Timothy Bishop

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding, and I thank the authors of this resolution. Frank McCourt is justifiably known to the country and to the world primarily as a writer. I knew him as a teacher. Prior to coming to the Congress, I was the provost of South Hampton College of Long Island University, and we offered a master's in the fine arts program in creative writing. We hired Frank McCourt to teach in that program. He taught in that program every summer from 2002 through 2008, and he was preparing to teach in the summer of 2009 when he died. To describe him as a great teacher is to not do him justice. He was an extraordinary teacher. He was inspiring, he was inspired, he was engaging, and he was incredibly effective. The workshop that he offered was called Memoir Writing, and it was always the most heavily subscribed of all of the workshops we offered. There was always a waiting list. Alan Alda worked on his memoirs as a student in Frank McCourt's memoir writing class. Anne Bancroft, prior to her passing, was a student in Frank McCourt's memoir writing class. That class was really a textbook in how much to teach, how to engage students, how to turn them on to a subject matter, and how to get the most out of them--the very essence of teaching--and he did it with enormous humor, with great charm, and was almost effortless in his ability to connect with students. So I certainly hope that the Congress will unanimously pass this resolution. He was a man richly deserving of any accolade that he might receive. He will be terribly missed. He serves as an example of what good teaching is and how valuable good teaching is to our Nation's students.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Brookhaven Town Councilman Keith Romaine. Tragically, Councilman Romaine's life was cut far too short on November 14 at the age of 36. Keith Romaine devoted himself to family and to the community he loved. Like his father, Keith believed in putting public service first. He served as a Congressional aide and small business owner before his election in 2007 to the Brookhaven Town Board. Although Keith could have simply run on his strong family name, he worked hard to establish his own identity and accomplishments. He served as President of the Moriches Bay Civic Association where he was a tireless advocate for this community. On the Brookhaven Town Board he worked equally as hard, serving as a full-time representative for his community. Among his accomplishments in just one term were closing the composting facility on Papermill Road in Manorville, working with other levels of government to establish a skate park, and legislation to reduce unnecessary vehicle expenses which will save Brookhaven residents millions of dollars. Shortly after his election to the Town Council, Keith sat down with me during some of my Community Office Hours and we discussed issues where we could work together. I saw his passion for his community and so did the people he represented. In one of his last interviews, when Councilman Romaine was asked why he wanted to serve in Town government, he gave a simple, but telling answer, ``You're the closest to the people.'' Keith Romaine's career was only beginning and the Town of Brookhaven and Long Island will be worse off without him. My heart goes out to Keith's father Ed, his brother Kevin, his grandfather Edward, and the entire Romaine family on this tragic loss.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, let me just close by thanking the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach) for his leadership on this issue. Let me also thank the chairman of the committee, Mr. Oberstar, for moving this resolution through the committee so rapidly and bringing it to the floor so quickly. Let me also echo the chairman's comments with respect to the urgency and the desirability of passing a robust reauthorization of the highway transportation bill as quickly as we possibly can. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 841, a resolution that supports the designation of November 29, 2009, as Drive Safer Sunday, and encourages the greater education and awareness of the growing dangers caused by distracted driving on the Nation's roadways. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach) for introducing this resolution ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday as part of a growing effort to combat this dangerous trend. Improving roadway safety is a top priority of our national transportation policy. Through the coordinated efforts of the Congress, the Department of Transportation, States, local governments, and community leaders, we can--and we must--take steps to reduce the alarming numbers of fatalities on the Nation's roadways each year. On average over the past 5 years, over 41,500 people annually have lost their lives in vehicle crashes resulting in yearly costs of $289 billion to the United States economy. Despite these startling statistics, the public has in many ways come to accept traffic fatalities as unavoidable. Recently, a number of high-profile accidents have brought public scrutiny on the dangers of distracted driving, particularly texting while driving. This attention has led to a growing consensus that tasks that require drivers to divert attention from the road--such as dialing of a cell phone or sending text messages--undermine driver performance and must be combated. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes in which at least one form of driver distraction was cited on the crash report. Driver distraction was reported to have been involved in 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2008, increasing from 12 percent in 2004. Addressing this troubling number of fatalities on our roadways will require a comprehensive approach to highway safety. That is why it is important during periods of above-average risk that we do everything in our power to inform the driving public about the importance of driving safety, remaining focused on the primary task at hand of operating a vehicle, and avoiding the many distractions that have caused so many unnecessary accidents. This resolution brings much-needed awareness to the threats posed by roadway fatalities, particularly around the busy Thanksgiving holiday. With drivers from every region of the U.S. traveling for the holidays, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest highway traffic days of the year, and one of the deadliest as well. During the 2008 Thanksgiving season alone, 389 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle accidents nationwide. This Thanksgiving we can all play a role in reducing these numbers through the commonsense recommendations in this resolution. I again thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach) for highlighting this important issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 841. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the Transportation Committee, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 841) expressing support for designation of November 29, 2009, as ``Drive Safer Sunday''.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 841.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, we all know that our fiscal future presents enormous challenges. The skyrocketing costs of our health care system puts constraints on our Federal budget, on our family budgets, and it prevents necessary investments in our future and the future of our children. The key to fiscal stability is entitlement reform. The key to entitlement reform is health care reform, and the first step in health care reform is the legislation before us. With nearly one-fifth of our national spending going towards health care, reducing the rate of increases in health care costs is an absolute necessity. Let's be honest with our constituents. Reducing corporate welfare and promoting efficiencies in Medicare spending is not equivalent to cutting benefits or covering fewer services. Rather, the Affordable Health Care for America Act is a thoughtful approach to ensuring Medicare works better for seniors and for those who provide care. Most importantly, the Affordable Health Care for America Act promotes stability and peace of mind for the family who just learned their child has diabetes or the husband whose wife has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. No longer will such devastating news be followed by the fear of impending bankruptcy. Vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3962.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, 4-1/2 decades ago on this very floor, Congress debated legislation closely related to the bill we will consider later this week. It is said that history is destined to repeat itself, especially when we repeat ourselves. So listen to these statements from the predecessors of my friends in the minority when they debated the bill creating Medicare. Their arguments sound very familiar--some strikingly similar--to the comments we've been hearing about the Affordable Health Care for America Act: Quoting Representative Durwood G. Hall, a Republican congressman from Missouri, who happened to also be a medical doctor: Mr. Speaker, the basis of quality medical care is the voluntary relationship between the doctor and patient. This would begin to disappear as the Government supplants the individual as the purchaser and provider of health services . . . Are we to tell the people of America, the senior citizens, that they are not capable of determining this matter . . . The result will inescapably be third-party intrusion into the practice of hospitalization and medicine. The physician's judgment would be open to question by others, not responsible for the patient's wellbeing . . . Congressman Hall went onto say: . . . Its adoption would be another downward step toward of loss of freedom of choice. Consequently, we cannot stand idly by now, as the Nation is urged to embark on an ill-conceived adventure in Government medicine, the end of which, no one can see, and from which the patient is certain to be the ultimate sufferer. For make no mistake about it: The medical profession will never deprive the people of high-quality medical care and the fruits of progress of medical science. That will come when the Government begins meddling and interfering with medical freedom. Quoting Edward Derwinski, a Republican congressman from Illinois, who made similar arguments: As we look into the future, we see clear signs of rigid governmental control of our medical system which can only be detrimental to all our citizens. At the risk of oversimplification, may I state that this bill is a sugar-coated pill that is being swallowed in an easy fashion, but its ill effects will be felt in the ultimate crippling of our medical services and unwarranted regressive tax burden on our citizens. Quoting Congressman Thomas Curtis, also from the state of Missouri, who has this to say: What we have done is to take a system that has proved successful for 85 percent of our people, including our older people, in order to solve the problems of the 15 percent. These arguments were made by Republicans while debating the Social Security Amendments of 1965, commonly known as Medicare--the bill that became law and responsible for the program that has treated and cared for tens of millions of American seniors with the medical care they need, It is striking but not all too surprising that the Grand Old Party is using the same old arguments on the other side of the aisle today. I doubt there is any member in this chamber today who would reasonably argue that Medicare has not benefited our Nation. Do they think insurance companies would step in to cover a 75-year old cancer patient if it were not for Medicare? Madam Speaker, the specter of a government takeover of health care has been part of the Republican playbook for nearly 45 years. It wasn't true then and it isn't true now. Medicare is the life blood of today's seniors. It put the `great' in LBJ's Great Society. History is destined to repeat itself--not just the mistakes, but the triumphs as well.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, we have no further speakers on our side, so with my gratitude to Mr. Cassidy, I urge my colleagues to approve this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 880) recognizing the efforts of career and technical colleges to educate and train workers for positions in high demand industries, as amended.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 880 into the Record.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I rise today in support of H. Res. 880, which recognizes the efforts of career and technical education colleges that educate and train workers for positions in high-demand industries. This resolution supports partnerships between career and technical colleges, employers, and students so that students can be prepared to enter high demand technical fields. Career and technical education colleges help students apply practical information learned in the classroom to employment. CTE schools serve a diverse set of students. They serve secondary students who need job skills to transition into the workplace and employees who need to upgrade their skills for new technologies. Employers work with CTE programs to hire fully competent, well-trained workers for professional technical positions. As America has evolved from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy, the globalization of business and industry requires workers to acquire core knowledge and skills that can be applied in a wide and rapidly changing variety of work settings. With the changing business industry, employers want more competent, skilled workers, but they are having a difficult time finding these workers. More than 80 percent of respondents in the 2005 National Association of Manufacturers Skills Gap Report indicate that employers are experiencing a shortage of qualified workers. CTEs are situated to respond rapidly to changing job market demand to prepare potential employees. Along with CTEs, community colleges help spur the economy and provide a skilled workforce that contributes more than $31 billion to the Nation's economy. This year, community colleges in this country will award more than 500,000 associate degrees and 270,000 associate certificates. In September of this year, the House of Representatives passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. This bill includes an unprecedented investment of $10 billion into community colleges by encouraging partnerships between community colleges, States, businesses, job training, and adult education programs, and by creating a new competitive grant program for community colleges to improve instruction, bolster student services and implement other innovative reforms. Community colleges play an important role in career and technical education, and in many communities are leading the way in providing workforce development programs that meet the needs of local businesses. Madam Speaker, I again wish to express my support for H. Res. 880, and I thank Congressman Cassidy for bringing this bill forward. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 752 into the Record.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 752, memorializing the 100th anniversary of the Cherry Mine disaster of November 13, 1909, in Cherry, Illinois. This landmark mine disaster, which took the lives of 259 men and children and left 600 grieving widows and orphans, should not be forgotten. I commend Representative Halvorson for bringing this important chapter in labor history to the Nation's attention. The fire began in the Cherry Mine after an electricity outage, when burning fuel from a makeshift torch dripped on an underground hay bale. With no firefighting equipment in the mine, workers tried to douse the flames with water from an underground mule stable. The flames grew and the timber structures lining the mine quickly ignited. Some diggers in the lower level noticed the smoke and suggested to their supervisors that they get out. They were told to continue working. Other workers were reluctant to leave for fear of losing income as they were paid on a piecework basis. Company supervisors waited about an hour before making a systematic attempt to alert workers about the fire. Some of the immigrant workers spoke little English and could not understand the orders to evacuate. No fire drill had ever been practiced. At some point, the mine fan reversed, sucking flames further up the shaft. The ventilation system broke and the escape stairway was consumed in flames. The 259 deaths from this 1909 mine disaster, coupled with 362 killed from the Monongah disaster in West Virginia in 1907, spurred Congress to create the Bureau of Mines in 1910 as a research agency. However, without enforcement powers, the bureau failed to produce significant changes. In 1947, amidst fierce industry opposition, the bureau was finally given the power to inspect mines. A mine explosion in West Frankfort, Illinois, which took 119 lives, spurred Congress to give the Bureau of Mines the power to close mines for safety violations in 1951. Many more accidents followed until Congress created the Federal Coal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1969. That law requires quarterly mine inspections and authorized fines for violations. In 2006, miner deaths soared to a 10-year high with disasters at Sago and Aracoma Mines in West Virginia and the Darby Mine in Kentucky. Congress responded by passing the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act, the MINER Act, which requires mine operators to provide caches of air, have rescue teams organized, develop wireless communications, and install tracking systems to locate miners who are trapped underground. This resolution also recognizes the pioneering work of the United Mine Workers in pressing successfully for mine safety reforms in the wake of the Cherry Mine disaster and other disasters like it. It is often said that our mine safety laws had been written with the blood of miners. That is, it is only after horrific disasters like the Cherry Mine or Sago that progress is made because of the ensuing public outcry. While improvements have been made in recent years, more work needs to be done to make sure miners return home safely to their families at the end of each shift. Preventable disasters still occur, like the tragic loss of life we saw at Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah in 2007. Although there have been nearly 100 years of effort in Congress since the Cherry Mine disaster to protect underground miners, this resolution reminds us that our work is far from over. Madam Speaker, once again I express my support for H. Res. 752. I thank Representative Halvorson for bringing this forward. I urge my colleagues to support this measure. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 752) recognizing the tragic loss of life that occurred at the Cherry Mine in Cherry, Illinois, on its 100th anniversary and the contributions to worker and mine safety that resulted from this and other disasters, as amended.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Halvorson), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous materials on H. Res. 878 into the Record.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 878, which recognizes November 1, 2009, as National Family Literacy Day and acknowledges the benefits of parent involvement in their child's education. Family literacy programs address the literacy needs and challenges children and families in our country deal with every day. These programs provide parents with knowledge and skills that allow them to be their child's first and most important teacher. Family literacy programs also help parents to be active participants in their child's education. For children, family literacy programs help increase children's literary and oral skills. In addition, research has shown these programs can help improve children's scores on standardized tests. National Family Literacy Day promotes the importance of literacy for both children and adults. According to the National Center for Family Literacy, parent-child literacy activities, such as parents reading to their children, improve children's language skills and increase their interest in books. Parent-child literacy activities also benefit low-literacy adults. It helps adults build confidence and develop their literary skills and contributes to self-sufficiency for adults and families across the Nation, leading to better jobs, workforce readiness, and higher education degrees. In honor of National Family Literacy Day, approximately 8,000 literacy programs and schools will hold workshops, book drives, and family reading activities in libraries and community centers across the Nation. Madam Speaker, once again I express my support for National Family Literacy Day. I thank Representative Platts for bringing this resolution forward, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 878) expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Family Literacy Day.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. I yield back the balance of my time as well, Madam Speaker.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.