Gary Ackerman

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to a member of the Ways and Means Committee, as well as the Judiciary Committee, the distinguished gentleman from Alabama, Artur Davis.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Regulation, Health Care and Trade, the distinguished gentleman from Texas, Charlie Gonzalez.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, the distinguished gentleman from Virginia, Rick Boucher. (Mr. BOUCHER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, and Science Education, the gentleman from Washington, Representative Brian Baird. (Mr. BAIRD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to the Chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, the distinguished gentlelady from California, Representative Grace Napolitano.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield for the purpose of making a unanimous-consent request to the distinguished Congresswoman from the U.S. territory of Guam, Madeleine Bordallo. (Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 5 minutes to the chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, the distinguished gentleman from Indiana, Representative Peter Visclosky.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield at this time 5 minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Science Committee, Representative Bart Gordon of Tennessee.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the vice chairman of the Rules Committee.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Holden), the vice chairman of the Agriculture Committee and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kanjorski).

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see so many people on the other side of the aisle have discovered the report of the Iraq Study Group. It is now my pleasure to yield 5\1/2\ minutes to a senior member of the Ways and Means and Agriculture Committees, the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield now 5 minutes to a longstanding member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and presently a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate George Uribe and Margaret Binford who were engaged to be married last night at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The special moment occurred in Lady Chapel at 7 p.m. surrounded by Margaret's parents, Douglas and Randall Binford who flew in from San Antonio, Texas for the occasion. The couple walked in the chapel, recited the Lord's prayer with the song ``On Eagles Wings'' playing in the background as George dropped to his knees and asked Margaret to marry him. George is an Executive Vice-President and General Manager for a chain of radio stations and former U.S. Army Reserve soldier with the 77th Regional Readiness Command based at Fort Totten and Margaret is an interior designer and member of the Junior League. Madam Speaker, I, along with the whole House, congratulate George and Margaret on their engagement and wish them happiness and love all the days of their lives.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in observance of February as National Marfan Awareness Month and to recognize the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are living with Marfan syndrome and related connective tissue disorders. I am proud that the Nation's premier organization supporting the Marfan syndrome community, the National Marfan Foundation, is headquartered in my congressional district in Port Washington, NY. The NMF was founded 25 years ago by Priscilla Ciccariello, a woman of enormous compassion and vision. For the past quarter-century, the NMF has been dedicated to saving lives and improving the quality-of-life for Marfan patients through research, support services, education, and advocacy. This year marks the 16th observance of National Marfan Awareness Month which is designed to educate the general public and healthcare providers about this challenging condition. Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue that can affect many body systems, including; the skeleton, eyes, heart, nervous system, lungs and blood vessels. Of primary concern to patients is the impact the syndrome can have on the aorta. In Marfan patients, the aorta (the large artery that carries blood away from the heart) is weakened and prone to enlargement and rupture, which is often fatal. Currently, there is no cure for Marfan syndrome but with early diagnosis, proper treatment and careful management, patients can live a normal lifespan. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that we are at an unprecedented time of hope in the field of Marfan syndrome research. Just last month, the National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institute of Health, working closely with NMF, initiated a groundbreaking clinical trial on Marfan syndrome. This trial seeks to determine the efficacy of a medication currently used to control high- blood pressure for treating aortic growth in children with Marfan syndrome. The blood-pressure medication has shown a remarkable ability to halt and even reverse aortic growth in pioneering basic research conducted by Dr. Hal Dietz of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. I applaud NHLBI Director Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, and Dr. Gail Pearson, Chief of the NHLBI's Heart Development and Structural Diseases Branch, for their leadership in supporting this promising trial. Madam Speaker, February was chosen as National Marfan Awareness Month in part to coincide with Abraham Lincoln's birthday. President Lincoln is believed to have been affected by Marfan syndrome based on the many outward signs of the disorder he portrayed. Marfan syndrome patients are frequently taller than non-affected members of their family and have disproportionately long limbs, fingers and toes. In addition, they often have an indented or protruding chest-bone, curved spine, high- arched palate, and loose joints. Other well known individuals who were afflicted with the Marfan syndrome include Jonathan Larson, the Tony Award winning playwright of the Broadway musical Rent, Flo Hyman, captain of the U.S. Olympic volleyball team that won a gold medal in 1984, Charles de Gaulle, the composer Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff, and Mary, Queen of Scots. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 14,000 people die each year of aortic aneurysms and dissections, 20 percent of which can be contributed to genetic disorders such as Marfan syndrome. Unfortunately, a lack of awareness about Marfan syndrome continues to result in patients dying before being properly diagnosed and treated. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me and the National Marfan Foundation in raising awareness of this life-threatening disorder so we can prevent future unnecessary tragedies.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, the coalition of the willing no longer is. If those who are no longer with us are against us, then we have lost the support and the admiration of the entire world. Those of us who came of age in the sixties believing that war is the ultimate breakdown of civilized process have done the unthinkable. We trusted our leadership when we should have questioned more. We gave war a chance. We called upon our sons and daughters entering the prime of their young lives to step up, as had generations before them, to defend our freedom and our liberty against an Iraqi nuclear threat that did not exist. Our young people did not disappoint. They answered the call, have been fighting bravely and ferociously, putting their lives on the line every day for going on 4\1/2\ years. They followed the orders of their officers right up to the Commander in Chief, and a grateful Nation, indeed, can ask no more. They did not disappoint. But it is we who let them down, tragically. We are reminded that the President is the Commander in Chief, and, indeed, he is. He sent them to fight and die in a war based on a faulty and tortuously shifting premise. That we, in our positions of great trust, were misled and then misplaced our trust, does not excuse us. He sent them to fight in a war without equipping them properly, and, as many generals believe initially, in insufficient numbers. With an abundance of prayers but inadequate plans, he sent them to fight international terrorists; but, instead, they are mired down, enmeshed, and are being slaughtered in someone else's sectarian and deadly civil war while the real terrorists prepare to retake Afghanistan. Six years ago I voted with the President. He is our President. I did not want him to fail. His failure is our country's failure, and that is not acceptable. But here is where we are. We have lost the support of even those in the region who wanted Saddam's demise. We have not found the real terrorist, Osama bin Laden. We have lost the support of the coalition of the willing. We have lost the support of our major allies. We have lost the prestige and admiration of the world. We have lost our credibility. We have lost the confidence of the American people. And we have lost over 3,000 precious lives of our bravest patriotic and promising young citizens. I voted with the President, and I was wrong, but I know I was wrong. Grown-ups know that not every story has a happy ending regardless of good intentions. I am afraid this is one such story. I am afraid we have been led into a dead-end chasm from which there is no easy escape. Under the administration's leadership, everything has gone wrong. So what do we do now? Do we compound the disaster? Perhaps we can learn from the great Iraqi poet, Omar Kyayyam, who in the Runaiyat wrote: ``The Moving Finger writes; and having writ, Moves on; nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.'' Mr. Speaker, sending 20,000 additional troops is not a change of plans, it is merely an escalation. About one out of every 40 people we send to Iraq comes home in a casket. As an old math teacher, I can tell you by extrapolation that sending 20,000 more brings home 500 more dead. Little else changes. This vote is, indeed, nonbinding. It is but the little boy in the crowd yelling, ``The emperor has no plan.'' Mr. Speaker, managing failure is unpleasant, but reinforcing it is criminal. Vote for the resolution so that we might help the President to avoid compounding this disaster.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I respectfully request that Serge Berdugo's recent op-ed, ``Morocco: A Model of Muslim-Jewish Ties'', as published in the January 9 issue of The Christian Science Monitor, be entered into the Congressional Record. Mr. Berdugo, the president of Morocco's Jewish Community Council, outlines the history of Muslim- Jewish relations in Morocco, where Jews and Muslims have peacefully lived as neighbors for hundreds of years. I commend this work to all who want a lasting peace between Jews and Muslims across the world, and everyone who wishes to see the State of Israel and its neighbors coexisting harmoniously. Casablanca, Morocco.--As the flames of anti-Semitism continue to be fanned across much of the Islamic world, there is a risk that today's youth will grow up believing that Arabs and Jews were simply not meant to coexist, let alone thrive together. That idea conflicts with history--and is a falsehood today. My country, Morocco, illustrates the viability and vitality of a Jewish community--my community--in an Arab country. It's a model of harmony other Muslim nations should follow. The Jewish people have been a presence in Africa's Maghreb region for more than 2,000 years. North African Jews and Muslims traveled north and thrived together in southern Europe for more than 700 years. In 1492, when we refused to convert to Christianity, we were expelled--together--from Spain. And together we successfully sought refuge in Morocco, which accepted us into its society and institutions. Morocco's leaders have always made the well-being of the Jewish people a top priority. During World War II, when the Vichy government of occupied France announced that it had prepared 200,000 yellow stars for the Jews of Morocco, King Mohammed V replied that he would need 50 more for him and his family. He refused to make any distinction between his citizens. The importance of a nation's leader setting the tone for recognition, respect, and treatment of minority faiths cannot be overstated. Today, King Mohammed VI has declared his religious, historical, and constitutional obligation to protect the rights, liberties, and sacred values of the Jews in Morocco. This commitment dramatically affected Morocco's reaction at moments of great challenge. After May 16, 2003--the Moroccan 9/11, when five terrorist bombs exploded, three directed at Jewish targets--King Mohammed VI expressed condolences at a Jewish Center, condemning the criminal acts and reaffirming his determination to protect Jews and all Moroccan citizens. In doing so, he defined the attack as one upon all Moroccan society, awakening the national conscience and strengthening the bonds between us. Moroccans of all faiths responded with candlelight vigils at bombing sites and demonstrations attended by nearly 1 million participants. Many Moroccan Jews have emigrated to Israel and elsewhere, but the attachments to our homeland are unique. ``Morocco never loses a Jewish citizen--we gain an ambassador,'' Mohammed VI's predecessor, King Hassan II, once said. Today, there are 1 million such ``ambassadors'' all over the world and 600,000 in Israel alone. We Jews who call Morocco home have a vibrant community that includes 30 functioning synagogues and three school networks, which many influential Muslim families choose for their own children. Moroccan Jews serve as counselors to the king, ministers, colonels, members of parliament, judges, and ambassadors. On Jewish holy days, Muslim authorities, out of respect, attend our services. With help from the Moroccan government, we started a foundation to preserve Jewish historical sites. And we support research on our community--including 30 doctoral dissertations presently under way by Muslim candidates. Are we an isolated society? Hardly: Moroccans young and old have access to as wide an array of media and ideological diversity as anywhere in the Islamic world. Yes, the extremists' call is heard here, too, but make no mistake--it's the response that differs. The tones of tolerance, trumpeted by a government that believes that Moroccan Judaism is an intrinsic and permanent part of the national culture, overwhelm the extremists' siren song. Are we a historical accident or the path forward? Perhaps the answer is that our historical good fortune now has to be transformed into a model for others. We are more relevant outside our border than ever before. Other world leaders must realize that the path forward lies not in fanning the fires of the moment, but in setting a tone of authentic coexistence that will endure.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Lantos, our soon-to-be chairman of the committee. Mr. Speaker, today is truly a historic day for U.S.-India relations. Chairman Hyde, who deserves all of the accolades that he received today, has worked very hard, and, together with Ranking Member Lantos, they have done extraordinary work to bring before us a conference report that will transform our relationship with India and bring reality to the process of nuclear nonproliferation. I congratulate them both for their tremendous efforts and for their tremendous and enormous achievement. Mr. Speaker, if you liked this bill in January, and you overwhelmingly did, then you are going to love this conference report. If you were worried about seeing the agreement before it was final, then you will love this conference report, because it gives Congress another chance to scrutinize and vote on approving the final deal. If you wanted the IAEA to be able to inspect India's nuclear facilities, then you are for this conference report, because two-thirds of all of India's nuclear facilities will now be under IAEA safeguards. It is a no-brainer. Without this, we get to inspect zero; with this, two-thirds of India's nuclear facilities. If you wanted India for the first time ever to commit to the MTCR guidelines, then you get that in this conference report. If you wanted India for the first time ever to adhere to the Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines, you get that in this conference report. If you wanted to send a clear message to nuclear rogue states about how to behave, then you are for this conference report. You are for it because it shows that responsible nuclear powers are welcomed by the international community and not sanctioned. If you wanted a broad, deep, enduring strategic relationship with India, then you are for this conference report. For 30 years, U.S. policy towards India has been defined and constrained by our insistence on punishing India for its sovereign decision not to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Truth be told, if India had conducted its nuclear tests a little earlier, it would have been treated the way we treat China and Russia and France and Britain and ourselves; in short, as a grandfathered member of the nuclear weapons club. But they did not test earlier, and nothing we have tried over the last 3 decades has convinced them to give up their nuclear weapons program, and nothing we say over the next 3 decades will convince them either. India is a responsible nuclear power and deserves to be treated that way. The conference report before us does just that. Critics have expressed concerns regarding the bill's impact on our nonproliferation policy, and clearly Iran and Pakistan and North Korea are looking for clues about what this deal means for them and their nuclear programs. Let them understand the message. If you want to be treated like India, be like India. Be responsible. Be a good international actor with regard to weapons of mass destruction technology. Be like India. Don't sell your technology to the highest bidder. Be like India. Don't provide it to terrorists. Be a democracy, a real democracy, such as India, and work with us on important foreign policy objectives, and not against us. That is the message that we are going to send today. Does it warm your heart and make you comfortable that Iran and North Korea signed the NPT, but they are now running away from their fully accepted and freely accepted obligations and away from IAEA inspections? India didn't sign the NPT, and yet it is embracing the IAEA and embracing nonproliferation norms and is a democracy. India's attitude should be recognized and commended, not criticized and condemned. Practically speaking, there are only two options, and they are before us today: One is to vote ``no'' and continue the status quo, which means India goes on pursuing its national interests as it has been doing outside of the nonproliferation mainstream, and we get to inspect nothing. The other is to vote ``yes,'' make the deal with India and get for the United States and the international community a window in perpetuity into two-thirds of India's existing nuclear facilities and all of its future civilian nuclear facilities. The choice is clear. The conference report brings India into the nonproliferation mainstream and gets the United States and international community access to India's civilian nuclear facilities. Mr. Speaker, it is time for a 21st century policy toward India, one that supports and encourages India's emergence as a responsible global power and solidifies the U.S.-India bilateral relationship for decades to come. Not that it needs it, but the bill gives a great name, that of Henry Hyde, to this remarkable piece of legislation. We salute you, Mr. Chairman. I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 5632.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6198, legislation to hold the current regime in Iran accountable for its threatening behavior and to support a transition to democracy in Iran. As an original cosponsor of the legislation I am pleased that the House is considering it today. The threat from Iran is plain. The Iranian mullahs have lied to the international community about their nuclear program for years. They have, again and again and again, defied the clear will of the international community that has demanded that they freeze their efforts to enrich uranium. Iran has been, and remains today, the most active state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Iran provides hundreds of millions of dollars, shiploads of weapons, advanced military training and substantial political cover to Hizballah, Hamas and other radical, violent Islamist groups in the Middle East. Their most senior officials continue to make pronouncements that call into question their attachment to reality. Supreme Leader Khamenei has confirmed that Iran would share its nuclear technology with other states. President Ahmadinejad has made a hobby out of Holocaust denial and at every opportunity violates the most fundamental tenet of international law by calling for the annihilation of Israel, a sovereign member of the international community. In Iran, we have exactly what we thought we had in Iraq: a state with enormous wealth in natural resources; significant WMD capabilities and the means to deliver them; and the use of terrorist organizations as an instrument of state policy. But what will amaze the historians who look back on this period will be the stunning lack of urgency with which the Bush Administration and this Congress has approached this problem. I will be the first to admit that our policy options toward Iran are unappetizing at best. We have little diplomatic leverage, since we don't talk with Iran directly, except in very limited circumstances. Any military operation beyond pinpoint air strikes is quite simply beyond our capacity at the moment, given our situation in Iraq. And we should honestly acknowledge that even a robust campaign of air strikes targeted at Iran's nuclear facilities might have only a marginal effect on Iran's nuclear program. We don't know where all of it is hidden and many of the sites that we do know of can't be effectively attacked from the air. Further, since our intelligence is so incomplete, we would have a very limited ability to assess how much damage our strikes had actually done to the Iranian program. In addition to questions about the direct affects, a decision to strike Iran, would have enormous diplomatic consequences for the United States, and would likely lead to Iranian retaliation against our already overextended troops in Iraq, and probably against our ally, Israel. So without a viable military option, we are left with maklng multi- lateral diplomacy effective. This is the right course, but it is one that the Bush administration has been extremely loathe to pursue, and one at which they have shown little proficiency. If a nuclear-armed Iran is ``very de-stabilizing,'' as the President has said it is--and I do believe it is--then we need to make that view, and the implications of that view, clear to Russia and China and even to our partners in Europe. Fortunately, this legislation provides the administration with new and useful tools that can be applied to help make that case. Our message must be that this urgent problem can be addressed if the will is there to do so. In short, Iran needs to become urgent for the administration before it will become urgent for anyone else. Only concerted, sustained multilateral pressure has any chance of convincing Iran to change course. And if Iran chooses not to change course, then the international community must be prepared to pursue effective multilateral sanctions against the regime. Unfortunately, while the EU- 3 shares our view that an Iran with nuclear weapons is not an acceptable outcome, it seems that Russia and China do not. If the administration can't convince those nations that it is in their interest for Iran not to have nuclear weapons, then we need to start considering what options remain to us unilaterally, what the cost of the options would be and how we could go about containing a nuclear- armed Iran. One last point Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that the bill we are considering today does not contain the language regarding pension plans and mutual funds that would require the managers of such funds to notify investors if any of the assets of a particular fund are invested in an entity which has invested in Iran and may be subject to sanctions under ILSA. I think such notifications are consistent with the fiduciary responsibilities of fund managers and would have prevented Americans from unwittingly fueling Iran's drive to acquire nuclear weapons, simply by contributing to their 401(k)'s. Nevertheless, I strongly urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, which will help ensure that future generations of New Yorkers and all Americans will enjoy a clean, well-preserved Long Island Sound. The Long Island Sound is critically important to our Nation and vital to the health and well-being of the communities I represent. As an Estuary of National Significance, the Sound provides habitat for a wide array of plant and animal life, and contributes an estimated $5.5 billion to the regional economy from boating, fishing and tourism- related commerce. Boating and fishing are deeply enmeshed in the culture and traditions of Long Island, and the Sound has long been our region's gateway to the seas. Unfortunately, the effects of millions of people living adjacent to the Sound's shore have been profound. At the turn of the millennium, lobster catch rates plummeted by 90%, costing our local economy between $30 and $50 million. Dangerous levels of toxins continue to threaten the well-being of the Sound's diverse habitats and wildlife breeding areas, as well as the livelihoods of those who depend on these resources for their livelihood. The Long Island Sound Stewardship Act supplements conservation and preservation efforts along the shoreline of Long Island and Connecticut, and authorizes $25 million in federal appropriations over the next 4 fiscal years. Mr. Speaker, this bill is not perfect. I strongly support and will continue to advocate for funding at the original proposed level of $40 million annually. Properly conceived, the legislation should include wetlands and underwater lands within the authority of the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative, which will be established by this legislation. Additionally, I strongly support fully funding conservation and preservation offshore via the Long Island Sound Restoration Act, which has fallen victim to the Majority's budget cuts. The Long Island Sound, however, is a national treasure and I believe that any preservation efforts to conserve any part of the Sound should be embraced. I do support this legislation and I would like to thank my colleague from New York, the co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, Mr. Israel, for all of his efforts to bring this bill to the floor and to preserve the Long Island Sound.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5923, a bill that would designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 29-50 Union Street in Flushing, New York, as the Dr. Leonard Price Stavisky Post Office. It is more than fitting that a Federal facility be named after Leonard in a community that he so ably represented for so many years; and I note for the record that the bill is cosponsored by every Member of the New York State delegation, both sides of the aisle. Leonard was born in the Bronx and graduated from City College of New York in 1945. He continued his studies by earning a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1946. He capped off his education with a doctorate in American History from Columbia in 1958. Leonard had a long and illustrious first career in academia, spending more than 30 years working and teaching at Colombia University, the State University of New York, the City University of New York, Colgate University, Long Island University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He taught history and political science and worked at the administration level as well. Until 1990, Leonard was an adjunct professor of political science at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. His extensive background in education enabled him to be a strong and effective advocate and expert on education issues during his legislative career. Leonard earned his political stripes while serving on the New York City Council from 1954 to 1960. He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1966, served as chairman of the Education Committee for more than 8 years. As chairman of the committee, he became an outspoken and passionate advocate of State support for public education. In 1975, Leonard sponsored the legislation that prevented severe budget cuts in New York City's public schools in the wake of the city's severe financial crisis. Leonard became my successor in the New York State Senate; and there he continued his fervent support of public education, including pushing for fiscal autonomy for the State University of New York. At the national level, Leonard served as a commissioner on the Education Commission of the States and was chairman of the Education and Labor Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures. In these capacities he was a tireless advocate for States on educational issues involving the Federal Government and school districts across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, most of all, Leonard passionately represented Flushing, New York, in the Borough of Queens during his time in the New York State assembly and senate until his untimely death in 1999. He was active in all phases of community affairs, especially in Flushing. He served on the boards of directors of the Bay Community Volunteer Ambulance Corp., the Latimer Gardens Community Center, the Bland Houses Community Center, the Dwarf-Giraffe Boys League, the Flushing Boys Club, and the North Flushing Senior Center. In addition, he worked closely with the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association on numerous local issues. The members of this association have sought to honor Senator Stavisky by renaming the post office in their community after him. Dr. Stavisky could have comfortably stayed on in the academic field his entire career. Rather, he chose to selflessly participate in the political process in order to effectuate the policies he thought necessary to further public education. I would like to note, Mr. Speaker, that Leonard's wife, Toby, is carrying on Leonard's work, elected in her own right as the senator from New York's 16th State senate district, succeeding Leonard after his passing. Toby is the first woman elected to the State senate from Queens County. Leonard and Toby's son, Evan, is a prominent political consultant in New York. Mr. Speaker, Leonard Price Stavisky's life of hard work, perseverance, and selflessness brought integrity and dignity to public office. It is appropriate to pay tribute to his memory by renaming this post office in Flushing, Queens in his honor. I sincerely hope the whole House will join us in commemorating his decades of service to the people of Queens and to the city and State of New York, and I urge all to support H.R. 5923.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6033, a bill that would designate the United States Postal Service facility at 39-25 61st Street, in Woodside, Queens, New York City the ``Thomas J. Manton Post Office Building.'' It is more than fitting that a federal facility will be named after Tom in a community that he so ably represented for so many years. Tom lived a life seemingly from a movie script: a son of Irish immigrants; educated at St. John's University; earned his law degree at night from St. John's; Marine Corps Flight Navigator; New York City Police Officer; New York City Councilman from Queens; Member of Congress; and Queens County Democratic Chairman. Tom Manton's life was a perfect realization of the American Dream, and having achieved the American Dream himself, Tom always worked to ensure that everyone, native born and immigrant alike, had the opportunity to live the American Dream as well. When Tom Manton became Chairman of the Queens County Democratic organization, he immediately revitalized a local party beset by front- page problems and the loss of public trust. Tom turned the party organization around while at the same time insisting on increasing its diversity to reflect the borough of Queens. Tom recruited and helped numerous political candidates from different ethnic backgrounds. As a result of Tom's hard work, discipline, and commitment, the Queens Democratic Committee is currently one of the strongest party organizations in the country. In Congress, Tom was a tireless advocate for the people of New York. On the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Tom worked to help his constituents by bringing jobs and opportunity to his congressional district. Like many others, I turned to Tom for advice and guidance and found him to be a stand-up guy, the real deal. His word and handshake was his bond. Tom characteristically worked quietly behind the curtain, rather than grandstanding in front of the cameras. So, he might be a little embarrassed about having a federal facility named after him. But, Tom also believed in our government, and its ability to help each of us achieve our dreams of prosperity and justice for all Americans. Mr. Speaker, Tom Manton's life of hard work, perseverance, and selflessness brought integrity and dignity to public office. It is appropriate that we pay tribute to his memory by naming this post office in Woodside, Queens in his honor. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6033.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the legacy and the record of our distinguished former colleague, Thomas J. Manton, a superb public servant who passed away on July 22nd. Tom Manton was born on November 3, 1932. In many ways, his birth date was symbolic of the man Tom would become. Just as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, elected President a few days later, would usher in a new era of optimism and faith in the American system, Tom Manton lived a life that served as an inspiration to all who believed, and continue to believe, in the American Dream. A young child during the Depression, Tom Manton was a typical son of Irish immigrants, people who came to this country in search of work and a better life for their children. In fact, Tom's father, Tom, Sr., was a laborer here at the United States Capitol. Surely, as he worked to help build the Cannon House Office Building, he must have looked around now and then, seen the grandeur of the place, and dreamed that one day, his son would work there, not as a laborer, but as an elected representative with an office suite in the building. This most American of dreams, in fact, came true. Tom attended St. Joseph's School in Astoria, Queens, and St. John's Prep in Brooklyn; he earned an undergraduate degree and, by going to school at night, a law degree from St. John's University. When his country needed him, Tom Manton served as a Flight Navigator in the U.S. Marine Corps. He then continued to serve his Nation and community by becoming a New York City Police Officer. In 1970, Tom was elected to the New York City Council, where he continued his work to safeguard the welfare of his fellow citizens. He would continue in this position for fourteen years. In 1984, Tom seized the opportunity to represent his community in the U.S. House of Representatives when he won the election to succeed Democratic vice- presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro. Two years later, Tom became the Chairman of the Queens County Democratic organization and immediately began the revitalization of the local party. Tom took the reins at a time when the party was racked with front-page problems and a loss of public trust. Not only did he turn the party organization around and bring it back to full health, but in doing so, he insisted on making its membership more diverse and more reflective of the diversity of our beloved borough of Queens. Tom's passion for equality took form in his commitment to helping new political leaders of varying ethnic backgrounds achieve impressive firsts. He helped elect the first Latino from Queens to the New York State Assembly; the first Chinese-American to the City Council; the first woman to serve as Borough President; and then the first African-American woman to Borough Presidency; he supported the first Indian-American and Korean-American District Leaders. These are just a few of these achievements. As a direct result of the discipline and commitment he brought to every task, and the tireless work he put into the party, the Queens Democratic Committee is now one of the strongest party organizations in the country. Every Democratic candidate for President, going back to Michael Dukakis, sought Tom out, knowing that without his support, the votes of Queens Democrats would be few and far between. As a congressman, Tom was a bull-dog-like advocate for New York's interests. He won a seat on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and used his influence to bring jobs and opportunity to his constituents. He fought for critical improvements in the Superfund program to accelerate the cleanup of toxic waste sites. He also took the lead in improving the conservation of our Nation's fisheries and ocean resources as chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries Management. He used his experience as a former member of the NYPD to ensure that police officers across the Nation--and their families--would receive fitting lifetime compensation in the event of permanent job-related injuries. He was a Member's Member, constantly working behind the scenes to assist his colleagues, helping to rescue stuck legislation, or cutting deals that made everyone feel like a winner. Having lived the American Dream himself, Tom worked ceaselessly to safeguard the opportunity for everyone, native born and immigrant alike, to live the American Dream as well. Tom was tough, but Tom was fair. And respect for Tom was universal, and went beyond ideology or partisan boundaries. Tom never forgot his roots. He played a tireless and crucial role in helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland. He served as co-chair of the bipartisan Irish Caucus. He was selected to be the Grand Marshal of the New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade, something of which I know he was proud. With Tom Manton's passing, we have lost one of the classic old school Irish politicians that New York has sent to Washington to look after the interests of ordinary Americans. Tom was a guy who was decent and honest. His word and handshake were his bond. Tom worked quietly behind the curtain, rather than grandstanding in front of the cameras. Tom was a stand-up guy, the real deal. When Tom Manton entered Congress in 1985, I had been serving in Congress for little more than a year. All of us in the New York delegation turned to Tom for advice and guidance. Tom made a difference in the lives of everyone who knew him, and his efforts improved this country for every one of its citizens. My heartfelt condolences go out to Tom's widow, Diane, his children, and grandchildren. He loved them dearly and they love him still. Like many of my colleagues, I will miss Tom. I will miss his wise counsel and his unquenchable passion for our community and its people. America and New York have lost a truly good man and a great public servant.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I consider it an honor and a distinct privilege today to rise and offer birthday congratulations to a man many in this country and the world have come to respect and admire, Sri Chinmoy, who on August 27, will be celebrating his 75th birthday in New York City. He is a selfless individual who has dedicated himself to nurturing world harmony and to the creative expression of the limitless potential of the human spirit. Sri Chinmoy's many contributions to American life and culture have been expressed through teaching, athletics, art, music, poetry and literature. He combines the contemplative traditions of his native India with the dynamism of his adopted America to serve humanity through programs such as the World Harmony Run torch relay, The Oneness-Heart Tears and Smiles worldwide humanitarian service, and the Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart awards program. Through these initiatives for world harmony, he has touched countless lives and offered hope to thousands of individuals worldwide. Mr. Speaker, Sri Chinmoy Kumar Ghose was born on August 27,1931, in India in East Bengal, the present day Bangladesh. On April 13, 1964, he arrived in this country from Southern India, where he had received his education and training in the ancient methods of yoga at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. When he came to this country, he founded the Sri Chinmoy Centre, headquartered in Jamaica, Queens. The first Centres were established in 1966 in Puerto Rico and New York, and have since grown to include branches all over the United States and 73 other countries worldwide. The Centres are dedicated to the twin goals of public service and personal spiritual growth through the use of meditation. The students of Sri Chinmoy include individuals from all faiths and walks of life who seek to cultivate harmony and goodwill both in themselves and in their communities. They also compose the community of volunteers who carry out, at the grass-roots level, Sri Chinmoy's vision of loving service through such varied projects as humanitarian aid and the sponsorship of musical concerts and athletic events. Considered one of the world's foremost authorities on Eastern philosophy, which is a systematic method of expanding consciousness through meditation, prayer and selfless service, Sri Chinmoy has lectured on this topic at many of the major universities in the United States. His first lecture tour began at Yale on December 4, 1968 and included talks at all 8 Ivy League Universities. In the early 1970s he lectured at 20 universities on topics of Indian wisdom and philosophy. In 1974, he spoke at universities in all 50 states. He continues to lecture here and around the world. In his writings and speeches, he endeavors to share eastern light for the western mind. A prolific writer and poet, Sri Chinmoy has written over 1,550 books of essays, poems and short stories. The largest university library collection of his works is at Harvard Divinity School. Meditation classes under Sri Chinmoy's guidance are always provided free of charge. He offered his first public meditation at Columbia University on April 23, 1971, and his first meditation in Congress at the Rayburn House Office Building on May 23, 1979, under the sponsorship of my former colleague, the distinguished late New York Congressman Joseph P. Addabbo. Mr. Speaker, Sri Chinmoy believes that sport is a powerful instrument for promoting global harmony. He has long found that athletics can be an invaluable source of motivation and enrichment for thousands of people, young and old alike. In 1976 he was recognized with a commendation from the President's Council on Physical Fitness for his role in inspiring young Americans to run the 50-State, 9,000-mile ``Liberty Torch'' relay held in honor of the U.S. Bicentennial. He founded the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in 1977. In 1982, several of his students organized ``America's Freedom-Ride,'' a 50-State public participation bicycle relay that celebrated the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The lessons of these early 50-State American relays became the foundation for the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team to organize a global torch relay. Now known as the World Harmony Run, it was held from April to August on a biennial basis from 1987 to 2001 and resumed as a yearly event in 2005. The World Harmony Run seeks to promote international friendship and understanding. This year, an international team of runners will carry a flaming torch, symbolizing the human aspiration for oneness, through more than 80 countries around the globe together with a 10,500-mile, fifty State U.S.A. route. The event serves to connect thousands of grassroots efforts for world harmony taking place in communities across the globe. It does not seek to raise money or promote any political cause, but rather to create good will among peoples and nations. The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team has made a city block in my district world famous. It's where the longest running race in the world takes place around the shortest course--a half-mile certified loop on paved sidewalks adjacent to the Grand Central Parkway. To complete the Self- Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race, participants run 5,648.688 laps around the block, a distance equivalent to more than 118 marathons. The Tenth Annual edition began on June 11 and continues into August with the largest field yet of 15 ultra-distance runners. As in all his endeavors, Sri Chinmoy sets the highest standards of organization, logistics and support to help ultra-marathon runners achieve their greatest potential. We can expect of this race to see new world records and personal bests. A decathlon and 100-meter sprinting champion in his youth, Sri Chinmoy believes in the necessity of a sound mind and a sound body. He began his own long-distance running career in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on June 1, 1978. In March 1979, he ran his first marathon in Chico, California, and, later that month, his fastest marathon in 3:55:07 at the Heart-Watchers Marathon in Toledo, Ohio. He has completed 22 marathons and 5 ultra marathons and now, at age 75, still regularly exercises. Mr. Speaker, Sri Chinmoy first began weightlifting on June 26, 1986, and embarked on a new dimension in his weightlifting career 2 years later when he inaugurated ``Lifting Up the World with a Oneness- Heart.'' This is his way of recognizing individuals from all walks of life who inspire humanity and excel in their respective fields. At these programs, Sri Chinmoy lifts each honoree overhead on a special platform, symbolically reflecting their own uplifting contributions to the world. Bill Pearl of Oregon, a Five-time Mr. Universe, was the first person lifted in this fashion. Sri Chinmoy has lifted Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, heads of state, ambassadors, Nobel laureates, university professors, spiritual leaders from all faiths, Olympic athletes, citizens serving their communities, and school children whose dreams are so important to our future. In Hawaii, on December 23, 1990, he lifted Senator Hiram L. Fong, who was Hawaii's first Senator at the time of statehood. On July 10, 2001, in the Rayburn Gold Room, Sri Chinmoy simultaneously lifted my esteemed New York colleague Benjamin Gilman and me on a two-platform lifting apparatus, one of us with each arm. If I had not experienced it, I could not imagine this to be possible. In a day-long lifting program at Boeing Field Auditorium in Washington State on July 13, 2003, held to celebrate the centenary of the Wright brothers first flight, Sri Chinmoy lifted 123 airplane pilots in appreciation of their dedicated services in carrying humanity into the skies. From 1988 to 2006, Sri Chinmoy has honored more than 8,000 individuals from many countries with this award. Mr. Speaker, The Oneness-Heart Tears and Smiles is the voluntary humanitarian service program of the Sri Chinmoy Centre. Since 1991, centre members worldwide have collected and shipped tons of humanitarian supplies to countries in need including South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, India, and, after the tsunami, Sri Lanka. It responds to disaster relief requests, health and education needs, and regional development projects. The program obtains and distributes medical, domestic and educational supplies and toys, working closely with other aid agencies, local NGOs, community groups and corporations. One would think that this busy schedule and numerous interests would be enough for one man, but not so for Sri Chinmoy. An accomplished composer of music for choir and instruments with 13,000 songs composed in his native Bengali and 7,000 in English, Sri Chinmoy has performed his music free of charge at over 750 concerts worldwide since 1984. Last year, to celebrate his 74th birthday, he played his original compositions on 74 different pianos at an outdoor concert in Queens. Senators Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York and Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island sponsored an art exhibit of Sri Chinmoy's soul-bird drawings in the Russell Rotunda of the U.S. Senate in 1995. All told, Sri Chinmoy has written 20,000 songs, taught 300 university lectures, authored 1,550 books, including 112,000 poems, penned 15 million bird drawings, and completed 200,000 ``Jharna-Kala'' paintings (``Fountain of Art'' in his native Bengali). He has dedicated his life to inspiring and serving all those trying to make the world a better place, whether ordinary citizens or those entrusted with the stewardship of a nation. Mr. Speaker, on this, the celebration of Sri Chinmoy's upcoming Diamond Jubilee 75th birthday, I ask all my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me as I wish Sri Chinmoy success in the years ahead and best wishes for a long and continuingly fruitful life.