Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, last week, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum on Federal Fleet Performance, which would require all new light-duty vehicles in the Federal fleet to be alternate fuel vehicles, such as hybrid, electric, natural gas, or biofuel, by December 31 of 2015. My amendment echos the Presidential Memorandum on Federal Fleet Performance by prohibiting funds in the DHS appropriation bill from being used to lease or purchase new light-duty vehicles except in accordance with the President's May 24 memorandum. Our transportation sector is by far the biggest reason we send $600 billion per year to hostile nations, such as Venezuela and others, to pay for oil at ever-increasing costs. But America does not need to be dependent on foreign sources of oil for transportation fuel. Alternative technologies exist today that, when implemented broadly, will allow any alternative fuel to be used in America's automotive fleet. The Federal Government operates the largest fleet of light-duty vehicles in America. According to the GSA, there are 662,154 vehicles in the Federal fleet with 54,972 belonging to the Department of Homeland Security. By supporting the diverse array of vehicle technologies in our Federal fleet, we'll encourage development of domestic energy resources, including biomass, natural gas, coal, agricultural waste, hydrogen, and renewable electricity. Expanding the role these energy sources play in our transportation economy will help break the leverage over Americans held by foreign government-controlled oil companies, increasing our Nation's domestic security and protecting consumers from price spikes and shortages in the world oil markets. I have been pushing to use and have in America alternative fuels. Tomorrow I'm holding a press conference with Mr. Shimkus and Mr. Bartlett. Three of us are supporting a bill, and this goes in line with that. So I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support and accept my amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Annie Klein was born on May 22, 1921 to Dora and Samuel Ratick in Maynard, Massachusetts. Her parents were both immigrants of Warsaw, Poland. She was born into a family of three sisters and four brothers and her mother still had another daughter, at the age of 50. The family moved from small town Maynard to The Bronx in New York City. Early in her life, Annie lost her father to a heart attack, leaving her mother sole survivor and sole responsible parent for her 9 children. Annie was a graduate of Morris High School in 1940. On December 7, 1941 she got engaged to David Klein, a soldier in the U.S. Army. They moved from The Bronx to Hereford, Texas. While there, they had a son, Sam, in August 1944. Even though they were offered a ``Hereford Cow'' every year while they stayed in Texas by a local rancher, they decided instead to move back to the South Bronx with Annie's mom. While developing skills that would enable David to get a job, he developed health issues. At the age of 41, David had a massive heart attack that made him a 100 percent totally disabled veteran. With David unable to work and the addition of her younger son, Les, Annie had to find a job. She worked for the Social Security Office for 5 years. After that, she found a job at City College of New York and worked as a College Office Assistant. In 1968, her son Sammy married Sandy Desio. While tending to her husband David and son, Les, she managed to work, as well as help care for her mother who had become disabled with Parkinson's disease. In 1972, her husband David passed away, leaving Annie to once again be the sole caregiver of Les. In 1980, Les married Gail Labita and Annie became a mother-in-law once again. Annie finally decided to retire in the early 1980s. Annie became grandmother to Sammy and Sandy's children, David and Dena's as well as great-grandmother to David's son Jake and Dena's children Gia, Rocco and Sammi. She is also grandmother to Les and Gail's children Douglas and Allison. Sadly in her lifetime she had had the misfortune of burying 7 of her brothers and sisters who meant the world to her. Above all, in 2007 Annie received the greatest blow of her life, when her son, Sam passed away. Most people would have crumbled and given up but Annie, with her customary grace and dignity raised her head high and with the help of her family, continued on. Annie Klein is a Woman of Valor who has shown us all how to live with love and grace even through life's most challenging times. I join with her family and friends and thank her for her dignity and courage. As said in the Bible: ``Who can find a virtuous woman for her price is far above rubies?'' Well, that woman is Annie Klein.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, this month marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Illyria, the Albanian-American newspaper. Illyria has been in the forefront of supporting the aspirations of the Albanian people in The Balkans for 20 years. As the Albanian people of Kosova in the former Yugoslavia emerged from the domination of Serbia, and Albania emerged from the shadow of communism in 1991, Albanian-Americans were in need of information about their homeland, and a common voice to bring their community together. In that time of great transition, Harry Bajraktari, an Albanian immigrant from Kosova who had built a successful real estate business from scratch in the Bronx, founded and published Illyria, and published it twice weekly in both English and Albanian. From the beginning, Illyria provided a valuable bridge among Albanians in the U.S. and abroad, and our leaders in the United States. Through the dedication and passion of Mr. Bajraktari and his colleagues, Illyria championed the causes of human rights, democracy and freedom for the people of Albania, Macedonia, Monte Negro and for a free and independent Republic of Kosova. During the Yugoslav wars and the struggles of Albanians in Kosova against the regime of Slobodon Milosevic, Illyria promoted peaceful solutions for Albanians and their neighbors. Diplomats at the United Nations, members of Congress, officials at the State Department, the White House and think tanks in Washington were among those who used Illyria as a resource. Now in more peaceful times for Albanians, Illyria, true to its immigrant roots, continues to build ties between the Albanians and the United States, promoting friendship between our countries and highlighting the contributions of Albanian immigrants to the United States. The long list of distinguished Albanian-Americans introduced to readers by Illyria includes a Nobel-Prize winner, an engineer who oversaw the flight of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, a former NASA astronaut who flew into space on the Space Shuttle Endeavour, famous actors, directors and TV personalities, and successful professionals of various fields. The torch of owning and publishing Illyria was passed from Mr. Bajraktari to Ekrem Bardha, a successful Albanian-American businessmen from Michigan and then to Vehbi Bajrami, a dedicated publisher. Through two decades and three owners, Illyria has been a consistent voice for tolerance and truth. As Ismail Kadare, the internationally-renowned Albanian writer said, Illyria has kept ``only one passion as sacred: its dedication to the freedom and the happiness of the Albanian people.'' Mr. Speaker, these are two of the principles that have made this country the greatest democracy in the world, and which unite Albania and the United States in friendship today. With thousands of readers from New York to Alaska, Illyria newspaper is truly an American institution--politically independent and true to the best values of American journalism. In short, Illyria embodies the American dream. I join with Harry Bajraktari and with Albanian- Americans in the United States and around the world, in wishing a happy 20th anniversary to Illyria newspaper.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Judith S. Lewis became the rabbi of Riverdale Temple in the summer of 2006, after having served for 14 years as the Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel of the City of New York. She began her tenure at Temple Israel as the Director of Education for six years. In 2005 she earned an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion, where she was ordained in 1980. She was part of the first generation of women rabbis, ordained at a time when there were fewer than a dozen women in the Reform rabbinate. Her undergraduate degree was in Philosophy, from Oberlin College in Ohio. Rabbi Lewis was born and raised in Rochester, New York where her extended family participated in congregations of every denomination. A favored childhood recollection is the successive observance of Jewish holidays at each congregation. Once services ended at her family's Reform synagogue, they would often go to join her grandparents in their Conservative congregation, and finally join aunts and uncles at the Orthodox synagogue to finish the celebration of the holiday. Rabbi Lewis says she has enjoyed directing the religious school this year calling the students are among the most delightful young people she has ever met. Jewish education has been a life-long passion for her and she has the rare ability to inculcate her students with that passion and enthusiasm. Rabbi Lewis is being honored at the Riverdale Temple's Annual Student Scholarship breakfast. I join with the Temple in honoring this wonderful teacher as she completes her 30th year in the rabbinate, and thank her for her many contributions to the Temple, its students, and the community.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the members of the intelligence community for their role in the mission that killed Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011. I, too, am from New York; and, unfortunately, many of my constituents perished in the World Trade Center. I just voted for an amendment by my colleague from New York to honor the members of the intelligence community; but, quite frankly, I find it lacking in one aspect. I want to honor the President of the United States who had the courage to make the call on getting Osama bin Laden. This was not something that was a slam dunk. This is something that could have gone very poorly, and I really want to say that I'm very sorry that my Republican friends on the other side of the aisle never seem to commend the President. You know that if the President had done something wrong, they would have been the first ones to jump in. But I think all Americans, regardless of party, Republicans and Democrats, ought to say to President Barack Obama, thank you for a job well done. When we thank the intelligence community, and well we should, we also have to thank the President of the United States for making a difficult and courageous call. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express congratulations to Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou who is celebrating his third year as their leader on May 20th, 2011. During President Ma's tenure, Taiwan has not only been a close friend of the United States, but it has reached out to countries all over the world. This was evident during Japan's recent tragedy in March resulting from the earthquakes and tsunami. Due to the radiation emitting from the damaged nuclear plants, staff from the United States embassy in Japan needed to evacuate immediately. Taiwan was gracious enough to take them in. U.S. Embassy officials plus private United States citizens were flown in chartered planes from Japan to Taiwan. Taiwan also donated supplies and money to Japan to help with their desperate situation. About 10 tons of supplies, including food and clothing, plus approximately $15 million dollars were generously donated by the Taiwanese people. Once again, I congratulate President Ma for the start of his third year in office and thank the Taiwanese people for their charity towards the people of Japan.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, the Riverdale Y's Teen Theater program was established in 1990 to provide education, entertainment and enrichment to teens across my district in the Bronx. The program gives kids age 13-18 a chance to study musical theater, to learn through music and to perform for their community. This year, they celebrate their 20th season of performances. The Teen Theater program has long produced entertainment for residents of the Bronx, who come to see high-level productions worthy of praise in any context, but especially so considering that the performers are our community's young people. This talented troupe of performers recently broke their own attendance record during productions of Rent and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and they plan more productions in the coming months. Children who take part in the program learn music, dance, dramatic and literary skills and get the chance to perform for their friends, family and community. They are enriched through the arts, they learn important skills through the arduous rehearsal process, they build self-esteem and they make lifelong friends. The program has received numerous National Youth Theater Awards in recognition of their talented performers, including most recently for Rent, which won awards for Best Ensemble Performance, Best Lead Actor in a Musical and Best Lead Actress in a Musical. On behalf of the many alumni of the program, the residents of the Bronx and the entire Seventeenth District, I want to recognize and honor the Riverdale Y's Teen Theater and their director, Laurie Walton, to thank them for their contributions to our community and to wish them the best of luck in the future.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I believe my friends on the other side of the aisle think that, if they repeat something again and again, people will begin to believe it. The fact of the matter is the Hyde Amendment already prohibits Federal funds from being used for abortions. This is not about Federal funds. The other thing I don't understand is my Republican friends always claim that they want smaller government, that they don't want the government to intrude on people's lives. So here we are, about to pass a measure that expands government, that intrudes on people's lives, that penalizes small businesses, and impedes them from creating jobs. I don't believe the government should be in the business of preventing people from accessing legal medical treatment. It surprises me and worries me that this Congress keeps proposing legislation that diminishes the right to access health care. Abortion is legal in this country. I understand how people feel on both sides of the aisle. It's a very personal decision. Yet Republicans seem intent on interfering with a woman's right to make her own decisions with her family and physicians, using her private money. Abortion is a difficult choice, to be sure, and this extreme legislation makes the decision even harder. We need to provide women and their families with the support they need to make health decisions, not criminalize them. Vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, we go to baseball games to relax, root for our heroes on the field, and enjoy the company of other fans. But on April 14, 2010, for John Stone it was a day to be a hero in the stands at Yankee Stadium when he saw a woman choking on a piece of food. Mr. Stone, a staff sergeant and medic in the Connecticut National Guard who served in Iraq, was enjoying the game in his Don Mattingly jersey when he saw a crowd of people around a woman 15 rows away who was choking. It was Toby Weiss who came to root for the Yankees but was now choking on a piece of food. Seeing the crowd, Sgt. Stone assumed all was well, but then he realized no one was able to help the terrified woman who was already turning blue. He ran to her and performed the Heimlich maneuver and jarred loose the food. Mrs. Weiss, the wife of Rabbi Avi Weiss of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, was checked out at the aid station at the stadium and was well enough to return to the game and to thank Sgt. Stone. Rabbi Weiss said other people rushed to help his wife but they weren't able to help. ``Suddenly,'' he said, ``this kind of Elijah figure appeared from nowhere. He knew exactly what to do.'' Mrs. Weiss also insisted Sgt. Stone was heaven-sent. ``God sent me an angel,'' she said, noting that her unassuming hero blushed over the praise. Following the scare, fans applauded, hugged and high-fived Sgt. Stone on his way back up to his seat. Stone, who lives in Montville, Connecticut, was at the Stadium with his brother Jamie, an Army infantry soldier on leave from duty in Afghanistan. Sgt. Stone is being honored at Rabbi Weiss's Hebrew Institute of Riverdale and I want to join everyone there in congratulating him and thanking him for his heroic deed. Jews have a saying that to save a life is to save the world. Sgt. John Stone has indeed saved a very large part of our world here in Riverdale. Sgt. Stone, from his service in Iraq treating our wounded to his saving Mrs. Weiss at Yankee Stadium, represents the true character of America. I am proud to join in thanking him for his heroic actions.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. I thank my friend for yielding to me. You know, give me a break. I hear speaker after speaker on the Republican side saying we don't have the resources to do these things. It seems that we always have the resources to give tax breaks for the rich. We don't worry so much about the budget deficit when it comes to protecting our rich friends. The Republicans, 2 weeks ago, spent time passing bills putting Medicare and Medicaid in jeopardy, and now they would deny these community health centers. The majority doesn't bring bills to help create jobs in this country. So, once again, here we are--God knows how many times--with a bill that's trying to kill the Affordable Health Care Act. Again, it's political theater. It's not going to pass the Senate. The President would veto it. Let's put our heads together and do something constructive instead of saying ``no'' to health care. The value of school-based health centers is well-known. There are 1,900 in the country. They provide access to high-quality, comprehensive medical care to nearly 2 million children and adolescents. Services are provided regardless of a student's ability to pay, and are provided right where they are at school. In my district, these are very important. Even the high school from which I graduated has a wonderful center. It's the kind of program that we should be promoting and replicating; but instead, we are considering a bill that would repeal the funding for the construction of these centers. The agency monitoring it is concerned about the sustainability of the health center. The Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, is thinking of the sustained success of these programs, and it will only support those school-based health centers that are going to have long-term success. So, Mr. Chairman, let's be honest. Today's debate is not on the sustainability of these centers or on mandatory spending. Today's theatrics are simply one more attempt by the Republicans to undermine the Affordable Health Care Act. We are wasting time in doing this again and again, and we should stop. The Affordable Health Care Act makes health care affordable for the middle class, and it helps prevent the steady rise in health costs that has led to much of our budgetary woes over the years. I am for quality health care. We should vote ``no'' on H.R. 1214.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. I thank my friend for yielding to me, and I rise in strong opposition to this bill. As Ronald Reagan used to say, There you go again. And there my Republican colleagues go again. We sat through days and days of this in the Health Subcommittee and in the Energy and Commerce full committee. This is--I don't know--the third or fourth or fifth or sixth bill on the floor which is trying to destroy the health care bill. I proudly support the health care bill, and I think it's time to stop scaring the American people. This is political theater. The Senate is not going to pass this, and the President certainly would veto it if it passes. So all we are having is, once again, another debate about health care on the House floor again and again and again. I think my friends on the other side of the aisle have made their point. They oppose health care reform. Okay. Fine. How many times do we have to vote on it? It would repeal the Affordable Health Care Act, a bill which puts the American people back in charge of their health care by requiring insurance companies to be more transparent and accountable for their costs and actions, thus ending many of the worst abuses by the industry and improving the quality of care. I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, public service done honestly and well is a boon to our citizens. For 37 years Rubye Windram has adhered to those principles, serving the people of New York at the Social Security Administration. Ms. Windram is now retiring with her numerous performance awards, including two Commissioner's Citations and three Regional Commissioner's Citations. Ms. Windram started working for the people on September 10, 1973 as a Claims Representative in the Boro Hall Field Office in New York. Two months later she transferred uptown and in 1978 she was named Operations Analyst and after another 2 months she was promoted to Operations Supervisor in East Harlem. She was named Branch Manager of the West Farms office and 4 years later was named Assistant District Manager in the North Bronx. She continued her ascent at SSA and in 2003 she joined the Regional Office staff, becoming Deputy Assistant Regional Commissioner for Management and Operations Support. Throughout her career Ms. Windram used her growing and extensive knowledge of field operations to serve the agency and the public. In retirement, Ms. Windram plans to travel and spend more time with her family. She also plans to share her experience and knowledge by teaching. I join her colleagues in wishing her the very best in retirement and in thanking her for her years of serving the public so admirably and well.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, as Ronald Reagan used to say, ``There you go again.'' My Republican friends want to repeal the 20th century. They want to use the budget deficit to kill and destroy every program they have hated all these years, including Medicare and Medicaid. This budget would roll back 50 years of progress on Medicare and Medicaid and destroy these two programs, which are two of the most important social programs of the past century. It's unconscionable that we would take an ax to these programs to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. This budget shifts the burden from the wealthiest Americans and puts the burden on the poor and middle class. I understand that my Republican colleagues want to protect their rich friends, but on the Democratic side of the aisle, we care about working people, the middle class, poor people, seniors, and children. The Republicans last year promised they'd focus on two things if they got the majority: jobs and spending. But all we have seen are repeated attacks on the middle class and lower-income people. We haven't seen a single jobs bill, and their idea of cutting spending is to kill Medicare and Medicaid. Instead of passing this budget, we would be more likely to create jobs by waving a magic wand and saying ``abracadabra.'' In this time of divided government, the American people want us to come together and compromise. But all the legislation we're seeing from the other side is extreme. We need to come together. We do have difficulty. We don't want our children to have a diminished standard of living. But this is not the way to do it, to try to balance the budget on the backs of poor people, on seniors, on children. We need to have a fair and balanced budget. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 1217. This irresponsible and short-sighted legislation would repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund which is a fundamental component to the Affordable Care Act. The Prevention and Public Health Fund is a critical investment in public health and demonstrates a historic commitment to changing our health system from one that focuses on treating the sick to one that focuses on keeping people healthy in the first place. We all agree that prevention is one of the most effective ways we can reduce health costs in the long run, rather than by simply cutting spending. My friends on the other side of the aisle claim that eliminating the fund does not cut any specific prevention programs and that the reason they want to repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund is to recoup the funding appropriated for it. I would like to know from the Majority, are the short term cost savings from this bill worth the long term costs to our financial future and health? How do they plan to solve the public health problems of the future if they intend to gut programs like this one? The Prevention and Public Health Fund is one of a number of Affordable Care Act initiatives that is already in place and producing positive results. Currently, all 50 states and the District of Columbia are receiving Fund support. These valuable dollars are being used to support community-based initiatives to reduce tobacco use and obesity, prevent HIV infection, build epidemiology and laboratory capacity to track and respond to disease outbreaks, and train the public health workforce. Madam Chair, I know that we face difficult economic decisions, and I would be happy to have a discussion with my friends on the other side of the aisle on how we can reduce the deficit, but I feel that H.R. 1217 is the wrong approach. Seventy-five percent of the two trillion dollars we spend in health care costs are spent on treatment of chronic diseases. Many of which can be prevented. Obesity alone costs us 147 billion dollars a year and chronic illness can cost us an additional 1 trillion dollars each year in lost productivity. In addition, studies have shown that proven community-based diabetes prevention programs can save as much as 191 billion dollars over 10 years. So the fact is prevention saves money. Now, those are just the dollars and cents of the value that the Prevention and Public Health Fund bring. We know that prevention saves money, but what about the improvements to the health of our nation's citizens. Prevention saves lives, improves quality of life and is the most cost-effective way to spend our health care dollars. No matter what arguments the Majority may make, we cannot put price-tag on that. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 1217.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, about a year ago, the United Nations passed the infamous Goldstone Report. Thankfully, this Congress on the floor of the House had a debate, and we rejected the Goldstone Report. Well, guess what happened last week? Judge Goldstone said that his report was erroneous. What did the Goldstone Report say? The Goldstone Report said that Israel deliberately targeted civilians in Gaza. That has now been proven not to be true. Of course, the people in the U.N. who bash Israel all the time will continue to pretend that Judge Goldstone didn't repudiate his own report, but the fact of the matter is he did. The truth is that it is Hamas, the terrorist group, that took over the Gaza Strip. They target Israeli civilians all the time. Israel tries to protect its own citizens in going and destroying the terrorist nests, but the terrorists of Hamas build their nests and their rockets and their munitions in heavily populated areas. So, if civilians die, it is their fault. The Goldstone Report is a lie. The United Nations should kill it once and for all, and we should be leading the way.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a good friend and a former colleague who passed away this past week, a true trailblazer, former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro. She is one of the few people in history who can lay claim to being a first. She was the first woman to be nominated for Vice President on a major ticket and also the first Italian American to achieve that honor. She was a leader, an advocate, a devoted public servant and beloved family member. I am also honored, most of all, to have been able to call her a friend. The history that has unfolded after she stood on the stage in San Francisco in 1984 to accept her party's nomination for Vice President has happened thanks to her taking those first steps. I remember being there at the convention in San Francisco in 1984 and how proud we were that one of our own, a New Yorker, Gerry Ferraro, was being nominated as Vice President. At the same time, our Governor at the time, another New Yorker, Mario Cuomo, gave the keynote address at that convention. Since that time, of course, another woman has appeared on the ballot of a major party for Vice President and another came within a handful of delegates of becoming the first Presidential nominee. Strong women in politics and business are not the exception any longer; they are mainstream. As Gerry declared in San Francisco, ``I stand before you to proclaim tonight: America is the land where dreams can come true for all of us.'' Gerry grew up, as I did, in New York City and went into teaching before going to law school, as I did, and grew up in the South Bronx as a young person, as I did as well. She headed the new Special Victims Bureau of the Queens County District Attorney's Office and was a Queens criminal prosecutor before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1978. While serving in the House, she created a flex-time program for public employees which has become the basis of such programs in the private sector. She also successfully sponsored the Women's Economic Equality Act, which ended pension discrimination against women, provided job options for displaced homemakers, and enabled homemakers to open IRAs. When I think of Gerry Ferraro, I think of her as a typical representative of the middle class in New York's outer boroughs. She had a certain kind of combination of street smarts and book smarts and a certain kind of sense and moxie, knowing how to get ahead and what to say. We are all better off, no question, America is a better place, because of the accomplishments of Gerry Ferraro. Women from coast to coast are better off because of her. But all Americans, women or not, are better off because of what she did. She took those first steps in 1984 when she was nominated. Sixty-four years after women won the right to vote, a woman had removed the ``men only'' sign from the White House door. I thought it would be good at this point to read some of the things that The New York Times had mentioned about the highlights of Gerry Ferraro. She was considered very ideal for television: a down-to-earth, streaked blond, peanut butter sandwich making mother whose personal story resonated powerfully. Brought up by a single mother who had crocheted beads on wedding dresses to send her daughter to good schools, Ms. Ferraro had waited until her own children were school-aged before going to work in the Queens District Attorney's Office. In the 1984 race, many Americans found her breezy style refreshing. ``What are you--crazy?'' was one of her familiar expressions. She might break into a little dance behind the speaker's platform when she liked the introductory music. Gerry Ferraro, Geraldine Anne Ferraro, was born on August 26, 1935, in the Hudson River city of Newburgh, New York, where she was the fourth child and only daughter of Dominick Ferraro, an Italian immigrant who owned a restaurant and a five-and-dime store, and the former Antonetta L. Corrieri. One brother died shortly after birth, and another, Gerard, died in an automobile accident when he was 3, 2 years before Geraldine was born. Geraldine was born at home. Her mother, who had been holding Gerard at the time of the crash, and who had washed and pressed his clothes for months after his death, would not go to the hospital for the delivery and leave the third brother, Carl, at home. Geraldine was named for Gerard, but in her book, ``Framing a Life: A Family Memoir,'' written with Catherine Whitney, Ms. Ferraro said her mother had emphasized that she was not taking his place. ``Gerry is special,'' she quoted her mother as saying, ``because she is a girl.'' Her mother soon sold the store and the families' house and moved to the South Bronx. With the proceeds from the sale of the property in Italy that her husband had left her, she sent Geraldine to the Marymount School, a Catholic boarding school in Tarrytown, New York. She sent Carl to military school. Tarrytown, New York, is part of my district. Ms. Ferraro's outstanding grades earned her a scholarship to Marymount College in Tarrytown, from which she transferred to the school's Manhattan branch. She commuted there from Queens, where her mother had moved by then. An English major, Ms. Ferraro was editor of the school newspaper and an athlete and won numerous honors before graduating in 1956. ``Delights in the unexpected,'' the yearbook said about her. After graduating, Ms. Ferraro got a job teaching in a public grade school in Queens. She later applied to Fordham Law School, where an admissions officer warned her that she might be taking a man's place. Admitted to its night school, she was one of only two women in a class of 179, and received her law degree in 1960. Ms. Ferraro and John Zacarro, whose family was in the real estate business, were married on July 16, 1960, 2 days after she passed the bar exam. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1961, and decided to keep her maiden name professionally to honor her mother. She was admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar in 1978. For the first 13 years of her marriage, Ms. Ferraro devoted herself mainly to her growing family. Donna was born in 1962, John in 1964, and Laura in 1966. Ms. Ferraro did some legal work for her husband's business, worked pro bono for women in family court, and dabbed in local politics. In 1970, she was elected president of the Queens County Women's Bar Association. In 1973, after her cousin Nicholas Ferraro was elected Queens District Attorney, she applied for and got a job as an assistant district attorney in charge of a special victims bureau investigating rape, crimes against the elderly, and child and wife abuse. The cases were so harrowing, she later wrote, that they caused her to develop an ulcer, and the crime-breeding societal conditions she said, planted the seeds of her liberalism. When she was elected to the House, she became very good friends with Tip O'Neill, who was the Speaker. Ms. Ferraro found her opportunity in 1978 to run for Congress when James Delaney, a Democratic Congressman from a predominantly working class district in Queens, announced his retirement. In the House, Ms. Ferraro was on the Public Works and Transportation Committee, and in doing that she successfully pushed for improved mass transit around LaGuardia Airport. Tip O'Neill, the Speaker, took an immediate liking to her, and in her three terms she voted mostly with the party's leadership. She was elected secretary of the Democratic Caucus, thanks in part to Tip O'Neill, giving her influence on committee assignments, and in 1983 she was awarded a seat on the House Budget Committee. It was Ms. Ferraro's appointment as chairwoman of the 1984 Democratic Platform Committee that gave her the most prominence. In her book, ``Ferraro: My Story,'' she said that in becoming the first woman to hold that post she owed much to a group of Democratic women, congressional staffers, rights activists, labor leaders, and other who called themselves Team A and who lobbied for her appointment. When she was running there were a lot of slights, being the first woman. People were either adjusting or not adjusting to a woman on a national ticket. Mississippi Agriculture Secretary called Ms. Ferraro, ``young lady,'' and asked if she could bake blueberry muffins, to which she said, Yes, I can. Can you? Gerry Ferraro always had a smile and always had a kind word and never said no to someone needing her help. Even though I came to the House 4 years after she left, I got to know her very well and truly feel a loss in having her pass away. Near the end of 1998, she learned that she had multiple myeloma--bone marrow cancer--that suppresses the immune system. Before then, she was Ambassador to the United States Human Rights Commission during the Clinton administration. And we remember her as cohost of the CNN program ``Crossfire'' from 1996 to 1998. She wrote books and articles and did business consulting. She addressed her place in history in a long letter to the Times in 1988, noting that women wrote to her about how she had inspired them to take on challenges, always adding a version of ``I decided if you could do it, I can too.'' Schoolgirls, she said, told her they hoped to be President some day, and needed advice. Gerry Ferraro said, ``I'm the first to admit that were I not a woman, I would not have been the vice presidential nominee. But she insisted that her presence on the ticket had translated into votes that the ticket might otherwise not have received. In any event, she said the political realities of 1984 had made it all but impossible for the Democrats to win that year, no matter what the candidates or their gender. ``Throwing Ronald Reagan out of office at the height of his popularity, with inflation and interest rates down, the economic moving, and the country at peace, would have required God on the ticket,'' Ms. Ferraro wrote. ``And she was not available.'' Geraldine Ferraro is survived by her husband, three children, and eight grandchildren. I must say that I was disappointed that in the House we didn't have a plane to take all the Members to the funeral yesterday. I'm sorry about that because, frankly, I think it was a bit disrespectful. But we all remember Gerry Ferraro. We remember her as a true New Yorker. We remember her as a true American. We remember her as someone who each of us she inspired to push on with whatever goal we want to achieve, no matter how daunting or impossible it looked. That's how I'll remember Gerry Ferraro. I'll remember her at the 1984 convention standing on the stage with Walter Mondale, both putting their arms around each other, and even then there was a question about how they would interact, as it was the first time a woman was on a national ticket. I will miss my friend Gerry. We will all miss her. But we are all better people because of her. Rest in peace, Gerry. We will always remember you. And so will the history books.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. I thank the gentleman, and I rise in strong support of the Garrett-Himes-Andrews-Engel amendment. This amendment will require the Federal Aviation Administration to study alternatives for the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia airspace redesign. It will also prohibit the FAA from continuing with the implementation of the airspace redesign until the new study is submitted to Congress. I have to take issue with what my friend, the chairman, said before. We have not found that there were hearings for this. They have been trying to jam this through and want fewer and fewer people to know about it. I forced them to come into my district; but until that happened, they didn't want any kind of input from the community. I have opposed this airspace redesign from day one, and have fought its implementation every step of the way. Time and time again, the FAA has pursued the airspace redesign while ignoring the concerns of my constituents in Rockland County, New York. This plan will only save minutes on flight time, but it will disrupt the lives of thousands of residents in my district who live under the new flight path. As my constituents noted to me, the noise and air pollution in the area will increase. It's unknown how this increase in air pollution will affect the disproportionate rate of childhood asthma in my district. The modernization of our aviation system is necessary to bring it into the 21st century, to keep pace with the increased number of flights, and to also maintain our technological advancements by implementing new equipment to keep our system the safest in the world. However, there are several alternatives to this plan, and I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment that would require the FAA to take them into consideration. We now learn that not only planes landing into Newark would fly over my constituents, but planes taking off from Kennedy as well. This is a double whammy. It's not fair. So I commend Mr. Garrett. I support this amendment, and I will continue to oppose the FAA reauthorization until the FAA halts and revises the airspace design and reports to Congress. After all, we are the ones that report to the people. FAA should report to us.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the entire city of Mount Vernon, New York, and today I rise to congratulate the Mount Vernon Knights high school basketball team for winning the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions, Class AA. They beat Christ the King from New York City, the winner of last year's championship, 84-78 in overtime on Sunday in Albany, New York. Jabarie Hinds led his team with 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to earn MVP honors as Mount Vernon won its fifth State Federation title in program history. Congratulations also to Coach Bob Cimmino on his fourth championship. His team won their last 10 games and snapped the 12-game winning streak of Christ the King. Mount Vernon showed its grit and determination by coming back after being down 20-11 after one quarter and 33-28 at the half. The Knights took the lead with less than 1 minute in regulation and never trailed after that. Other high scorers for Mount Vernon were Khalid Samuels with 21 points and Isaiah Cousins with 12. Mount Vernon, representing the Public High School Athletic Association in Westchester, got to the title game with a 70-63 win over Boys and Girls High School of New York City in Saturday's semifinal round. Congratulations to these players and their coach. While March Madness has gripped the rest of the Nation, in Mount Vernon we are very proud of our Knights. I am sure these champions have a bright future and will look back proudly at their accomplishment in the years to come.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for a no-fly zone in Libya. I don't think that the United States should do it ourselves, but I think in conjunction with our European allies, the European Union, and the Arab League, we should do it. The Arab League called for a no- fly zone, so it certainly would not be interpreted as if we were doing something unilaterally. But I would like to take it one step further. We have been selling to our Arab allies multiple planes and weapons for years and years and years, and I certainly think if there is a no-fly zone, the Arab nations which called on us to support a no-fly zone ought to participate with us in terms of making sure that no-fly zone is sustainable. We cannot sit by and allow Qaddafi to kill more and more innocent people in a bloodbath, to use the power, air power, of his force to massacre civilians. We cannot allow that. So I think the time is now. We can't keep waiting, because if we wait, it will be too long and the bloodbath will have already occurred. I think the time for action is now. Let's do it in conjunction with the EU and the Arab League.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my warmest wishes to the people of Albania on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Albania. For more than 50 years, our countries were separated by more than just distance, and Albania lived in darkness. But, twenty years ago, the Albanian people threw off the yoke of repression and ushered in an era of democracy and freedom. I believe that the renewal of ties between the United States and Albania flowed naturally following the end of the dictatorship. With the strong hand of President Woodrow Wilson and the United States early last century, the European powers were not able to divide Albania among its neighbors, and Albania's territorial integrity and sovereignty were ensured. Today, our relations are strong and Albania has taken its rightful place within Europe and on the international scene. It has joined NATO and has begun the process of moving toward the European Union (EU). As a member of NATO, Albania has sent members of its armed forces to fight along side US and other countries' troops in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. And, it is my fervent hope that through continued democratic progress, Albania will someday soon join the EU. I have visited Albania many times since the early 1990s and have personally seen the immense progress the country has made. When I first walked the streets of Tirana, I was almost as likely to have seen a horse-drawn cart as a car driving down the streets and boulevards. Today, however, Albania's capital is a flourishing city and the country is full of life and has a European outlook. So, again, on this twentieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Albania, I would like to offer my congratulations and my best wishes for the next twenty years of friendship and progress.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, on March 9, 2011, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). This Foundation was established as a vehicle to allow Taiwan and mainland China to work together on business matters, and other related issues. Twenty years ago, when the Straits Exchange Foundation was formed, there was a great deal of tension between China and Taiwan. Flash forward to present day and the relationship between the two neighbors across the Taiwan Strait has improved dramatically. These improved relations since President Ma Ying-jeou took office are most evident in The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) that was signed between China and Taiwan in 2010, and allows for greater trade and commercial exchanges between the two countries. Other significant agreements signed between Taiwan and China include: Direct Air and Sea Transport Agreements, which facilitate the free flow of people, goods and trade; Judicial Cooperation Agreement, by which the two sides agree to exchange law enforcement information to combat crime; Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Protection and Cooperation Agreement, which allows for better enforcement of IPR laws; plus an agreement to allow tourists from China to visit Taiwan. All these agreements and measures have resulted in increased trade flow, more cultural and tourism exchanges, and most of all, reduced tension along the Taiwan Strait. While the Straits Exchange Foundation has improved the means of communication between Taipei and Beijing, I remain concerned about the excessive Chinese military build-up off the coast of Taiwan. For the dialogue between China and Taiwan to have its intended effect--to promote peaceful and productive relations--then militarization of the region is not helpful. Nevertheless, my colleagues and I are very encouraged to see the efforts between Taiwan and China to maintain peace and stability in East Asia. On the 20th Anniversary of the Straits Exchange Foundation, we congratulate the SEF on its achievement in promoting exchanges and better understanding across the Taiwan Strait.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Corinne Grayson-Thomas was born in New York City to William and Anna Grayson and attended NYC Public Schools until her family moved to Runyon Heights in Yonkers, New York. She was the first African American woman to graduate from Roosevelt High School, in 1932. She attended City College of New York, majoring in History and Science, while focusing on political issues, as well as justice and equality. With the war coming, she made the decision to leave college after 3 years and go to work. She joined Gimbel's Department Store in 1944, became the first African-American Sales Representative, and she remained there until she retired in 1975. She was also the first woman of color to become an Avon Representative and worked with the company for 40 years. Ms. Thomas was very successful as a Team Leader, receiving many awards from the company and being featured in the 1996 February Edition of Essence Magazine in the Avon Ad ``Black Has Never Been More Beautiful.'' Corinne joined the Terrace City Chapter #26 Order Eastern Star under the affiliation of her father, Worshipful Master William Grayson. After serving as Worthy Matron in 1970, she had several appointments from the Grand Chapter, which included the Grand Marshall in the East and District Deputy Grand Matron. She is an honorary member of Poinsettia Chapter in Spring Valley and a Past Commandress of the Order of Cyrenes. She was a member of the Nepperhan Community Center for many years and served on the Board of Directors and as president for 5 years (1960- 1965). Ms. Thomas was a member of the Social Bridge Club and is an avid bowler in the Runyon Heights Seniors League. She is also a frequent contributor to the Runyon Heights Community Newsletter. She is widowed and has one daughter, Jean Ann; 2 grandsons, Jathan and Michael and one Great Grand-daughter, Katherine Corinne and has 3 siblings, Muriel, Carol and Gerald. She believes in spreading love and has spent her whole life doing just that. Her favorite Bible Chapter is 1 Corinthians 13, and the scripture that echoes this principle is ``And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'' I join the Terrace City Chapter in honoring Corinne Grayson-Thomas for her many contributions to the betterment of her community.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, public service is a noble profession when done honestly and well. Those who work in government, serving the people, do so with pride of accomplishment in the knowledge that they are helping to make life easier for those they serve. Evie Davis, the District Manager of the West Nyack Social Security office began her career with the Social Security Administration 40 years ago, in October of 1970, at the Northeastern Program Service. She held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, rising to District Manager of the White Plains office in 1990. She served there for eleven years before moving across the Hudson River to her current position in Rockland County. She has served on many committees and workshops in furtherance of helping the SSA better help its clients, including the workgroup on the Limited-English Speaking Population. She has also served on the Advisory Committee of the Offices for the Aging in both Westchester and Rockland Counties. She has always prided herself on her service to the Social Security Administration and the people it serves, touching the lives of virtually all of America's families in one way or another. She derived great fulfillment from her role in managing and always strove to contribute to a satisfying work environment. For her dedication and her abilities she has received many awards, including the Associate Commissioner's Citation. Evie and her husband Mark are about to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. They have two sons, Eric and Jarrod and twin baby granddaughters. I congratulate Evie Davis for her 40 years of public service in helping people. She has earned our thanks and praise for the good work she has done for so many years in making our lives and the lives of those around us better and more fulfilling.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the amendment to H.R. 1 that would prohibit the U.S. Department of Education from implementing its misguided Gainful Employment rule. Since the Department of Education issued this rule, I have written numerous times, and have spoken directly with Secretary Duncan to express my strong opposition to this rule. Career colleges serve millions of non-traditional students across the country--including a significant number of minorities and single parents. In my own district, many well-respected career colleges are helping my constituents realize the dream of better careers and higher salaries. Yet, the Department's rule will disproportionately harm these non-traditional and lower-income students who rely on these institutions for quality education to improve their prospects for better careers. I oppose this rule and I support this amendment because I do not believe that we should use the actions of a few institutions to paint the entire career college industry with one negative brush. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this amendment, which is a vote for opportunity for millions of Americans across this country.