, Congress has been at the forefront of efforts to foster democratic and economic reform in Ukraine.

I have been deeply troubled by developments in Ukraine since President Yanukovych's surprising announcement last November that his government would not sign an Association Agreement with the European Union. I remain concerned that Mr. Yanukovych and his government were unduly pressured by outside forces to take a decision at odds with the long-term interests of the Ukrainian people and that the government's decision was not taken in consultation with other political stakeholders.

Since November, I have watched Ukraine's unfolding political crisis with growing concern, especially authorities' use of violence against peaceful protestors. I have been deeply dismayed by the deaths and injuries sustained on all sides. I applaud the Administration's decision to revoke the visas of the Ukrainian government officials who were responsible for ordering or committing acts of violence against peaceful protestors. I believe additional sanctions should be considered in the event of further violence, but hope they will not be necessary.

In the past few weeks, we have started to see signs of progress toward a resolution, including the repeal of repressive measures adopted by parliament in mid-January and the resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet on January 28. Both developments created an opening for serious dialogue between the government and the opposition. I urge all parties to seize this important opportunity.

This resolution does not take sides in what is quite rightly a matter that Ukrainians must decide for themselves. Instead, it urges all parties to refrain from violence and to engage in constructive, sustained dialogue in order to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis.

To facilitate that process, this resolution underscores to protestors, to the government, and to all Ukrainians that the United States will continue to defend Ukraine's sovereign right to chart its own course and build its own future.

It also makes clear, not just to the protestors, but to President Yanukovych as well, that the United States will continue to support the Ukrainian people's aspirations to build a strong and prosperous democracy--one that is firmly rooted in Europe.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Merrill Blum upon his retirement from the Vietnam Veterans Association of the Cape and Islands.

Following his service in the United States Army, Mr. Blum found his true calling working for numerous veterans' services programs throughout Massachusetts, and his remarkable efforts were recognized by the Department of Labor as a model for the nation. His commitment to serving veterans brought him to work with the Vietnam Veterans Association of the Cape and Islands, focusing on projects such as the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Project, Homelessness Prevention Council, and on my Advisory Commission on Veteran Services. Throughout his career Mr. Blum has demonstrated his true commitment to helping soldiers improve their lives once they return home. In finding his calling in life, Mr. Blum made a lasting impact on countless American heroes within our community.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Merrill Blum upon his retirement. I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking Mr. Blum for his service and commitment to our nation's veterans.

Madam Speaker, I heard the gentleman from Texas say--and I appreciate his intensity--that he believes it is a flawed insurance policy that is government-sponsored. If that is the case, then it should be delayed, and he is willing to shut down the government to do it. I want to talk about something that is a flawed government insurance plan that is scientifically proven to be wrong--no debate about it--and that should be delayed, too.

I have a family in my hometown of Bourne, Massachusetts, who just bought a house. They bought that house for $240,000. They had a $400 bill--the predecessors did--for flood insurance. They were shocked, and I was shocked: that bill has now increased to $44,000 a year. If you take away the value of their home, in about 2 or 3 years, with the payments for flood insurance at that rate, it will be the whole value of their home.

I want to also tell you that it is a government taking, in effect, I think, to have this policy in effect because, if they go to sell that home and if someone has to get a mortgage to buy it, as most people have to do, the value of that home is going to be diminished. Someone is probably going to have to pay cash--maybe pay $100,000 for a $240,000 home. That is government reaching in, taking the value of their nest egg--of all of their life savings of the place they live-- away from them.

Now, I said it is scientifically proven. I want to show you. I went to the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Their coastal study experts there--scientists, engineers--said that what FEMA did in establishing the maps upon which these rates are based is flawed. In fact, they used the Pacific Ocean methodology on the Atlantic Ocean. That is how fundamental the flaws are.

There is my county in Plymouth, which I represent. By taking this through the appeals process and bringing in the study that I was able to obtain from UMass, they took the whole county of Plymouth in Massachusetts, and it now has this insurance plan delayed.

It shouldn't just be my county in Plymouth that is delayed. FEMA can't do this throughout the whole country, as there is not enough time, but it should not just be my county. It should be all of Massachusetts. It should be the Northeast. It should be all the coastal areas and all the river areas in this country. They should be treated with fairness.

All we need on this is a vote. There are now 182 cosponsors, about a third of them Republicans. Let's get it to the floor. Let's be fair. When we have scientific evidence about a flawed insurance plan, let's make sure we get a vote on it.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

In an all-too-common occurrence in this Nation today, the Murphy family in Wareham, Massachusetts, has seen flood insurance premiums rise dramatically, from $500 annually in their instance to $5,000, a 10-time amount of an increase.

Anthony Frangie who is a Realtor at the South Shore portion of Massachusetts has seen multiple home sales fall through specifically because the flood insurance premiums were too high. This is a real estate industry, not just in my home State, but across the country, that has been reeling as a result of the worst downturn in the housing industry in recent years that our country has ever experienced.

They are beginning to come forward, sales are occurring. One of our most important industries, our housing industry is beginning to drive our economy forward, yet this is going to drive us back. The lending institutions that support this in States like Florida, where the inventory was so high, where they had houses that people walked away from because they couldn't afford and they couldn't sell themselves, now they have experienced improvement. But this is going to set them back, and it is going hurt our economy in the process, not just regionally, but nationally.

Last year, the owners of Haddad's Ocean Cafe in the community I represent of Marshfield renovated their restaurant to reflect the current flood requirements, and they went further. They even went higher when they made these kind of very expensive renovations, going above what was needed. Today, with the new flood maps, they must pay millions of dollars in additional renovations to further raise the building even higher or pay flood insurance premiums far in excess of $30,000 annually, something that endangers their ability to conduct basic business.

These are just a few of the numerous examples and challenges facing homeowners and businesses that have arisen through the implementation of the new flood insurance changes. FEMA, at hearings that we have had here in answering to this issue about the implementation, has said they perceive their job to overestimate the impact of this. Clearly, there's something wrong with the implementation of this law.

Our office has had individual after individual come forward to us with things that affect their own person and their own homes looking for help. Some of them that can afford it have moved forward with appeals. Many of those appeals have been successful. Yet they have had to invest and risk thousands of dollars in elevation studies in terms of site reviews just to bring their case forward.

Communities have gone together and brought forth appeals for the entire community. One of those communities in my district went forward; and they were so detailed, I looked at what they said and decided to bring it to the attention and to ask the advice and expertise of one of the Nation's top coastal expert groups. That's the University of Massachusetts School of Marine Science and Technology in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

What they determined with their review was that the methodology used to determine these maps was faulty. In fact, one of the things they found was the wave structure that results in flooding is the result of storm surges and violent storms in the east and Atlantic coast and responsible for the floods. That wasn't used as the methodology to determine what the impact would be on the maps and what the cost would be for flood insurance on all these homeowners. Indeed, they used the methodology based on the Pacific Ocean, with a longer, slower wave structure; and the scientists and coastal engineers that reviewed this for us said what they did, determined to be the maps, was based on faulty science.

Now individuals are facing enormous burdens, as my colleagues have so aptly demonstrated. In terms of annual payments, that could be the difference between being able to stay in your own home, live in your own home, or not; annual payments that affect many people on fixed income who had never, ever budgeted for this and are throwing them into the most difficult decisions of how they are going to heat their home, how they are going to afford to live, what they are going to do. Even younger people who are using or hoping to use the equity on their home to pay for their kids' college education are finding that, instead of having this go towards that important goal in their life, it is going to pay for flood insurance.

Now, this is an important thing, not only how it affects people on annual payments, but what this also does, this affects and can affect the entire value of their home. In fact, real estate people are finding as they are going to sell the homes, that the homes that were valued one way are now dramatically being reduced because of the cost of annual flood insurance attached to that home.

So what we have really is a taking, as a result of the implementation, a taking of people's assets, of their savings, of the roof over their head, of the number one financial asset they have in their lives. Clearly, this is not the role of government to effectuate this kind of taking, because maybe the math is totally wrong and they shouldn't be included at all or maybe it

is off just 1 foot and it has this kind of devastating financial and personal impact. That's why I have joined my colleagues in being one of the original sponsors of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act

Now this is done in a House that is often challenged in terms of working across the aisle, in terms of working in a bipartisan manner. But in this instance, it is a sterling example of how we have worked together across the aisle in a common interest, realizing how important this is to the people we represent, realizing how important this is to the real estate industry nationally, realizing how important this is to the lending institutions nationally and making sure that government isn't acting in a way that is actually seizing their personal assets and their life savings.

We have an obligation, having worked together so hard and, in my opinion, achieving a very significant majority of the Members of this House of Representatives to pass this kind of delay, to get it right and make sure we are treating people fairly, that it is inherent that this bill be brought to the floor for a vote and be brought to the floor quickly for a vote. We were expecting Senate action in this just in the next few weeks.

It is my hope, it is my plea, it is our obligation as the court of last resort representing these people who have so much in jeopardy right now, to bring it to the floor, to get a vote, to pass it, to get a delay to be able to make sure we go to FEMA and say, You are dealing with people's livelihoods. You have an obligation to get it right and get it done. And when they do, this bill will also allow us here in Congress to review it and make sure the implementation is continued in the correct manner.

Let's move forward on this very important issue as soon as possible. Let's show this as one more example, during these very challenging times politically, of what happens when this House listens to the people in their district and around the country, works together to get something done and does the right thing. It is my fervent hope that we can do this quickly.

Mr. Speaker, I, along with Representative Kennedy, Representative McGovern, Representative Neal, and Representative Tsongas rise today to recognize Mr. Ralph White, President of the Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association of Massachusetts, upon his upcoming retirement.

Mr. White has diligently served the Association for the past forty- five years, and his leadership has guided this organization though many changes. Having retired at the age of thirty-eight from his position as a parole officer in the aftermath of a gunfire assault, Mr. White knew that there was still much for him to give to the Commonwealth. He then began his role of President of the Association. Throughout his tenure, he was instrumental in enacting many key reforms that benefit retirees. Such reforms included raising the pension cost-of-living ceiling, ensuring that retirees' and survivors' health insurance payments remained at a reasonable level, and improving protections for disability retirees. Mr. White has given a great deal to the Association and to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and his perseverance has touched many lives.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join us in thanking Mr. Ralph White for his many years of service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Angela Sanfilippo and Mr. J.J. Bartlett, this year's recipients of the Offshore Mariners' Wives ``Friends of the Fishing Industry'' awards.

In late 1994, a group of people got together and formed an organization called the Massachusetts Fishermen's Partnership. The name was fitting, as it truly has been an organization or partnership of as many as eighteen distinct fishing organizations from throughout the state. The group's founders soon recognized the strong need for comprehensive health care for fishermen and their families.

One of the original founding members of the MFP and one of this year's award recipients is Mrs. Angela Sanfilippo. Ms. Sanfilippo is well known throughout the industry. For thirty-seven years she has been a constant crusader for the fishermen of Gloucester in her role as the President of the Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association. She has battled to prevent the drilling for oil on Georges Bank and to keep The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary open to fishing, both commercial and recreational. Her many years of dedicated service to the local fishing industry have been invaluable to its success.

This year's second recipient of the ``Friend of the Fishing Industry Award'' was Mr. J.J. Bartlett. For twenty years he has served as the focal point of the ``Fishing Partnership's Health Plan'' and has worked tirelessly on creating and providing affordable, comprehensive health care for fishing industry families. In 2008 the Boston Business Journal named him a ``40 under 40'' honoree, and in 2009 he testified on rural health issues and hard to reach populations at the request of the White House Office of Health Reform. The Fishing Partnership under the guidance of Mr. Bartlett now provides access to professional counseling, assistance with health insurance applications, and offering Safety at Sea Training. The Fishing Partnership has now become the Human Resource Department for the Massachusetts fishing community.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Ms. Angela Sanfilippo and Mr. J.J. Bartlett, this year's recipients of the Offshore Mariners' Wives ``Friends of the Fishing Industry'' awards. I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking them for their service to the local Massachusetts fishing industry.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication of the First Sergeant James A. Keating Memorial Monument in Sharon, Massachusetts.

I was never fortunate enough to meet my uncle, Sergeant James Keating, as he was killed in the line of duty while bravely fighting for our country in World War II. A Silver Star recipient, Sergeant Keating was a man I greatly admired growing up, and his memory lived on in our family as a true example of what it means to serve one's country.

As a Member of Congress, I believe one of my most important responsibilities is to honor the men and women who have given so much to ensure our freedom. I am thankful for the countless individuals who have served the United States, and for the people who work every day in order to honor our veterans and active-duty servicemen.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the dedication of the First Sergeant James A. Keating Memorial Monument in Sharon, Massachusetts. I ask that my colleagues join me in this recognition, and in honoring all of the men and women who have given so much in service to the United States of America.