Joe Crowley

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday next for morning-hour debate.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Again, I don't have an answer for you.

Mr. CROWLEY. There is always the possibility that if we fail to resolve or come to agreement on the budget by the time we hope to before the close of business day next week, that we possibly could work into the weekend to pass that budget.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the bravery of Chad Lindsey, a constituent of mine who jumped onto the New York subway tracks to rescue a fellow passenger that had fallen. On March 16, 2009, Mr. Lindsey was waiting for the subway at Penn Station in New York City when he saw a man fall onto the track and hit his head. Knowing that a train was coming shortly, Mr. Lindsey courageously jumped onto the subway track. The man who fell was unconscious, and despite repeated attempts did not wake up. Yet, with the lights of the train coming toward them, Mr. Lindsey knew he had to act and used all his strength to pull the man to the platform edge and, with the help of others, lifted him to safety. Thanks to Mr. Lindsey's quick thinking and selfless actions, the injured man was taken to the hospital and later released. Mr. Lindsey, having done his part, got on the next train, ready to go back to his everyday life as a working New York City actor. In the days since the incident, Mr. Lindsey has tried to resist the attempts of the media to label him a ``hero''. But this is exactly what he is. He did not hesitate before rushing to help someone else in need, even though his actions put himself at risk. For Mr. Lindsey, this act of bravery came naturally. His courageous act reminded us that there are people willing to put themselves in danger for the sake of others. He sets an example that we all should strive toward. I applaud Chad Lindsey for his brave actions, and I am so proud to call him both a constituent and hero.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Hellenic community as they celebrate the 188th anniversary of Greek Independence from the Ottoman Empire. After close to 400 years of Ottoman rule, on March 25, 1821, the people of Greece rose up against the Turks and won their independence. March 25th is a date that will live forever in the hearts and minds of Greeks all around the world. The Greeks have a history dating back almost 4000 years. Greece is the cradle of democracy and its great philosophers were an invaluable inspiration for our founding fathers as they created the democracy we have in America. We are joined by culture and a deep commitment to shared values. Greek ideals of democracy and freedom continue to inspire us. On Greek Independence Day, we celebrate the living history of Greek heritage. During the occupation by the Ottoman Turks, they risked harsh penalties, some extreme as death, to teach their children the culture, history, and language of their ancestors. It is this dedication to Greek culture and ideals that led them to revolt against the Ottomans in 1821. Mr. Speaker, I have the great pleasure of representing a large number of Greek-Americans in the Seventh District of New York. Their influence and active participation in their communities has fostered economic, political, and social growth throughout New York City and I am honored to represent them in Congress. Generations of Greek Americans have enriched every aspect of our national life, in the arts, sciences, business, politics, and sports. Through hard work, love of family and community, they have contributed greatly to the prosperity and peace that we all enjoy as Americans today. Although the anniversary of Greece's independence is cause to celebrate, we must also use this occasion to remember the ongoing struggle for freedom and demand for human rights on the island of Cyprus. The United States and the international community must remain steadfast in our resolve to unify the Greek and Turkish Cypriots who have been divided for far too long. Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate my strong commitment to the Greek communities in my district, the country, and throughout the world. Their strength and dedication to democracy and peace in the world has made them an inspiration and model for modern civilization. I urge my colleagues to join me as we celebrate Greek independence.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1388, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, and I want to thank Representative Miller and his staff for all their good work on this bill. Among the bill's many provisions is one I helped to craft that will increase service opportunities for musicians and artists. Specifically, it would create a Musicians and Artists Corps to train and deploy skilled musicians and artists to low-income communities, schools, healthcare and therapeutic settings, and other areas, where they will promote music and arts engagement programs. As someone who has had music play an important role in my life, I know firsthand that music and the arts are about far more than just entertainment--they have the power to change lives. Indeed, research has also backed this up. Music and arts education has been proven to contribute to lower crime rates among disadvantaged youth, and it improves graduation rates and academic performance in schools. In the world of healthcare, we see even more benefits. Patients who have undergone trauma or are suffering from chronic illness, as well as those with emotional and mental health problems, all benefit from being engaged in art and music programs. Clearly, there is a wide span of areas where music and the arts can play a key role, and there are hundreds of thousands of musicians and artists that have the talent and the skills to help their communities. President Obama has called on us all to increase our service to our nation, and these musicians and artists are ready and eager to serve. The Musicians and Artists Corps will connect these volunteers with the settings where they can make a world of difference. Our citizen service programs, like AmeriCorps, have done a great job of engaging Americans of all ages, from a variety of professions, in national service. It is time now that we bring more musicians and artists into this community. Passage of the GIVE Act will go a long way toward increasing service in our country, and I am proud to support the measure.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I am joined by the co-chairs of the Congressional Serbian Caucus, Representatives Melissa Bean of Illinois and Dan Burton of Indiana, in honoring a treasured constituent of mine and one of the unsung heroes of World War II, retired Major George Vujnovich. Major Vujnovich, a proud Serbian-American, was instrumental in ``Operation Halyard'' and one of the last surviving members of that successful wartime mission. In the summer of 1944, Americans and Allied airmen flew hundreds of sorties over Europe with the aim of disrupting the Ploesti oil complex, Adolf Hitler's most important oil pipeline. During their treacherous journey from Italian bases to the Romanian oil complex, 1,500 of our brave men were forced to bail out over Yugoslavia. Scores of American crewmen were trapped behind enemy lines and dependent on Serbian villagers to hide them from the Germans. Although Yugoslavia was enemy territory at the time, much of the country's Serbian regions remained under the control of Yugoslav guerilla resistance leader General Draja Mihailovich and his Chetnik forces. General Mihailovich remained loyal to the Allies, and under his orders the Serbian people shielded these airmen and protected them from capture and imprisonment by German troops. General Mihailovich passed information about the downed American airmen to the United States authorities. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) put together Operation Halyard, a daring mission to save the men without drawing the attention of the Nazis. The mission entailed flying and landing C-47 cargo planes into enemy territory, picking up the downed airmen, and flying back to allied territory. Before the mission could go forward, however, the Allied forces cut ties with General Mihailovich and no longer had specific information about the location of the American airmen. Major George Vujnovich, the OSS operation chief stationed in Bari, Italy, discovered that Mihailovich was hiding the airmen near his headquarters in the city of Pranjani. He informed U.S. officials of their location and Operation Halyard progressed. As the mission advanced, Major Vujnovich's experience and expertise were indispensable. Major Vujnovich was responsible for selecting members of the Halyard Mission, and orchestrating the initial parachute drop into the area. The rescue plans hinged on his direction and the ability of local Serbs to build an airstrip without any modern tools and without German detection. Operation Halyard took place between August and December 1944 and was a complete success. Hundreds of men were rescued behind enemy lines and no lives were lost in the mission. The Halyard Mission was a success thanks to the brave men and women of the OSS and the courageous Serbian locals who risked their lives to safeguard American airmen. Thanks to a keen mind and tactical expertise, Major Vujnovich demonstrated the courage and selflessness that mark him as an American hero. Major George Vujnovich was born to Serbian parents in 1915. In 1934 he received a scholarship from the Serb National Federation and left his home in New York to attend college in Belgrade. While living in Belgrade, Mr. Vujnovich met and married his wife, Mirjana. Their life was disrupted in 1941, when the German Luftwaffe bombed Belgrade in Operation Punishment. Mr. Vujnovich was a first-hand witness to the bombing, nearly losing his life when a falling bomb destroyed a nearby streetcar. After the bombing, Mr. and Mrs. Vujnovich fled Yugoslavia, and he accepted a job in Ghana as assistant airport manager while Mirjana moved to Washington, DC to work at the Yugoslav Embassy. When the US entered the war, Mr. Vujnovich received a commission as a second lieutenant and assumed command of an airbase in Nigeria. While working at the airbase, he was recruited by the OSS for the clandestine services, and was later sent to the OSS post in Bari, Italy. From this post he saved the lives of his fellow servicemen and earned the title of hero. I am honored to have this opportunity to acknowledge Major Vujnovich's contribution to the Halyard Mission.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, on March 12, 2009, I was absent for one Rollcall Vote. If I had been here, I would have voted ``yes'' on Rollcall Vote 124.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, along with my New York colleague, John McHugh, I am pleased to introduce the ``Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Servants Act of 2009'' or HELPS II legislation to provide a pre-tax deduction of up to $3,000 to retired public servants for health or Long Term Care (LTC) insurance premiums. This legislation builds off the successful language added to the Pension Protection Act (P.L. 109-280), which included a provision permitting retired public safety officers to take up to $3,000 in pre- tax income and use it for health care costs or long term care expenses. Today, we expand this successful measure to all retired public employee. This concept was born several years ago during the 108th Congress in the Portman-Cardin pension bill (H.R. 1776) which included language to provide the ability of all retirees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for health plan premiums. Unfortunately, this provision and H.R. 1776 did not become law, and so today we introduce this as a free standing bill. This language will benefit our nation's hard working public sector retirees. The average monthly pension benefit of a retired public servant is $1,725 and many do not have Social Security benefits. A significant portion of a retired public servants' monthly pension check is going towards health or Long Term Care insurance premiums. In many cases, the retired public servant is using the entire pension benefit to pay for health insurance premiums. Additionally, HELPS II would streamline the administrative requirements of the program so that it will run more smoothly for those who already enjoy this tax benefit our nation's retired public safety officers. Therefore, we are pleased to introduce this legislation and will work for its enactment to ensure that all of our nation's retired public safety officers and all of our nation's retired public servants have a streamlined ability to pay for health and long term care costs in their golden years.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, on March 6, 2009, I was absent for one rollcall vote. If I had been here, I would like the Record to reflect that I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 109.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the resolution on the table.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, on February 3, 2009, I was absent for three rollcall votes. If I had been here, I would have voted: ``Yes'' on rollcall vote 47. ``Yes'' on rollcall vote 48. ``Yes'' on rollcall vote 49.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Congressmen Nadler, McMahon, and McNerney and I introduced this legislation because we wanted to pause and recognize the heroic efforts of the first officer, the captain, the flight attendants, as well as all the first responders. They deserve our thanks and applause. We have heard it said in the past, boy, that was a close call. I think in the future you're going to hear it said, boy, that was a 1549. At least I like to think that that will be catchy. I urge all of my colleagues to please support this resolution.

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank my friend from Illinois for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, the successful landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on Thursday, January 15, 2009, was nothing short of a miracle, and I rise to honor and thank all those who were involved in this rescue and recovery effort. Shortly after takeoff on Thursday, January 15, US Airways Flight 1549 departed LaGuardia Airport in my district in Queens, was struck by a flock of birds, and lost power in both engines. After the collision, the pilot and copilot literally had seconds to determine how to get that plane back to the ground. Captain Chesley B. ``Sully'' Sullenberger III and First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles thought about trying to land back at LaGuardia or even getting over to Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, but realized that there was not enough power to get that far. Instead, they decided to attempt an emergency landing in the least populated area of New York City, the Hudson River. Water landings, also referred to as ditching, are incredibly difficult, and any minor error could cause the landing to end in tragedy. But the tremendous skills of the captain and the first officer were on display that day, and they successfully glided the plane down and safely landed it on the river. In the meantime, the flight attendants, Donna Dent, Doreen Welsh, and Sheila Dail, prepared passengers for impact. When the plane came to a complete stop, Ms. Dent, Ms. Walsh, and Ms. Dail quickly opened the doors of the plane and started to evacuate passengers safely and efficiently. Within minutes, all the passengers were evacuated onto the wings of the plane, where boats, ferries, and others on the scene approached the sinking jet and began helping the passengers and crew off the wings and safely away from the near freezing Hudson River waters. They were not just New Yorkers; there were folks from New Jersey as well helping in this rescue effort. Still, as the plane continued to sink into the freezing waters, Captain Sullenberger walked the cabin not once, but twice, to make sure everyone was safely off the plane before deplaning himself. Due to the skill and coordinated efforts by the pilots, crew, and first responders on the scene, everyone on the plane is alive and well today. Madam Speaker, we owe a debt of gratitude to the crew of Flight 1549 and all the first responders who helped evacuate passengers. Madam Speaker, some people call this event ``the miracle on the Hudson.'' I say this was no miracle. This was the skillful flying of two veteran pilots, the quick reaction of highly trained flight attendants, and the responsiveness of Coast Guard ships, ferries, and private citizens. These people showed to the world the best of our aviation and first responder system. I am proud of the heroic actions of everyone involved. I hope you will join me in honoring Captain Sullenberger, First Officer Skiles, Flight Attendants Dail, Welsh, and Dent, and all the men and women who came to the aid of the passengers, and the passengers themselves, the cooperation they demonstrated that day, those passengers stuck on the wing of a sinking plane in the middle of a freezing Hudson River. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution. Madam Speaker, I would just add, as the congressional representative of LaGuardia Airport where Flight 1549 took off, I often have to answer complaints, particularly from my constituents, about the airport and those who fly through or live by the airport. It is not often we get to say good things about LaGuardia Airport. Like any airport, LaGuardia produces noise, but on January 15, the crew of Flight 1549 made all of us and LaGuardia Airport proud.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, today, the House began consideration of legislation to strengthen the Troubled Assets Relief Program. Implementation of this legislation is urgently needed, and here's why: Just last week AIG pulled back on a plan that would have cost taxpayers $93 million. What prompted AIG to cancel its proposal? Three phone calls, none of which came from the Bush administration. They came from myself and Congressman Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania. AIG is just one example. The Bush administration has been asleep at the switch throughout our economic recovery efforts. They have failed to monitor the actions of the companies and banks that have received Federal support through TARP; they have failed to place real caps on the excessive pay of corporate CEOs who take taxpayer money; and they have failed to ensure taxpayer-lent funds are being wisely spent. Starting today our efforts to put our Nation's economy back on the right track will be taken in a new direction. With consideration of H.R. 384 and the start of the Obama administration, accountability and oversight will now govern TARP. After 8 years it is a new beginning for our country, and it couldn't have come at a better time, on the same day the Bank of America is seeking billions more in Federal assistance. Reform is what the American people deserve because it is their money on the line.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. I think I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I wish to enter into a colloquy with the chairman. Mr. Chairman, I seek to clarify language in the underlying TARP legislation. As you know, New York has been battered by the financial crisis, and unemployment, like in most States, has been drastically increasing. It is my understanding that TARP recipients can use TARP funds to provide funds to local small businesses to free up capital, preserve jobs, and support wages of their employees during these difficult times. Is that correct?

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the chairman. Just one additional statement, and you can correct me if I'm wrong. Am I correct in saying there is nothing in the TARP that prevents banks, such as Amalgamated Bank in New York, from applying for TARP and using these funds to support wages of workers as well as create jobs through the lending of funds to people and small businesses in the communities as well as providing some safety net during these difficult times?

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the chairman for the colloquy.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my overwhelming support for Israel's right to defend her people against terrorist attacks. Over the past 6 months, we have seen a relative calm between Israelis and Palestinians due to an Egyptian brokered cease-fire. Unfortunately, however, this calm was used by Hamas to rearm themselves with more technologically-advanced rockets and weapons, which were smuggled through tunnels from Egypt and over the Syrian border. When the cease-fire expired on December 19, 2008, Hamas refused to extend it and began to fire its updated arsenal of rockets deep into Southern Israel. Sadly, rocket fire is nothing new to the Israelis, who have seen 6000 rockets land in Southern Israel since unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza in 2005. Hamas had a choice this past December--extend the cease-fire or continue hostilities. They chose war over peace. Israel was forced by Hamas' action to make a choice too, either live with the threat of rocket fire against her people or take action to keep its people safe from harm. They made the choice any reasonable nation would make--to defend its citizens. It is time for the Palestinians in Gaza to have better representation--representation that puts the peoples' well-being before Hamas' unachievable goals. The U.S. Congress and the people of the United States will not allow a terrorist organization, like Hamas, to destroy the thriving democracy that is Israel. We stand with Israel and her goal of peace.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, this is not a rescue package solely for Wall Street nor is it for New York City nor for New York State. In fact, I would argue with you, all of my colleagues, that it will take many years for New York City and New York State to recover from the downturn of Wall Street. This is more about our country, about the United States, and our economic woes today. It's about 401(K) plans, about investment plans of my mother on 65th Street in Woodside, Queens. She saw that decline just a few days ago. This is about all of our constituents who have seen a loss over the past few days. It's about the health of our entire economy. And ladies and gentlemen, my colleagues, this is not just the United States. The entire world is looking at us today and looking to see us vote in favor of this bill. Would we like the luxury of more time to hold more hearings and have more due process? Of course we would. We'd like to have months to do that. But we simply don't have the time. We don't have that luxury. We cannot afford that. What we have to do, ladies and gentlemen, is do the right thing and vote in favor of this package.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform and Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 1527 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the chairman for all of his work on this bipartisan piece of this legislation. Madam Speaker, I rise not as a representative of Wall Street in New York but of 65th Street in Woodside, Queens, New York. First, let me state that everyone is angry that we're here this afternoon enacting this piece of legislation, but immediate action must be taken or our Nation's credit system and banking system will dry up. What that means is pension plans and retirement savings will be threatened by the wild fluctuations of the stock market. It will mean the tightening of credit, which means even the most creditworthy Americans won't be able to afford homes or be able to refinance their homes. Student loans will evaporate, making college more expensive. Auto loans will dry up and, finally, salaries. If employers cannot access banks and credit, they will not be able to meet their payroll, and layoffs will begin. This was a 3-page bill when we first got it, ladies and gentlemen, but we, the Democrats, made this a better bill. We added both the civil and criminal accountability of Wall Street executives. Government should be giving out metal bracelets, ankle bracelets, and not golden parachutes. Madam Speaker, this is not a perfect bill, but it is a much better bill than we got initially. I will be supporting this legislation.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the gentleman. I thank him for his leadership here this evening. On July 18, 2005, our government and the government of India entered into an agreement that we are here today seeing through. The joint statement laid the groundwork for the cooperation of our two countries for the engagement of our two countries throughout this next century. And today, we're taking the final step needed to put this agreement into place. This agreement will end India's nuclear isolation and allow them to be brought into the nonproliferation tent with the rest of the responsible states who seek safe and efficient civilian nuclear technology. Passage of the agreement is common sense. We are united in the world's oldest and the world's largest democracies in an effort to expand peaceful and responsible development of nuclear technology. If we expect India to be our ally in the 21st century, we must treat them as an equal, which is what this cooperation deal does. India has never proliferated beyond her borders, unlike her neighbor, and I believe that this is an important relationship, an important aspect of this relationship that needs to be taken into consideration when evaluating this legislation before us. I trust my colleagues will recognize what our future with India holds and vote for final passage of this historic legislation.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and yield myself such time as I may consume Bangladesh is going through an important time in its history as she attempts to move back to a representational government. Since October 2006, Bangladesh has been under the control of two different caretaker governments. After the January 2007 elections were postponed, a second caretaker government, backed by the military, came into power, and since then has been attempting to deal with what has become rampant corruption, violence and political instability. Once in power, the caretaker government instituted a state of emergency that suspended fundamental rights guaranteed by the Bangladeshi constitution. They subsequently detained a large number of politicians and others on suspicion of involvement in corruption and other crimes. While I continue to remain concerned about the arrests of so many under the emergency powers rule, I must commend the caretaker government for establishing institutions to fight corruption and bring about national reconciliation between the political parties. But these gains have been marred by serious reports of human rights violations of those held in custody. Bangladesh must respect all the rights of her people and prosecute cases before her to the letter of the law. The next step is getting people back the power in Bangladesh. Nearly 2 years after the postponement of elections and the state of emergency was declared, the caretaker government is following through with a roadmap towards elections that they have presented. Just this past weekend, the chief adviser of the caretaker government announced that parliamentary elections will be held on December 18, 2008. This is an important step, but an election held under a state of emergency is a questionable approach to establishing democratic governance in Bangladesh. The bill before us calls on the caretaker government to relax or suspend the state of emergency to ensure that public gatherings during the campaign are allowed to take place. This election is about bringing true democracy back to Bangladesh, and it must be held with all the freedoms their constitution grants her people. Bangladesh has been a strong friend and ally of the United States and is a moderate Muslim nation, and we should do what we can to foster continued growth of democracy, not only in the nation of Bangladesh, but throughout that region. We must work to ensure that the elections held in Bangladesh are free, fair, credible, peaceful and transparent. I introduced this legislation in July to set out what we, the United States Congress, expect of Bangladesh and we the people of the United States expect of Bangladesh. I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation. It has the backing of the Bangladesh Caucus, which I chair here in the House of Representatives. I believe that with fair, free, transparent and open elections, Bangladesh will move towards a more Democratic society. Madam Speaker, I retain the balance of my time.