Matt Cartwright

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the community of Orwigsburg, located in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, within my district, will celebrate its bicentennial year of existence, and I rise to honor and congratulate the modern Borough of Orwigsburg and its citizens on this momentous occasion. The motto of Orwigsburg is ``From where it all began is happening again,'' and it all began for what became Orwigsburg with the original designation of Philadelphia County, the later formation of Berks County, the eventual formation of Schuylkill County and, most importantly, the Orwig family, including Gottfried Orwig and his son, Peter, credited as founder and the namesake of this beautiful small town, rich in history and tradition. The site of a number of 18th century Indian-settler skirmishes, Orwigsburg, as the settlement became known, was the county seat until Pottsville was so designated in the mid-19th century. Before Pottsville's ascension as the seat, Orwigsburg was the site of the first county courthouse, which stood at the corner of Warren and Market Streets from 1815 to 1941. The cupola from the original courthouse was recently salvaged for re-use in the Community Memorial Hall, creating a link between old and new. And there is a lot of ``old'' to be proud of in Orwigsburg. From the building of the first boat for the Schuylkill canal to the first county fair to early shoe manufacturers to 20th century knitting mills, Orwigsburg has been a locus of important events throughout its two hundred years. The Orwigsburg Historical Society keeps a number of artifacts from the community's colorful past and, along with the Borough Council, has done its best to reconnect current residents to the past during the bicentennial lead-up year. As Orwigsburg looks to the future, it aims to maintain its friendly atmosphere and the quality of life that is unique to a small town in a scenic county. Economic development is also always on the agenda, and, with two centuries of change already under its belt, I believe that the future is unlimited. I'm proud to represent Orwigsburg, and I wish everyone in the Borough the best for the community's bicentennial celebration.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw Mr. Adrian Smith of Nebraska as a cosponsor of H.R. 1175.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. I rise today to address the sequester. Many of those in this House have been telling their constituents that the sequester doesn't make any difference, that nothing has really changed; but that simply is not true. For example, a cut to the Federal Aviation Administration's budget will result in the furloughing of most of FAA's 47,000 employees, or at least one day per pay period through the end of the fiscal year. Even those employees who provide safety-critical services, like systems specialists and aviation safety inspectors, will be subject to the furlough. As much as 10 percent of the FAA's workforce could be on furlough on any given day, resulting in reduced air traffic control, longer delays and economic losses for air transportation, tourism, and the economy as a whole. Last week, I visited Lynn Evans-Biga, the executive director of the Luzerne-Wyoming County Head Start in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, an agency which serves 1,000 students and has a waiting list of 700 already. It will have to accept 49 fewer students because of the 5.2 percent sequester cut.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank Merlin Repsher, who was recognized on Saturday, April 6, 2013 by his fellow firefighters for 50 years of brave service and leadership with Rescue Fire Company No. 1 of the Fire Department of Bangor, Pennsylvania. Within those five decades, Mr. Repsher served as the chief engineer of the company. He also served as Fire Chief for five years. Merlin additionally always served as a mentor and trainer to new recruits, passing on his extensive knowledge to the next generation of firefighters. In that capacity, he worked as a teacher in the Northampton County Fire School. Firefighters are often known for their dramatic acts of courage and quick-thinking in the field, but I understand that what a small community sometimes needs most is dogged dedication to the basic public-serving roles, including the civic administrative roles, on which everyone in town depends. Being there for one's neighbors--and always being there--is a quality to which we should all aspire. Fifty years in a demanding position, assisting those in need week in and week out, is quite an impressive record. I ask everyone in Bangor and northern Northampton County to join me in congratulating Merlin Repsher for his decorated service to his community.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank Ronald Labar, who was recognized on Saturday, April 6, 2013 by his fellow firefighters for 40 years of courageous service and leadership with the Second Ward Fire Company of the Fire Department of Bangor, Pennsylvania. As part of his four decades with the Second Ward, Mr. Labar served as the Captain of the company. Ronald was also Assistant Chief for 12 years, and then Chief of the fire department. His dedication to the job always created a lasting impression on both his colleagues and the members of the public who relied on his skills. Firefighters must remain physically and mentally fit for the job and possess the highest levels of honesty and dependability. For administrators in this field, there is also a great need to be a coordinator, budgeter, educator, reviewer, communicator, engineer and counselor--and to be good at all of these roles. Over the last few decades, firefighting has changed, and some practices once considered safe have been replaced by new methods and technologies. Public officers like Ronald Labar, who serve through many such changes, are needed to bring cohesion to our critical civic institutions. I thank Ronald for his efforts over 40 years on behalf of my constituents, and I salute his distinguished service to his community.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to comment about the budget introduced this week by the Republican Budget chairman, Paul Ryan. The first thing we notice about this budget is that it is nothing more than a tiresome rehash of the right-wing wish list. I call it a ``tiresome rehash'' because we already know that Representative Ryan doesn't like ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable health care. We remember he doesn't like allowing coverage for preexisting conditions. We understand that he doesn't like closing the Medicare part D loophole, doughnut hole, for seniors. We are acquainted with his dislike for granting preventative health care services to women. We already know that he wants to turn Medicare into a lousy voucher system that costs seniors thousands of dollars extra every year for their health care whether they have it or not, and we already know that the American public rejects these positions as it did in the last election. Mr. Speaker, I ask: Can we not, at long last, move on?

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly, who will be named Man of the Year by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick this evening on the occasion of that organization's 68th St. Patrick's Day annual banquet. Monsignor Joseph Kelly was born on October 5, 1940 in Hawley, Pennsylvania. He graduated high school from Scranton Preparatory and then continued his religious education at Christ the King Seminary at Saint Bonaventure University in New York. Monsignor Kelly's work with students began early in his career when he taught 12th grade religion part-time at Scranton Prep while, at the same time, overseeing several parishes, including Saint Catherine's in Moscow and Holy Rosary in Scranton. In 1971, Monsignor Kelly decided to take his talents halfway across the country to Omaha, Nebraska. He worked there as Director of Father Flanagan's Boys Town, now called Father Flanagan's Boy's and Girl's Town. This small ``city'' of a complex was--and still is--regarded as one of the Nation's premiere youth care agencies. Back in northeastern Pennsylvania, Monsignor Kelly served as pastor of Saint Ann in Tobyhanna, Holy Rosary in Wilkes-Barre, and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Nativity of our Lord, both in Scranton. He has been a procurator and professor at Saint Pius X seminary, a Diocesan Director for Catholic Men, Women and Youth, and the Executive Director of Saint Michael's School for Boys. Along with his continuing official assignments from the church, Monsignor Kelly serves today as Director of Camp Saint Andrew and is the founder of Project Hope at the camp. He is also the Executive Director of both the Saint Francis of Assisi kitchen in Scranton and the Saint Vincent De Paul kitchen in Wilkes-Barre. He resides at All Saints Parish Rectory in Plymouth, where he shares his well-earned wisdom at weekly masses. Monsignor Kelly's undying work and sincere dedication to others make him more than worthy of being named Man of the Year by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. I extend my thanks to Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly for his life-long, selfless commitment to our community, and I offer my good wishes and heartfelt congratulations to him on this momentous occasion.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mark Casper, who will be named Man of the Year by the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on the evening of March 17 at that organization's 99th annual St. Patrick's Day banquet. Mark Casper was born in Pittston, the son of Eileen Brogan Casper and the late Robert Casper. A graduate of St. Mary's Assumption grade school and Seton Catholic high school, Mark attended Luzerne County Community College. He has been employed by Medico Industries for the past 27 years, holding various positions, and he is currently the service manager in the Wilkes-Barre location. Mark is a member of Our Lady of the Eucharist parish in Pittston where he serves as chairman of the parish finance council and a member of the parish pastoral council. He is a member of the Exeter borough zoning board and a varsity assistant coach for the Pittston Area Lady Patriots basketball team. Mark previously served as a member of the Holy Redeemer system school board and the Region 7 school advisory board. He was a coach for the Wyoming Valley boys' 8th grade catholic school basketball league and served as the league president for six years. He also served as a coach and board member for seven years in the Exeter little league program. And Mark was even a coach for the Pittston Area Stoners soccer team. Prior to the closing of St. Mary's Assumption school, Mark served as the head basketball coach there for 27 years. He coached over 400 young men in 750 games, and his St. Mary's teams won 10 league championships and numerous tournament championships. He finished his head coaching career in 2012 as the boys' varsity basketball coach at Wyoming Area Catholic, where he reached the 500-win mark. Mark's dedication to his parish and his school sports teams reflect a level of volunteerism and community spirit to which we should all aspire. I offer Mark my sincere congratulations and thanks on this momentous occasion.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Andrew Jason ``Andy'' Ashby, who will receive the Francis Swingle Award of the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on the evening of March 17, the occasion of that organization's 99th annual St. Patrick's Day banquet. As a young man, Andy Ashby attended Park Hill high school in Kansas City, Missouri and then played baseball for Crowder College. In 1986, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies. In his second start as a pitcher, against the Cincinnati Reds, he became part of an elite category of players by throwing an ``immaculate inning,'' a feat accomplished by striking out the first three batters of the opposing team in exactly nine pitches. In 1993, Andy was acquired by the new, expansion-team Colorado Rockies. He later became a member of the San Diego Padres and enjoyed the height of his career. In 1998, he helped the Padres reach the World Series by compiling an impressive 17-9 record. He also represented the Padres and the National League in the 1998 and 1999 All-Star games. Andy later played for both the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He returned to San Diego before retiring from Major League Baseball in the mid-2000s. During his professional career he posted 98 wins, pitched 1,810 innings and struck out over 1,100 batters. He is an example of how discipline and hard work can lead to success on the field and in life. Since retiring, Andy has become a part of the Heroes of the Diamond tour, traveling overseas several times to visit our troops in Iraq. I thank Andy for his community service and for serving as a role model and inspiration to many young Americans, and I offer my congratulations on this momentous occasion.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 68, I was detained off the floor. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life and contributions of Mr. Charles A. Adonizio III who I congratulate on being recently named the Greater Pittston Person of the Year by the Pittston Dispatch. Mr. Adonizio is the immediate past president of the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce. He was selected for Person of the Year for his work in bringing the Hometown Heroes Memorial from idea to reality on the lawn of the chamber. The memorial honors the soldiers and police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, and another who was severely wounded, from the Greater Pittston area in the past decade. Adonizio's roots in the Greater Pittston area run deep. He was born in Pittston, graduated from Pittston Area High School, and eventually took over the area family insurance company, Atlas Insurance Group in 1982, from his father, who founded it in 1938. He later added a separate company, Atlas Realty Inc., in 1988, and the two companies are headquartered in the Keystone section of Plains Township. He married the former Karen Delaney of Hughestown and they have two children. Kristie Adonizio, 22, is student at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., and Chad Adonizio, 21, a student at Drexel University in Philadelphia. In 2004, both of Adonizio's businesses received the Small Business of the Year award from the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce. He is president of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Association of Realtors, past director and president of the Greater Pittston YMCA and a founding director of Landmark Community Bank. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Charles Adonizio III on his life and contributions and on being named the Greater Pittston Person of the Year by the Pittston Dispatch.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Dr. Lewis Druffner and congratulate him on earning the Joseph Saporito Lifetime of Service Award Winner. For his volunteer work and for decades of work as a legendary family physician in Avoca, Dr. Lewis Druffner is the Sunday Dispatch Joseph A. Saporito Lifetime of Service Award selection for 2012. Dr. Druffner grew up in Avoca, graduated from Scranton Prep in 1951, The University of Scranton in 1955 and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He was the primary physician for three ships while serving with the U.S. Navy. After his Navy hitch, he took over his father's family medical practice in Avoca, where Druffner is a legendry name in family medicine as Dr. Lewis Druffner and his father birthed generations of families in Avoca and surrounding towns. In a way, Dr. Druffner is different than past Saporito recipients in that he is being honored not just for volunteer work, but for his career as a family doctor which was, like his father's, as much about service to the community as it was work. Dr. Druffner recently signed on to become a volunteer at the Care and Concern Health Clinic where he continues his lifetime work of helping patients as they recover from various ailments. Dr. Druffner and his wife, Catherine, have six children: Elizabeth, of Avoca; Kathleen and Carl, both of Harrisburg; Michael, of Dayton, Ohio; Tommy, of Michigan; and Edward, of Downingtown. They also have five grandchildren.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, this Friday, March 8, is the date of the official dinner of the Grand Marshal of the 16th Annual Carbon County St. Patrick's Day Parade, and today I rise to recognize the leadership and community service of this year's Parade Grand Marshal, Margaret ``Peggy Sue'' O'Donnell. Peggy Sue's first real job was in the microfilm department in the Carbon County Courthouse in Jim Thorpe, where she worked throughout high school and college. For the past 28 years, she has been a package car driver for United Parcel Service. She has received many citations for safe driving--quite a feat since she delivers packages to all of the businesses on Broadway and Race Streets in Jim Thorpe. As her customers (and their dogs) will attest, Peggy Sue is the face of UPS in Jim Thorpe, and her friendly and outgoing personality makes her an outstanding ambassador for her employer and profession in town. She is a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jim Thorpe. She is a charter member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Molly Maguire Division 1, Carbon County, and served as its president from 2008-2009. She has also held other volunteer positions in town and on the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee, including serving as an aide to 2003 Parade Grand Marshal John J. Mulligan. Her ``Fighting Irish spirit'' has helped carry her through a courageous bout with cancer. Diagnosed in July 2012, she feels it has been the continuous prayers and support of friends and family that has been the best and most important medicine. Her illness has brought together a community in a positive way that no one could have imagined. She may have lost her voice, but she has never lost her radiant spirit. Mr. Speaker, I send my highest congratulations to ``Peggy Sue'' O'Donnell on being named the Grand Marshal of this year's Carbon County St. Patrick's Day Parade, and my thoughts and prayers are with her on this day and always.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin. I'm here to address the draconian and irresponsible and indiscriminate effects of this ridiculous sequestration program that's slated to take effect on March 1. I use the word ``indiscriminate'' advisedly. It is indiscriminate. It is as if the government were a surgeon and seeking to take out a cancer, a lesion making a patient sick. Instead of being given a scalpel to take out that lesion, the surgeon is forced to use a meat cleaver. That is an appropriate analogy for what this sequestration is doing because it is an indiscriminate set of cuts across the board to the discretionary spending in the United States. No responsible business person would ever engage in such a budgetary process. No one with any sense would do this in the government. And yet we're left with this. Instead of repealing it and replacing it promptly, what we see is that the Speaker is instead engaging in finger-pointing and in the blame game to avoid moving forward and fixing the problem in the first place. It's irresponsible, and it has to be dealt with differently. I say that if Congress cannot come up with a replacement to the sequester before the end of this week, we should eliminate the sequester entirely. One million working Americans should not be forced to pay the price for what is nothing more and nothing less than stubbornness and hard-headedness. We would prefer to replace the sequester with a balanced approach to deficit reduction. The Progressive Caucus already introduced a bill called the Balancing Act that reflects what the American people already voted for this past November. The Progressive Caucus Balancing Act replaces the sequester with a balanced approach to new revenue and necessary Pentagon cuts, and it creates jobs all over the country. It equalizes the cuts we've already made with revenue by closing tax loopholes for America's wealthiest individuals and corporations. But we shouldn't just sacrifice our economic recovery because Republicans are unwilling to vote for one single penny in new revenue, new contributions from their billionaire friends and corporations. We have to look at what these cuts mean in the sequester. The sequester involves 70,000 children being kicked off Head Start. No one in this Chamber disagrees about the importance of Head Start. Early childhood education is absolutely essential in creating the foundation for learning in children all over the world. And that's what Head Start is about. There will be 70,000 American children kicked off Head Start. That's what happens when you use a meat cleaver instead of a scalpel. We're talking about more than a million kids who will see their schools lose education funding. We're talking about emergency responders who will lose their jobs, meaning slower response times and weaker disaster preparedness. We're talking about layoffs and furloughs for Social Security workers that is going to cause delays and hassles for millions and millions of Social Security recipients--people who depend month in and month out on their Social Security checks to put food on their table. In my district, the 17th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, we have one county--Schuykill County--where 149,000 people live. Out of 149,000 people who live there, fully 38,000 of them subsist on Social Security checks. If those checks are delayed, if those people get hassled getting those checks because of this sequester, that is a crying shame. We're talking about cuts to air traffic controllers, for those of us who have to fly around as part of our jobs. We're talking about cuts to airport security agents. All of this is going to mean longer waits, travel disruptions. The consequences of more massive budget cuts are real. This isn't a game we're talking about. In fact, economic growth in the United States is going to slow because of this sequester. Hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost and more people will have to rely on government assistance to meet their basic needs than ever before. This is exactly the opposite of what we need to be doing in the United States, and it's the opposite of what the American people asked for in the November election. It's time that our colleagues across the aisle--the Republicans--wake up to what is really about to happen to American families. It's time that we eliminate the sequester. I want to talk to you a little bit about specific examples of what we expect to happen in my home State, the Keystone State of Pennsylvania. If sequestration was to take effect, we're talking about job losses to the Tobyhanna Army Depot, which is something that for the last 60 years has provided electronic refurbishing to Army equipment. We're talking about command and computer and communications control to Army equipment that is refurbished right there in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, by as many as 5,400 dedicated, patriotic people supporting our warfighters for the last 60 years with this kind of electronic equipment. We're talking about cuts to Tobyhanna Army Depot of $309 million over 10 years as a result of this reckless and irresponsible sequester. We're talking about teachers and schools. Pennsylvania is going to lose approximately $26.4 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 360 teacher and teachers' aide jobs at risk. About 29,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 90 fewer schools would receive funding if this nonsensical sequester program goes through. Head Start and Early Head Start services in Pennsylvania alone would be eliminated for approximately 2,300 children, reducing access to critical, critical early education. And then children with disabilities on top. Education for children with disabilities: Pennsylvania will lose about $21.4 million in funds for about 260 teachers, teachers' aides, and staff who help children with disabilities in school. Even worse, protections for clean air and clean water. Pennsylvania would lose as much as $5.7 million in environmental funding to ensure clean air and air quality, as well as prevent pollution from pesticides and hazardous waste. In addition, Pennsylvania could lose another $1.5 million in grants for fish and wildlife protection. We're going to sacrifice our schools, we're going to sacrifice the environment, all in the name of stubbornness and wrongheadedness--mule headedness--on the part of the people who should be coming to the people, the Republicans, who refuse to engage in any sort of responsible revenue legislation whatsoever. Finally, military readiness. In Pennsylvania, about 26,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay in Pennsylvania alone by around $150.1 million in total. This isn't a joke. We talk about deadlines here in Congress; there are hard deadlines and there are soft deadlines. We have seen Congress only moves when there's a hard deadline, when there's an actual cliff we're about to go over. This is irresponsible in itself because I think--it is the case that many here in this Chamber believe that March 1 is a ``soft deadline'' because all that's happening are furlough notices are going out and people are not actually losing their jobs for another 30 days or so. For example, the Tobyhanna Army Depot, furlough notices are slated to go out in the middle of March for furloughs that actually take place at the end of April. There are those in this Chamber who think that's a soft deadline that doesn't really matter, it's just a furlough notice anyway. Well, I'm here to tell you, Mr. Speaker, that furlough notices go to real families--real families who have to plan for their budgets, real families who have to plan on how they're going to feed their children and clothe them and pay the mortgage and keep the car running and keep gas in the car. They have to think about how they're going to do all these things when they're holding a piece of paper that says you're losing your job in 30 days. It's cold comfort for them, for those families, to hear that, well, this may not happen when they're holding it in black and white, a letter that tells them they're going to be out of work in 30 days. This is no way to run a government; this is no way to make a budget; and this is no way to be responsible with the finances of the United States of America.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, Saturday, February 23, marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Monsignor Farrell Division #2 Chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, located in Carbondale, PA. I rise to congratulate this important Chapter of the Order on this high accomplishment. I also congratulate four founding members of the organization for their foresight in the formation of this Chapter and for their continued support of the work of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. In 1973, Mr. Jerome Brennan, the Honorable James Munley, Attorney Robert Munley and William Pryle founded this Chapter and dedicated it to charitable works, the preservation of Irish culture in America, and the education of the next generation of students about the contributions of Irish immigrants throughout our nation's history. The Ancient Order of Hibernians is America's oldest Irish Catholic Fraternal Organization; it was founded concurrently in the coal-mining regions of Pennsylvania and in New York City in May 1836. The organization provided invaluable support to the vast influx of Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Hunger in the late 1840s, offering both economic aid as well as an introduction to a new culture of opportunity in America. The members of the Order were among the first to welcome new immigrants to their communities, preserving many of the old traditions of a far-away homeland while simultaneously introducing new traditions that were part of a uniquely American experience. The Monsignor Farrell Division #2 Chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and its founders exemplify the core principles of charity, concern for our fellow man, and commitment to educating students about the sacrifices and accomplishments of prior generations. On this momentous occasion, please accept my congratulations and my gratitude for your continuing service to our community.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in advance of the Forward on Climate Rally this Sunday here in Washington, D.C., to support the thousands of people en route to this town right now and to urge this Congress to keep environmental issues among our top priorities. As President Obama stressed in his State of the Union address earlier this week, there is an undeniable trend of warmer climates and a rise in the frequency of natural disasters which cause devastation across this Nation. We are headed in the wrong direction, and we need serious action to protect our planet. We can fight global warming while still growing our economy. We can do it by investing in clean, renewable resources like wind and solar with equipment produced right here in the United States of America. By dealing seriously with environmental issues, we can boost our economy, decrease our reliance on foreign oil, and leave a better world for our children. These should be our top priorities as Members of Congress, as citizens, and as parents, and it is time these issues receive the attention that they deserve.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, we have before us this question of allowing indiscriminate and harmful cuts to our armed services and other vital national governmental works. I agree we must address the debt and the deficit, but it's not a new problem, and we have fixed it before. Right now, our national debt stands at about 105 percent of GDP, gross domestic product. In 1946, it was close to 122 percent, and we fixed it--not by austerity, not by slash and burn; we fixed it by investing in America. We built our national highway system. We made our armed services the envy of the world. We even rebuilt Europe and Japan. We went to the Moon, for heaven's sake. By the 1960s, our economic growth was so great that it was impossible for anyone to complain about the Roosevelt debt with a straight face. That's what we need to do now. We need to believe in ourselves. We need to invest in the great engines of our economic recovery, our infrastructure, and our middle class. So, Mr. Speaker, I urge the Members, be bullish on America and repeal and replace this dangerous sequester.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, January 26, marks the 115th anniversary of Council 302 of the Wilkes-Barre Knights of Columbus, and I rise today to congratulate the Knights of Columbus on this remarkable accomplishment and to recognize the leadership and community service of William J. Uggiano, the immediate past Grand Knight of the organization. Mr. Uggiano served the Council for the period July 2010-June 2012, and he is being honored by the Knights of Columbus as part of the 115th anniversary celebration. William Uggiano previously served his country with distinction during a long career in the Navy, which included tours of duty on four different warships, the last of which was the USS Guam. He was even baptized at sea on the Guam off the coast of Liberia. He retired in 1999 and enrolled in Luzerne Community College where he received an Associates degree in computer information systems. While attending college to get the degree, he began working at the Wilkes-Barre Veterans Administration hospital as an IT specialist in the Office of Information and Technology, and he is still employed there today. Mr. Uggiano is a past Commander of the Italian American Veterans of Luzerne County--Post No. 1, Treasurer of the American Federal of Government Employees (AFGE)--Local 1699, and Treasurer of the Diamond City chapter of the American Wine Society. He is married to the former Javette Swinney of Portsmouth, Virginia, and he and Javette have six children and thirteen grandchildren. Willam Uggiano exemplifies the Knights of Columbus founding core principles of charity toward others, unity for the good of us all, fraternity with one another, and patriotism marked by devotion to both God and country. Please accept my congratulations on this momentous occasion.