Rosa DeLauro

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 U.N. 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 modern 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 U.N. 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 U.N. 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. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this historic legislation, arguably the most important vote we here today will ever take in this Chamber. Today fulfills a promise made 100 years ago by Theodore Roosevelt when he first called for comprehensive health insurance reform. It fulfills a promise made by Franklin Roosevelt to our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents in 1944. President Richard Nixon also labored and lost on this national mission. And President Bill Clinton, too, tried to climb this mountain. Today's legislation builds on the great achievements of Social Security and Medicare, those big changes that we all take for granted, regardless of party. And yes, they, too, were characterized as socialist government takeovers. And today we have a chance to make health insurance affordable for people and for small businesses that ends the power of the insurance companies to deny them coverage, increase their rates and, yes, drop them when they get sick. Enough. This reform law allows 32 million of our citizens to get insurance, a moral imperative. It closes the doughnut hole in prescription drugs for seniors, and women will no longer have to pay more for their insurance, a long overdue reckoning. I am humbled by the opportunity to cast a vote for this historic change.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, our long-overdue health insurance reforms will put women's health on an equal footing at long last. It will transform the lives of American women of all ages for the better. Younger women will be able to remain on their parents' policy as dependents until they reach 26 years of age. That means affordable care for everything from regular checkups to unexpected illness or injury. It means if they decide to become pregnant, finally there will be coverage for maternity and well-child care. Working women shopping for their family's coverage will be glad to know that the reforms will require insurance companies to have unprecedented transparency about what really is and is not covered. The reforms will cap out-of-pocket expenses and give Americans sliding-scale affordability credits to help them buy coverage. Older women on Medicare will benefit from closing the doughnut hole and ensuring important preventive services like mammograms and cancer screenings are free of charge. And finally, all women will benefit from an end to the discriminatory practices of gender rating and from making prevention and wellness a critical part of health care at last. For themselves, their spouses, their friends, daughters, and mothers, I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, 2 weeks ago, I went to dinner with my family in New Haven, Connecticut. As we left the restaurant, a young woman stopped me. She said to me, Rosa, can I talk to you for a moment? I've been waiting for you. I said, Why didn't you come over to the table? She said, I didn't want to disturb you or your family. No disturbance. I looked at this beautiful young woman with tears in her eyes. And she said to me, Rosa, I have lung cancer. I have lung cancer, and I cannot get the kind of help that I need. I can't leave my job because I will not be able to get insurance. Preexisting condition is killing me. Pass health care reform. You don't know Melissa Marotolli. I do, and Melissa Marotolli's face haunts me every single day. And this is not just one story. It is writ large across this Nation, a people who can't leave their jobs; they can't get the care they need because the insurance companies have run roughshod over them. Yes, they are rationing health care in this country. I know where I stand. I stand with the Melissa Marotollis of this Nation. My Republican colleagues stand with the insurance companies.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to draw our attention to a worldwide problem we could do much more to resolve: obstetric fistulas. Imagine you are 13 years old. You are married against your will to a much older man and become pregnant. When the baby is due, you have no medical care. Your body is too small. The baby gets stuck. You nearly die. But instead, you wake up to learn that it is your baby who has died, and you now have a fistula--a hole caused by the days of prolonged labor and resulting rotting away of internal tissue. You are incontinent and cannot walk. You are shunned by your husband and your village. It is hard to imagine being so alone. But this is the real story of Mahabouba, a young girl in Ethiopia. And an estimated 2 million women like her suffer from obstetric fistulas--though we need much better data on this problem. They have suffered in this unspeakable way because they lacked maternity care, or were married too young, or even because their husbands would not let them go to the hospital. As we mark this day, let us raise our voices for these women. Let us commit our power and our compassion to providing life-saving maternity care and to preventing these tragedies. Let us help them to stand up and bring new hope for their future.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Demery Ormrod of Orange, Connecticut, a young woman from my district who, by virtue of her strong commitment to volunteer service, has been named a winner of a 2010 Prudential Spirit of Community Award. An eighth grader at Amity Middle School, Demery raised more than $20,000 to help provide cleft palate and lip surgeries for 86 children through the charitable organization Smile Train. She began these efforts while still in elementary school, making bookmarks, lollipops, cookies, and jewelry with her friends, which she then sold at her family's restaurant. When news of Demery's good works spread throughout the community, other schools got involved, local businesses offered matching funds, and strangers sent along checks, all to help the cause. The playwright Henrik Ibsen once said that ``A community is like a ship--Everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.'' And that is exactly what Demery has accomplished here. Because she was moved to help children less fortunate than herself, and because she took the extra step to get involved on their behalf, Demery took the helm of her community, and ignited the whole State of Connecticut behind her efforts. Demery is a perfect candidate for this Spirit of Community Award, and a great representative for the importance of volunteers. Created by Prudential Financial, in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, in 1995, to reward youths who give their time and talents back to their community, this award has honored nearly 100,000 young volunteers at the local, state, and national levels over the past 15 years. I applaud Demery's good works and Prudential's commitment to recognizing her and other students like her. I congratulate her on this award, and I very much hope she continues to give back to the community in the years to come.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 190th anniversary of the oldest formally recognized African American United Church of Christ church in the world, and a New Haven institution: the Dixwell Avenue Congregational United Church of Christ. This church was founded in troubled times for African-Americans, and it has persevered through recessions, depressions, and wars--including the great and terrible conflict that tore this nation apart and at last brought freedom to all our citizens. In the midst of long decades too often marked by segregation and prejudice, Dixwell survived--and even thrived. It has become a true fixture in our city of New Haven, and a proud beacon of tolerance, compassion, and justice. In fact, it has been such a beacon since its very inception. On one hand the year 1820 is remembered as a bright moment for our young republic, with an Era of Good Feelings at hand and the memories of both the War of 1812 and the Panic of 1819 fading away. On the other, 1820 was the year of the Missouri Compromise, and the dawning realization for many white Americans that the continued existence of slavery in a land of liberty was embarrassing, untenable, and morally wrong. It was these twin pulls of optimism and growing concern about slavery that formed the crucible of 1820, the year that twenty-four former slaves and one young white graduate of the Yale ministry, 19-year-old Simeon Jocelyn, gathered together in New Haven to found the ``Temple Street'' church, or as they called it, the African Ecclesiastical Society. This is a church founded in bright optimism, in the strong conviction that faith and love can overcome fear and prejudice. It was founded in a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood, and in the finest American tradition of liberty and equality for all. And it has remained so, throughout the 190 years of its existence. Indeed, the virtues that informed the founding of Dixwell have breathed through the congregation ever since. Now, as it was almost two centuries ago, Dixwell is still a place of hope and perseverance, of charity and compassion, of freedom, equality, and love. I am exceedingly proud to honor the 190th anniversary of Dixwell church and its congregation today. And I hope very much it continues its proud role in the life of New Haven for many centuries to come.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to a tireless champion for soldiers, veterans, and the middle class, a venerable lion of this body, and a treasured friend, Congressman Jack Murtha. The first Vietnam veteran ever elected to the House of Representatives, Congressman Murtha dedicated his career to America's fighting men and women, and always worked to put our troops and their safety first. I consistently relied on his wisdom and his insights on matters of defense and national security. From his position as Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee, Jack's extraordinary dedication to the well-being of our troops and their families was evident in his actions every day. He knew that keeping our soldiers out of harm's way meant providing them with state-of-the-art equipment, from submarines to helicopters. And with that in mind, he helped to maintain a defense-industrial base that brought high-paying, high-skilled manufacturing jobs both to his home state of Pennsylvania and my own state of Connecticut. His legacy will live on not only in his service to military men and women, but through the millions of jobs he helped to create in our region. Jack was also concerned with the well-being of Americans waging another kind of battle, and he always supported critical funding for research on diseases such as cancer, AIDS, and diabetes. In short, he was a great ally to Connecticut, a great Pennsylvanian, and a great American, and he will be deeply missed. This House is smaller after his passing.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Equality for Women Farmers Act, a bill Congresswoman Anna Eshoo of California and I have introduced. It aims to close an ugly chapter in our history and end a systematic legacy of discrimination at the Department of Agriculture. Our bill provides a process for women farmers who have experienced discrimination to make claims against a compensation fund appropriated by the Congress. It requires USDA to institute the much-needed reforms that will end this shameful gender discrimination in their loan system forever. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are approximately 300,000 women farm operators across the United States, which is over 17 percent of the family farmer population. This is by far the largest group of minority farmers in the country, and their numbers are growing. And yet new census data recently revealed that women farmers have been consistently underreported by USDA over the past 15 years. Worse, it is estimated 43,000 women farmers have been discriminatorily denied more than $4.6 billion in farm loans and loan services from the USDA over the years. In fact, by USDA's own reckoning, women have seen less than their fair share of loans in every single State in the country. Like male farmers, tens of thousands of women have gone to local offices of the Farm Security Administration over the years to file loan applications and ask for this government's help in sustaining their family farms. But there the differences often end. Many women have been told that money or applications had run out even though men seem to be finding them with no trouble at all. Others were told to return to the loan office with their fathers or husbands or brothers so that the men could file the applications on their behalf. Still others were told that ``farming is not for women'' or saw their applications filed in the trash right before their eyes. Some were even subjected to crude and horrible advances by loan administrators who demanded a sexual quid pro quo in return for approving their loans. This is simply not right. It is beneath us and it must end. To his credit, Secretary Vilsack has initiated a task force to look into these and similar civil rights issues at USDA, but we also need to move here in the Congress and quickly, if nothing else so that these women can get the resources that they now need to preserve their family farms in this troubling economy. Unfortunately, this subject of discrimination by USDA loan and credit officers is not a new one. In fact, only 2 years ago Congress was so moved by the lengthy history of discrimination and long-pending lawsuits brought by minority and socially disadvantaged farmers that we addressed the situation in the 2008 farm bill. That provision urged the Bush administration to settle those discrimination lawsuits brought by women and other minority farmers. Just last week the Obama administration announced that it had reached an agreement to settle the remaining claims for African-American farmers who experienced similar discrimination. While I applaud the administration for recognizing the need to settle these important claims, I am dismayed that they did not come forth with a more comprehensive proposal to settle claims for women, Hispanic, and Native American farmers who have suffered similar prejudice. It's time for us to own up to the mistreatment of women and other minority farmers as well. They have had to deal with needless, mindless discrimination as they have tried to preserve their family farms. This Congress should grant them the compensation and the damages they are due. What would the bill do? It establishes a compensation fund of $4.6 billion for these farmers. It sets up a Special Master in the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to process, review, and adjudicate their claims. The Special Master will award eligible claimants who were denied loan applications or whose applications were not acted upon $5,000 in damages. For eligible claimants who were denied farm loans, loan benefits, or loan servicing, whose damages are presumably greater than those denied applications, the Special Master may also award additional damages based upon the application of a formula described in the legislation. For those who will seek to apply for loans and loan management in the future, the legislation will ensure that their requests are finally considered equally with all others. This is a matter of fundamental fairness. And action cannot come soon enough for these women who have suffered under these discriminatory practices. So please join me in being part of this solution. We can help make whole these women who have suffered so much, and we can make USDA a better resource for our nation's family farmers for generations to come, regardless of their gender, race or origin. From our earliest days, the small family farm has been considered the bedrock of this nation, the font of its virtue and its citizenship. ``Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God,'' wrote Thomas Jefferson, ``if ever He had a chosen people.'' Our Founding Fathers strongly believed our government should be there to help America's family farmers, not to undermine them at every turn. As such, it is time to do right by all of these family farmers that have been discriminated against in our past and present. And I invite my colleagues to join with us to reach a solution to settle these discriminatory claims. It is time to live up to our founding principles, to do right by our family farmers no matter what their race or sex, and to legislate an end to this unfortunate and regrettable era.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to voice my support of H.R. 3965, the Help Find the Missing Act, a.k.a. ``Billy's Law.'' Named after Billy Smolinski, a 31-year-old Connecticut man who went missing in 2004, this Act revamps our national systems for finding and identifying missing persons for the 21st century, and provides families with the updated tools and technology they need to find loved ones who have disappeared. Right now, we have two databases for missing persons and unidentified remains in America--the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS) and the FBI's National Crime Information Center, NCIC. And yet, neither share data with the other, and thus too much information slips through the bureaucratic cracks. ``Billy's Law'' rectifies this glaring error by combining these two systems into one comprehensive database and funding it appropriately, one that families can use and even update with additional information on loved ones who have disappeared. This bill is an outgrowth of recommendations made in the wake of Connecticut's 2007 Law Enforcement and Missing Persons Act, and it is an easy fix that will redound to the benefit of families all across America in search of a missing loved one. No one should have to deal with all the bureaucratic frustrations and red tape experienced by Billy's family as they searched for him. Put simply, ``Billy's Law'' removes a needless barrier between two stovepiped databases and brings our missing persons systems up-to-date with 21st century technology. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and to give thousands of American families the tools and the peace of mind they deserve.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, this past summer, in my home state of Connecticut, Anthem tried to raise health insurance premiums by up to 32 percent. Right now, in California, the same company is trying to pull the same trick--trying to increase their rates by as much as 39 percent. Unfortunately, we now know that the top five insurers in America saw record-breaking profits in 2009. We have seen increases in profits of 91 percent at WeIlPoint, and a whopping 346 percent at Cigna. How is this happening, in the midst of an historic recession? A lot of reasons, and central among them the fact that, according to long- established antitrust standards, there is no real competition in the insurance market today. In fact, there have been more than 400 mergers among health insurers in the past 14 years. So, insurers get away with price-gouging mainly because they can. We have coddled this industry far too long. It is time to remove insurers' special antitrust exemption and to make them play on the same level playing field as every other business in America. I hope that all my colleagues who consistently espouse the virtues of a free market will join us in passing this bill today.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life and work of Jean Handley, an inspiring leader in our New Haven community and a long time friend to the arts and to the dispossessed, who passed away at the age of 83 last month. A path-breaking career woman who spent three decades working for AT&T and Southern New England Telephone, SNET, Jean knocked down barriers for working women across Connecticut. After serving 10 years as the Executive Director of the Connecticut League of Women Voters, she joined SNET in 1960 and later AT&T in 1972. Six years later, she was the highest ranking female employee in the Bell system, eventually retiring as Vice-President of Public and Corporate Relations in 1989. And she was the first female member of the Quinnipiack Club, a New Haven business institution since 1871. As it turns out, she was elected to the Club because she refused to enter through the kitchen there, as was the questionable custom for women before Handley gently and firmly put a stop to it. This was the type of leadership Jean showed throughout her life--She led by example, with grace, elegance, good humor, and enormous competence. Her career aside, Jean was a passionate admirer of the arts and a dedicated supporter of non-profits and community service efforts in our state. She was a longtime board member of Learning, Education, and Athletics in Partnership, LEAP, the Long Wharf Theatre, and the New Haven Symphony. In addition, she served as an Emeritus Trustee of her alma mater, Connecticut College, as well as the University of New Hampshire. And, in 1996, she was a co-founder of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, an 18-day arts festival in New Haven that now attracts over 100,000 people each June. True to her enthusiasm, her passion for the arts, and her diligence, Jean not only commissioned a market study to ascertain the appeal of the festival first, she researched the weather to figure out the best two-week window to hold it. Last December, in her last public appearance before succumbing to the cancer she had so bravely and silently fought, Jean was awarded with the Connecticut Arts Council's C. Newton Schenk III Award for Lifetime Achievement, which deemed her a ``life-long champion of the region's arts organizations and an individual of exceedingly high standards.'' That she was. Our city of New Haven, and our world, is a smaller place with her passing.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I rise today to pay tribute to the life of one of my dearest friends and an outstanding member of our community, Phyllis White. Phyllis lived her life in the best and most rewarding way possible--dedicated to the service of others and to her community. I knew Phyllis for over forty years--a friendship that began when we were both organizers together for the Community Action Institute. She was always a vibrant presence back then, and she lived each and every day I knew her with compassion and humanity, grace and conviction. As an organizer, a counselor, and later as an academic advisor, Phyllis was always there to lend a hand, an ear, or a shoulder to those in need around her. Phyllis was no stranger to the rough-and-tumble of life. She lived to see both her sister, Natalie, and her lovely daughter, Linda, lose their battles with breast cancer. Yet, she never let these tragedies crush her spirit or diminish her vitality, her optimism, and her caring for others. She--and later her granddaughter Dawn--took over the leadership of Sisters' Journey, a breast cancer survivors' advocacy organization her daughter Linda had founded, to keep up the fight against this deadly disease and help ensure that other families did not have to share in their grief. And to the end, and despite her long illness, Phyllis took comfort in the small things, and never stopped giving back to people when she could. In short, Phyllis was a role model and an inspiration to me all those years ago, and will continue to serve as a source of inspiration to all of those fortunate enough to have been touched by her kind heart and compassion. I will keep her in my thoughts for the rest of my days. As we mourn the loss of Phyllis today, we can take solace that she is now with Natalie and Linda once more. And I know her legacy here in our world lives on--not only in her career and good works throughout Hamden and New Haven, but in the love of her children Ed Jr., Keith, Craig, Barry, and Anita, her fourteen grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. Mentor and friend, Phyllis was an extraordinary woman. The impact that she had on my life has much to do with the person I am today. I will always be grateful for her many years of special friendship and for the immeasurable good that she did for our community. Phyllis White is a reflection of all that we could hope to be and has left a legacy to which we should all strive. Though I mourn the friend I lost, I am proud to stand today to celebrate her life. She will be missed but never forgotten.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to join the community of Milford, Connecticut as they gather to pay tribute to William ``Bill'' Coelho--an outstanding individual who has dedicated countless hours to enriching the lives of others and making his community a better place to live, work, and grow. Bill is an extraordinary man whose generosity, compassion, and commitment to public service has touched the lives of many. He, like so many of us, learned about the importance of community service and caring for others from his parents, Rose and Julio Coelho. Bill has taken those lessons and dedicated a lifetime to improving the quality of life for friends, neighbors, and strangers alike. He is a reflection of the very best of our community. Bill is a legend in Milford--particularly in the sports community. He was an All-State tackle and Heavywieght Division State Champion at Milford High School where the gymnasium would be packed to witness his next conquest. As an adult, raising his own family in Milford, Bill organized the Milford Raiders Football Program and started a Wrestling Clinic for young athletes. Through these programs, Bill has helped to instill in hundreds of our young people the value of team work, practice, camaraderie, sportsmanship, and commitment to excellence-- skills that will serve these young people well as they begin to leave their own mark on the world. The difference that Bill has made in the lives of others is immeasurable. However, what he means to this community is reflected in the faces of all of those who have gathered this evening to pay him tribute and support him in his time of need. Bill has been struggling with lung cancer for some eighteen months now. I have no doubt that Bill will win his battle--if nothing else, Bill is a fighter, determined to regain his health and to continue his work in our community. For the many invaluable contributions he has made and his lifetime of service to the community, I am proud to stand today and extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to William ``Bill'' Coelho. My very best wishes to Bill, his wife, Deb, and his son, Zachary as they share this very special evening of friendship and support.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to extend my sincere congratulations to the League of Women Voters as they celebrate their 90th anniversary. This is a remarkable milestone for this outstanding organization and I am glad to have this opportunity to pay tribute to their many invaluable contributions. Founded in 1920, just before the 19th Amendment was ratified, the League of Women Voters was designed to help women carry out their new responsibilities as voters--to engage them in government and to encourage them to use their newfound rights to shape public policy. Though they encourage their members to be political themselves, this grassroots organization has a long and proud history of nonpartisanship which has allowed them to play a unique role in our communities and the national debate. At its core, the League has always been about educating voters and sharing with them how their voice can impact public policy at every level of government. What began as a ``mighty political experiment'' has grown into one of the most respected and dynamic advocacy organizations in the country. With more than 900 state and local leagues--represented in each of the fifty states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Hong Kong--the League continues to build on the successes of the past. Through its grassroots citizen network, the League and its members are making innumerable contributions to our communities. Whether sponsoring local candidate forums or weighing in on the issues facing our nation, the organization is remaining true to its most basic purpose--to make democracy work for all citizens. Though it grew out of the women's suffrage movement, over its ninety year history the League of Women Voters has grown into an advocacy organization for all of America's citizens. It has remained committed to ensuring that Americans fully participate in the political process and use their power as voters to effect meaningful change in public policy. It is organizations like the League of Women Voters that make our nation--our democracy--so strong. Today, as they reflect on the ninety years that have passed, the League of Women Voters can be proud of all that they have accomplished. I wish them all the best as they celebrate their 90th anniversary and extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to the organization and its thousands of members for their dedication, commitment and good work.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is my great privilege to rise today to join all of those gathered in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Across Connecticut there will be a multitude of events paying tribute to Dr. King, but the longest-running will take place in my hometown of New Haven at the Shiloh Baptist Missionary Church. It is there that community leaders, families, friends, and neighbors will gather to participate in the 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Love March. Founded by the late Pastor George W. Hampton and today carried on by his son, Pastor Kennedy Hampton, Sr., for 40 years on January 15th at eleven o'clock in the morning, the Greater New Haven community has gathered to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr., Love March. The Love March has never been cancelled or postponed--wind, rain, snow, nor freezing temperatures have determined the number of participants but has never influenced the commencement of the march. The late Pastor Hampton began the Love March as a means to remind our community of the important lessons of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. I once heard Pastor Hampton tell the story of his meeting with Dr. King. As I recall, the Pastor told him about his work in the civil rights movement and Dr. King responded, ``That's part of the dream--keep it up.'' Pastor Hampton has certainly followed that charge. Each time I join in the March, I am inspired by the uplifting spirit of the crowd as we sing and move through the neighborhoods of New Haven. For those of us who remember those difficult times, it seems obvious why we continue these strong traditions. In some ways we should be proud that the younger generations of today ask why we continue, why is it relevant? We, as a nation, have certainly made great strides in our efforts to ensure equality among all of our citizens. However, we still have a long way to go and that is why the Love March and other events like it are so important to our communities. They remind us of how far we have come and renew our commitment to the ideals of justice and full equality for all. I am proud to stand today to congratulate the Shiloh Baptist Missionary Church on the 40th anniversary of the Love March. I cannot thank them enough for their commitment to ensuring that we always remember the sacrifices that were made by Dr. King to change the very character of our Nation--to open the doors of opportunity to all, right long-standing wrongs and bring justice to those so long denied full partnership in American society. For New Haven, the annual Love March is a cornerstone in the celebration of the life and spirit of Dr. King and remains a stirring reminder of a troubled time and a peaceful soul.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with both great pleasure and appreciation that I rise today on behalf of the entire Connecticut Congressional Delegation to pay tribute to an exceptional public servant, Roger L. Johnson. Appointed in 2002 as the Director of the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, Roger has recently decided to take a position with the Northampton Veterans Administration to be closer to his home and family. To say that he will be missed understates the sentiment by all of those gathered this evening to wish him well. Roger has dedicated a lifetime to public service. Upon graduating from George Washington University's Hospital Administration Masters Degree program, he began his career with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Over the course of his career he has held positions at the Veterans Administration offices in Bronx, New York, Sheridan, Wyoming, as well as Boston and Northampton, Massachusetts. His commitment to ensuring the best quality care for our nations' veterans has been the driving force behind his many years with the Department. Appointed Director in 2002, it is not an overstatement to say that Roger has been one of the strongest leaders the Connecticut VA Healthcare System has had. I can speak for the entire Connecticut Congressional Delegation when I say that Roger has been an invaluable resource for both Members and their staffs. He has been both responsive to our inquiries on behalf of our constituents as well as proactive in ensuring that our offices were aware of any issues the VA Connecticut Healthcare System was facing. It has been that kind of open communication that has allowed us to provide unique services and outstanding quality care to Connecticut's veterans. In addition to his work at the VA, Roger has long been involved with the Federal Executive Boards and Associations--established by Presidential Directive in 1961, this organization is a forum for communication and collaboration among Federal agencies outside of Washington, DC. For nearly five years, Roger has led the Connecticut Federal Executive Association. Upon his election as Chair, Roger immediately took steps to raise the bar on accomplishments and to increase involvement. During his tenure he made the Annual Federal Awards Luncheon/Breakfast a stellar event with ever increasing attendance which necessitated venue changes to accommodate more participants. He also initiated educational events/agency tours to help broaden the awareness of Connecticut's federal employees as to what federal agencies are in Connecticut and what they do, retirement seminars to assist employees with what they needed to know and do as they neared retirement, as well as the development of a Connecticut federal agencies communications list in the event of a federal emergency. Throughout the course of his career, Roger has been recognized with numerous awards and commendations. Given his dedication not only to civil service but to community service has left an indelible mark wherever he has served. I am proud to stand today on behalf of the entire Connecticut Congressional Delegation to extend our deepest thanks and appreciation to Roger L. Johnson for his lifetime of outstanding public service. We wish him all the best in all of his future endeavors.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this jobs bill. We have seen 23 straight months of job losses. What does this mean? It means that families are under a huge stress. It means there are hungry children in the United States of America. It means a lost generation of American workers. We owe a response to those families contending with joblessness and the financial havoc it wreaks on their lives. It is not only the moral thing to do; it is our obligation as legislators and as citizens. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. It redirects $75 billion of TARP funds, money that was spent on Wall Street, and it moves it toward key infrastructure investments, which will provide jobs now. It provides a foundation for long-term prosperity. It helps to stabilize our public sector workforce. It supports teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants. And as important, it cuts taxes for 16 million struggling families by making the child tax credit available to working families with children. They lost their jobs. They lost their health benefits. Their work hours were cut short. And, yes, their child tax credit was decreased. Refundable tax credits are the most fiscally stimulative policies that we can put into place. Don't listen to me. Listen to economists. And it puts money into the hands of families who are living today paycheck to paycheck, and their spending in turn leads to a strong boost in job creation. Let's put that TARP money to work where it always belonged, in the hands of the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. We need to get America back to work.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, after 23 straight months of job losses, we must do more to preserve and to create American jobs, and we must ensure a fair and a level playing field for U.S. manufacturers. The World Trade Organization recently found that Airbus has been receiving illegal subsidies that violate global rules and stifle real competition in the aerospace industry. We should not reward these illegal trade practices. As such, the Pentagon should take into account this ruling when considering bids for the next generation air refueling tanker contract. Awarding this contract to Airbus means the loss of at least 14,000 American jobs to Europe. In today's economy, we cannot afford any more job loss. We cannot continue to allow our foreign competitors an unfair economic advantage nor can we let our domestic defense manufacturing base erode as we have. I strongly urge the Department of Defense to consider these billions of dollars in illegal European subsidies. When bidding the tanker contract, it is time to put our workers, American workers, and our security first.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. I am pleased to join Mr. Stupak, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Larson in support of this amendment. The amendment does three things: It grants the CFTC and the SEC the authority to prohibit specific swaps, including the abuse of naked credit default swaps that distorted the derivatives market. It narrows the bona fide end user exemption in the bill to prevent loopholes that might allow major financial players to evade the requirements of this bill while ensuring that legitimate end users still have access to this financial tool. It ensures that no illegal swap transaction will remain a valid contract in a court of law. We should not countenance predatory behavior in any way, and we should make sure market players are not financially benefiting from the abusive and corrupt practices that helped to initiate this debilitating recession. With credit default swaps, companies took bets that others would fail without facing any risk themselves in the case of default. Other institutions took those bets even though they could not pay out if the unthinkable happened. It was a casino culture where traders played with taxpayers' dollars and made sure they won either way, always at the expense of regular people. And when the defaults started to mount up, the whole house of cards came tumbling down. Why did the credit default swaps, once just a financial tool to hedge risk, become the province of rampant and reckless speculation? Because they remained unregulated. The bill before us is a good step toward repairing this oversight and regulating markets, but we need to do more. Taken together, the changes in this amendment will strengthen regulation over these once useful financial tools and will help ensure that the entire Nation does not get taken for another ride on account of bad behavior in the derivatives market. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the wonderful work done by the Friends of Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary this month. In 1989, a dear friend of mine, the late Dr. Joseph Warshaw, brought together a diverse group of community volunteers in and around Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital to address issues related to children's health, safety, and well-being. In the two decades since, these dedicated volunteers have continued their important work on behalf of the kids and families of Connecticut, contributing thousands of hours of volunteer time and having raised over $1 million for Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital and the Department of Pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine. Through telethons, fundraisers, sports tournaments and other community outreach events, the Friends have worked to raise awareness of and financial support for the important pediatric work done by Yale- New Haven. In addition, they have gone to great lengths to support Yale-New Haven's Emergency Department, the only Level 1 Trauma Center for children in Connecticut, and have fashioned a Pediatric Allocation Committee to distribute funds to worthy projects in the hospital. The Friends have also helped to fund several very worthwhile programs for the broader community, including We're Special Too!, designed for the siblings of children with chronic illness, and Reach Out & Read (ROR), a literacy program which distributes free books to the children who seek treatment at Yale-New Haven. And for many years I have joined the Friends on Christmas morning, as they have distributed gifts to the kids at Yale-New Haven and helped to ensure that even Connecticut's sick and injured children do not miss out on the joys of the day. For twenty years, in ways both great and small, the Friends have worked to brighten the lives of children and families in New Haven. On this anniversary, I applaud their efforts and their decades of service, and I look forward to celebrating more anniversaries with them in the years to come.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to join all of those gathered to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Griffin Hospital. On December 9, 1909, Ralph Colonna, a worker at Ansonia Brass was the first patient admitted to Griffin Hospital and thus began its distinguished history of providing quality health services to the communities of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. When Griffin Hospital first opened its doors, it held just twenty- four beds. Today, Griffin Hospital has grown into one of the most respected health institutions in the country. Its facilities cover hundreds of thousands of square feet and include the Griffin Imaging and Diagnostics Center, the Hewitt Ambulatory Pavilion, the Center for Cancer Care, the Yale Griffin Prevention Research Center, Childbirth Center, as well as the only hospital based hospice service in Connecticut. From Charles E. Clark, the hospital's first president, to today's President and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Charmel, the unique vision of its strong leadership has allowed Griffin to expand its services to meet the changing needs of its patients and the community. In fact, in 2005, much in part because of Griffin's growing industry leadership position, Pat was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Perhaps most important is the culture of care that surrounds Griffin Hospital. In 1992, Griffin adopted the Planetree patient-centered care philosophy--promoting the development and implementation of innovative models of healthcare that focus on health and nurturing body, mind, and soul. Just last year, Griffin became a ``Designated Planetree Patient- Centered Hospital'' which is the formal recognition of the hospital's achievement and innovation in fostering an organizational culture that prioritizes patient comfort, dignity, empowerment, and well-being. In following this patient- centered care philosophy, Griffin has also created an extraordinary work environment for all Griffin employees--reflected in its recent celebration of its tenth consecutive year on FORTUNE Magazine's ``100 Best Companies to Work For'' list. Griffin Hospital not only provides outstanding care to its patients but also devotes programs and resources to benefit the greater community as well. The Valley Parish Nurse Program, which today serves thirty-five churches throughout the Lower Naugatuck Valley, provides health education, screening and referral services to a total of thirty- five thousand parishioners with a primary focus on outreach efforts to the underserved, minority, and low-income populations. Griffin also founded and sponsored the Healthy Valley project--the goal of which is to make the Valley a better place in which to live, work, raise a family, and enjoy life by measurably improving the quality of life and health of the community and its residents. Healthy Valley also focused on enhancing regional economic development by making the community a better place for businesses to relocate and expand as well as for their employees to live. An industry leader in providing quality patient-centered care and understanding that their involvement is fundamental to the continued growth and prosperity of its surrounding communities, there are innumerable ways in which Griffin Hospital has made a difference. I am proud to stand today to congratulate the Board of Directors, administrators, and staff alike as they celebrate this very special occasion. Today, as they mark their centennial anniversary, they not only celebrate their past accomplishments but, as they have for the last one hundred years, they look to the future--to ensure that they continue to provide the best possible care to their patients and meet the ever-changing needs of our community. I wish them all the best for another century of success.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in objection to the Stupak-Pitts amendment that was added to our Affordable Health Care for America Act 1 month ago. It represents an overreach that denies women the right to buy abortion coverage with their own money. It will eventually deny all but the wealthiest women in America access to reproductive choice. Were it up to me and many of my colleagues on both sides of this issue, abortion would never have intruded into our health care debate like this. But sadly, the Conference of Catholic Bishops had other ideas. They chose to hold comprehensive health care reform hostage to the abortion issue. They lobbied for this legislation in a manner that was unbecoming to our faith, and in doing so, they failed their obligation to help the poor and heal the sick. Nonetheless, I'm heartened to see that, yesterday, our colleagues in the other body rejected a similarly overreaching amendment. I hope that we will get back to a common ground approach when it returns from conference. America's women need a health care bill that ends discrimination against them, not encodes it ever further into our system of law.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with the greatest joy that I rise today to join the more than 300 family and friends who have gathered to welcome home Corporal Jameson Charest of Wallingford, Connecticut. I have known Jameson's family for many years. His mother, Karen, served as a Congressional Aide in one of my Connecticut colleagues' District Office and I often had the opportunity to work with her. There are no words to describe how proud we all are of his outstanding service to our nation and, most importantly, to his fellow marines. Jameson enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq, where he served a 7 month tour. During his tour, he earned both the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Ribbon, when the vehicle he was in was destroyed by an IED. Needless to say, when word spread of his injuries, we were all concerned for his health and safety. Fortunately, Jameson has recovered and is ready to return to service. Though home on leave for the next several weeks, Jameson will report to Okinawa on New Year's Day and, in May, will report to the Pentagon. Jameson will be the first one to tell you he is not a hero--that he is simply a marine, doing his job. However, in my mind, Jameson, and all of the men and women who volunteer to serve in our Nation's Armed Forces are heroes. Dedicating themselves to protecting the freedoms and values we all cherish, they often give up much of themselves--and that is particularly true for those who have served in combat. Corporal Jameson Charest is a very special young man who certainly deserves our respect, our gratitude, and our admiration. He is a source of inspiration to all of those fortunate enough to know him. For now, Corporal Jameson Charest has come home and it is certainly cause for celebration. I am so proud to stand today and join his parents, Karen and Denis, as well as all of those who have gathered this evening to welcome our hero home and to wish him all the best as he continues his service as a United States marine.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to rise today to join the many family and friends who have gathered to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Gabriel and Louise Amato--quite a milestone for this wonderful couple. Gabe and Louise are more than just my dear friends--they are family--and I am so happy to have this opportunity to congratulate them on this golden anniversary. Gabe and Louise met as teenagers--Gabe was 17 and Louise was 14--at a Catholic Youth Organization. It was kismet and the two soon became inseparable. They later married on Halloween in 1959. Louise was an educator for more than 25 years and Gabe, after serving in the United States Army for 2 years, worked for the APA Transport Company for nearly 30 years. Together they raised three beautiful children, Laurie, Cheryl, and Marc. Some of my fondest memories include my cousin Gabe and his wife Louise--they are both so energetic, vibrant, and full of life. Gabe continues to be an active athlete playing basketball and bowling every week. He once won the golden ring for bowling a 300 game and just last week came close to repeating that feat when he bowled a 299. And, though she retired a few years ago, Louise is still engaged in the community. Anyone who knows them can tell you that Gabe and Louise are a special couple. They are fierce friends--never far from those who need a helping hand. I cannot think of a time when I could not turn to them when I was in need and I have no doubt that you would hear similar stories from all of those fortunate enough to have benefitted from their friendship over the years. Today, as Gabe and Louise celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and reflect on the life they built for themselves, they can be proud of the many ways in which they have touched the lives of others. Parent, friend, mentor, and, most importantly, spouse, Gabe and Louise have supported each other and all of those around them with a generosity, kindness, and compassion that is impossible to describe--it can only be felt. It is with the warmest of hearts that I rise today to join their children, Laurie, Cheryl and Marc; their eight grandchildren, Christopher, Lindsey, Justin, Sydney, Erica, Sera, Marc, and Katie; as well as the multitude of family and friends who have gathered today to wish them a very happy 50th wedding anniversary and all the best for many more years of love and happiness.