Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, words cannot describe the depths of my grief as I rise today to pay tribute to the life of my former staffer and dear friend, Ashley Westbrook Turton, who was taken from us in a tragic accident last week. To say that she was taken from us too soon is an understatement. Ashley worked for me for 7 years, first as my press secretary and later my chief of staff. However, she was much more than a former staffer. She was family. Ashley was, quite simply, remarkable. A native of North Carolina, she was known for her soft Southern accent, bright smile, professionalism, and determination to get things done. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, she first made her mark working for Governor Jim Hunt and then Attorney General Mike Easley, combining politics, policy, and communication. She soon brought her talents to Washington, and she was good at it. Ashley was committed to public service and to making a difference in the lives of others. Ashley started in my office in 2000 as my press secretary, and we quickly formed a bond of mutual respect and friendship. She later stepped in as my chief of staff and was nothing less than transformative in that role. Ashley's leadership and drive was inspiring, and she was a mentor for many young staffers, not only in my office, but across the Hill. As one former staffer remembered, ``Her work ethic could not be matched. She exemplified class, always cool under pressure.'' Ashley was on the floor day and night, always deepening her understanding of the Congress as an institution and how it operated. She was a bright, articulate, and incredibly dedicated young woman who built a distinguished reputation during her time on the Hill and was respected by colleagues and by Members alike on both sides of the aisle, a fact that was reflected in the many phone calls I received and the statements that were issued in her memory. Ashley met her husband, Dan, on the Hill; and looking back, it was obvious that these two would wind up together. They shared a seriousness of purpose and liberal values, yet they were not flashy about any of this and avoided the spotlight. The love that they shared was palpable, the kind that we all dream of finding. I remembered her unbridled excitement about their wedding and her dreams of starting her own family. Ashley truly enjoyed the simpler things in life, family and close friends. She cherished spending time with Dan and their three children, Shaw, Lane and Mason Grace. Neighbors have often recalled seeing her and Dan wheeling the kids around the neighborhood. Her children were her joy, the light of her light. She wanted nothing more than the very best for them, a childhood filled with love, encouragement, and support. It is difficult to imagine that they will grow up not knowing her as well as we did. I, like so many others, have not yet come to terms with the reality that Ashley is lost to us. The idea that I will not get a call or email or text from her, just a couple of lines to say hello, is inconceivable to me. I simply cannot imagine my life without her in it. Ashley was an exceptional young woman whose kind heart, quick wit, unwavering loyalty, and unparalleled professionalism touched the lives and hearts of all those fortunate enough to have known her. And so it is with the heaviest of hearts that I rise today to extend my deepest sympathies to her husband, Dan; her parents, Jim and Diane Westbrook; her brother, Blair; Dan's parents, Tom and Cathy; and Ashley's children, Shaw, Lane and Mason Grace. Ashley's absence has left a hole in all of our hearts that will never be filled.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to the Shelton Vikings Midget and Pee Wee Cheerleading squads who captured the National Championship titles in their divisions at the Pop Warner National Competition which was held last month in Buena Vista, Florida. This is a remarkable accomplishment for these young girls and we could not be more proud of them! The Viking Midget Cheerleading squad is a group of thirteen and fourteen year old girls who have been cheering together since age seven. The Pee Wee team is made up of ten to twelve year old girls. During this past season, each of these squads have won the titles of Southern Connecticut Champions, Connecticut State Champions, New England Qualifier Champions and New England Regional Champions. In their first ever trip to the National Championships, the Midget Cheerleading squad competed against nineteen other squads from across the country to take home the title and the Pee Wee squad competed against eight other teams to do the same. These are the first ever National titles for Shelton and, for the Midget squad, it is even more meaningful because it was the last year that they will be eligible to compete in the Pop Warner Cheerleading league. These girls are an extraordinarily talented group who have dedicated countless hours to practice and competition. Cheerleading, like so many other sports, requires perseverance, training, coordination, and above all teamwork--all skills that will continue to serve these young women well throughout their lives. Their success at the National Championships is a testament to all of their hard work. I would also like to take a moment to extend a special note of thanks and appreciation to the coaches, parents, and volunteers whose support has enabled the girls to practice and travel for their competitions. Without their efforts, the success of the Vikings Cheerleaders would not be possible. I am thrilled to join the Shelton community in extending my sincere congratulations and very best wishes to the Shelton Vikings Midget and Pee Wee Cheerleaders--2010 Pop Warner National Champions. You have made us all proud!

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Yesterday, men and women from all across America came here to tell us what the repeal of health care would mean for them. Stacie Ritter of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, told us how her 11-year-old twin daughters were both diagnosed with leukemia at age 4. She explained how the Affordable Care Act finally ensured her daughters could get coverage and the care that they need. Claudette Therriault of Sabbattus, Maine, told us how health care reform had given her access to critical preventive care, the type of care that saves money and saves lives. Ed Burke of Palm Harbor, Florida, told us how the prohibition on lifetime caps had brought security and peace of mind after years of living with hemophilia. We hear stories like this every day in my district and all across America. Yesterday, a report found that up to 129 million Americans under age 65 have preexisting conditions and could lose their coverage if reform is repealed. I understand their fears. I too have a preexisting condition. I am an ovarian cancer survivor. The Center for American Progress reports that repeal would add almost $2,000 a year to family insurance premiums, destroy up to 400,000 jobs a year over the next decade. And the Congressional Budget Office says repeal would add $230 billion to the deficit. Repeal will take away valuable benefits, destroy jobs, cause premiums to rise, and add billions to the deficit. If my colleagues across the aisle will not listen to the facts and the numbers, then listen to the poignant stories of their and our constituents. What will happen to Stacie's twins, Claudette, Ed, and millions of other Americans if health care reform is repealed? What will happen to children with preexisting conditions, to seniors in the doughnut hole, to small businesses trying to help their employees find quality health insurance? Repeal is a mistake. We should work to further strengthen our health care system; and we should do that, not roll back hard-won progress. Health care should not be a political game.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, this weekend we honor a truly historic American who, through unyielding struggle, bent the trajectory of our Nation closer to justice. ``Violence . . . solves no social problems,'' that man, Dr. Martin Luther King--himself a victim of violence--wrote. ``It only creates new and more complicated ones.'' The shootings in Arizona remind us of the truth of these words. They show that the world is still a dangerous place for those who stand up for civic duty. I do not have to tell this body that Gabby Giffords has been an exemplary Member of this House. As a small businesswoman in her earlier career, she has worked hard to see that the economic concerns of Arizona's families are heard in Washington. As one of the growing number of women Members here, she has been a powerful voice on immigration reform, energy independence, reducing drug trafficking and cartel violence along the border, and the continued importance of exploring the stars. As a third-generation Tucsonian, she has brought an Arizonan's love of the sun to her advocacy of renewable energy and the benefits of solar power for all Americans. More importantly, however, Gabby is an exemplary person. She is fun to be with. She is a dear friend of mine, a friend to my family--my stepdaughter, Anna Greenberg, is her pollster--and I know that, wherever you stand in this Chamber, she was a friend to you. She never had anything but a smile for anyone, left or right. For this, simply for serving her constituents to the best of her ability, she was shot in the line of duty. At this very moment, she fights for life in Arizona--a life that has already been cruelly denied six others in this tragedy, including a longtime officer of the court, a staffer just like the young men and women we rely on every day, and a little 9-year-old girl. The troubled individual who perpetrated this evil is now in custody, and time will tell what moved him to commit this unspeakable act. Yet, for those of us here in this room, we all have to do more to drain our politics of the venom where such hatred breeds. At this moment, above all, I pray for Gabby's recovery and for the others I do not know, and I mourn those who were lost.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. I met David Obey 20 years ago. I was elected to this body, never having run for office before. I came to the freshman orientation. I sat at the end of a long table and I listened to people come in and tell us what we needed to know about this institution. And I listened to one David Obey at the far end of the table, from Wisconsin, and he spoke about appropriations and he spoke about the budget process and the Budget Committee, et cetera. And I said to myself, My god, what have I done? I am in so far over my head, I am never going to make it. Over 20 years, David Obey has become one of my dearest friends, my mentor, and, yes, we do conspire to try to do good things. He has shown me the power of this great institution and how it can change people's lives, to make opportunity real for people, for ordinary people. He is a smart, he is a savvy legislator. No one knows more about the issues, about the politics, and about the process and about getting it done. He is incorruptible, and, as many know, he does not suffer fools. And he is a real flesh-and-blood human being. He has passion on the issues that we deal with, and they are based on a wellspring of values. Born and raised in a working class family in Wisconsin, he knows what the struggle is about. He has walked in the shoes of the people of this country, and he knows that it is this great institution that can turn it around.

Ms. DeLAURO. He tells the truth fearlessly, and he is a patriot in every sense of the word. I will miss David's commitment, his dedication, and his integrity. And though soon no longer to be a colleague, he will always be my friend, and I think I know that whenever I am in trouble, I can pick up the phone and say, David, what should I do? I will miss you deeply, my friend. I will miss you deeply.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentleman from Washington. I rise in support of this bipartisan legislation that will protect American jobs and ensure competitive fairness in the contract bid for the next aerial refueling tanker. Madam Speaker, in May, the House voted overwhelmingly, 410-8, on a similar amendment to the defense authorization bill to require the Pentagon to take into account the illegal subsidies that have distorted this competition from day one. The choice for the next-generation tanker contract is clear. We can give the contract to an American company, Boeing, and support an estimated 50,000-plus good, high-skilled jobs across this country, or we can give the contract to a European company, Airbus, thus creating tens of thousands of jobs in Europe. With unemployment where it is today, this should be a no-brainer. In fact, since the last time this issue was brought to the floor, the WTO made a final ruling in the trade case brought by our government against the European Union. It ruled that billions of dollars in illegal European Government ``launch aid'' subsidies have been used by Airbus to develop every aircraft it has built. More than $5 billion of these subsidies made it possible for Airbus to launch the A330 it is offering for the tanker. We need to ensure a fair, open, and transparent tanker competition. Our companies and our workers can compete against any in the world when there is a level playing field. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation ensuring that the Pentagon takes into account these illegal Airbus subsidies. We need to provide the best tanker for the Air Force, and we must not send these critical defense manufacturing jobs overseas.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill as a good and a necessary first step in reforming our food safety system and better protecting our families from food-borne illness. And I want to congratulate some of the longtime champions of food safety in this institution, such as Chairman Henry Waxman, Chairman John Dingell, Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone, Mr. Bart Stupak. And I say congratulations to them for successfully bringing this legislation through the House. I also want to acknowledge Senator Harkin and Senator Durbin for their work in facilitating passage of this bill in the Senate. Among the critical reforms in this bill are increased inspection of high-risk facilities, expanded authority to inspect recall records, the formation of a more accurate food facility registry, improved traceability in the event of an illness outbreak, and improved surveillance of food-borne illness. The bill also requires certification of certain foreign food imports as meeting U.S. food safety requirements. All of these tools will help improve the FDA's ability to respond to food-borne illness outbreaks and to hold industrial food production facilities to higher standards. For too long the cornerstone of our food safety system, the FDA, has had only ancient tools and an outdated mandate at its disposal. This bill will go a long way towards stemming the potential of a full-blown food-borne epidemic in the future. Recently, the CDC released an updated estimate on food-borne illness figures, and it remains a major public interest health threat. With nearly 50 million illnesses, 100,000 hospitalizations, and over 3,000 deaths each year, these estimates show that there is much work to be done in identifying and combating the pathogens that cause food-borne illness. Just to tell you the importance of this bill, let me share with you the story of Haylee Berstein, a 17-year old girl who lives in Wilton, Connecticut. When Haylee was 3 years old, she ate unwashed lettuce that was contaminated with E. coli. She soon became extremely ill with what doctors called hemolytic uretic syndrome. The health effects of an E. coli illness are very painful. Haylee experienced traumatic damage to her kidneys and pancreas. She suffered severe bleeding in her brain. And that blood in her brain caused her to be temporarily blind. The doctors at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital fought for 14 weeks to save her life. And to this day, Haylee still suffers from health problems such as diabetes, all because of food contaminated with E. coli. This should not happen to anyone. And as we know in this body, it can be prevented. With all of this in mind, our food safety efforts should not, and will not, end today. Because this piece of legislation is not about roads and bridges and parks and other things that we do in this institution. This legislation is about life and death. While the FDA is charged with protecting a large majority of our food supply, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, FSIS at USDA, is responsible for ensuring the safety of meat and poultry products. After passing this bill today, we must begin to lay the foundation for science-based reform at FSIS as well. That is why I worked on language that would create a science-based panel, supported by a wide range of stakeholders, to analyze the food safety system at FSIS and develop the concept of what a modernized system would look like there. This collaborative proposal is supported by the pertinent industries, consumer groups, and unions. I should emphasize that this plan would not interfere with the good work currently being done by Under Secretary Elisabeth Hagen at FSIS. And I look forward to working with all of my colleagues in the next Congress to move this proposal forward. Ultimately, I believe, as do leaders across the aisle, that we must establish a single food safety agency. Currently, food safety responsibilities are fragmented across 15 Federal agencies and are governed by 71 interagency agreements. Food safety and public health experts, as well as the Government Accountability Office, have concluded that this fragmentation has created redundancies that have weakened our food safety response. We need to consolidate all of these food safety functions under one roof. This will provide an updated regulatory structure and strengthen oversight and surveillance activities to better protect our food supply. I will continue to fight for this single agency. I believe it is needed to ensure that the food in our fridges and on our kitchen tables is safe. Nonetheless, the legislation we must pass today is a strong first step toward a safer food supply and reducing the number of preventable food-borne illnesses and deaths. I urge my colleagues to face this public health threat and to pass food safety legislation. Every parent who goes in to buy food needs to know that they are taking it home and it's safe for their children.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this continuing resolution. This deals with the responsibility that we have to fund the government so that it can function. This bill represents some really hard choices. It freezes discretionary funding--and this is a point that should not be lost--at a time when we are looking at those on the other side of the aisle that would pass a tax package that would benefit the richest 3 percent of the people in this Nation. The richest 3 percent of the people in this Nation will get a tax cut, and some people have the temerity to propose an estate tax to the one- quarter of one percent of the richest people in this Nation while folks in this country and kids are going hungry. The chairman should be commended for closing the Pell Grant shortfall and for including critical investments in services needed to keep people from falling through the cracks. I commend him for the small and modest funds dedicated to early childhood programs such as Head Start and childcare. As the chair of the Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee, this bill continues the important and necessary investments that we made last year in agricultural research, rural investment, nutrition and food aid, conservation, and, yes, the public health. It says that a key Federal agency like the Food and Drug Administration will have the resources it needs to meet its important responsibilities to the American people to combat the continuing economic crisis and to provide food and nutrition that millions of Americans currently rely on. This resolution includes language that allows the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other crucial entitlement programs to be funded at the levels necessary to maintain participation in the current fiscal year. One out of five families is today on food stamps. One out of four children is going to bed hungry every single night in the United States of America. I urge my colleagues today to support this bill, with all of its difficulties. It keeps the government functioning, and we make modest, modest progress in aiding the current economic crisis.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this continuing resolution, and especially the food safety provisions. They represent a good first step in reforming our food safety system and reducing food- borne illness. This House passed much stronger food safety legislation in July 2009. The bill before us today still includes critical reforms and deserves our support. It provides the FDA with several authorities that will help the agency better prevent food-borne illnesses. These include increased inspection of high-risk facilities, expanded authority to inspect records relating to recalls, the creation of a more accurate food facility registry, improved traceability in the event of an illness outbreak, and certification of certain foreign food imports meeting all U.S. food safety requirements. This bill will help us identify food-borne outbreaks more quickly. Food safety is and should be a vital component of our national security and our jobs as the people's elected representatives. When it comes to the very real potential of a full-blown food-borne epidemic, we have been playing a dangerous game for far too long. With that in mind, our food safety efforts will not end with the passage of this bill. I believe that we must establish a single food safety agency, one that would consolidate all of the food safety functions spread across 15 Federal departments under one roof. I will continue to fight for a single agency. I believe it is needed to ensure that the food in our supermarkets, restaurants, and kitchens is safe. Nonetheless, the food safety provisions in today's resolution are a great first step. I urge my colleagues to support them.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, on the eve of his retirement, I rise today to honor the long legislative career of a true Missouri statesman and a close personal friend, Ike Skelton. From his first day in Congress in 1977, and from the chambers of the Armed Services committee to union halls all over his home state, Ike always served the people of Missouri's Fourth District with intelligence and conviction. I came to the House 20 years ago, he was already an institution in these halls, and in the years since Ike has become a mentor and dear friend to me. Ike, as many of you know, has always been very fond of his fellow Missourian, Harry Truman. At the age of 17, Ike attended Truman's inauguration, and the battle flag of the USS Harry Truman hung in his office. And I know I do not need to tell many of you, but, boy, Ike could give 'em Hell! He was always a true Missouri gentleman, of course. But when the chips were down, nobody fought harder for our men and women in uniform. As chair of the Armed Services Committee, he never forgot the many sacrifices our troops make to protect our families and our Nation. You can hear this dedication to our soldiers ring out in Ike's farewell address. As he well reminded us, ``Men and women in uniform are not chess pieces to be moved upon a board. Each and every one is irreplaceable. Issues of national security and war and peace are too important to lose sight of the real men and women who answer our Nation's call and do the bidding of the commander-in-chief.'' That is Ike--A true statesman, and one who's always cognizant of what's really important. Like his hero, he has always been well- grounded and plain-spoken--qualities too often missing in this institution. Ike calls it as he sees it, no more and no less. President Truman once said that ``America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.'' Ike listened well, and he brought those qualities to this chamber in earnest for 34 years. Thank you, Ike, for your leadership and your friendship. And thank you for all your hard work for the people of Missouri and for our Nation. We will miss your wisdom, your good humor, and your tenacity in the coming Congress. And I will miss you very much. I wish you, and Patty, a long and happy retirement.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Using the food stamp as an offset at a time when one in five kids receives food stamp assistance moves us away from that goal. Nevertheless, this legislation is a big step forward. I, for one, and others have said we will continue to push to see that the SNAP funding is restored; we will work with the White House to make sure those funds are restored. I'm happy to see the Congress moving in the right direction today and pledge to fight to continue to have access to the resources that will allow us to have all kids who are eligible for these resources have the accessibility to gain these resources. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this rule. Nothing that we do in this body is as important as ensuring that our children, our grandchildren, and the next generation of Americans have the tools, the opportunities and the nutrition that they need to thrive and to succeed. Our kids deserve no less.

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentleman. And I might just say to the prior speaker on the other side of the aisle that the American people did not vote to cut food for kids in our country. They voted to cut the tax cuts that are provided to the corporate special interests in this Nation, which the other side of the aisle seems to have no problem with. I rise today in support of this rule. The Hunger-Free Kids Act represents a long overdue, a much-needed recommitment to the health and to the well-being of our schoolchildren. We all know the double-edged problems that millions of young people currently face. Today's kids are threatened by both a growing obesity epidemic, and far too many struggling families in this economy are facing gnawing hunger. According to a recent report, one out of every four young adults is too overweight to serve in our military. At the same time, according to the Food Research Action Center, one out of every four households with children experienced food hardship this year--meaning they did not have the money to purchase the food their families needed. Don't let people fool you with words like ``food hardship'' and ``food insecurity.'' It results in hunger. Kids in this Nation are going to bed hungry every single night. This bill marks a significant step forward against both fronts of this dangerous pincer movement. By expanding access to and emphasizing good nutrition for all schoolchildren, this bill will reduce hunger. It will reduce obesity. The Hunger-Free Kids Act will add 115,000 new students into the school meals program by using Medicaid data to certify eligible kids. It will provide an additional 21 million meals a year by reimbursing providers for after-school meals to low-income children. While expanding access to meal programs, this bill also works to improve the nutritional quality of all of the food in our schools. It sets national nutrition standards that will finally get all of the junk food infiltrating our classrooms and our cafeterias out the door. And for those schools who comply with these revised nutrition standards, it provides the first real reimbursement rate increase--6 cents a meal. And that is the largest increase we have seen in over 30 years. This bill will also strengthen the farm-to-school networks so that more healthy produce, local foods, even the foods that are grown in the school gardens can find their way into the menus. Our kids consume roughly 35 to 50 percent of their daily calories during the school day. By passing this bill, we can help see they are getting enough nutritious food to stay healthy, to grow, to learn, to succeed. Given the current economic climate, I know some will ask, How can we afford this bill? I say how can we afford not to pass it? Leaving millions of children hungry and malnourished in the name of budget- cutting is penny wise, pound foolish, and is unconscionable--especially from those who would now say let's provide the richest 2 percent of the people in this Nation with a tax cut of over $100,000 a year. They're eating well, they're eating high on the hog, and kids are going to bed hungry every night in our Nation. Countless studies have shown that kids with access to a nutritious breakfast learn more and perform better in school. From the very beginning, I have been working, and others have been working, to expand access to Federal aid, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program--yes, the food stamp program--for eligible children. We want to make sure that all of our kids have access to the nutrition that they need for a healthy future.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentleman from California. I thank him for his entire career as a Member of this House of Representatives and in the past as being a leading champion on what happens to our kids, their well-being, their nutrition, and their best interests. And this bill is another example of his commitment to that effort. The Hunger-Free Kids Act represents an overdue, a much-needed recommitment to the health and the well-being of our schoolchildren. Our kids today are threatened by a growing obesity epidemic. Far too many kids are struggling and families are struggling with gnawing and unyielding hunger. Today, people want to talk about ``food insecurity'' and ``food hardship.'' Don't let them use those nice words. It's about one out of four kids going hungry in the United States of America every single day. We have an opportunity to move forward to address that issue today. The Hunger-Free Kids Act will add 115,000 new students into the school meals program by using Medicaid data to certify eligible kids. It will provide an additional 21 million meals a year by reimbursing providers for after-school meals to low-income children. While expanding access to meal programs, the bill works to improve the nutritional quality of all of the food in our schools. It sets national nutrition standards. We're going to get junk food that infiltrates our classrooms and cafeterias out the door. For the schools that comply with the revised nutrition standards, it says that there's a first time reimbursement rate increase. Six cents a meal is what we're talking about. The first we've seen in over 30 years. And it does it--all of this that it does is all being fully paid for. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle: How many programs that get passed in this Congress are fully paid for? We are paying in order to feed our kids. Our kids consume roughly 35 to 50 percent of their daily calories during the school day. We can pass this bill. They will get enough nutritious food to stay healthy, to grow, to learn, and to succeed. For those who say how can we afford this bill right now, we say how can we afford not to pass it? Leaving millions of children hungry, leaving millions of children malnourished in the name of budget cutting is penny wise, it's pound foolish, and it is unconscionable. Vote for this bill.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO.Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the thirtieth anniversary of Harbor Health Services in Branford, Connecticut. A mental health clinic that has served the Branford community with conviction and compassion for thirty years now, Harbor Health always works hard to put individuals and their families first. They have been a model of how best to help our citizens with mental and behavioral health needs--by treating each patient with warmth, dignity, and respect. For adults in Connecticut grappling with severe mental illness or serious substance abuse disorders, Harbor offers a wide range of treatment and rehabilitative services for all stages of recovery. They know that each person who walks through their doors is a unique case, deserving of individualized care and a specialized plan of recovery. What's more, Harbor Health goes the extra mile in helping mentally ill citizens reintegrate with the community at large, through social rehabilitation, such as working to improve communications skills, and important vocational rehabilitation programs, such as job training and career counseling. I applaud Harbor Health Services for reaching this important milestone, and I honor their tireless service, day in and day out, on behalf of Connecticut families. Congratulations on thirty years.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Joseph P. Jarjura, a Connecticut businessman who passed away earlier last month, and to honor both his many contributions to Waterbury and his quintessentially American story. Born in Zghorta, Lebanon on Christmas Day, 1920, Joseph Jarjura's life changed forever when he met the love of his life, Ann George, on a trip she took to the land of his birth. The two soon fell in love, married, and, returned to her hometown of Waterbury in 1948. Here, they would make their home for the next sixty-two years, and here, Joseph would become a U.S. citizen. Lebanon's loss was Connecticut's gain. In Waterbury, Joseph would go on to found J.P. Jarjura & Sons, a thriving wholesale fruit and vegetable distributor. And he would serve the people of Waterbury not only as an entrepreneur, but as a citizen. Over the years, Joseph helped to found the Ehden Lebanese American Club and the Waterbury CrimeStoppers, and he gave his time and effort to the Rotary Club, the Exchange Club, and several other civic-minded organizations throughout the city. As a testament to both his community involvement and his story of success through persistence and hard work, the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations bestowed Joseph with their Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1996, an honor previously accorded to Nobel Prize winners and United States presidents. Seven years earlier, in 1989, Joseph was named mayor for a day by the Lebanese-American community in Waterbury--a job his youngest of seven sons, Michael, would be elected to fill in 2001, and has held ever since. Joseph Jarjura came to America with a dream, and through decades of hard work and civic service, he achieved it. His story is our story. As we mourn his loss today, we can take solace that he has once again followed his late wife Ann across distant shores. And we know that his legacy lives on in the love and service of his seven sons--Charles, Peter, Arthur, Fred, William, David, and Michael--as well as that of his sister Aurore, his sixteen grandchildren, and four great- grandchildren. I offer my deepest condolences to the Jarjura family on their loss, as I thank them for Joseph's lifelong commitment to our Waterbury community.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is a privilege for me to rise today to celebrate the distinguished career of Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Redding. After twenty-five years on the force, Stephanie announced her plans to retire from the New Haven Police Department and I am honored to have this opportunity to join the many family, friends, and colleagues who have gathered to thank her for her exemplary service to the Department and our community. The daughter of a former West Haven fire chief, Stephanie has always understood the importance of public service. She chose a career in law enforcement and entered the New Haven Police Academy in 1986--still in a time when women were not commonplace among the ranks. Stephanie started at the New Haven Police Department as a Patrol Officer and throughout her career served as a Mounted Patrol, Sergeant, and Lieutenant before becoming the first female Assistant Chief in New Haven's history. Whether as District Manager of the East Shore/Morris Cove District, the Officer in Charge of the Family Services Division, or Assistant Chief, Stephanie has earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues and community leaders alike. Stephanie's tenure has been marked by her integrity, professionalism, and compassion. She has twice served as acting Chief of Police during transitional phases at the Department, and was appointed to the State Victim Advocate Advisory Committee. She has also shared her expertise with her colleagues around the world, serving as an instructor at the Academy and presenting on community policing and other family and children's issues at both national and international conferences. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work closely with Stephanie on a project we both care deeply about. She has spearheaded the collaborative effort between the NHPD and the Yale Child Study Center's National Center for Children Exposed to Violence and their extraordinary joint multi-disciplinary intervention programs--including the Child Development-Community Policing Program. This ground-breaking work has changed the way police officers and clinicians respond to children in trauma. It has galvanized support services around at-risk youth, and it has saved and healed lives. Stephanie's contributions to our community and commitment to community service extend far beyond her professional career. She volunteers with the New Haven Boys and Girls Club, the Yale Child Study Center, and the United Way of Greater New Haven, and she has served as the cheerleading coach at the Sacred Heart Academy. In all that she does, Stephanie touches the lives of others and this is particularly true of our young people. As a peace officer and a public citizen, Stephanie has been a credit to our New Haven community and to the State of Connecticut. A trailblazer in our City's history, she has fought hard to protect the public and worked to improve the lives of countless New Haven families for the better. I, like so many others, consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Stephanie and find myself in awe of the many ways in which she has enriched the lives of others and enhanced the quality of life in our community. I am so pleased to join her husband, New Haven Police Captain Pat Redding, their son Patrick, her parents William ``Wiggy'' and Dolly Johnson, as well as all of the family, friends, and colleagues who have gathered today to congratulate Assistant Chief Stephanie Redding as she celebrates her retirement. I cannot thank her enough for her decades of service and innumerable contributions to our community. Stephanie has set a standard to which we should all strive and I have no doubt that no matter what her future endeavors may be, she will continue to find ways in which she can make a difference in the lives of others. My very best wishes to her and her family for many more years of health and happiness.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, one out of every 33 babies born in our country suffers from a birth defect, and one out of every five infant deaths in America is the result of a defect. Even those children who survive a defect grow up with a greater chance of illness and long-term disability. Perhaps most tragic of all, there are many times when these defects could be readily prevented. That is why I rise in support today of H.R. 5462, the Birth Defect Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 2010. This legislation establishes a grant program to revitalize the Nation's network of pregnancy risk information services. These services offer pregnant women and their health care providers information and consultation regarding exposures to medications, chemicals, infections, and illnesses that may pose a risk of birth defects, a risk to the pregnancy, or a risk to the mother while pregnant. They also provide similar information on exposures during breastfeeding. Fifteen years ago, there were over 30 such services across the country. Today, there are fewer than 15. State and private funding has provided inadequate support, and even those that remain open have sustained budget cuts of as much as 60 percent. And there are currently no Federal programs to provide support for these counseling services. This bill remedies that oversight. It gives mothers the information they need to protect their children. And it will help reduce the frequency of birth defects in our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my good friend Francine Farkas Sears of Branford, a pioneering small businesswoman from my district whose company, Fabrique, has been named one of America's fastest-growing 5000 companies by Inc. Magazine. This acknowledgment is a testament to her entrepreneurial skills and spirit of innovation. Francine is president and owner of Fabrique, a certified woman-owned business that provides cases and accessories for a host of consumer electronic products. Francine has led this company since the early 1980s driven by the vision of what women needed to compete and succeed in the business arena. And its success is only the latest feather in the cap of a true trailblazer, one with 40 years of experience in the business world. As a stockbroker in the 1960s, Francine was recognized by Newsweek and the New York Times. And in 1972, she was the first businesswoman invited to visit Communist China, after President Nixon had normalized relations. These achievements, like her inclusion on the Inc. list this year, speak to Francine's creativity, resilience, tenacity, and business savvy--all as plain as day to anyone who meets her. Perhaps most importantly, she has used her success to serve her community, by helping other women to join the business world and succeed in their own right. I applaud Francine for achieving this recognition, and I congratulate her on both her thriving professional career and the continued success of Fabrique. She is a credit to the Branford community and an excellent reminder that small businesses can and do continue to thrive in our home state of Connecticut.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, I rise to commemorate Joey Russell of Milford, Connecticut, a comedian and humanitarian who has spent a lifetime working to make the world around him a better, happier place. Known to generations of Connecticut children as ``Happy the Clown,'' a television staple in Hartford and my hometown of New Haven, Joey has brought laughter, good cheer, and good works to those around him for decades. In fact, Joey's wit and timing as a stand-up comic has taken him all over the world, including famed comedy venues like the Copacabana in New York and Grossinger's Hotel in the Catskills. Throughout his career, Joey has matched his gift for entertaining with an impressive record of philanthropy and public service. The son of a rabbi who served in the United States Army, Joey has raised money for over 20 ambulances for American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI), formed the Golan Chapter of this international humanitarian organization, and has led over fifty tours of the Holy Land. I congratulate Joey, his wife Josi, and their five children on reaching this impressive milestone, and I thank Joey for all the laughter over the years. With or without the ``happy sticks'' on hand, I know he will greet this cause for celebration with a smile.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, in honor of his retirement, I rise to commemorate decades of hard work and commitment to the young people of Connecticut by Dr. Charles E. Warner, an esteemed educator in our New Haven community. In a long career as a teacher and administrator, beginning in nearby Bridgeport in 1971 and culminating with his tenure as the director of instruction and director of special programs for New Haven's public schools, Chuck has worked tirelessly to ensure that each and every child in his purview has access to the tools they need to thrive. Day in and day out, Chuck has fought for the kids and the teachers in our community, and to make New Haven's schools the best they can be. For his achievements in education, Chuck has been nationally recognized many times over, including appearing in publications such as Parents Magazine and serving on the advisory board of the National Middle School Association. And his good works have not been confined to the school day. Chuck has been an engaged participant in community affairs and has volunteered his time and effort in any number of ways, including, most recently, serving as Connecticut's After School Alliance ambassador over this past year--one of only thirty in the Nation--for his contributions to afterschool programs. Along with teaching and, of course, his wife Regina, Chuck's great passion has been music. And from his very first teaching job at East Side Middle School in Bridgeport, where he led a band of over two hundred students, to his 20 years of service as a Minister of Music for the Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church's Sanctuary Choir, Chuck has enriched our community by sharing this love with us. As an educator and public citizen, Chuck has been a credit to our city, to our State, and to our Nation, and he has improved the lives of countless New Haven children for the better. I congratulate him, Regina, and their children Alexis, Charles Jr., and Bryon on his retirement, and I thank him for his decades of service to our community. Congratulations, Chuck. You have earned it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with enormous pride that I wish to inform my colleagues that the Freedom Schooner Amistad, a national human rights icon moored in New Haven, CT, is making history this week. As part of the United Nations commemoration of March 25 as the global Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Atlantic slave trade, the Amistad arrived Monday in Matanzas, Cuba and today will sail for Havana. The Amistad entered Cuban waters on March 22, 2010 for a 10-day, two city Cuba tour that will culminate its recent Caribbean Heritage Voyage. The ship first visited Matanzas, site of a new UNESCO- affiliated slavery museum. Today, the Amistad will sail into Havana Harbor to commemorate the historic ``triangle of trade'' connections between America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Tomorrow, the vessel will host a three-hour simulcast about the shared slave trade heritage, connecting Cuban students to classrooms across the Atlantic Ocean and at the UN in New York. In addition to public tours of the boat and academic panels on its history, the Cuba visits will focus on the impact of the slave trade on our transatlantic cultural heritage-- including religious ritual, film, music, dance, poetry and visits to former plantations. The sale of the Amistad captives in Havana was a small transaction in the thriving international slave trade. But the resulting events arguably turned the tide against slavery itself--and the historical connections across the modem African Diaspora are direct and profound. This visit is especially poignant because Amistad's own story began in Cuba. The original ship was built in Cuba. In 1839, the Amistad sailed from Havana, the center of the illegal slave trade. This will be the replica's first visit to Cuba--and it coincides with the tenth anniversary of its launch at Mystic Seaport Museum on March 25, 2000. The Amistad is a 140-foot replica of the two-masted black schooner that was at the center of the 1841 slave rebellion case argued successfully by John Quincy Adams, leading to the first U.S. Supreme Court case freeing African captives. The replica Amistad has visited 70 domestic and international ports as a symbol of this human rights milestone. In 2008, the Amistad undertook a 14,000-mile transatlantic sail to Africa. On March 25 of that year, the Amistad was linked via satellite directly to the UN as the General Assembly voted to commemorate that date as the bicentennial of the pioneering British act that first outlawed the slave trade. Students from six countries sailed legs of the Africa voyage. Soon thereafter, the Amistad was designated as floating ambassador for the UN Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Atlantic Slave Trade. The boat's most recent port of call was Santo Domingo, for a week of programs for youths from the Dominican Republic and Haiti. During the two months after the current Caribbean tour, the vessel will visit five cities historically linked to the 19th century slave trade: Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, Washington DC and Baltimore. The next heritage tour will include visits this summer to Boston, Halifax and seven Great Lakes ports, culminating in Chicago. In December, the Amistad sails back to Africa, including for celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Senegal. But for now, all eyes are on Cuba.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of an important bill that enjoys strong and consistent bipartisan support--the reauthorization of Johanna's Law through 2014. This is an important vote. It will help to raise awareness of the warning signs for ovarian cancer. And it will, put simply, save lives. Better awareness might have helped Johanna Silver Gordon--in whose honor the bill is named. Johanna lost her life to ovarian cancer despite being a health conscious woman who visited the gynecologist regularly. Like many women, Johanna had symptoms and clinical signs of ovarian cancer that were missed by both her and her healthcare provider. And her sister, Sheryl Silver, was determined never to let another sister, mother, daughter or friend go through the same thing. This bill will help to make that happen. It reauthorizes the existing CDC program that educates women and their health care providers about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. And it includes new support for other organizations to carry out complementary education and awareness campaigns in order to get the word out about this terrible disease. I want to thank Congressmen Darrell Issa, Dan Burton, and Sandy Levin for their committed leadership on this issue. And I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation. As Johanna's family can tell you, it really will make a difference.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate decades of service to the community by a longtime and dear friend, both to me and my husband and to the children and families of New Haven, Connecticut: Maria Rodriguez. Elected to New Haven's Board of Aldermen in 1976, Maria has the distinction of being the first Hispanic alderperson in the history of our city. But that service was only the beginning of her contributions to our city and state. For as long as I have known her, Maria has given of herself to the people around her, and has worked to make New Haven a richer, more vibrant, and more compassionate community. Indeed, Maria has spent a lifetime doing so. She began her career in the early 1970s as a trained mental health therapist at the Connecticut Mental Health Center, where she worked day in and day out to improve the experience and the quality of life of Hispanic families in the Greater New Haven area. As my husband Stan, Maria, and I worked on so many local political campaigns then, we became great friends. She helped us to forge many wonderful friendships in New Haven's Hispanic community. She is a tireless worker and a strong ally. After receiving her Masters from Southern Connecticut State University in 1983, and spending a year as a key and valuable aide to my predecessor, Bruce Morrison, Maria soon moved into full-time social work. For over 25 years, through organizations such as the Connecticut Board of Education, Family Counseling of Greater New Haven, and Latino Youth Development, Inc., she provided therapy to families and students in need of mental health care. In her off-hours, Maria kept on giving. From serving on the Board of the YMCA to tutoring students in her free time, she has always looked for more ways to help those in need and to improve our city. And, now that she has decided to retire from the Connecticut Board of Education, I can only expect she is already thinking of new ways to volunteer her time and her effort. For that is who Maria is. For decades now, she has continued to infuse our community with her warmth and energy, her caring and compassion. I thank her deeply for her service to the families of New Haven, and for her years of friendship to me. And I congratulate her and her family--her husband Alquilino, her son Paul, and daughter-in- law Bunny--on reaching this milestone. Congratulations, Maria, you have earned it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of achievements of Judge Constance Baker Motley, a passionate and path-breaking heroine of the civil rights movement and a native of my hometown of New Haven. As my esteemed colleague, Representative John L. Lewis, remembered her: ``In the heart of the American South, during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement in the late 50s and 60s, there were only two lawyers that made white segregationists tremble and gave civil rights workers hope--Constance Baker Motley and Thurgood Marshall.'' And, indeed, after a youth in New Haven and an education at Fisk University, Motley served as Marshall's right-hand woman, progressing from his law clerk to one of the NAACP's top lawyers, and helping Marshall to craft the winning case in Brown v. Board of Education. The landmark Brown victory in 1954 would be the capstone of many careers, but for Judge Motley, it was just the beginning. Indeed, her story is a litany of firsts--She was the first African American woman to represent the NAACP in court, and would win nine out of ten cases she argued before the Supreme Court, including the famous case of James Meredith against the University of Mississippi. In 1964, she became the first African-American woman elected to the New York State Senate. In 1965, she became the first woman to serve as Manhattan borough president and to sit on the New York Board of Estimate. And in 1966, upon appointment to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, she became the first African-American woman in our history to serve as a federal judge. In short, Judge Motley, who sadly passed away in 2005, is a historic figure, not just in the life of New Haven but in the life of our nation. And I am very glad to see that she will be inducted on to the New Haven Freedom Trail at the end of this month. Her story is testament not only to the tumultuous struggles for equal rights, freedom, and tolerance that characterized our American story in the 20th century, but a reminder to us all that, in America, one committed woman can make a difference. I salute Judge Motley's many contributions, and I applaud the Amistad Committee for choosing to honor her this month.