Joe Crowley

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Don't deny the best, the brightest, and the bravest the opportunity to serve in our Nation's Armed Forces.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Manuel Prol, who will turn 100 on April 4, 2015. Manuel is a World War II veteran and cherished father of three, grandfather of three, and great-grandfather of five. Manuel was born on Easter Sunday in Samieira, a tiny village or ``aldea'' in the northwest corner of Spain in 1915. He was the youngest of four children and only son of Agripina Rodino and Antonio Prol. In 1932, he bade farewell to his mother for the last time and emigrated to the United States. Manuel would also not see his three sisters, Agripina, Peregrina, and Dolores, again until 1960. He was reunited with his father in New York City, where he settled in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood around 14th Street. Manuel embraced his new home, learning English at Julia Richmond High School in Gramercy Park while working at the Roosevelt Hotel. In 1941, he married Vicenta Prol and soon after entered the U.S. Army Air Force at the outset of World War II. Manuel saw action on three continents over the course of the war, honorably serving his country in Europe, Africa, and Asia. When he returned home, Manuel and Vicenta settled in the Bronx and had three daughters: Pilar, Victoria, and Consuelo. Over the years, their family has grown and spread out across the country. Pilar, their oldest daughter, was a nurse for over forty years. She married Charles Sergis in 1964 and had three children: Alicia, Laura, and Charles. They also have five grandchildren: Catie, Noah, Matthew, Juliana, and Grace. Pilar and Charles live in Redondo Beach, California. Victoria lives in Bronxville, New York. She worked in Westchester County as a high school language teacher for over thirty years. Consuelo is married to Richard Liebowitz and lives in New York City and Montclair, New Jersey. She retired from the business world after thirty-eight years in sales. Manuel and Vicenta retired to Southern California in 1982, where they lived happily until Vicenta's death in 1997. Manuel then moved to Montclair, New Jersey, where he currently lives with Consuelo and Richard. He spends winters in Redondo Beach, California with Pilar and Charles. Next month, Manuel will turn 100 years old--yet shows no signs of slowing down. He still writes letters and reads the newspaper every day. Manuel attributes his longevity to the Mediterranean diet, a glass of red wine every day, and yes, an occasional Rusty Nail, his favorite drink. I hope all my colleagues will join me in wishing Manuel Prol a happy 100th birthday, and continued health and happiness to him and to his family.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, on May 1, 2015 I was absent for recorded votes No. 208-215. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were here: on rollcall No. 208 I would have voted ``no,'' on rollcall No. 209 I would have voted ``no,'' on rollcall No. 210 I would have voted ``no,'' on rollcall No. 211 I would have voted ``no,'' on rollcall No. 212 I would have voted ``no,'' on rollcall No. 213 I would have voted ``no,'' on rollcall No. 214 I would have voted ``yes,'' on rollcall No. 215 I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement into the Record that the House should focus on the real priorities of Americans instead of another attack on women's health care.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I was tempted to rise when my friend Mr. McCarthy from California was speaking of the great, late President Abraham Lincoln and his legacy--really, a dichotomy of a man, a very complicated individual. We know of his great achievements, of ending slavery, of maintaining our Union--great achievements--and very difficult achievements for him as well, passing the 13th Amendment. We think of how dysfunctional, maybe, Congress is today and the lack of cooperation. Under the conditions that then-President Lincoln was operating, it is a marvel that he was able to pass such incredible legislation with such ramifications, and positively. But I think one of the great things about Lincoln that oft times goes unnoticed is one of the legacies that was unintended by himself directly: he dies. He is shot on the 14th of April 1865. He dies on the 15th of April 1865. One of the greatest things about Abraham Lincoln is, on the 16th of April, the Sun rose again on the Republic of the United States, a better nation for his having lived, but continued despite his absence. How wonderful a legacy is that, that this Republic, greater than any man or woman, lives on, a better place for him having lived. May God rest the soul of Abraham Lincoln.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Not perfect. We still have a ways to go. But isn't that remarkable? A Democratic President that reduced the deficit, was handed a deficit of over a trillion dollars by his Republican predecessor, and now this President can lay claim--and I think rightfully so--to having reduced the deficit, yearly deficit, by over a trillion dollars. Yet here are my Republican colleagues. Once again, they see an opportunity to add on to the deficit again here in this particular measure by $14.3 billion. It doesn't sound like much, but when you add up the whole package, it is well over $300 billion you want to add back to the Nation's deficit. I think it is wrong. I think most Americans think that is wrong. Democrat, Republican, it matters not. We are making progress. You are putting that on the back of future generations. The hungry that you pretend to be taking care of today are going to have to try to pay for these bills in the years to come. I think this is wrongheaded. I hope that my colleagues on this side do not support this measure.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding me this time. It is unfortunate we are here today, once again, in a situation where I think the overall intent sounds very good: charitable giving, helping the poor, helping the hungry. Quite often that is something you hear from our side of the aisle. In fact, all last year we had done the food stamp challenge. We had done a number of things to bring focus and attention to the plight of the hungry in the United States, and it is a bit raw to hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle speak about their solution to this issue as a tax bill unpaid for that adds more than $14 billion back on to our national deficit and to our debt, ultimately. The President announced that he would cut the deficit in half within 4 years. He has now reduced the deficit by over a trillion dollars, from $1.4 trillion to a little bit over $400 billion.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. It's not because I don't support providing additional assistance to benefit charities. I do. It's because this bill is a trick to actually cut funding for groups like food banks and homeless shelters in the long term. The reason is, the cost of this bill is not paid for, meaning the entire cost of these tax breaks will be added to the nation's deficit. $14.2 billion will be added to the deficit. This after President Obama has already slashed the deficit by \2/3\ from the trillion dollar deficits he inherited from his predecessor George Bush. So what will be the result of these new larger deficits that my Republican colleagues are creating today? We all know. Republicans will soon turn around and cry crocodile tears about the budget and demand deeper cuts in spending. And that means less Federal grants towards homeless veterans shelters, food banks, senior centers and other organizations that help people in need. I ask, has the Republican austerity program benefitted charities so far? Have the budget cuts known as sequestration benefitted local charities and nonprofits? The answer is a resounding no. It is the charities themselves who have said the painful budget cuts forced on them have put charities in a situation where more than 50 percent of nonprofits report that they are unable to meet demand for their services. So why are our charities, our schools, our communities suffering under the Republican majority? Because my Republican colleagues claimed to be so concerned about deficits--many of which were caused by the trillion dollar Bush tax cuts that did nothing for our economy or to create jobs--that they have demanded steep spending cuts without ever asking the wealthiest American to pay more. Yes, my Republican colleagues have used their so-called concerns about the deficit to justify cutting spending to social programs that serve children, seniors, and other vulnerable populations--shifting the burden to already-stressed nonprofits. This is a vicious cycle that needs to stop and it needs to stop today. Funny thing is we could have stopped this process of adding to the deficit, while still benefitting charities, if the Republicans simply allowed a vote on a Democratic amendment to pay for the costs of these tax cuts. The Republicans refused to even allow a vote in Congress. Republicans will argue that tax cuts pay for themselves. But everyone who has been forced to live under the austerity program over the past few years know otherwise. Republicans argue there is wasteful spending that needs to be cut in order to mandate new spending. Sometimes they are right. But let's be clear there are wasteful tax programs out there that should be repealed to pay for more beneficial tax cuts as well. We can find common ground here. Let's go back to the drawing board and pass these tax cuts, but in a fiscally responsible manner. So I reluctantly oppose this bill as it will just add to the deficit and lead to more painful spending cuts for the charitable groups that we are claiming to help today. I urge a no vote on the underlying bill.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because time is running out for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to act responsibly when it comes to our Nation's security. In 17 days, the money for our Homeland Security programs will be gone. My Democratic colleagues and I are sending a very clear message to Speaker Boehner and the Republican majority. Don't shut down our security. It is as simple as that. Don't shut down our security. Don't shut down the very agency that is trusted to protect the American people from threats of every kind. Don't hold our Homeland Security programs hostage until you get your way in deporting parents and families. Don't put politics before people. That is exactly what they are doing. Seventeen days, there is no more time for these kinds of games. At that point, thousands of vital workers will either be forced to work without pay or sent home, leaving their important jobs undone during a dangerous time in our world. They are putting politics before people. They are putting politics before the safety of our country. Don't shut down our security. Don't shut down our security.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, on January 28, 2015 I missed recorded votes #49-50 as I was returning from the presidential delegation to India to support this important partnership between our two countries. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were here. On Roll Call #49 I would have voted yes On Roll Call #50 I would have voted no

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and service of Luke Wagner Adams. Luke was a beloved member of the Queens community, who recently passed away at 76 years of age. A longtime Queens resident, Luke settled in Sunnyside as a young man and quickly became one of the community's most well-known activists. One of Luke's enduring legacies was his leadership at the helm of the Gateway Restoration Project, which led to the creation of Sunnyside's most iconic symbol, the Sunnyside Arch. Luke led the charge on a number of additional projects to improve Sunnyside as a prominent member of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, Sunnyside/Woodside Lions Club, Sunnyside Kiwanis Club, and Sunnyside Artists. In recognition of his long list of accomplishments, the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce and Sunnyside Artists' annual `Luke Adams Sunnysider of the Year' award was named in his honor. Luke will forever be known not only for his love for his community, but also for his generosity and selflessness. Luke's loyalty to his friends and community was unmatched, and he was willing to go above and beyond for those who asked him for help. Whether it was raising money for the hungry, being the first to welcome a newcomer to the neighborhood, or ensuring that others who joined him in his civic engagement received proper recognition, Luke was the most humble and genuine person one could come across. Luke was immensely proud of his community, and dedicated his life to making his neighborhood a better place. Mr. Speaker, Luke's commitment to Queens is, and will continue to be, an inspiration to all of us. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and legacy of Luke Wagner Adams. May he rest in peace.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I heard my friend, the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black), as she was finishing her remarks and leaving, she said--I somewhat quote--she hopes this repeal of the ACA will, once and for all, be the end of the ACA. ``Once and for all.'' If they have done it once, they have done it 56 times. This is not one time. It is 56 times they have wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act--56 times. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are probably pretty proud of themselves. After all, Joe DiMaggio, he had a 56-game hitting streak, something people say will never be equated again. But unlike ``Joltin' Joe,'' this one isn't a streak of hits. It is a streak of losses, a streak of strikeouts for the American people. It is a streak of being willing to sacrifice the health and well-being of your constituents just to make a cheap political point. This majority is apparently ready and eager to actually take away health coverage. As my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) said, try explaining this to your constituents back home. Take away the health coverage that people have purchased and have been using for over a year. They would make people, particularly seniors, pay back the tax credits that helped them afford the coverage in the first place. They would ask their seniors to go back to pinching pennies to afford prescription drugs and even force them to repay the rebate check they received for their high prescription drug costs. They would put insurance companies back in charge of what kind of health care you can get and when you can get it and how much it is going to cost. That is not a win to me. That is not something to celebrate. It is something you should all be ashamed of. Mr. Speaker, you are no Joe DiMaggio. Some streaks put you at the top. This one puts you at the bottom. And, unfortunately, it puts the American people on the bottom as well.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, on January 27, 2015 I missed recorded votes #46-48 as I was part of the presidential delegation to India to support this important partnership between our two countries. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were here: On Roll Call #46 I would have voted no; on Roll Call #47 I would have voted yes; on Roll Call #48 I would have voted yes.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and service of Luke Wagner Adams. Luke was a beloved member of the Queens community, who recently passed away at 76 years of age. A longtime Queens resident, Luke settled in Sunnyside as a young man and quickly became one of the community's most well-known activists. One of Luke's enduring legacies was his leadership at the helm of the Gateway Restoration Project, which led to the creation of Sunnyside's most iconic symbol, the Sunnyside Arch. Luke led the charge on a number of additional projects to improve Sunnyside as a prominent member of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, Sunnyside/Woodside Lions Club, Sunnyside Kiwanis Club, and Sunnyside Artists. In recognition of his long list of accomplishments, the Sunnyside Chamber's annual `Sunnysider of the Year' award was named in his honor. Luke will forever be known not only for his love for his community, but also for his generosity and selflessness. Luke's loyalty to his friends and community was unmatched, and he was willing to go above and beyond for those who asked him for help. Whether it was raising money for the hungry, being the first to welcome a newcomer to the neighborhood, or ensuring that others who joined him in his civic engagement received proper recognition, Luke was the most humble and genuine person one could come across. Luke was immensely proud of his community, and dedicated his life to making his neighborhood a better place. Mr. Speaker, Luke's commitment to Queens is, and will continue to be, an inspiration to all of us. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and legacy of Luke Wagner Adams. May he rest in peace.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank my friend from Rochester for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, if at first you don't succeed, try again. That is clearly what my Republican colleagues are doing this morning. The bill Republicans initially attempted to bring to the floor today would have required women to go to the police before they could even address their own health care needs. They abandoned that first line of attack on women's health because it was too extreme, even for members of their own party. But they weren't going to let something like that stop them from pandering to the rightwing flank. Fortunately for the Republicans, they have a long list of bills that attack health care and women's access to care. So it is easy for them to just swap it out for another extremist effort. Their partisan base will be happy--but at the expense of the health of many women and families in our country. This bill will have a serious impact on families' ability to make their own health care decisions. It will raise taxes on hardworking Americans just if they happen to choose a health care plan that this majority doesn't like. And for what? So my Republican colleagues can score cheap political points. This is not what the American people want. They want an agenda that lifts people up. They want us to be working on legislation that creates jobs, boosts paychecks in this country, and strengthens our economy. This bill will do none of these things. It is nothing but a cynical attempt to put politics where it doesn't belong. Vote ``no'' on this rule and vote ``no'' on this blatant political gambit. I understand how embarrassing this may be to the Republicans because of the little snafu within their own caucus, but please put aside this petty politics. Let's get on to the real business of creating more jobs in this country and boosting a person's pay in this land. That is what the American people want and need.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Chair, I think my Republican colleagues take the American people for fools. Madam Chair, I lost too many constituents and friends on 9/11. I lost people who I loved on 9/11. And in the years since then, New York City has been the focus of attempted terror plots too numerous to name. Homeland Security funding is something that I take very seriously because it is so much a part of a New Yorker's life. And frankly, I would expect my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to take it as seriously as well. But this is not a serious effort by any stretch of the imagination. You know what's good for our national security? Bringing people out of the shadows so that we know who is in our country, focusing our limited enforcement resources on true threats to our country and not holding up needed funding for security and law enforcement programs to make a political point. It is a political point they are trying to make. If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle genuinely think our immigration system should deport parents instead of true criminals, if you want to destroy all our economic gains and throw a sucker punch to our economy by deporting 11 million people, then you know what? Bring a bill up on the floor, and let's have a real debate on all those issues. Don't walk in here and tell me and the American people that this garbage belongs in the Homeland Security funding bill. Don't tell the American people that. They are not suckers and they are not fools. They know what you are doing.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Rochester, New York, Louise Slaughter.

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the gentlelady. I now yield to the gentleman from the Bronx, Mr. Serrano. (Mr. SERRANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CROWLEY. Thank you, Mr. Nadler. I now yield to the gentlelady from Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, Ms. Nydia Velaazquez.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady from Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. I now yield to the gentlelady from Queens and Manhattan and Brooklyn, Mrs. Carolyn Maloney.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Queens and part of Nassau, Mr. Meeks.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend. I now yield to the gentleman from Buffalo, New York (Mr. Higgins). Mario Cuomo was known all over New York State, obviously, as the Governor, but my colleague Brian Higgins knew him well.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments on Governor Cuomo. I now yield to my colleague and friend from the upstate region, Mr. Paul Tonko, who also served in the State assembly while Mario Cuomo was Governor.

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I ask the gentleman from Brooklyn and from Queens, Mr. Jeffries, for his comments.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the minority leader of the House.