Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jacobo and Mary Kapilivsky on their 50th wedding anniversary. Jacobo and Mary will celebrate this wonderful milestone on April 14th, 2007, after spending half a century in love with the shared experiences of family life. The life of Jacobo and Mary is a wonderful example of the American Dream. The son of poor Jewish immigrants, Jacobo Kapilivsky was born on June 25th, 1932 in Trujillo, Peru. Despite his humble beginnings, Jacobo graduated from medical school in his native country before marrying Mary Rosco, herself a daughter of Jewish immigrants. Jacobo and Mary started the adventure of their life together by immigrating to the U.S., where Jacobo completed his medical residency in Johnson City, NY and later in the Bronx. Over the years, Jacobo became a surgeon as well as a medical entrepreneur both in the U.S. and in Peru, where he has founded and led several private hospitals and medical centers. Currently, they live in McAllen, Texas. The Kapilivskys are parents to Allan and his wife Lillian, Sam and his wife Noemi, and Sara and her husband Mark. They are proud grandparents to seven grandchildren including their newest addition and first granddaughter, Leora Paz Vogel. Their children and grandchildren live in McAllen, Texas, Rochester, New York, and South Florida. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Jacobo and Mary Kapilivsky on their 50 golden years of love and dedication to each other.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1362, the Accountability in Contracting Act. With the alarming increase of no-bid contracts and cost-plus contracts under this administration, I am very gratified to see the Democratic majority bring this bill up for a vote so that we can put an end to these scurrilous practices. The United States government has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in the past few years to contractors that did not even have to submit a bid for the work it wanted to conduct. So much for good old fashioned American competition! In addition, there have been very few penalties for the contractors when this work went far over budget and Federal dollars were misused such as in the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. American taxpayers have had to pick up the tab for these cost overruns, and they have been on the hook for millions and millions of dollars. Mr. Chairman, in this week devoted to oversight legislation, this is a necessary bill to protect the taxpayers of this Nation from paying too much for too little work. This bill will reduce the number of no- bid contracts and strictly control cost overruns. Further, new rules will be promulgated for disclosing contractor overcharges. The Accountability in Contracting Act is long overdue, and I thank the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and Chairman Waxman for bringing this bill up for a vote.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of the Water Quality Financing Act of 2007. After 12 long years of little to no legislation supporting the environment, I am happy to stand up today to support a week of great environmental bills. In celebration of Clean Environment Week in this House, the Democratic majority has brought forward three bills that will be good for the environment, good for the economy, and good for the people of New York and the rest of the Nation. This bill, H.R. 720, will reauthorize the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund. The goal of this bill is to provide money to local governments in order for cities and towns across the country to improve and renovate their clean water infrastructure. The communities that will be using this money are extremely supportive of this bill. The Clean Water Fund is essential to help States and municipalities make critical upgrades to their water infrastructure systems. In turn, these investments ensure clean water and foster economic development. One of the most successful environmental programs in our Nation's history was the Clean Water Act of 1972. In the 35 years that it has been in existence, the Clean Water Act has helped to ensure that the water we drink as well as the bodies of water that we enjoy in nature will be clean and safe for use. H.R. 720 will allow us to continue receiving the benefits of the Clean Water Act. It authorizes up to $20 billion over the next 5 years to keep our water and our environment clean. Another bill we supported this week is H.R. 569, legislation to boost sewer overflow controls. This bill will authorize $1.8 billion over 5 years to prevent combined sewer overflow. Sewer overflow affects over 750 municipalities across the country. During a heavy rainstorm, inadequate sewer facilities and infrastructure can easily overflow, causing major health concerns as well as an environmental mess. Madam Chairman, nobody here wants to see what happens when a sewer overflows into bodies of water around our neighborhoods. Yet Congress has done nothing to combat this problem over the past decade, despite a desperate need for action. The total cost for fixing combined sewer systems across the country has been estimated to be about $50 billion. We cannot expect small towns and local governments to be able to pay for this renovation by themselves. And this problem is not lessening. Every year, we see antiquated sewer systems backing up and outdated infrastructure crumbling. The problem is getting worse, and the longer we wait, the more we will have to pay to fix it. Combined sewer backups are likely to occur in 37 States and the District of Columbia. My home State of New York is one of the 37 States affected. The 17th District of New York straddles the Hudson River, which can flood under heavy rain conditions. Madam Chairman, I for one do not want to wait until we have sewers backing up in our own backyard before we take action. We have waited long enough, and passing H.R. 569 was a good first step in fixing these aging sewer systems. For all these reasons, I support H.R. 720, and I would encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, we had the honor of listening to King Abdullah of Jordan and his speech before. I must be candid and say that I was somewhat disappointed in some of the things that he mentioned. When he talked about the plan in Riyadh for two states living side by side, we all, of course, hope for that, but the plan in Riyadh forces Israel to go back to the 1967 borders, which are indefensible and is really a nonstarter. If the Palestinians really want peace in the region, then they know what they have to do. They need to do three things, and the Hamas government needs to do three things. They need to recognize the right of Israel to exist, they need to abide by all previous agreements signed by the Palestinians, and they need to renounce terror and violence. I would have liked the King to have said that. I think that would have been most hopeful, but it is important that all of us that want peace in the Middle East work to the ultimate solution, which is two states in peace, living side by side, an Arab Palestinian state and Jewish Israeli state, and it can only happen if the Arabs recognize Israel's right to exist.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 584, a bill to name the headquarters of the United States Department of Education after President Lyndon B. Johnson. In the entire District of Columbia, with all its Federal buildings, parks and monuments, there is not a single Federal facility named after the man many historians call one of the best Presidents in American history. From his stewardship of legislation creating Medicare and Medicaid, to his passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, President Johnson left a legacy on this Nation that we still enjoy today. In addition to his quest to achieve racial equality in the United States, President Johnson was an avid supporter of education. In 1965 he signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act into law. This landmark bill provided significant federal funding to public schools. Also in 1965, he stewarded the Higher Education Act to passage. Thanks to this legislation, children in poverty for the first time were able to attend college. Madam Speaker, like President Johnson, I was a public school teacher, and I understand the importance of a good education. Let me conclude by quoting President Johnson himself. I shall never forget the faces of the boys and the girls in that little Welhausen Mexican School, and I remember even yet the pain of realizing and knowing then that college was closed to practically every one of those children because they were too poor. And I think it was then that I made up my mind that this Nation could never rest while the door to knowledge remained closed to any American. Madam Speaker, I can think of no better person after whom we should name the building of the Department of Education. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 584.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of a long overdue measure, the Employee Free Choice Act. This necessary bill gives America's hard workers basic rights that they have been denied for over 70 years. My father was an ironworker, and a member of his local union. I saw firsthand the struggles employees went through in order to organize their workplace. I also saw how easy it was and how easy it still is to fire union organizers with impunity. This unlawful practice happens all the time, and the worst that can possibly happen to the employer is a slap on the wrist. I was also a proud member of a union. I was a teacher and a guidance counselor in New York City, where I became a member of the American Federation of Teachers. I learned the personal benefits to collective bargaining, and I discovered the security of having thousands of other brothers and sisters of the union behind me if I ever needed them. Unions were an integral part in making this Nation the economic superpower it is. And while this bill will not put laborers on an even footing with employers, it will help to bridge the chasm between workers' rights and corporate rights. Madam Chairman, we owe unions and their members a massive debt of gratitude for everything they have done for this country. We can start paying back that debt by passing the Employee Free Choice Act. I strongly support this measure, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues' strong support of the resolution that I have introduced which supports the goals and ideals of Anti-Slavery Day. I would also like to thank Representative Burton for his assistance with this resolution. Anti- Slavery Day is dedicated to focusing attention on the many forms of slavery that exists today as well as to highlight and commend the many efforts made by the United States Congress, along with, Free the Slaves, labor organizations, and United States Industry to eradicate slavery from the product supply chains of goods entering the United States. This resolution is most important this year as 2007 is the bicentennial of the abolition of the British slave trade. In 1865, the United States outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude with the 13th amendment. Yet today more than 27 million people are enslaved around the world and over the last 50 years slavery has actually increased and is flourishing in situations of conflict, social disruption, political chaos, and economic crisis. Slavery is present in nearly every country and affects those--especially women and children--who are most vulnerable. Slavery is a global crime and requires a global approach to its eradication with the most powerful preventive measures being education and economic development. Slavery and involuntary servitude are inherently evil institutions and must be abolished.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I now yield to another one of our rising freshman stars, the gentleman from Maryland, Representative John Sarbanes, 5 minutes.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I can't tell you how much pleasure it gives me to introduce our next speaker, who represents a district adjacent to mine. I am so delighted to have him in Congress, and I know his constituents are as well. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hall).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to one of our freshmen, Representative Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, surely a rising star.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to Representative Mike Arcuri of New York, another rising star from my home State.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, before I yield to my next speaker, I am told we are rapidly running out of time, and I will not be able to yield additional time to anyone beyond the 5 minutes. I now have the pleasure of calling on another new star in this Congress, Representative Bruce Braley of Iowa, for 5 minutes.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure now to call on another one of our great new freshmen I have gotten to know, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack) for 5 minutes.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to again introduce one of our freshman rising stars, Steve Kagen of Wisconsin. I yield 5 minutes to him.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to a great new Member, the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Hodes).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to another great new freshman, Representative Zack Space of Ohio.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to a great new member of our Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Albio Sires of New Jersey.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of unanimous consent, I recognize the gentleman from Arizona. (Mr. PASTOR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts, a member of the Financial Services, Oversight and Government Reform Committees, and chair of the House Task Force on Anti-Terrorism Funding, Mr. Lynch.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), a classmate of mine and distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to my sister's Congressman, a gentleman who worked hard to become a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my dear friend in the adjoining district, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the Chair of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 5\1/2\ minutes. Madam Speaker, I am going to come here and speak from the heart. I do not want to read a speech because I think it is important to speak from the heart. I am not here to point fingers. I am not here to chastise anyone. I am not here to talk about what might have been. I support our soldiers. I support the war against terror, but I rise in support of this resolution which is Congress' responsibility. We have to look, Madam Speaker, at the current situation in Iraq as it is, not as we might wish it to be, but as it is. Several years ago, I voted to give the President the authority to go to war in Iraq based on what we were told then. I must say that I regret that vote. I regret it not only because no weapons of mass destruction were found or that there was no connection between al Qaeda and Iraq at that time, even though we were told there was. There was obviously faulty intelligence. We will never quite know if we were misled or if our intelligence was bad. But one thing is very, very clear to me, that this war has been mishandled from the beginning. The President is now talking about a surge of sending 21,500 more troops to Iraq. When we first went into Iraq, I am a big believer if you are going to do something, you do it right or you do not do it at all. We were told by General Shinseki that there were not enough troops in Iraq, not enough troops at that time several years ago to be able to protect the borders, to protect insurgents from coming in, to protect people that would do us ill from coming in. And his statements were dismissed. Not only were his statements dismissed, but then he was dismissed; and now here it is 3 or 4 years later, we are being told that the solution is to send more troops again. It is obvious to me that this is too little too late. The war in Iraq has morphed into a civil war. It is obvious to anybody who looks at the situation that the Shia and the Sunni are fighting each other, and our brave men and women are caught right in the middle of it. Eighty percent of the people of Iraq on both sides do not want us there, and more and more our people are becoming sitting ducks. I grieve for the more than 3,200 brave Americans who have died and the countless thousands more who have been injured; but it is one thing, Madam Speaker, to die in fighting for the freedom of your country, defending your country. It is quite another to die in a senseless civil war that more and more we see we cannot control nor probably should we attempt to anymore. From the minute we came into Iraq, unfortunately, not only did we have no troops, there was mistake after mistake. We fired the Ba'ath Party people. So we had people who were angry at us to begin with. We have not been able to give the Iraqis what we said we would give them. They find that their way of life is worse now than ever before. We were not greeted as liberators, but we were greeted as occupiers. And when we look at what we supposedly are there to protect, we look at the leader of Iraq, Mr. Maliki. He is propped up by the al-Sadr brigade, viciously anti-American, viciously killing Iraqis. He cannot go after them. They are the base of his support, and we are to believe that somehow he is a great patriot and is fighting for democracy in Iraq. We talk about al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is certainly a threat. I am a New Yorker. I will never ever forget September 11, 2001. And we have to go after al Qaeda and we have to fight terrorism, but I believe that the war in Iraq has now become a distraction against the war on terror. So by staying in Iraq, are we fighting the war on terror, or are we making it more difficult? A troop surge will not work. There are other priorities that we have. Our young people are sitting ducks. This is more and more like Vietnam. You cannot leave and you cannot stay. We support our troops. This surge will not work. Congress needs to send this message to the President and to Iraq and to the world.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 5\1/2\ minutes to my fellow New Yorker (Mr. Bishop). (Mr. BISHOP of New York asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Wallace Broecker, a geochemist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for recently being awarded the Crafoord Prize in Geosciences by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Mr. Broecker was honored with this prize for his stellar work in studying the role oceans play in the carbon cycle. As we debate how to control global warming in this Congress, Mr. Broecker's work will better inform us on the best policy approach to this global threat. Dr. Broecker did his groundbreaking work at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which resides in my district. This incredible facility is one of the world's leading research centers on how our biosphere operates. More than 300 research scientists at the observatory research every aspect of our planet including volcanoes, earthquakes and global warming. To get the data necessary for their work, the observatory has led expeditions around the world to collect data. Using their 239-foot research vessel, the Maurice Ewing, the observatory has collected samples from the ocean floor, studied seismic activity and collected ocean soil core samples. Through this work the observatory has amassed the world's largest collection of deep-sea and ocean-sediment cores from every sea and ocean on the planet. The observatory has taken the massive amounts of data they have accumulated and created some of the world's most comprehensive databases of ocean activity critical to the work of marine geoscientists such as Dr. Broecker. Madam Speaker, my hat is off to Wallace Broecker for earning this fantastic honor. His work and the work of the entire Lamont-Doherty Earth observatory is an invaluable resource for other scientists and for policymakers as we struggle to balance our economic well being with our requirement to be stewards of the environment.