Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate a significant milestone in our national story, and to applaud the millions of tenacious, tough-minded American women who worked so hard to see it accomplished. Ninety years ago, our nation ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote all across the country. This was an achievement that was years, even centuries, in the making. Even before our nation declared independence, the seeds of suffrage can be found in the letters of Abigail Adams, when she implored her husband John to ``remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.'' Its roots took hold at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, where antebellum reformers argued that ``all men and women are created equal'' and, in the Declaration of Sentiments, first demanded the right to vote. And the movement had begun to flower as early as 1869, when Wyoming became the first American territory to grant women the vote. Over the course of the nineteenth century, committed reformers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Lucy Stone, and Susan B. Anthony kept the passion for women's suffrage burning in the American imagination. And in the early decades of the twentieth century, a new generation of progressive reformers kindled this flame into a wildfire. Thanks to the hard work of women like Jane Addams, Carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Paul, and millions more, women's suffrage at last became the law from sea to sea. As women took to the polls, women legislators were not far behind. The passage of the Nineteenth Amendment paved the way for Jeannette Rankin, the first women elected to Congress--she would take office only four years later. It paved the way for Ella Grasso of my home state of Connecticut, the first women elected Governor independent of her husband. And it paved the way for a whole host of diverse women leaders who have worked to transform American politics, from Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm, and Patsy Mink to Margaret Chase Smith, Nancy Kassebaum, and Connie Morella; from Ann Richards to Hillary Rodham Clinton to our very own speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Ninety years ago, our nation took another large and important step towards fulfilling the promise of the founding--that this was and shall always be a land that enshrines freedom, equality, justice, and opportunity for every man and every woman. I applaud the millions of Americans in our history who worked hard to make women's suffrage a reality. And I urge my fellow women to honor this achievement by getting engaged in politics, by voting this and every November, and by committing to lead us all into the future.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Hopkins School, a co-educational preparatory day school in my hometown of New Haven, Connecticut and the third oldest independent school in the United States. The rich history of Hopkins dates to well before the dawn of our American republic, when Governor Edward Hopkins of the young Colony of Connecticut established America's first charitable trust in 1650. In that trust, he set aside some of his estate for ``the breeding up of hopeful youths for the public service of the country in future times.'' And so a one-room schoolhouse was built on New Haven Green bearing Hopkins' name. From that seed, a fine educational institution has flourished. In the centuries since, Hopkins has molded many Connecticut youths into fine public servants. Among the school's esteemed alumni are a signer of the United States Constitution, several noted engineers and prize-winning physicists, diplomats and industrialists, governors, Senators, and more than a few presidents of Yale University. To this day, from its home since 1926 on a hill overlooking New Haven, Hopkins still continues to mold our State's bright young minds into leaders and innovators. With an average class size of fourteen, an educational philosophy that prizes extracurricular activities, public service, and engaged citizenship in addition to the usual academic subjects, and an inclusive community that welcomes young men and women of all races, classes, ethnicities, and creeds, it is little wonder that Hopkins continually produces students that place among the top of the Nation in standardized testing. I congratulate Hopkins and its current Head, Barbara Riley, on three and a half centuries of academic achievement. And I salute the school's continuing service to the colony, State, and young people of Connecticut. Here is to the first 350, and here's to many more.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Assumption School, a Catholic school for pre- kindergarteners, kindergarteners, and grades 1-8 in Ansonia, Connecticut. For a century now, the Assumption School has helped to mold generations of young Catholic men and women according to the precepts of its motto: ``Enter to Learn; Go Forth to Serve.'' It has taught Ansonia's students to nourish their minds and hearts, to reach out and work hard. It has helped them to integrate the Catholic faith into their daily lives, and, according to the best tenets of our faith, encouraged them to give back to their community and their neighbors. Assumption itself is no exception to this wise calling. Over the years since its September 1910 founding, the School has taken on a increasingly broader role in the Ansonia community. Assumption now offers before and after school child care to working parents, through its ACCENT program, as well as a diverse portfolio of extracurricular activities, from athletics and youth choir to a Big Brother/Big Sister Program and a school newspaper. In all of these ways, Assumption helps students to grow and learn, while honoring their faith and their community. I heartily congratulate Principal Kathleen Molner and the entire faculty and staff of the Assumption School on reaching this 100-year milestone. Here's to many more!

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of declaring the last week of September to be National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week and the last Wednesday of September to be National Previvor Day. I want to thank my colleagues who have spoken this morning and all of whom have dealt in some way with the issue of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or maybe some other form of cancer. It is probably the worst day of your life when you are given a cancer diagnosis. You are not listening to what any doctor says. You are only consumed with understanding whether or not you are going to live or die or what is going to happen to your family if such a death should occur. After heart disease, cancer is still the second-leading cause of death in America, and breast cancer the most common cancer diagnosis. In 2006, over 40,000 women died from this disease. Ovarian cancer, meanwhile, is the fifth most common cancer among women. Close to 14,000 of our friends and family are expected to perish from ovarian cancer this year. Perhaps the saddest thing about these grim numbers is that some of these deaths are readily preventable. Thanks to modern science, we now know much more about the genetic and hereditary precursors of these cancers and can identify the women most at risk, the previvors that are predisposed to develop them. We also know that women who catch their ovarian cancer at an earlier stage are over three times more likely to survive the disease than those who do not. Sadly, over 60 percent of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 1999 and 2006 fell into this latter category. Similarly, women diagnosed with breast cancer early are more than four times more likely to survive the disease than women diagnosed at a later stage. And yet one in five women over age 50 have not had a mammogram in the past 2 years. We have worked to address these troubling statistics with the preventive care reforms in the Affordable Care Act. But there is no substitute for awareness, and that is why I strongly support this resolution and encourage all women, and particularly previvors with a genetic predisposition for those cancers, to get tested early and get tested often. Twenty-four years ago, it was an early diagnosis of ovarian cancer that saved my life. It was accidental. It should not be accidental. People should not survive by accident. It is so critically important that this resolution pass. We can save. We can save women, and we save women and we save their families. And I urge my colleagues. I was lucky. My life was given back to me and gave me a second chance. Let's give our families, the women in this country, a first chance and a second chance to survive. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, let me be clear. I strongly support the $16 billion of critical funding that this legislation provides for Medicaid assistance and the $10 billion in education funding for teachers. I will support it today, as I have several times in the past when this package has come for a vote to the floor of this House. Yet I rise in support of this bill with a heavy heart, not because of what it provides, but because of what it takes away. I know, as many of my colleagues do, regardless of party, that without these resources many States, including my State of Connecticut, will have to make Draconian cuts to essential services that they cannot afford to make without tearing apart the basic fabric of their communities. That is why this bill is so critical. Nothing could be more important than the education of our children and the access to health care services that families depend on, especially in this tough economy. And, finally, this bill ends tax breaks for exporting American jobs. However, I cannot in good conscience condone the way we have paid for this package, what we have taken away in the process. At a time when we have seen the demand for food assistance skyrocket from 31 million people receiving food stamps in November 2008 to almost 41 million people now, we have chosen to pilfer $12 billion from the food stamp program in the name of fiscal responsibility. In this instance, we have chosen to be fiscally responsible on the backs of those needy families who need our help to feed themselves and their children. When so many families are struggling with unemployment, lower wages, lost benefits or homes, high prices, less income, cutting food assistance is unconscionable. The fact is education, health care, and food, these are things that bind us as a society, play formative roles in determining the course of this country. Yet the bill before us today shamefully pits these priorities against each other.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Emilio ``Mim'' Daddario, a Connecticut statesman and member of this body who passed away earlier this month, and to honor his exemplary career of service to our nation. A graduate of Wesleyan University and the University of Connecticut School of Law, Mim enlisted in the Army during World War II and was sent to Italy as part of the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the CIA. For his courageous service in that theater, which included capturing Benito Mussolini's Chief of Staff in 1945, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Italian Medaglia d'Argento. After terms as mayor of Middletown, Connecticut, and as a judge on the Middletown Municipal Court, he once again heard the call of service overseas. During the Korean War, he defended our nation as a member of the National Guard in Korea and Japan. In 1958, Mim Daddario was elected to Congress from the First District, and he served in these halls ably for six terms. As a member of the House Science Committee, he was a forceful advocate for enhancing our technological capacity and harnessing American innovation. Mim chaired the subcommittees on science R&D and patents, and he helped to plan the Apollo missions that took our nation to the moon. After his congressional service and a gubernatorial run, Mim continued his commitment to promoting technology and innovation, as director of the Office of Technology Assessment and president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. As we mourn his loss today, we can take solace that Mim has rejoined Bernice, his wife of 66 years, who passed in 2007. And we know that his legacy of service lives on--in America's continued commitment to the scientific inquiry and space exploration that he held dear, and in the love and service of his sons Anthony, Stephen, and Richard, his sister Laura, and his seven grandchildren. I offer condolences to the Daddario family on their loss, as I thank them for Mim's lifelong commitment to our community.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Boy Scout Troop 463 for its forty-five years of service to our community, and to congratulate them for being chosen to represent Connecticut, the Connecticut Yankee Council, and the Boy Scouts of America by carrying the Council's flag in the Centennial Parade in Washington, D.C. Originally chartered in March of 1965 and sponsored by Northford Acres Volunteer Fire Department Company #3, Troop 463 of Northford, CT, was established to provide character development and citizenship training and promote mental and physical fitness among the youth of the community. The boys of Troop 463 have dedicated at least forty weekends a year to Scout related activities. Community Service is a fundamental part of the Scouting Program, and the Troop has volunteered with organizations such as Relay For Life, Habitat for Humanity and Town Leaf Recycling. They have also participated in food drives, clothing drives, and community and church cleanups. Since 2007, six Scouts have achieved scouting's highest rank, Eagle Scout, bringing Troop 463's total to an impressive 23. Recently, Life Scout Joseph L. Parisi completed the Troop's latest Eagle Scout Project, the planning and construction of a 200 foot long pedestrian bridge on a town hiking trail. I share Troop 463's pride in being nominated as a ``Super Troop'' for four years, three of which have been consecutive. The Super Troop honor is bestowed upon the Troop which exemplifies the best in Scout Spirit, competitive edge, good attitude and demonstrates a positive example to others. Madam Speaker, the young men of Boy Scout Troop 463 have shown dedication to their peers, their community, and their cause. The Troop's accomplishments reflect the best values of Scouting and should not go unnoticed.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 85th anniversary of Carroll Cut-Rate Furniture, a local family-owned-and- operated business that has graced the Greater New Haven community for generations. Begun as Carroll Cut-Rate Cosmetics by Samuel Benjamin in 1925, this small business has passed down through the Benjamin family and thrived through boom times and depression, peacetime and war, and even, in 1951, through a notable shift from discount cosmetics to the furniture trade. Over the course of these 85 years, Samuel, his sons Jerry and Don, and his grandsons Cary and Bruce have always kept an eye to innovation, quality, and above all customer service. With ten full-time employees, the Benjamins have also worked to promote jobs in our state and across the country by stocking their store with Connecticut mattresses and American-made furniture. The story of Carroll Cut-Rate Furniture is not only a triumph of small enterprise and business savvy. It shows that through hard work, perseverance, and ingenuity, the American dream still comes true. I salute the Benjamin family on this 85-year milestone, and I look forward to seeing them continue as a staple of our Connecticut community.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Hopkins School, a co-educational preparatory day school in my hometown of New Haven, Connecticut and the third oldest independent school in the United States. The rich history of Hopkins dates to well before the dawn of our American republic, when Governor Edward Hopkins of the young Colony of Connecticut established America's first charitable trust in 1650. In that trust, he set aside some of his estate for ``the breeding up of hopeful youths for the public service of the country in future times.'' And so a one-room schoolhouse was built on New Haven Green bearing Hopkins name. From that seed, a fine educational institution has flourished. In the centuries since, Hopkins has molded many Connecticut youths into fine public servants. Among the school's esteemed alumni are a signer of the United States Constitution, several noted engineers and prize-winning physicists, diplomats and industrialists, Governors, Senators, and more than a few presidents of Yale University. To this day, from its home since 1926 on a hill overlooking New Haven, Hopkins still continues to mold our state's bright young minds into leaders and innovators. With an average class size of fourteen, an educational philosophy that prizes extracurricular activities, public service, and engaged citizenship in addition to the usual academic subjects, and an inclusive community that welcomes young men and women of all races, classes, ethnicities, and creeds, it is little wonder that Hopkins continually produces students that place among the top of the nation in standardized testing. I congratulate Hopkins and its current Head, Barbara Riley, on three and a half centuries of academic achievement. And I salute the school's continuing service to the colony, state, and young people of Connecticut. Here is to the first 350, and here's to many more.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate a long career of dedicated service to the young people of Connecticut by Althea Musgrove Norcott, who is retiring this month after over three decades of teaching and education administration in New Haven. A Connecticut girl through-and-through, Althea was born in New Haven to George and Mavis Musgrove, educated at West Haven High School and the University of Connecticut, and received a sixth year in administration and supervision at Southern Connecticut State University. In fact, with the exception of several years spent as a special education teacher in the United States Virgin Islands, she has spent her entire life in service to our state and community. And we are grateful to her for it. For 31 years, Althea has worked to improve the scholarship and experience of students at Hillhouse High School. Beginning as a special education teacher for emotionally disturbed and learning disable students in 1978, she was named assistant principal in charge of the English and Foreign Language Departments in 1994. In both positions, Althea has transformed the lives of thousands of students for the better, and enriched the Hillhouse High community with her wisdom, patience, and grace. Not content to leave her good works at the schoolhouse door, Althea also worked to broaden the horizons of her students through trips to Egypt, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, as part of the Ambassadors for International Education program. And she has given of herself in countless other ways outside of Hillhouse, including chairing the New Haven Host Town Program of the 1995 Special Olympics World Games and co-founding and, for the past 14 years, chairing the Freetown-New Haven Sister Cities Committee. I thank Althea deeply for these decades of service to our mutual hometown, and I congratulate her, her husband Justice Fleming L. Norcott, Jr., and their children Daryl, Tiffany, and Candace, on reaching this important milestone. Congratulations, Althea, you have earned it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a self-made man and former New England Businessman of the Year, and one who has given of himself time and again to improve our Connecticut community--John Soto. After a boyhood in Puerto Rico and some apprenticeship in the business and mechanical arts as a machinist in Manhattan, John founded Space-Craft Manufacturing, Inc. in Milford, Connecticut in 1970. Starting with just four employees, Space-Craft has, thanks to John's eye for innovation and business savvy, grown to become an industry leader in aircraft engine and airframe components over the past four decades, even earning the National Supplier of the Year award from the U.S. Air Force in 2001. These entrepreneurial and engineering accomplishments have been matched by John's passion for community service and a strong commitment to public investment. So that others may follow in his footsteps, John has founded several scholarships for Latino students and been a continual presence in Connecticut inner-city schools. He has also contributed generously to Youth at Risk, Junior Achievement, New Haven's Latino Youth Development Program, and other very worthwhile organizations aimed at helping Connecticut's underprivileged and least fortunate. In both his company's success and his dedication to public service, John has been an embodiment of the American dream. From modest beginnings, he has contributed mightily to his community, his state, and to the United States military. I congratulate him and his wife Gladys on this long career of personal success and public service, and I know that they will continue to be a credit to our district for years to come.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in proud support of H.R. 5190, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act, which reaffirms this body's support of the goals and accomplishments of the Special Olympics. For over four decades now, the Special Olympics has improved the health, confidence and self-esteem of Americans with intellectual disabilities. In fact, it has become such an institution now that we sometimes take it for granted, and forget what life was like for the intellectually disabled before the Special Olympics. Too often, these Americans were shuttered away in institutions, sentenced to lives of solitude, emptiness and sadness. But today, thanks to the hard work of the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, her son Timothy Shriver, and countless volunteers over the past four decades, Americans with intellectual disabilities are now much more woven into the fabric of community life. Over three million Special Olympians hailing from 180 countries now train and compete year-round in 30 sports and counting. In sum, the Special Olympics works to break down barriers of prejudice against the intellectually disabled, improve the public health, and bring communities together through promoting shared values of dedication, athleticism, perseverance, teamwork, and play. The good work of the Special Olympics is summed up in its motto: ``Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.'' It is a motto that captures the spirit of the organization, and of the champion and visionary who worked so hard on its behalf for so many years, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. And it is only fitting this bill, reauthorizing the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004, be given her name. I encourage my colleagues to be brave today, to stand up for Americans with intellectual disabilities, and to support the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act and the Special Olympics.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to applaud the opening today of Harkness House, a four-apartment Victorian in my hometown of New Haven that will provide transitional housing for Connecticut veterans, and thus help to repay those who have served in uniform and now need our help. Thanks to the hard work of Columbus House, a local organization dedicated to helping homeless Americans, as well as financial and logistical support from the Errera Community Care Center, VA Medical Center in West Haven, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Harkness House will give up to fourteen homeless male veterans a place to live for up to two years, as they work to get back on their feet and reintegrate themselves into the community. This new haven for homeless veterans is just one of many very worthwhile programs by Columbus House to alleviate the crushing burdens on the homeless men, women, and children in our midst. They also provide temporary and permanent housing at a number of other facilities around our community, as well as outreach services to this and other at-risk and highly vulnerable populations. Along with providing a crucial resource to homeless veterans, Harkness House is particularly well-named. Its namesake, Dr. Laurie Harkness, has spent a career working to foster supportive housing for Connecticut's veterans in danger of homelessness. She has played a formative role in the creation of several such residential projects all across the state, and brought both housing and hope to over 250 homeless veterans and their families. And she has been a dear personal friend to me. I congratulate Laurie on this well-earned honor today, and I thank Columbus House and everyone else involved for their leadership and commitment to making Harkness House a reality. Because of their efforts, veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country, but have fallen on hard times, will now have a better chance at a second chance.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 2010 today, which will help provide accurate, evidence-based information to pregnant and breast-feeding women about medications, chemical exposures, foodborne illness and other exposures associated with birth defects or health risks to a breastfed infant. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding often have difficult questions, such as if they should continue taking medications for chronic diseases, or whether they should get vaccinated against H1N1 or the seasonal flu. The bill would establish a grant program to revitalize the national network of pregnancy risk information services (PRISs), more than half of which have closed over the last decade due to lack of funding. Over 70,000 women seek information from these essential services each year. The legislation, which has been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, March of Dimes, the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists, Spina Bifida Association, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, would also call for a national information campaign to help increase public awareness among health providers and at-risk populations. I hereby submit for the Record letters of support from these organizations. There is nothing more important than protecting our children, and this legislation will help expectant and breast-feeding mothers to obtain clear, accurate information about the potential risks of medications, illnesses, and other exposures during pregnancy and breast-feeding, helping them to both avoid risks and improve healthy behaviors like taking folic acid. Unfortunately, research shows that up to half of pregnant women are not counseled by their health care providers about the potential risks of medications they may be taking, and programs to provide this information have been closing due to state and local budget cuts. This legislation will finally help mothers and health care professionals access critical information to help them ensure their babies are healthy, and I urge my colleagues to support our efforts. American Academy of Pediatrics, May 18, 2010. Hon. Rosa DeLauro, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Representative DeLauro: On behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a non-profit professional organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical sub-specialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults, I would like to share our support for the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act. Each year, about one in every 33 babies in our nation is born with a birth defect. Birth defects can be caused by genetic factors, environmental exposures, or a combination of the two. For the vast majority of birth defects, however, the cause remains unknown. Research continues to reveal important new information about the causes and prevention of birth defects. The Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act seeks to provide a resource for pregnant women who have questions about whether certain medications, infections, or chemical or environmental exposures might cause or increase the risk of a birth defect, or pose a risk to a breastfeeding baby. The bill would support the provision of pregnancy and breastfeeding information services to women and health care providers seeking information about known or suspected risks. Breastfeeding mothers will receive information about how potential risks should be weighed against the significant benefits of breastfeeding. These services will address an important need as our understanding of birth defects and their prevention continues to evolve. The AAP deeply appreciates your commitment to preventing birth defects and educating the public about potential risks. We are pleased to support the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to improve the health of all our nation's children. Sincerely, Judith S. Palfrey, President.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate 40 years of elderly care and companionship at the Milford Senior Center, the first and oldest senior center in Milford and one of the top ten places in the country for single retirees, according to U.S. News and World Report last year. Four decades ago this month, the Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church opened what would become the Milford Senior Center in three rooms in their church basement. Today, the Center boasts its own sprawling 30,000-square-foot facility, with an auditorium, dining hall, lounge, music room, and, for those senior citizens bravely foraying into 21st century technology, even a computer lab. And along with providing a wonderful environment for seniors to socialize and relax, the Milford Center provides a number of important services for the community, from meals on wheels to free blood pressure screenings to energy and income tax assistance. Their Ahrens Program, while offering much-needed respite to caregivers, helps seniors with cognitive impairments to eat well, learn, and play. All too often, one's ``golden years'' can be filled with struggle. Health concerns, the loss of independence, a profound sense of loneliness--these are just some of the challenges our seniors can face in later years. But senior centers like Milford, and the invaluable programs, services, and activities they provide, help to stem these obstacles. They make a real difference in the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens. Thanks to Milford, elderly citizens can come together, get the help and resources they need to thrive, and, in short, have fun. My deepest thanks go out to the staff of the center for all the good they have done over the past 40 years. Congratulations on reaching this milestone, and here's to many more such anniversaries in the future. Your caring each and every day reminds us, as it reminds so many of Milford's seniors, that age is really just a state of mind.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, we can give a $35 billion contract for the next generation tanker to an American company, Boeing, creating an estimated 62,000 to 70,000 U.S. jobs over the life of the contract. Or we can give the contract to a European company, Airbus/EADS, thus creating tens of thousands of jobs in Europe. This should be an easy call, a no-brainer. In fact, the decision is even clearer. We now know that Airbus has been provided almost $6 billion in illegal subsidies from European governments, subsidies which have cost us an estimated 65,000 U.S. aerospace jobs. The amendment before us directs the Department of Defense to take any unfair competitive advantage into account in the Air Force tanker competition. The Pentagon should not be rewarding bad behavior. U.S. taxpayers should not be asked to pay for an overseas jobs creation program for the European aerospace industry. I urge my colleagues, support this amendment, stand up for American workers and basic fairness in tanker competition.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the $485 million earmark included in the Defense Authorization Bill for an extra engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. This extra engine is a prime example of government waste: $3 billion already spent. This would require a further investment of $2.9 billion, according to the Pentagon. Secretary of Defense Gates put it aptly: We have reached a critical point in this debate where spending more money on a second engine for the JSF, the Joint Strike Fighter, is unnecessary, wasteful. It simply diverts precious modernization funds from other more-pressing priorities. Only two U.S. aircraft models, the F-16C and D, use multiple engine types. We have 114 U.S. aircraft models that use a single-source engine, the type the Pentagon would like to use with the F-35, yet we are making an exception for the F-35. Why? This isn't competition. Competition doesn't mean you buy two of everything. Both the Bush and the Obama administrations have opposed this wasteful spending. Secretary Gates is strongly recommending a veto of the Defense Authorization bill if it contains funding for the extra engine. I urge my colleagues to support an amendment to strip this wasteful spending from the bill. The Marines don't want it. The Air Force doesn't want it. The Navy doesn't want it. Why are we moving ahead with it? If you are opposed to wasteful spending--as so many of my colleagues stand up on this floor and talk about--then this is your chance to prove it. Strip this $485 million earmark out of the Defense Authorization Bill.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, an important, commonsense bill that will help promote energy efficiency, conserve our resources, spur job creation and the green economy, and save Americans money. In my home State, excellent efficiency programs like the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund have helped to reduce energy demand, improve air quality, and deliver savings of $3 to $4 to customers for every $1 invested. That is why they enjoy the support of business, industrial, commercial, low-income, consumer, and environmental advocates alike. By taking the idea national, and offering rebates for energy-saving home retrofits like insulation and duct sealing, the bill will create over 168,000 jobs across the country for electrical workers. I want to thank Mr. Welch and Chairmen Waxman and Markey for working with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and I to include language requiring Home Star implementers to coordinate with existing State efforts like the CEEF. This will help ensure that leading States like Connecticut can maximize their impact, using both State and Federal resources, when it comes to energy efficiency. This is a great bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, in recognition of National Nurses' Week, I rise to say a few words in honor of these indispensable and often overlooked public servants. As the saying goes, nurses are our ``angels in comfortable shoes.'' From the days of the first ``Lady with the Lamp,'' Florence Nightingale, their selflessness, their dedication to their patients, and their deep reservoirs of compassion have helped illuminate the path to healing for millions of Americans. Anyone who has suffered from a serious ailment or injury--I myself am a survivor of ovarian cancer--knows how important good nursing is for restoring one's health. Nurses are both the frontlines and the glue of our health care system, and their commitment, caring, and sacrifice goes unrecognized far too often. I am particularly proud that we have honored nurses this year not only in word, but in deed--by passing comprehensive health reforms which allow them, doctors, and other health care professionals to do what they do best--help people to heal--without the continual interference of the insurance industry. I am also glad we made strong commitments in this health care legislation through grants, loan forgiveness, and other key programs to encourage more young men and women to take up a career in nursing, and to give today's nurses more freedom and opportunities to ply their craft where they are desperately needed. In my home state of Connecticut, we are short more than 11,000 registered nurses this year. By 2020, that number is projected to double, leaving the state with fewer than half the nurses it needs. In the face of a rising senior population, supporting our nation's nurses becomes especially critical, and I am glad we have done right by them in the health care bill. To the nurses of Connecticut and all across the country, I applaud you for your service. And I encourage my colleagues to express their support for our nurses--in both word and deed--this week, and in the months and years to come.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the retirement of a great friend to Connecticut workers, a longtime family friend to both me and my parents, and a fixture in the life of New Haven, Lawrence Amendola. A graduate of Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Larry has spent his entire life helping people and improving our City. After three years with Plymouth Electric and two years in the U.S. Army, Corporal Amendola became the manager of the New Haven municipal Golf Course in 1956. This job would mark the start of what would become Larry's continuing passion--to make the City of New Haven both a better place to work and a better place to play. After ten years with Community Progress, Inc., where he and I worked together for better housing and urban renewal, Larry returned to work for the City in 1973, when Congress passed the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (C.E.T.A.), a successor to the Works Progress Administration of the New Deal. As a Supervisor, Director of Education & Work Training, and eventually Administrative Director of C.E.T.A. in New Haven, Larry helped match low-income and unemployed Connecticut citizens with short-term work for public and non-profit organizations. Even after moving to the City's Parks Department in 1984, where he served as a Recreation Program Supervisor until, his retirement last September, Larry continued his commitment to Connecticut's working people. As the longtime President of AFSCME's Local 3144, a position he held for 24 years, he has been a fierce and forthright advocate on behalf of workers and their families. In fact, he was a guiding force as we worked together to forge a management union in New Haven. As any Member of the 3144 can well tell you, Larry is a great fighter for working men and women, and a good man to have in your corner. To his credit, Larry takes play as seriously as work. He has been active in promoting countless adult and youth sports leagues in Connecticut, and has been involved with the Special Olympics, the New Haven Boys Club, the YMCA & YWCA, A.S.A. Umpires, the Youth Football Association, and dozens of other worthy organizations. I thank Larry deeply for his service to the City on all of these fronts. Over the course of a long career, he has enriched our lives and our community. And I congratulate him on reaching this milestone. Congratulations, Larry, you have earned it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor a lifetime of public service to the people of Connecticut by a lifelong friend to me, to my family, and to the families of our State: Henry E ``Hank'' Parker. Born one of seven children in Baltimore, Hank first moved to Connecticut after serving two years in the Army, obtaining a degree from the Hampton Institute in Virginia, and turning down an offer to play with the Harlem Globetrotters. Maryland and Harlem's loss was Connecticut's gain. For the next fifty years, Hank would serve our State ably as an educator, activist, public official and powerful crusader for both social change and fiscal responsibility. Upon receiving his MS in Education from Southern Connecticut State College, Hank served as Project Director at the First Community School in my hometown and soon became chairman of the New Haven Black Coalition in 1962. Amid the social and political tumult of the ensuing decade, he would become deeply involved in local and community politics, and become known throughout Connecticut as an influential, passionate, and exceptionally keen advocate for social justice. In 1974, Hank was elected Connecticut State Treasurer, becoming not only just the second African-American to hold the position but the sole fiduciary of the State's then $3.3 billion pension fund. Among his achievements during his tenure, Hank created Yankee Mac, a $450 million home mortgage program for the State that emphasized opportunities for urban renewal. He chaired the Governor's Task Force on South Africa investment policies that yielded one of the first model anti-apartheid bills in America. And he chaired the 1977 State Citizen's Committee that recognized Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a State holiday, seven years before Congress followed suit. After stepping down in 1986--making him the longest-serving Connecticut State Treasurer in over 150 years--Hank became Senior Vice- President of Atalanta/Sosnoff Capital Corporation. In addition, he continued both his advocacy and community service efforts as a member of many important Boards, and as a lifelong member of the NAACP. Endorsed by such national figures as Paul Newman and Muhammad Ali over the course of a career of good works, Hank has made a profound transformative impact on our State. For almost my entire life, he and his wife of over fifty years, former State Representative Janette Johnson Parker, have been a veritable institution in New Haven, and in my neighborhood of Wooster Square. I thank Hank, Jan, and their children Curtis and Janet for their service to our Connecticut community, and for their years of friendship to my family. Hank, Jan, Curtis, and Janet, congratulations and thank you to you all.

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. I rise in support of this resolution honoring and supporting the goals and ideals of Global Youth Service Day, which took place this past weekend. I want to commend my colleague, Representative Ehlers, for taking the lead in cosponsoring this important resolution. Global Youth Service Day is a public awareness and education campaign led by Youth Service America with the National Youth Leadership Council and the Global Youth Action Network. It emphasizes the importance of public service. It highlights the valuable contributions that young people make to their communities all year long. In the words of Gandhi, ``The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.'' That is the simple truth that animates Global Youth Service Day. By mobilizing young people around the world to identify and address the needs of their neighbors, by supporting their community service, and by civic engagement efforts, we not only help our communities to thrive, we help the next generation find themselves through service and commitment to a greater good. This past weekend, young people all around the world designed and carried out community service projects in areas ranging from literacy and mentoring, to the environment and energy conservation, to hunger and homelessness. This year saw 2,631 projects in 87 countries and all 50 States. We often say that service is its own reward, but it actually has the benefit of being true. In addition to the positive results these projects have on our communities, research shows that young people who participate in community service also enjoy increased civic engagement and they do better in school. By recognizing the interdependence of their community, they become more independent, more grounded, more cognizant of the world around them. They become better citizens. The cycle of service and citizenship is why we passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act 1 year ago last week, to offer young people more opportunities to serve their nation. It is why we continue to encourage our young men and women to become deeply involved in the life, health, and education of our communities through such programs as AmeriCorps, Teach for America, and Summer of Service. It is why we honor the passion and the sacrifice of those young Americans who choose to make a difference in distant lands, such as members of the Peace Corps and our Armed Forces. All of us in this room today know firsthand the value of public service. Global Youth Service Day helps to transmit that priceless value to the next generation. All around the world it encourages boys and girls to get involved, to give of themselves, to use their enthusiasm, their energy, and their passion to help our communities. I urge my colleagues to honor these values of civic and community service, and to support this resolution.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, among the many great benefits of the commonsense health reform package we passed last month is a guarantee that finally in America being a woman is no longer a preexisting condition. By bringing an end to discriminatory policies like gender rating and ensuring coverage for maternity, preventative, and wellness care, our legislation puts women's health on an equal footing at long last. It is time now to do the same for women's earnings. I cannot think of a better way to follow our historic success on health care last month than finally signing the Paycheck Fairness Act into law. In America today women now make up half of the workforce. Two-thirds of women are either the sole breadwinner or co-breadwinner in their family. Women are also more likely than men to graduate from college. They run more than 10 million businesses with combined annual sales of $1.1 trillion and are responsible for making 80 percent of the consumer buying decisions. Yet right now in the 21st century, women make only 78 cents on the dollar as compared to men. Women of color are even worse off. African American women make 68 cents on the dollar compared to the highest earners, while Hispanic women make only 57 cents. Unmarried women, those who are single, widowed, divorced, or separated, have an average annual household salary that is almost $12,000 lower than unmarried men, and they make a paltry 56 cents on the dollar when compared to married men. Over a lifetime these disparities take a huge toll on women. According to the National Committee for Pay Equity, women are losing out on between $400,000 and $2 million on average over the course of a lifetime. As a result, 70 percent of seniors living in poverty are women. This pay disparity is particularly galling when you consider the current crisis in our labor markets. It is true that more men have lost jobs than women in this recent recession, mainly because of the industries affected. But that only means that more and more women are forced to take on the full burden of keeping their families afloat, making the problem about smaller paychecks even more acute. The recession aside, this is not a new problem. In 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower told the Congress that ``legislation to apply the principle of equal pay for equal work without discrimination because of sex is a matter of simple justice.'' Seven years later under President Kennedy, the Congress passed the Equal Pay Act to end the ``serious and endemic problem'' of unequal wages. And 47 years later, all we know now is that the act is not working as intended in its current form. That is why we mark today Pay Equity Day, the day that a woman's 2009 earnings catches up with what men made last year. This is an occasion, quite frankly, I wish we no longer had to commemorate. The good news is that conditions are finally right to achieve real pay equity in America. We in the House of Representatives have now passed the Paycheck Fairness bill twice, legislation that will give real teeth to the Equal Pay Act at last. It simply says men and women in the same job, in the same job, should get the same amount of wages. You would think that that is a no brainer, but the fact of the matter is whether you are a waitress, bus driver, engineer, university professor, news anchor, women are being paid less for the same job as their male counterparts. Those of us who serve in the House of Representatives, men and women, different parts of the country, different education, different skills, we all get paid the same amount of money. That is not true for most women in this Nation. Now that we have passed this in the House, we wait only for the United States Senate to act. So we are on the cusp of achieving real economic security for American women. I urge my colleagues to impress upon the Senate the necessity of this legislation. We have a moral obligation to face this continuing pay equity head-on, and it is time to get it done. Our passage of health reform last month has shown that the American government can still accomplish great things, that we can still make this country a fairer, more compassionate, and a more humane place for people to live. Now let us finally ensure that America's women, now half of this Nation's workforce, are treated as fairly and as equitably as the other half. Let's give real teeth to the Equal Pay Act at last and make sure that women are respected and valued for the job that they do and paid the same amount of money in the same job that any man may have. What we need to do is to make this one of the last ``Equal Pay Days'' in our history.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise with enormous pride to congratulate the UConn women's basketball team on a season of unprecedented athletic achievement. Under Coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies not only won their second consecutive NCAA title this month, they concluded their second consecutive perfect season. In fact, the Huskies have now won 78 straight games in a row--only ten below the record set in men's basketball by the teams under UCLA's John Wooden in the 1970's--and have won every single one of them, with the exception of their gritty 53-47 title defense against Stanford, by double digits. In so doing, the University of Connecticut Women's team has eclipsed the previous record of 70 wins in a row, held by the Huskies since 2003. Winning 78 games in a row in any sport is no small feat, and it takes more than talent to accomplish. Such a record takes perseverance, sacrifice, and a commitment to the team ideal, and the women of UConn have shown each in surpassing measure. These young athletes are not role models to generations of women because they are winners--they are winners because they are role models. They have shown that, through hard work and dedication to a common goal, anything is possible. I congratulate them on two years of amazing victories, and I look forward to seeing them in action again next season.