Anna Eshoo

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of a good friend and neighbor, and a highly respected member of our community, Howard M. Daschbach, Jr., who died on February 9, 2012, at the age of 87. Howard was a man of deep and abiding faith. He was installed as a Knight of Malta in 1982, and a member of Saint Raymond's Church in Menlo Park, California, where he was seen daily, attending Mass. He had a special devotion to the Religious of the Sacred Heart who educated his children, and his Faith carried him through good times as well as difficult times. Howard grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduated from Duquesne University, and served his country proudly during World War II. He served with the Army in Europe, the Philippines and Japan, and then moved to California to attend Stanford Law School. Upon graduation, Howard embarked upon his lifelong career of serving the legal needs of hundreds of people. Howard was a member of the Circus Club and the Serra Club. He was an avid tennis player, an ardent Giants fan and a winning dominos player. Howard and his beloved wife of 59 years, Leonore, who survives him, were the proud and devoted parents of LeeLee and her husband Steve; Rooney and his wife Claire; Lisa and her husband Rory; Laura and her husband Mark; Mark and his wife Elizabeth; and Michele, who died on October 12, 2011, and her husband Patrick. He adored his 18 grandchildren and two great grand-daughters, and is also survived by his sister Jeanne and sister-in-law Joan. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our sincere condolences to the family of Howard Daschbach Jr., and to all those who were privileged to know and love him. He was a wise and good man whom I was proud to call my friend and neighbor. Our country was blessed with his service, strengthened by his faith, and bettered by his devotion to his family, his community and his country.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ESHOO. Last year, in the bipartisan pipeline safety bill that was signed into law, I worked with Chairman Upton to include language which requires the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which is called PHMSA, to complete a comprehensive review of hazardous liquid pipeline regulations. This review will determine whether the current regulations are sufficient to ensure the safety of pipelines used for the transportation of diluted bitumen or tar sands oil. Everyone agrees that this review makes sense. The House and the Senate both passed the pipeline safety bill without a single Member of Congress voting against it. What doesn't make sense is directing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline before we know whether our safety standards are adequate. Last year, Cynthia Quarterman, the Administrator of PHMSA, testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee, stating the agency had not done a study to analyze the risks associated with transporting diluted bitumen. We've heard concerns that pipelines carrying tar sands oil may pose greater safety risks and may be more corrosive than pipelines carrying conventional crude. According to a recent whistleblower who worked as a safety inspector for the first Keystone pipeline, he said: This oil has the consistency of peanut butter and is similar to sending heavy grit sandpaper down the steel pipe. So we're not talking about a theoretical risk. In July 2010, a pipeline carrying tar sands oil ruptured near Marshall, Michigan. Over 800,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Talmadge Creek and then flowed into the Kalamazoo River. A year and a half after the spill, the cleanup continues and is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Oil tar sands, unlike conventional crude oil, sinks to the bottom of a river, making it especially difficult to clean up. TransCanada's first Keystone pipeline doesn't really inspire confidence either. This is a brand-new, supposedly state-of-the-art pipeline. It was predicted to spill no more than once every 7 years; but in just a year and a half of operation, it's reported 14 separate oil spills. In North Dakota, over 21,000 gallons of tar sands oil have been spilled, and these spills are a warning to all of us that we need to get this right. This is not a subject to be taken lightly. We've seen in my neck of the woods, in the northern part of the county where I live, in San Bruno, California, an explosion, natural-gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people. It injured dozens, and it destroyed 38 homes. The Federal Government has been regulating pipelines since 1968, and we're still seeing explosions like the one in San Bruno, California. I think it's dangerous, Mr. Chairman, to move forward with a tar sands pipeline before we have the proper safety knowledge and procedures in place. So my amendment is really quite simple. It requires the FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to review the results of the PHMSA study before issuing a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. I think this review is important for the safety of Americans who will be living near this pipeline for decades to come and who rely on the rivers and the streams and the aquifers it will cross. This approach makes sense. It's also far less costly to build pipelines correctly than to try to fix or replace a line that's already built. For all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and extraordinary accomplishments of Evelyn Hausner Lauder, who passed away at her home in New York City on November 12, 2011. Evelyn was a loving wife and mother, a savvy business woman, a devoted philanthropist, and a noble citizen of our country who put the ``active'' in the word activist. Evelyn Hausner married into one of America's most distinguished families, but her beginnings were humble. In 1936, Evelyn fled Nazi- occupied Europe with her parents, making their way to America and eventually settling in New York City. While attending Hunter College, Evelyn met her future husband, Leonard Lauder. In 1959, they married and worked together to help grow the Estee Lauder Company. With only six products when she joined, Evelyn recalled that ``it was a baby company''--something to grow and nourish. Today, Estee Lauder stands as one of the most respected companies in the world. Evelyn herself created the Clinique product line and was an integral part of the fabric of the company. Evelyn's real fame, however, was found in her role as an advocate for the one in eight women in the United States who develops breast cancer. Evelyn herself was a survivor. When she learned of her cancer diagnosis in 1989, she fought back--and won. She went on to personally help build the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center, founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and launched the Pink Ribbon campaign. Evelyn's pink bows today are recognized symbols of hope for a cure for breast cancer, as does her lipstick Pink Ribbon. I have always admired Evelyn's work from afar, and I have the honor and privilege of representing her son, Gary Lauder, her daughter-in- law, Laura Lauder, and grandchildren, Ellie and Josh, and having them as my dear friends. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest condolences to Evelyn Lauder's husband, Leonard Lauder; her children, William Lauder and Gary Lauder; her daughter-in-law, Laura Lauder; and her beloved grandchildren. Evelyn Lauder's life is instructive to all of us of the significance that one person can have for an entire nation . . . to literally insert an issue into the national dialogue and consciousness. As the poet wrote, ``and so she passed on, and all the trumpets sounded on the other side.''

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of Patricia Cecile Dunn-Jahnke, known as Pattie Dunn. A former Chairwoman of Hewlett-Packard, she passed away on December 4, 2011, in Orinda, California, surrounded by her family. While her life was too short, her accomplishments were recognized and respected by colleagues across the country. Pattie Dunn's life was a ``rags-to-riches'' story. Her parents were Las Vegas casino workers. Her father, a vaudeville actor, died of a heart attack when she was a teen, and her mother, a model, left the runway to raise the family's three children. Her childhood was not easy, but Pattie persevered, eventually working her way through college at the University of Oregon and the University of California at Berkeley. Pattie was a journalist by training and harbored dreams of being the next great American reporter. But after graduation, she instead took a job as a secretary with Wells Fargo Investment Advisers. What she made of her ``accidental career'' is truly nothing short of extraordinary. She rose quickly through the ranks of her firm, now Barclays Global Investors, and held a myriad of titles, including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Investment Officer, and even Chief Executive Officer. Pattie broke the glass ceiling for women in investment banking. Pattie then joined the Board of Hewlett-Packard. While her time there was not without rough patches, she will always be remembered as a courageous woman who typified the characteristics we hope to instill in our daughters. By the time she left, Pattie had risen to be its Chairwoman and helped right the ship at HP. I will always remember Pattie's valiant personal struggle with cancer, and her fight to raise awareness of the disease. Perhaps a columnist remembering her summed up Pattie best--``She rose from modest circumstances to the pinnacle of global finance, earning a legion of admirers who revere her business acumen, her integrity, her philanthropy and her dedication to family.'' Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest condolences to Pattie Dunn's husband, Bill Jahnke; her children, Janai Brengman, Michelle Cox, and Michael Jahnke; siblings Paul Dunn and Debbie Lammers; ten grandchildren and many other family members. The world lost a giant in Pattie Dunn. How proud and grateful I am to have known her and to have called her my friend.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. I think our country is counting on us to make smart and bipartisan choices, but I am sorry to say that I don't think this bill meets the standard. I do believe that the Senate accomplished these goals in S. 911. I believe we can too but not through this bill. So I urge opposition to it for the reasons I've stated.

Ms. ESHOO. I thank the ranking member of the committee. Mr. Speaker, within this bill are provisions on spectrum that will define our Nation's ability to lead the world in wireless broadband deployment. It will also define how we will finally provide our first responders with a nationwide interoperable broadband network that the 9/11 Commission called for. I appreciate Chairman Walden's work with the minority, including the agreement on authorizing voluntary incentive spectrum auctions, reallocating the D-block for public safety, and providing the initial funding for Next Generation 9-1-1. I do have four concerns, and I want to point them out: The first pertains to the treatment of unlicensed spectrum. Unlicensed spectrum has created an innovative space for entrepreneurs, enabling Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and thousands of other devices and services-- all meaning jobs. In fact, last month, the Consumer Federation of America released a new study which found the consumer benefits of unlicensed spectrum surpassing $50 billion, that's with a ``b,'' per year. Prohibiting the FCC, which is the expert agency, from using some of our Nation's best airwaves for unlicensed use, as the House language does, is simply foolhardy. Secondly, I am very concerned about how the bill treats the spectrum public safety needs to create and manage a nationwide interoperable broadband network. The Republican bill, on the one hand, gives; but on the other hand, it takes away. This is not a solution, and I don't believe it's fair to public safety in our country. Thirdly, the bill encourages the development of 50 separate networks instead of one nationwide network. Past experiences demonstrate that a state-based approach fails to achieve interoperability. I think it's going to cost money, and I don't think it's going to work. Lastly, the provisions that restrict the FCC's ability to preserve competition and promote an open Internet simply do not belong in this legislation.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chair, H.R. 1633, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act is another step by the Majority to roll back clean air and water laws, and this bill dishes out both injury and insult. The injury: Republicans convinced farmers that the EPA was going to regulate farm dust (or nuisance dust), a made-up term, not based on scientific or medical evidence. The EPA has no plans to regulate farm dust. In fact, in October of this year, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson confirmed that she does not plan to change current law regarding coarse particle emissions, so this bill is completely unnecessary. The insult: What this bill does do is exempt particle emissions from a wide array of sources including mining operations, cement plants, gravel pits and coal processing plants. These sources emit arsenic, lead, and mercury among other harmful pollutants and these pollutants can cause very serious health problems, including decreased lung function, asthma attacks, respiratory diseases, and worse. The Energy and Commerce Committee recently received a letter from a team of physicians and researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. The experts wrote that this legislation, ``does not account for current or future knowledge of health risks posed by rural particulate matter exposure, and rather enacts a permanent exemption of rural particulate matter from Clean Air Act regulation. This approach is not supported by the scientific evidence or good professional judgment, and is not scientifically defensible.'' This bill ignores science, creates harm, and insults farmers. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was not present during the rollcall vote No. 875, on December 1, 2011. On rollcall vote No. 875 I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the extraordinary life and work of the Honorable James E. Burch, known to all as `Jim', who died on Monday, November 28, 2011, at the age of 85. Jim Burch was born on February 27, 1926, in Evanston, Illinois to a World War I veteran and a religious pacifist. He, his parents and two brothers moved to San Mateo, California in 1940. Jim graduated from San Mateo High School in 1943 and served in the U.S. Army until 1946. He returned to civilian life and launched a very successful career in advertising, retiring in 1974 to serve his community as a volunteer. He co-founded San Francisco's Urban Coalition and was President of Palo Alto's Creative Initiative Foundation, which evolved into Beyond War and then into the Foundation for Global Community, organizations he volunteered with for 36 years. He gave so generously of his time and considerable talents to many other organizations, including the Boy Scouts, United Way, NAACP, and most recently he served on the Palo Alto Police Chiefs Advisory Committee, where his wise counsel earned the respect of the entire committee. In 1999, Jim was elected to the Palo Alto City Council, and he was elected Mayor in 2005. At the age of 78, he was the City's oldest Mayor, but he served in the role with energy, enthusiasm and distinction. He was honored for his Lifetime of Achievement by Avenidas in 2011. I was privileged to know and work with Jim Burch for many years. He was a friend, a mentor, and an inspiration to me. The memory of this strong and gentle, wise and funny, proud and humble man will live long after him, as will his countless contributions which have made our community better and our country stronger. Jim's son, Bill, is quoted as saying ``My father led a life of giving to his family, of giving to his community, of giving to his city and giving to the world.'' His daughter, Barbara Lindsay, said ``He was the most giving person in terms of what he sought to do out in the world and his hometown.'' There can be no greater tributes than these from his beloved children. I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life and the accomplishments of Jim Burch, and extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Wileta, and his children, Barbara, and Bill.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, the following remarks were delivered by our colleague, Representative Rosa L. DeLauro of Connecticut's Third Congressional District, on the occasion of the DeLauro Memorial Table Unveiling in New Haven, Connecticut, on Sunday, October 23, 2011. Her remarks chronicle the extraordinary story of her mother and father, Luisa and Ted DeLauro, their neighborhood, their patriotism, and their service to a beloved community. It is the story of an American family, and the story of America as well. It also informs the U.S. House of Representatives why our colleague, Representative Rosa L. DeLauro, exhibits her values with such passion and excellence with her fighting spirit on behalf of her constituents, continuing the legacy of her parents' history and heritage. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to pay tribute to our colleague, her parents, and all the members of the community who chose to honor the DeLauro family with their lasting tribute to them for all they have stood for and contributed. The name `DeLauro' is synonymous with patriotism and service across generations and it is a privilege to place these words in the Congressional Record which describe how one family has so enriched the America they loved and served so magnificently. Remarks of the Hon. Rosa L. DeLauro

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. These many offerings have been used to help small companies raise capital and test the waters for IPOs, initial public offerings. Unfortunately, the regulation A threshold became stuck, as others said, at a 1992 level of $5 million. At that low level, the benefit of a regulation A offering is extremely limited. In fact, only three companies, as has been said this afternoon, have taken advantage of it in 2010. So this threshold, the $5 million threshold, falls far short of what companies need to develop the cutting-edge technologies in today's economy. It's outdated. It fails to serve its intended purpose, and it's why this legislation is needed and why I'm so pleased that, on a bipartisan basis, we are taking action today. We need to raise the initial public offering limit to help provide capital to small businesses.

Ms. ESHOO. I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding time, and I want to thank my Republican colleagues for both what they are doing today on the floor and for what you have said. These are really difficult economic times for the people in our country, and that's why it's so critical for Congress to bolster American innovation. That, in my view, is really what this legislation is about. It's an important way to facilitate capital formation, which is really one of the important pillars of our national economy, capital formation. I know how important this is for small businesses because my congressional district, which is Silicon Valley, is the innovation hub of our Nation and it thrives on capital formation. In December of last year, almost a year ago, I came to the Financial Services Committee at the invitation of then-Chairman Barney Frank, and I want to recognize and thank him today for what he did then, as well as the present chairman, Chairman Bachus, urging the committee to renovate essentially regulation A, which was created, as others have said, during the Great Depression to facilitate the flow of capital into small businesses. It's really quite extraordinary that FDR and Members of Congress in 1933 recognized the importance of capital formation at that time, and we have honored that since then. Now, reg A was established as a part of the 1933 Securities Act, and it was designed to provide regulatory relief for small firms that want to sell shares of company stock.

Ms. ESHOO. Very importantly, we look forward to spurring hiring and business development. That's what we are here for, and I think it's what the American people want us to do. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 1070, to raise the regulation offering limit from $5 million to $50 million, once again creating a meaningful offering limit. What better time than now when our economy needs this important boost. So I thank the chairman of the full committee. I thank the ranking member. I thank my colleague from Michigan, and I thank the gentleman from Arizona for his very kind words, and I urge all of our colleagues to support this. I think when we do later on today, it will be a source of pride and encouragement to the American people.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Michele Daschbach Fast who entered into eternal life on October 12, 2011, at the young and vital age of 47. A brutal, senseless act took the life of this beautiful, loving, talented and selfless wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. Michele was blessed with extraordinary qualities, and she blessed everyone in her life in return. She was generous and loving, welcoming and joyful, a sports fan, a swimmer, a tennis player, a Giants fan and the most ardent supporter of the sports teams of her family and her wide circle of friends. She was quick, clever, and had a great sense of humor and she will never be forgotten. Michele leaves her devoted husband of 24 years, Patrick, and her three beloved children, Patrick, 20, Laura, 18, and Lisa, 16. She also leaves her parents Leonore and Howard Daschbach of Atherton, and her brothers and sisters, Mark Daschbach, Rooney Daschbach, Laura Pitchford, LeeLee Cusenza, and Lisa Fuerst, as well as her faithful companion, Otis, a Black Labrador. Michele also played a wonderful, enthusiastic role in the lives of her many nieces and nephews, in-laws, scores of friends and the entire community of Seal Beach, California. I am privileged to have known the Daschbach family for many decades. They are deeply faith filled and one of the most respected families in our community. May their faith, and the love and support of so many be sources of comfort to them during the difficult days ahead. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire U.S. House of Representatives to join me in honoring Michele Daschbach Fast's life, and extend our deepest condolences to her entire family.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act. We've worked so hard over the last few decades to advance women's health and the Protect Life Act just steamrolls right over that progress. This bill would bar anyone getting federal health subsidies from purchasing private insurance policies that include abortion coverage. This makes it unlikely that ANY health plan would cover abortion, alienating all American women from truly comprehensive health plans. It allows hospitals to refuse to provide life-saving abortions to women who face imminent threat of death. And it gives states the ability to attack coverage of non-abortion related services, such as contraception. I support a woman's legal right to opt for, or against, an abortion. The decision is private. It's a matter of faith and it's a matter of conscience, and our Constitution recognizes this. The Protect Life Act is a shameful attempt to impose a radical political agenda on women. It strips away their individual liberties and puts their health at serious risk. This bill is wrong, this bill is dangerous, and this House should reject it.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great sadness to speak about the passing of my constituent--an American icon, an American genius--Steve Jobs. Steve was a child of Silicon Valley before there even was a Silicon Valley. He was born here, he was raised here, he started his business here, and he raised his family here. He was a part of Silicon Valley from start to finish, and I'm proud to have had him as my constituent. Like many of Silicon Valley's pioneers and innovators, Steve began in a garage with just a simple idea and an oversized dream. And from those humble beginnings, his creative genius literally shaped our entire world. In his short life, Steve Jobs' accomplishments elevated him as one of the great America innovators, not only in the 20th and 21st centuries, but in the history of our entire nation. Steve said, ``We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?'' He put far more than just a dent in the world--he changed the way we work, learn, play and live--Macs, iPods, iTunes, iPhones, iPads, movies, design, and the democratization of the technology. He personalized technology for every man, woman and child. As the world will mourn him, Silicon Valley will personally miss him, his brilliant mind, and his restless genius. Steve urged colleagues and friends, ``Your time is limited. Don't waste it living someone else's dream.'' Steve's legacy will live on and it will continue to inspire future generations of Americans. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire U.S. House of Representatives to join with me in expressing our deepest sympathy to Laurene Jobs and their four children. As a poet wrote ``. . . and so he passed, and all the trumpets sounded on the other side.''

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. ESHOO. I rise in support of this amendment. I think it's a very, very important one. The bill nullifies the EPA's rules to require boilers and incinerators to reduce their emissions of toxic mercury. That's really quite a sentence: the bill would nullify rules to require boilers and incinerators to reduce their emissions of toxic mercury. In doing so, this bill nullifies the mercury reductions in our country that would have been achieved; and it indefinitely delays, not just for a given time frame, it's indefinite, indefinitely delays the implementation of any replacement standards that EPA issues. My friend, Mr. Whitfield, said earlier today that the bill does not provide for an indefinite delay of any new rules. That is false. The bill clearly states that facilities have at least 5 years to comply without any hard deadline for compliance. That's the definition of an indefinite delay. Our Republican colleagues also claim that mercury pollution from dirty boilers and incinerators does not harm public health. That is quite a stand. I think it's terrifying myself, in a civilized society, that this is not going to damage anyone and their health. They blame China, even though U.S. facilities are emitting toxic mercury pollution from smokestacks right here within our borders. I acknowledge that there is some that does come from China. Are we going to replicate China? I don't think that's the gold standard for our country. The mercury released here at home is just as toxic as mercury released anywhere. That's how toxic it is. Ours is not less toxic because it's U.S. It's the same horrible, dangerous stuff. And how toxic is it? There are a lot of things under attack here in the House of Representatives, but I think one of the most serious attacks is the attack on science. We're coming up with a lot of political science for underlying legislation. Listen to what the National Academy of Sciences has said. They stated unequivocally that mercury is a powerful neurotoxin. The National Academy of Sciences has stated that mercury is highly toxic. They state, and I quote, exposure to mercury can result in adverse effects in several organ systems throughout the life span of humans and animals. There are extensive data on the effects of mercury on the development of the brain in humans. The National Academy of Sciences has also stated that exposure to mercury can cause ``mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness, and blindness'' in children exposed in utero and sensory and motor impairment in exposed adults. This is stunningly shocking. This is not Republican pollution or Democratic pollution. This is something that will harm our people. Why would we not protect them? The National Academy of Sciences said again, and I quote, chronic, low-dose prenatal mercury exposure has been associated with impacts on attention, fine motor function, language and verbal memory. The National Academy of Sciences has stated that prenatal mercury exposure has, quote, the potential to cause irreversible damage to the developing central nervous system. Our Republican friends say we shouldn't worry about mercury pollution from boilers, incinerators, cement kilns and power plants. I know who I trust, and it's not the phony baloney political science around here. I'll put my money any day on what the National Academy of Sciences says. They are the gold standard in our country. This is not something to be fooled around with. This is a huge danger to our people. This amendment is straightforward. It states that the bill does not stop EPA from taking action to clean up toxic air pollution from an incinerator or a chemical plant or a manufacturing plant with a dirty boiler if that facility is emitting mercury or other toxic pollutants. I urge my colleagues to vote for the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chair, I'm deeply disappointed that once again we're voting on a bill designed to cripple the Environmental Protection Agency--the agency tasked with protecting our environment and our health. This bill, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation, TRAIN, Act blocks and indefinitely delays two of the most important clean air regulations of the last few decades--the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. These rules require decades-old coal-fired power plants with no modern pollution controls to install readily available technology, reducing cancer-causing dioxins, acid gases and mercury. Mercury pollution from power plants is particularly harmful for children and can adversely affect developing brains and bodies. Nevertheless, the bill before us expands and deregulates mercury pollution. The American Lung Association has highlighted the importance of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule: The rule closes a toxic loophole that has existed for 20 years by updating standards to protect Americans all across the country from hazardous air pollution. Without these standards, toxic pollution will continue filling our lungs and more people will suffer--and even die--unnecessarily. TRAIN Act will create a Train Wreck that will pollute our air and put lives at risk. Ironically, the bill also creates exactly what the majority says they want to get rid of--a new bureaucratic layer to analyze only the cost of EPA regulations while ignoring critical, life- saving benefits. This legislation is a waste of taxpayer money and I urge my colleagues to vote against it.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, we're voting on a Continuing Resolution that will fund the government through November 18th and provide disaster assistance to many who desperately need it. While I strongly support providing immediate federal support to those affected by the recent natural disasters, I'm dismayed and disappointed that the GOP leadership would pay for it at the expense of the successful Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program. The ATVM program, created and funded with bipartisan support and signed into law by President George W. Bush, has created or saved 41,000 jobs from California to Michigan to Kentucky. The program is on- track to create another 35,000 to 40,000 by year's end. There is no question that this program has and can continue to help ensure that our nation has a robust domestic auto manufacturing industry to build the next generation of fuel efficient cars. Cutting funding for this program is short-sighted and will hurt our nation's rise as a global leader in advance vehicle technology and strip away good-paying jobs that Americans are so in need of. The $1.5 billion cut to the program will likely cost 10,000 jobs. House Republicans are pitting two great needs against each other--the need to create jobs and the need to support those harmed by natural disasters. Unfortunately, we are harming our entire nation by putting these two important goals in conflict with one another. It is for these reasons that I must urge my colleagues to vote against the GOP Fiscal Year 2012 Continuing Resolution.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Stanley N. Cohen, M.D., who was awarded the Dean's Medal on Saturday, September 10, 2011, by Dean Philip Pizzo of the Stanford University School of Medicine. He noted in his comments at the event that it was a particular honor to be honored by his colleagues and by Stanford. Dr. Cohen was described in the event program as follows: Stanley N. Cohen, M.D., is a magna cum laude graduate of Rutgers University. He received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1960. Following subsequent training at the National Institutes of Health, he joined the Stanford faculty in 1968. Dr. Cohen is the Kwoh-Ting Li Professor in the School of Medicine, Professor and former Chair of Genetics, and Professor of Medicine at Stanford. He and his colleague, Herbert W. Boyer, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, revolutionized the fields of biology and chemistry by inventing genetic engineering. Their discovery of a methodology for propagating DNA, the hereditary material of all living things, in foreign hosts has provided the cornerstone for virtually all modern biological and medical science, and a foundation for the current revolution in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Dr. Cohen has received numerous honors, including the National Medal of Science, the National Medal of Technology, the Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, the Research Award of the Helmut Horten Foundation, the Prix de L'Institut de la Vie, the Lemelson-MIT Prize, the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, and the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine. He has been elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a past chair of its genetics section, a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Cohen has also received ScD honoris causa degrees from Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a truly great American, one whose life's work has enhanced the lives of others and will continue to do so for generations. Together with other brilliant scientists, he continues to build on his discoveries. He adds great luster to Stanford University and to American science, and I'm extraordinarily proud to honor him and his work in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. C.J. Huang who was awarded the Dean's Medal on Saturday, September 10, 2011, by Dean Philip Pizzo of the Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Huang called the event the 'happiest day of his life' and he spoke eloquently about his philosophy and that of generations in his family of giving and the privilege of philanthropy. Dr. Huang was described in the event program as follows: ``Dr. Chang Jen Huang was born in 1916 in Liu Yang City, in Hunan Province, China. He received a Master's degree in engineering from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and is a special member of the Stanford Research Institute. Dr. Huang has established a number of graduate scholarship funds and fellowships at Stanford supporting surgical oncology, cardiovascular research, and the exchange of medical education and research between China and the United States. Dr. Huang is a passionate supporter of Dr. Sam So, Lui Hac Minh Professor in the School of Medicine and Director of the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. Dr. Huang is the honorary founder of the Asian Liver Center, established in 1996, to address the disproportionately high prevalence of Hepatitis B and liver cancer in the Asian and Pacific Islander populations) with the ultimate goal of eradicating Hepatitis B worldwide. A dedicated philanthropist in many areas related to education and global health, Dr. Huang has most recently given a gift to establish the C.J. Huang Building at Stanford University. When constructed, this building with be the future home of the Asian Liver Center and other medical school programs.'' Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a great philanthropist, one whose life's work has been to promote science and education. Dr. Huang's support of the Asian Liver Center will help eradicate this disease and his gifts to Stanford will ensure that future generations will enjoy a high quality of life because of his extraordinary vision and generosity.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John N. Hunter, a 2011 recipient of the St. Madeleine Sophie Award. The Award is given by the Sacred Heart School Community in Atherton, California, to individuals who have made sustained and significant contributions to the schools and embody the goals and criteria of a Sacred Heart education. John Hunter's commitment to the mission of Sacred Heart education spans decades, is an inspiration to everyone, and has earned him the coveted St. Madeleine Sophie Award. John N. Hunter is a 1951 graduate of Stanford University and served his country as a member of the United States Army. He is a successful entrepreneur and has made significant contributions in the fields of education and community development. John N. Hunter joined the Sacred Heart Schools Board of Trustees in 1978. This was a time of transition for the schools. John helped craft the first strategic plan and was a leader of the schools' first capital campaign. He has served on the board of the Religious of the Sacred Heart's Oakwood Retirement Community, and played a key role in expanding the facility and building a chapel. John has been married to the former Josephine Kegley since 1959, and they are the proud parents of five children: Julene, Wendi, Elizabeth, John and Mary, all of whom attended Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating John N. Hunter as he receives the St. Madeleine Sophie Award and salute him for his tireless work, his humility, his wonderful sense of humor, and his lasting commitment to the extraordinary education of the Religious of the Sacred Heart and their schools in Atherton, California, where generations of children have been shaped, strengthening our community and our country.