Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, as we have heard from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, the United States grieves with France after these horrible attacks. The United States stands ready to assist France in its time of need. But we must look toward the root causes of the atrocity and direct our resolve toward defeating the growing threat of ISIS. This includes intelligence and information collaboration with our allies and partners. This includes finding a diplomatic solution to the Syrian civil war. This includes addressing the refugee crisis and the separate grievances and risks that this humanitarian crisis breeds. This includes stemming ISIS's recruitment and radicalization efforts of disillusioned Westerners to join their ranks. We must address the complex and multifaceted layers that contribute to the Paris attacks all while bringing those responsible to justice. We must send a clear and very loud message that international terrorism will not go unanswered. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our Democratic whip. (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), a very well-respected member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a spiritual leader in the Mount Vernon community, Reverend Dr. Jeffery R. Wheeler, who has led, as Pastor the Mt. Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church congregation in Mount Vernon, NY with great distinction and integrity. Originally born and raised in Mount Vernon, Reverend Wheeler received his license to the ministry in 1998 and was ordained in 1999 at the Hunter Hills First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2006, Rev. Wheeler relocated back to New York and was consecrated and elevated to the office of Ordained Traveling Elder in the New York-Washington Annual Conference of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church under the auspices of Senior Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr., Presiding Prelate. After 20 years away from home, in July of 2011 Reverend Wheeler returned home to Mt. Vernon, NY to pastor where he grew up, worshipped with his family, and began in ministry, at Mount Calvary Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Reverend Wheeler also began serving as the Director of the New York-New England Ministry to Men. Reverend Wheeler has served in a multitude of capacities within the ministry, including: Staff Ministerial Coordinator accountable for 13 staff ministers, Pastor of Praise & Worship and Ministerial Liaison for the Music Department, Singles Ministry and Family Enrichment Ministry. He has also traveled extensively abroad to conduct Preaching Revivals & Gospel Music Workshops in Olso, Norway, Stockholm, Sweden, Brighton and London, England, South Africa, and Tokyo, Japan. A scholar, Reverend Wheeler earned his Masters of Religious Studies from Yale University, in New Haven and his Masters of Theology Degree and Doctorate of Divinity Degree from the Hugee Theological Institute/ Lighthouse Seminary New York, NY. In December 2013, The Abundant Life Theological Seminary conferred a second Doctorate of Divinity Degree upon Reverend Wheeler. This year, Mt. Calvary C.M.E. is holding a luncheon in Reverend Wheeler's honor celebrating his years as Pastor. Congratulations to Reverend Wheeler on this great honor.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a leader in my district, James J. Veneruso, who has been actively involved in a wide array of professional and community organizations for many years. A former Adjunct professor at Iona College and the College of Mount Saint Vincent, Mr. Veneruso served as the Editor of the Delaware Corporate Law Review and the Westchester County Law Journal, the President of the John Marshall Honor Society, and was on the founding Board of Editors of the Pace Law Review. He is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida, and is now the managing partner of the law firm of Veneruso, Curto, Schwartz & Curto, LLP located in Yonkers, New York. In addition to his professional developments, Mr. Veneruso serves on the Board of Trustees of Saint Joseph's Medical Center, as legal counsel and Board member of Habitat for Humanity of Westchester, and as a member of Yonkers Partners in Education, Inc., and the Italian American Forum. He currently serves on the Business Development Board of Sterling National bank, and actively served on the Board of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Veneruso lives in Yonkers with his wife, Lillian. They have three children and four grandchildren. The surrounding community has recognized and celebrated Mr. Veneruso's contributions to the area with countless honors. He has been recognized as the Most Socially Conscious Attorney by the Westchester County Bar Association and the Westchester Business Journal, and has received the ``American Dream Award'' by the Habitat for Humanity of Westchester. This year Saint Joseph's Medical Center is honoring Mr. Veneruso with the 2015 Outstanding Service Award. I want to congratulate Mr. Veneruso on this honor and thank him for his contributions to our community's continued growth and success.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a leader in my district, Dr. Peter K. Wayne, who has had an unquestionable impact on the health and well-being of our community for many years. Born in Queens, NY, Dr. Wayne spent his childhood in Long Island, and after obtaining his Biochemical Sciences degree from Harvard College, he completed his seven-year MD-PhD degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Following additional training in internal medicine and gastroenterology, Dr. Wayne joined St. Josephs Medical Center in Yonkers, where he has treated countless residents from the neighborhood. Beyond his service to our community through his medical practice, Dr. Wayne has served as President of the Medical Board, and has been serving as Chief of Gastroenterology for most of this millennium. In addition to his service on the boards of countless Gastrointestinal research groups and societies, Dr. Wayne has been recognized for his participation in clinical trials of drug therapies for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Dr. Wayne and his wife, Ellen Tremper, have four children, each contributing to their communities with the same vigor in their respective fields that Dr. Wayne has served ours. Dr. Wayne's passion for, and dedication to, his work is made clear in and out the office. He advocates for bicycle safety, develops his personally-crafted electronic medical record program, and supports the St. Joseph's Endoscopy Unit, which hosts a clinic for the uninsured and underinsured to be evaluated by a staff of board-certified endoscopists. This year, St. Josephs Medical Center is honoring Dr. Peter Wayne with the 2015 Outstanding Service Award. I want to congratulate Dr. Wayne on this honor and thank him for his years of dedicated service to our community.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Eric Pollard, a true public servant whose leadership, loyalty, and dedication to his work has left an indelible mark on the Yonkers Public School System. Teachers, administrators, coworkers and parents all have wonderful things to say about Eric and the job he has done as Head Custodian of the School 16 Annex, located at 759 North Broadway in Yonkers. His reputation proceeds him, due to his work ethic and dedication to the school. Principal Cynthia Eisner has lauded Eric, saying, ``he makes sure that everything is not only in working order, but it is in tip top shape.'' In addition to his custodial duties, Eric helps with arrivals and dismissals, serving as a de facto traffic officer, clearing the bus lanes of cars to ensure a smooth dismissal every day. The school's Assistant Principal, JoAnn DiMaria, has also praised Eric for his ``leadership, loyalty, and dedication of the highest caliber in association with his responsibilities as Head Custodian He supports and collaborates with custodial staff in the Main Building while consistently maintaining an immaculate environment where our children can learn.'' A Yonkers resident himself, Eric resides with his wife, Lisa, and daughters Kamesha and Aaliyah in the district. He is one of six children born to Mildred and Claude Lee Sr. and has been a resident of Yonkers since 1967. He attended PS 8, graduated from Roosevelt High School, and has been employed the Board of Education as a custodian since 1992. Eric is Yonkers through and through, and he epitomizes the hard work and dedication the community is known for. On November 17th Eric is being honored with the 2015 Civil Service Employee of the Year Award, hosted by the Exchange Club of Yonkers and the Yonkers Public School system. It is my pleasure to congratulate Eric on this wonderful honor, and thank him for his years of service to the community.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dear friend and a true community leader, Pelham Town Supervisor Peter DiPaola, who has served his community in elected office with distinction for close to 25 years. A resident of Pelham Manor since 1952, Peter has always had a love affair with Pelham Manor and its residents. He attended Siwanoy Elementary School while his future wife attended Prospect Hill, beginning a family legacy in the Pelham Elementary School system that has lasted three generations. In 1991, Peter began his life of public service as a member of the Pelham Manor Planning Board, and never looked back. To call Peter's career in elected office diverse or extensive would be an understatement. He served as Pelham Manor Trustee, with oversight for administration, planning, and finance; Fire Commissioner; Police Commissioner; Commissioner of Public Works; was elected Mayor of the Village of Pelham Manor in 2001; Town Councilman in 2004; and finally Pelham Town Supervisor in 2012, the role in which he currently still serves. As Town Supervisor, Peter has worked diligently to maintain the beauty and charm that has defined Pelham for decades. In spite of state mandated tax caps, he has overseen a redesign and improvement of the Town Court, a renovation of Gazebo Park, an expansion of the offerings by the Pelham Recreation Department, as well as an improvement of town services and programs, all while staying under the 2 percent tax cap. He has also worked hard to obtain vital funding through local, state, and federal grants, some of which my office has helped procure, for initiatives ranging from Superstorm Sandy repairs to improvements to Trotta Park. Peter's ability to deliver the services Pelham's residents have come to expect from their local government, while exhibiting strict fiscal responsibility, has been masterful, and as Pelham's Congressman I have always counted myself fortunate to have such a wonderful partner in government. Peter and I may not come from the same side of the aisle, but we have always had a great relationship, built on a foundation of mutual respect, while working together in the spirit of bipartisanship. As the American Legion Pelham Post 50 honors Peter at their annual Veterans Week Dinner Dance, I want to take a moment to honor him as well, and thank his wife, children, and grandchildren for sharing him with the entire community. There is no more fitting honoree than Peter, and he is most deserving of this recognition.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a leader in the Yonkers community, Angelo R. Martinelli, who for 20 years has led the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce as Chairman with great distinction and integrity. Originally born in the Bronx in 1927, Angelo grew up in Mount Vernon, attending A.B. Davis High School. Following his graduation in 1945, he enlisted in the United States Army where he served until 1946 as a Sergeant. After leaving the Army, Angelo returned home to work in his family's business, The Yonkers Daily Times, while swiftly moving to buy the Gazette Press in 1948. This shift, as well as meeting the love of his life, Carol Madatto, led to the purchase of their first home in Yonkers in 1960, where Angelo still currently lives. In 1974, Angelo ran and was elected Mayor of the City of Yonkers, serving from 1974-1979 and again from 1982-1987. He has earned a reputation as an effective and forceful advocate of municipal government interests, like seniors, anti-crime programs, and the reactivation of the Yonkers Police Athletic League. In 1983, with the closing of the PAL seeming imminent, Mayor Martinelli helped form a new Board of Directors, and today the PAL is a vibrant organization, with Angelo continuing to serve as its President since 1991. Angelo was the owner and Chairman of the Board of Gazette Press, Inc., and is currently Chairman of the Board for Today Media, Inc. From 1990 until May, 2012 he served as a director of Hudson Valley Bank. In January 1984, Mercy College conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. In January 1995 he became Chairman of the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce, a position he still holds. In August 2015, HBO aired the miniseries, ``Show Me a Hero,'' with Angelo, who was delighted to be portrayed by actor Jim Belushi. But Angelo's passion was always his family. He and Carol, to whom he was married to and loved for 65 years, have six sons, Michael, Paul, Robert, Richard, Thomas and Ralph, and five daughters-in-laws, 12 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Angelo is an active parishioner of St. Eugene's Church, Yonkers. This year, the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce is honoring Angelo at the 122nd Annual Business Hall of Fame Dinner, commemorating his 20 years of service as Chairman of the Board. I want to thank him for his incredible leadership and for helping to make Yonkers the great city it is today.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a leader in my district, from my hometown of the Bronx. To celebrate life for 100 years is a historic milestone, and it's my pleasure to speak about the centurion Annie Oliver. Born on October 30th, 1915, Annie Ruth Still was originally from Birmingham, Alabama, and is the eldest of two sisters. Following her graduation from the esteemed Park High School in 1944, Annie made the move to New York City to begin work. In the fateful year of 1957, Annie made two life changing decisions, marrying her husband George Oliver, to whom they would share a lifetime of happiness with two sons, Will Jr. and Floyd, and joining the Church on The Hill AME Zion of New York City. It was here she began her 58 year tenure of service to her community and love of God. During her outstanding service, Annie Oliver served as President of the Stewardess Board for 26 years, President of the User Board, President of Class Number 1, and currently serving in capacity as ``Mother of the Church''. She also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for The Church on the Hill and is the longest serving member of their congregation. After marrying husband George, the family moved to the Bronx, where she still currently resides. Annie began working at Made in America, a 40 year tenure and then an additional 25 years serving at Emerson Radio&TV, and the Beral Motor Company. She lives, loves, and always worked in the Bronx. She is beloved by her family, including 5 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. This year, on Friday, October 30th, 2015, her family, church family, and friends will be celebrating Mother Annie Oliver's 100th birthday milestone. I wish her the happiest of birthdays and congratulations on this remarkable milestone and on her incredible life.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 602 I was inadvertently detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment No. 14 Offered by Mr. Culberson

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and a good friend.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. History has shown us the tragedy of what can happen when this sort of hatred goes on unchecked. It is past time for governments and communities to focus on the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Europe and do whatever it takes to turn it back. This resolution sends a message that we are keeping a close eye on the problem and that action is needed now to meet this challenge. I encourage my colleagues to support this measure. I want to also compliment my good friend Chris Smith. We all worked hard on this, but no one works harder than he in combating anti- Semitism. If you know Chris Smith, you know that, when he gets obsessed with something, he follows it to the end; and it, as always, has a great conclusion. He is obsessed against hatred. He is obsessed against bad things happening to any group of people. I am very proud of the work that he has done through the years, and I want to thank him for his leadership in combating anti-Semitism. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), a very valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), who is a newer Member, but she has certainly made her mark.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), a very valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains on both sides?

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again, let me thank Chairman Royce for his leadership on this issue, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), and all of the people that have worked so hard on this. We need to be creative in the way we go after financing for violent groups. If nothing is done, I believe the statistic is that, in 11 years, elephants will be extinct in the wild. Isn't that a tragedy? Who would have thought? So we need to be creative in the way we go after the financing for violent groups. Mr. Poe pointed out some very, very important things about terrorism and criminal activities. So, again, I want to say that, when people buy these things, it is not innocent. They are aiding terrorism, and they are aiding criminality. We need to use every tool at our disposal, so this legislation does that by going after a critical source of funding for criminals and terrorists. At the same time, it will help to preserve some of the world's most imperiled animals. Again, I urge all my colleagues to support this measure. I thank Chairman Royce for his hard work on this and so many other things. This is something that everyone needs to support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure. I want to, first of all, thank my friend, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, for authoring the Global Anti-Poaching Act. I am very proud to be an original cosponsor. This bill, again, is a good example of our committee working across the aisle to get real results. On average, one elephant is killed every 20 minutes. That is just a shocking statistic. So in the 40 minutes we have to debate this bill, two elephants will be killed. Last year, the toll was 20,000. It is just disgusting. And make no mistake, these animals aren't being killed for sport. No matter how you feel about big game hunting, the real reason elephants and other iconic animals are being wiped out is far more sinister, and it is why this issue deserves the attention of Congress and the administration. Those responsible for poaching are profiting from their crimes by selling ivory or rhinoceros horns or cheetah pelts. Where do these profits go? These profits go to buy weapons for violent, armed militias, to bribe government officials and law enforcement, and to fuel criminal networks. In short, poaching pumps resources into groups that threaten security and stability, groups that want to do harm to innocent people and want to do harm to the United States of America. That is why Chairman Royce and I view wildlife trafficking as a security issue, and that is why we introduced the Global Anti-Poaching Act. Our bill would bring wildlife trafficking under money laundering and racketeering statutes that are already part of our law. It would support the professionalization of wildlife law enforcement units on the ground and allow us to provide them nonlethal assistance. It would strengthen regional Wildlife Enforcement Networks designed to combat poaching, and it would name and shame governments that aren't taking this problem seriously. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to highlight the excellent work of the Wildlife Conservation Society from my hometown, Bronx, New York. The Wildlife Conservation Society runs the Bronx Zoo and many other cultural institutions in New York City. They have been actively fighting poaching and trafficking for many years. They have been on the forefront of the American fight against poaching and trafficking. It is a pleasure to work with them on this and so many other issues. I, of course, have longstanding ties with one of their leaders, John Calvelli, who used to be my chief of staff in Washington--he ran my Washington office--so I know how dedicated this group is. We need to crack down on wildlife trafficking, both to deny resources to dangerous organizations and to protect some of the world's most iconic creatures. People may feel: Well, if I just buy a little ivory doll or I buy something made out of ivory, how can that hurt? After all, it is there. It may be cute. It may be trendy. What is wrong with it? I will tell you what is wrong with it. It funnels and aids and abets terrorism, because these groups that sell the tusks and sell the ivory are, by and large, groups that get the money back and use it to force terror. People who are buying these things are not buying some innocent things; they are buying things that help terrorist organizations. Just like we have the fight with the artifacts that are coming in from Syria that ISIS takes and loots and then sells abroad to help finance their terrorist activities, the same thing is true for ivory and the same reasons are being used: It is being done to funnel this money towards helping sinister groups, many of whom are terrorist organizations. So I urge my colleagues to support this bill. This is a very important bill. I thank my friend and partner, Chairman Royce. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close on my side. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As I have said, we need to use every tool available to combat terrorism and disrupt criminal networks around the world. It only makes sense to have more partners at the table in that effort. So bringing Taiwan back into INTERPOL as an observer just makes common sense. The more participants in INTERPOL, the more good the organization can do. We should do all we can to bring willing contributors off the sidelines. Again, Taiwan was a member and was thrown out when everyone recognized People's Republic of China. There is room for both. There should be both. I again want to commend my friend, Mr. Salmon, who is largely responsible for this, and our chairman, Mr. Royce, who I think has more people from Taiwan in his district than virtually any other district in the country. So he knows quite a bit about Taiwan and quite a bit about what should be done. It is something that we are all saying the same thing. It makes sense for Taiwan. It makes sense for the United States. It makes sense for INTERPOL. I encourage my colleagues to support this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We are all saying the same thing, and I think it really shows how important this legislation is. I want to mention the gentleman from Arizona, as I mentioned before. He was very kind about some of the things he said about me. You need to go on a trip to China or Taiwan with the gentleman from Arizona because he is very modest, but he speaks fluent Mandarin. He has great diplomatic skills, and the people there really appreciate what he has done. I appreciate him being the author of this important piece of legislation. It is true, when we talk about bipartisanship in foreign affairs, it is probably more important than in any other place. I have gone on a number of trips and we have had delegations of Republicans and Democrats together, and always, as Americans, the differences that we might have are very, very tiny. When you travel together and you go to another country, we realize how important it is that, as Americans, we stand united and that other countries respect our country for what our country has done and is doing. That is really important. I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona, my friend. He has been a vital force for this legislation, H.R. 1853, but he has also been a vital force on so many other issues on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and global issues that are really just so important. When we talk about global issues and talk about policy that we need to do, there really are no Democrats and no Republicans. We are all Americans. We want to make sure that other countries respect what we try to do. We believe in what this country stands for, and we want to have good relations with countries around the world. I think it is so important when Members travel there and meet with dignitaries and meet with leaders of the country and meet with other parliamentarians that people understand what the United States of America is all about. I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.