Anna Eshoo

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I have grave concerns about the legislation before the House to provide $37.1 billion for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our total war spending in Iraq and Afghanistan including the funding provided by this bill will exceed $1 trillion. Yet this spending comes without a viable exit strategy for the conflict in Afghanistan which is the longest war in our nation's history. The recent publication of tens of thousands of leaked field reports on Afghanistan confirm what we already know: Our continued troop presence is alienating the local population, corruption is rampant in the Afghan government, the Taliban population is stronger than ever, and our Pakistani partners are unreliable at best. Afghanistan is known as the graveyard of empires for a reason. No one since Ghengis Khan--not Alexander the Great, not the Persians, not the Ottomans, not the British, nor the Soviets--has been able to succeed in this troubled country. Some have said the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result. We should learn from those who came before us. Madam Speaker, without an exit strategy, approving billions more of hard-earned taxpayer dollars for the war in Afghanistan is difficult enough to justify. But this cost pales in comparison to the loss of American lives. June was the deadliest month in the war thus far, when 102 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice. It is also hard to justify supporting this legislation with billions more for war when the Senate stripped out $10 billion for an Education Jobs fund that the House provided to help our school districts retain and develop their teaching workforce. I cannot cast a vote for war funding when we can't find the resources to invest in our schools and students. Most importantly, the President said our mission in Afghanistan must be definable and winnable. I believe it is neither, and I will vote against funding for it.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, voting for it in the Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee and in the full Energy and Commerce Committee. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting for it today. Today is a historic day. It is the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act, ADA. Twenty years and one day ago, individuals with disabilities did not enjoy the same access to employment, education, or basic services as other Americans. The ADA changed that forever. Our workplaces, schools, buildings, and sidewalks offer safe and fair access for Americans with disabilities, where for too long they had none. In the 20 years the ADA has been the law of the land, our country has seen significant change. Much of that change has been driven by the high-tech innovators in my Congressional District, the heart of Silicon Valley. In 1990 a supercomputer that would fill a building the size of a warehouse can now fit in the palm of a hand. We can now watch our favorite television shows outside, on an airplane, or in a coffee shop on our computers. Businesses can allow their employees to collaborate face-to-face from offices thousands of miles apart. Communications and video technology have become truly integral aspects of our everyday lives. Unfortunately, not all Americans have been able to take full advantage of these innovations in technology. By passing the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act today, we will change this. Working to address the needs of individuals with vision, hearing, and other disabilities by updating communications laws last revised in 1996, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act makes technology and telecommunications devices and services accessible to everyone. I commend the author of this legislation, Representative Ed Markey, for his leadership and advocacy on behalf of the disabilities community. On this historic day, I'm proud to support this legislation that will ensure no one is left behind.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of a learned and distinguished priest, Father Paul Locatelli, S.J., who died at the age of 71 on the morning of July 12, 2010. Father Locatelli was respected by all who knew him. An alumnus of Santa Clara University, he served the University he loved as its 27th President for 20 years. After the Presidency, he was named Chancellor. He then was appointed Secretary for Jesuit Higher Education for the Society of Jesus in Rome, a position he held until his death. Father Locatelli was raised in Boulder Creek, California, and served in the U.S. Army after graduation from Santa Clara in 1960. Later, he joined the Society of Jesus and was ordained in 1974. He earned a doctorate in Business Administration at the University of Southern California and a Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, where his work focused on ethics and values in contemporary society. Before becoming President of Santa Clara, he was its Academic Vice President and Associate Dean of Business, and was a member of the faculty in the Accounting Department. The day Father Locatelli died, the Washington Post had a feature article about how today's college presidents were trying to find new ways to bond more with their students. The reporters didn't know Father Locatelli, but if they did, they would have found someone who was ahead of his time--an extraordinary university president who for years had developed relationships with students at Santa Clara University. He was eminently approachable, possessed a big heart, and had a genuine interest in every student's well-being. His deep love for Santa Clara shone through in all he did, and his wisdom and erudition were widely known. The University flourished under his leadership, becoming one of the best Jesuit universities in America. Under his leadership the Alameda de las Pulgas was rerouted, more than 19 buildings and sports centers were built or renovated, and the endowment grew from $77 million to more than $700 million. Father Locatelli was a remarkable Jesuit priest who had the rare ability to reach both the older members and the younger members of his order, the Society of Jesus -- and was respected and admired by both. One Jesuit rector in Rome called him ``a man of vision with a welcoming spirit.'' He was also a priest of deep and abiding faith. His faith included an adamant belief that ``Catholics should feel free to vote as they deem in the best interest of the nation and world.'' He lamented those bishops who speak for the unborn but ``turn Catholicism and morality into a single political or moral issue and some threaten to withhold communion from politicians.'' He had empathy for those who questioned God's compassion but counseled them that faith and compassion were needed most when times were difficult. In his widely quoted and poignant words of September 11, 2001, he said that ``For persons of faith, and to be sure, we are all people of weak and troubled faith today, there is a great need to trust that the God of life is more powerful than all the forces of death. There is also need for forbearance and forgiveness. If we do not trust in God and do not imitate God's mercy then evil will not be overcome by good. Just the opposite will happen, evil will have spread to us, generating despair and vengeance. And that will mean that evil will have overcome good.'' Father Locatelli -- who was a great cook and an avid runner -- was busy making plans for his 60th Santa Clara Reunion when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. His reunion will go on, and his classmates, including CIA Director Leon Panetta will attend and speak, but there most certainly will be a deep hole in their midst. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Father Locatelli's family and to the entire Jesuit community. We honor his memory and the life he lived so well in extraordinary service to others. He made a difference in the lives of thousands of students and was a beloved counselor to me and many others. Father Locatelli will always be remembered as one who deepened our faith, who was a shining star amongst Jesuits as a superb educator and leader, who strengthened our entire community with his wisdom and leadership, and a man who loved his country and served it exceedingly well with his compassionate patriotism. God has prepared a high place in heaven for this extraordinary, holy and humble man.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of a distinguished woman, Katherine Joanne Hughes, known to all as Jody, who died peacefully surrounded by her children on June 13, 2010, at the age of 81. Jody Hughes was born in Washington D.C. to William A. Smith, Jr. and Lillian V. Lamb. She attended Immaculata High School and graduated from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Until his death in 2005, she was the wife of Paul E. 'Ed' Hughes for 54 years and they were the proud parents of five children: Mary Hughes and her husband, Senator S. Joseph Simitian, Jr. of California, Paul, K.C. (John), John (Kelly), and Mark (Judy), and grandchildren Ian, Tucker, and Lily Halpern and K.C., Dean, Madeline, and Ted Hughes. Jody Hughes was an extraordinary and inspirational mother, and was devoted to her community and always available for those in need. She was a speech therapist and an advocate for children and Chaired the Governor's Advisory Commission on the Needs of Exceptional Children. She worked with the Little Sisters of the Poor to provide outdoor experiences for underprivileged children and served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine Catholic Parish in Wilmington, Delaware. Jody Hughes retired to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, where she joined the Board of Hope Harbor Home, a shelter for women. She established several resale shops to support the shelter, and founded a library that bears her name. She served on the Board of the Ingram Planetarium and was a North Carolina Governor's Award Nominee for Outstanding Volunteer Service in 1999. Jody enjoyed needlework and she loved the theater. She directed several youth casts for One Act play contests, often volunteered as a makeup artist, and served as Mistress of Ceremonies for charity fashion shows. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest sympathies to the family of Jody Hughes for a life lived so well as a loving wife, an exceptional mother, and as a caring human being who served so many. She was a great and good woman whom I had the privilege to meet, and we honor her for making her community better and our country stronger.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvements Act of 2009. I supported this legislation when it came to the House floor earlier this year, and I intend to vote in favor of it again today. Technology plays an integral role in how our entire country works today. It has made workplace communication more efficient. It has eliminated borders across the globe to allow every aspect of the U.S. economy to flourish. It permits our first responders to stay connected during times of emergency and natural disasters. So many in the workforce already take advantage of the benefits of technology and the federal government should be able to as well. The Telework Improvements Act will define telework for all federal agencies and establish a policy that authorizes employees to telework. This legislation will reduce the numbers of cars on the road, attract more talent to the federal workforce, and save taxpayer dollars over the long-term. As a Member of the Intelligence Committee, I'm also pleased this legislation places a priority on ensuring the security of government information. We know all too well the dangers of data breaches, viruses, and cyberattacks to sensitive government information. H.R. 1722 requires the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination with the National Institute on Standards and Technology to issue guidelines for information and security protections for telework. I applaud the work of Representative Sarbanes on this legislation and I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvements Act of 2009.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to state how I will vote on the war in Afghanistan and why. Today Congress considers whether to continue funding operations in Afghanistan, and as we do, we must scrutinize the policy, the price being paid, and the outcomes for our national security. This is a deeply profound examination and its outcome will decide life or death for some of our troops. It's hard to believe that the eighteen year olds who enlist today to fight and die in Afghanistan were in fourth grade when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked in 2001. Now it is 2010. This conflict is now the longest war in our nation's history and it has been accompanied by tragic loss of American lives and those of innocent civilians. The history of Afghanistan is instructive. It is called the graveyard of empires for a reason. No one since Ghengis Khan has been able to hold the country--not Alexander the Great, not the Persians, not the Ottomans, not the British, not the Russians. It's said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We should learn from the examples of those who preceded us in Afghanistan. President Obama told the troops that the mission must be definable and it must be winnable. I believe it is neither. We are losing more and more precious lives--102 in June alone. And every month security has not improved after $300 billion in military spending and more than 1,000 American lives lost. We have a corrupt partner with the Karzai regime and when the Afghan people see the U.S. supporting their government, they believe we have taken one side in their own civil war. No counter insurgency effort has succeeded when the partner is corrupt. If the Afghans don't want us there, and do not wish to protect their own towns and villages, no amount of armies and firepower can change this dynamic. I applaud the work our troops have done in disrupting Al Qaeda, and the risks they have taken to prevent terrorist attacks here at home. According to the CIA Director, Al Qaeda is down to 50 to 100 operatives in Afghanistan. We have achieved our goals, and we should leave before our continued presence unites the other insurgent groups in the region against us. I have tremendous respect for the men and women--civilian and military--who are risking their lives every day in Afghanistan. I have met them, and I am impressed by their selfless dedication to the mission and belief in the cause. The President's strategy is not succeeding, and rather than ask Americans to put their lives on the line for another eighteen months for what has become an impossible task, I will vote for Congressman McGovern's amendment to require a withdrawal plan by April 2011 and end this war.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jennie Mirza Eshoo who will celebrate her 95th birthday on July 17, 2010. Jennie Eshoo was born Jennie Katherine Mirza on July 17, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois to Agase B. Mirza and Martha Alaverdy Mirza. She is the eldest of seven siblings: Julia Alexander, Elsie Eshoo, the late Esther Aziz, Alice Maupin, Sam Mirza, and Bill Mirza. She graduated from Waller High School in Chicago in 1934 and on September 22nd of that year she married Paul Eshoo. Jennie and Paul Eshoo moved from Chicago to Turlock, California where they raised four children on the family farm, growing grapes and walnuts and tending their laying hens: Peter, George, Agnes and Alice. They were active in the Assyrian-American community and Paul was a founder of the Turlock Assyrian American Civic Club. Jennie has been a charter member of the Turlock Assyrian American Civic Club since 1946. Jennie is a devoted member of St. John's Presbyterian Church and its oldest member. She has been a Church Elder for 37 years and served as Clerk of the Session from 1973 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1986. She also served on Presbyterian Ethnic Concerns as a delegate and as their Treasurer from 1973 to 2006. Jennie Mirza Eshoo is known throughout the community for her generosity and helpfulness to so many and volunteered at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock for 32 years. From 1966 to 1971, she worked at California State University Stanislaus and was a kindergarten teacher's aide at Crowell Elementary School from 1974 to 1986. Jennie has an abiding love of democracy and served as a faithful election polling supervisor for Stanislaus County from 1987 to 2005. Jennie is an avid reader whose taste ranges from National Geographic to the latest novels. She loves to travel and on her two trips to Israel in 1980 and 1984, relished visiting in person the sites she has ``visited'' in the Bible and other readings. Jennie still drives her own car which provides her convenient transportation for shopping as well as attending church services. Jennie is the matriarch of a large and loving family. In addition to her four children, she has eight grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren. Her grandchildren are Lisa Brown, Lori Hill, Cherie Thompson, Christine Benjamin Nedved, Michelle Benjamin Eldridge, Annelise Martella, Karen Eshoo and Paul Eshoo. Her great-grandchildren are Amanda and Emily Brown, Madison and Jacob Eldridge, Cory Hill, Katherine and Jacqueline Nedved, and Peter Thompson. Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to honor Jennie Mirza Eshoo as she celebrates her 95th birthday. I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me, her family and her many friends in saluting her as she celebrates this extraordinary milestone and thank her for her decades of contributions to the Turlock community, her lifetime of love for her family, and her unswerving patriotism and love of our country.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight the critical role of venture capital in creating jobs and growing companies. Specifically, I would like to raise the issue of the Volcker Rule and the unintended effect it may have on this type of investment. I strongly support and will vote for H.R. 4173, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the inclusion of a strong and effective Volcker Rule. The purpose of the Volcker Rule is to eliminate risk-taking activities by banks and their affiliates while at the same time preserving safe, sound investment activities that serve the public interest. We have specifically barred bank investment in hedge funds and private equity for that reason. Venture capital funds do not pose the same risk to the health of the financial system. They promote the public interest by funding growing companies critical to spurring innovation, job creation, and economic competitiveness. The funds typically invest primarily or exclusively in private companies and are significantly smaller. I expect the regulators to use the broad authority in the Volcker Rule wisely and clarify that funds that invest in technology startup companies, such as venture capital funds, are not captured under the Volcker Rule and fall outside the definition of ``private equity funds''. This clarification will ensure the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act does not stop venture capital from providing a critical source of capital for startup technology companies.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4173, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This landmark legislation is one of the most critical bills I will vote for in Congress. The bill will protect the American people so they are never again victimized by Wall Street's reckless behavior which brought our economy to its knees, wreaking havoc across the country with over 8 million jobs lost and a $17 trillion loss in net worth. It makes the most sweeping and comprehensive reforms to our financial system since the Great Depression. The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Ends taxpayer-funded bailouts because of Wall Street's risky decisions and greed: The legislation clearly states that taxpayers will bear no cost for liquidating large, interconnected financial companies; Protects families and small businesses from abusive lending practices: The legislation creates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that will ensure bank loans, mortgages, and credit card agreements are fair, affordable, understandable, and transparent; Stops banks from becoming ``too big to fail'': The legislation creates the Financial Stability Oversight Council which is charged with identifying and responding to emerging risks throughout the financial system. The Council will make recommendations to the Federal Reserve for increasingly strict rules for capital, leverage, liquidity, risk management and other requirements as companies grow in size and complexity, with significant requirements on companies that pose risks to the financial system; Eliminates grave threats to financial stability in the U.S.: The Financial Stability Oversight Council can also break up large, complex companies by requiring them to divest some of their holdings--but only as a last resort; Requires hedge funds and private equity funds to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will have more enforcement power and funding; Eliminates excessively risky practices that led to the financial collapse: The bill enhances oversight and transparency for credit rating agencies; Limits bank executive and CEO risky pay practices: The bill addresses egregious executive compensation that jeopardizes the safety and soundness of banks. It also allows a ``say on pay'' for shareholders, requiring independent directors on compensation committees; Assists minority-owned and women-owned businesses: The bill establishes an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion at federal banking and securities regulatory agencies that will, among other things, address employment and contracting diversity matters. The office will coordinate technical assistance to and seek diversity in the workforce of the regulators; Prevents predatory mortgage lending: The bill requires lenders to ensure a borrower's ability to repay, prohibits unfair lending practices, establishes penalties for irresponsible lending, expands consumer protections for high-cost mortgages, requires additional disclosures for consumers on mortgages, and provides housing counseling. We are on the verge of making history today as we prepare to vote for the most sweeping financial reform legislation in decades. I'm very proud to strongly support this bill and urge every colleague to do so as well.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 10th anniversary of the enactment of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. I rise in support of designating today as ``National ESIGN Day'' and commend Mr. McDermott for bringing this resolution to the Floor. Ten years ago the thought of filing your taxes electronically, renewing your drivers license, and filling out a mortgage application on your computer was one that many feared. There was uncertainty about the security of the transaction and how to verify who was on each end of the keyboard. We recognized then that we needed rules of the road that would guide us into the information society. We needed to create trust in this emerging technology called the ``internet'' if it was going to grow into what we hoped would be at least a new and efficient way to do business electronically in both the public and private sector. We stood at a crossroads ten years ago. We needed to eliminate obsolete barriers to electronic commerce such as undue pen and paper requirements and other practices that slowed down innovation. In March of 1999 I introduced the H.R. 1320, the Millennium Digital Commerce Act because I recognized that the growth of electronic commerce and electronic government transactions represented a powerful force for economic growth, consumer choice, improved civic participation, and wealth creation. Less than a year later, in January of 2000, the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act was signed into law. As the information and innovation society is now fully integrated into almost every aspect of our lives, we stand here today to look back over the last ten years. Electronic commerce is now the driving force of our global economy. The level of confidence in the internet and the innovative tools it has created continues to grow. As we stood at that intersection ten years ago, we took our country and our consumers in the right direction. I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 290 designating June 30th as ``National ESIGN Day.''

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of a distinguished Californian, Trish Lowrey Hooper, a longtime resident of the 14th Congressional District, who died after a fall on Thursday, June 3, 2010. She lived 87 full, productive, and compassion- filled years. Trish Hooper was a devoted wife, a loving mother, intrepid traveler, painter, writer, and passionate American who worked tirelessly for justice, women's rights, and democratic values. As a child she lived in New Jersey, California, and Hawaii, and was a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College. Trish Hooper had a great sense of joie de vivre. She was fascinated by everything and fascinating to be with. She married John Hooper, an attorney, and they spent the years of World War II on military bases. On returning to San Francisco, John Hooper practiced law and Trish raised their four children. In a characteristic action, she, John, and the children traveled by freighter to France in 1957, where they spent ten years with John working with NATO and she coping with the challenges of raising children in houses in Paris, Switzerland and Italy. She wrote charmingly of these European years in her memoirs. In 1967, Trish and John Hooper moved to Woodside and immersed themselves in local issues. They worked tirelessly with the candidate who would later be their son-in-law, Paul N. ``Pete'' McCloskey, in his successful campaign to represent the people of the Mid-Peninsula area in the United States Congress. Trish Hooper could prick the conscience of a community with her powerful thoughts and her pen. She had a conscience, she had integrity, and she had a magnificent mind. She went toe-to-toe with people and their ideas, always maintaining a level of civility and dignity while doing so. She always had the last word because her words were so powerful. She could move an individual with a paragraph, writing scores of powerful Letters to the Editors of newspapers and magazines across the country. Her work improved the editorial pages of local papers as well as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, and Newsweek. She wrote three volumes of memoirs and illustrated them with her own paintings. Her watercolors helped raise money for causes she loved, including animal welfare, death with dignity, and freedom of choice for women. One of her most recent letters was published in the Almanac, a venerable weekly published on the San Francisco Peninsula, on May 12, 2010. In this letter she excoriated Arizona's new immigration law. She wrote that ``this new law increases the underlying racism which seems to have replaced the message held with such pride by the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France: `give me your tired, you poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free . . . I lift my lamp beside the golden door.' The message of `freedom, democracy, and international friendship' is put aside as this vaunted compassionate country loses its bearings. Urged on by hate-mongers and the shrill voice of `Gotcha!' plus cries of `down with government,' we're teetering on the brink of a new brand of isolationism.'' Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Trish Hooper's daughters Margo Hooper and Helen Hooper McCloskey, her sons John C. Hooper and Lawrence Hooper, her sister Helen Virginia Brown, her brother Charles F. Lowrey, and her five grandchildren. We honor the memory of Trish Hooper for the life she lived so well and for her extraordinary service to our Nation. She was a force of nature and will be sorely missed and never forgotten by anyone who was privileged to know her. Trish made our community better and our country stronger. Her brand of citizenship stands as the highest standard for all of us to emulate.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2194, the Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act. This bill will impose an array of tough new economic penalties aimed at persuading Iran to change its conduct. This act would levy sanctions against business entities involved in refined petroleum sales to Iran and Iran's domestic refining efforts. It would also impose sanctions against international banking institutions involved with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has a destabilizing effect throughout the region. Most importantly, it would punish against entities involved in Iran's illicit nuclear program or its support for terrorism. This conference agreement is an improvement over the version I supported last December by supplementing energy sanctions with an additional, powerful set of banking prohibitions. This legislation complements sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council earlier this month. The UN Resolution demanded that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment activity, and requires Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and provide inspectors access without delay to all sites, people and documents that they request. It also strengthens an arms embargo and imposes new sanctions on banks and Revolutionary Guard activities. Just this week, Iran has indicated its refusal to abide by the UN sanctions by refusing to give access to IAEA inspectors. I am deeply concerned about the Iranian regime's lack of transparency about its nuclear program and intentions. While sources disagree about the length of time it might take Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, the destabilizing effects that action would cause are unacceptable. As we consider ways to hold the Iranian regime accountable, we must be wary that poorly-crafted sanctions can harm the often-powerless Iranian people. We must punish their leaders, not the people in Iran, many of whom want democracy. I believe that this legislation strikes the appropriate balance. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, as we work to turn the economy around it is imperative that we continue to support the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) which has played a critical role in stabilizing the nation's housing market. It was not too long ago that we saw unscrupulous mortgage lending practices that caused hundreds of thousands of Americans to lose their homes. Thankfully, we're beginning to see a decline in foreclosures rates. In May, we saw a 3 percent decrease in rates and in April we saw a 9 percent decrease. We must ensure this declining foreclosure rate trend continues and reforming the FHA is essential in doing so. The legislation, H.R. 5072, the FHA Reform Act, strengthens the FHA while allowing access to safe, affordable financing by responsible borrowers. The bill provides the FHA with the authority to manage annual mortgage insurance premiums. It also provides significant safeguards against dishonest lending practices that are hidden from homebuyers. As the economy recovers, our nation's consumers are beginning to regain confidence in the housing market. We must demonstrate to these consumers that they can once again trust lenders. Providing the FHA with more authority over mortgages and lending is necessary for the recovery of not only the real estate market, but for the economy as a whole. I regret that an obligation in my District kept me from voting for this legislation, but had I been present, I would have been proud to vote in support of the bill.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I was not present during rollcall vote Nos. 347-354 on June 10th. I would have voted as follows: On rollcall vote No. 347 I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 348 I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall vote No. 349 I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall vote No. 350 I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall vote No. 351 I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 352 I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 353 I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 354 I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my views on the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, H.R 4213. There are four reasons I will vote for the bill. It extends unemployment benefits for America's jobless workers at a time when they need it most, providing basic assistance for needy families. It extends the temporary increase in the federal Medicaid matching funds delivered to the states. This provision will give local communities the certainty they need as they enter another fiscal year strapped for cash. It provides critical assistance to those struggling to pay for healthcare by extending the COBRA premium assistance program. It extends the Research and Development Tax Credit to the end of this year, a tax credit I have fought to make permanent since entering Congress in 1993. This is a very short extension, but it is better than no extension at all. Having said the above, I strenuously oppose other parts of the bill. I believe Sections 411 and 412 on carried interest are bad policy which could cause damage to a fragile economy struggling to create jobs. Jobs are created by risk takers. Venture capitalists launch small businesses. They invest in the communities in which they live. They take significant risks when they bet on the next great American dream. What is so unfortunate about this legislation is that it contains an ill-advised provision that puts the job-creating engine of our innovation economy in jeopardy by stopping inventors dead in their tracks. I oppose the tax treatment in the bill because I believe it is anti-job and anti-innovation. Section 404 also runs counter to job creation and investing in America. It limits the ability of businesses to bring revenue back to the United States at a time when we can't afford to turn it away. It also changes long-standing international tax law that will put our most innovative U.S. companies at a disadvantage when competing around the world. I also strongly object to the cost of this bill. More than half of the bill is not paid for. We should and can do better for the American people. Mr. Speaker, I cannot vote against those most in need, and I won't. But I feel very strongly about the deep flaws in this legislation and regret that the sections I point out are included in H.R. 4213. I hope that by the time a Conference Report reaches us that these policies will no longer be part of the legislation.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, our country faces a serious challenge. We are in danger of falling behind our global competitors in Europe and Asia in the critical fields of innovation and technology. Our children have fallen behind the rest of the world in critical math and science skills. We lag behind other economic powers in our investment in research and science, and we rank 26th in broadband penetration worldwide. The alarm bells are sounding--and we have a responsibility to future generations of Americans to respond. That's why nearly 5 years ago we began to answer that call to arms. I joined with then-House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and other colleagues to launch The Innovation Agenda: A Commitment to Competitiveness. The policy proposals we developed were the result of extensive consultation and meetings that began at Stanford University from the high-technology, biotechnology, venture capital and academic communities. It was a long-term strategy to invest in the critical areas of science and education to ensure that America will lead the world in innovation. The original COMPETES legislation, which passed in 2007, contained the key elements of the Agenda. That legislation laid the foundation for America's future success. It has prepared thousands of teachers in math and science. It doubled the funding for the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, NIST, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership over 10 years. It established the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, ARPA-E, and funded high-risk, high-reward, pre-competitive technology development. The reauthorization of COMPETES we are considering today keeps these investments in innovation on track. I've already seen the benefits of the original COMPETES and other government funding first-hand in my District, the heart of Silicon Valley. The types of investments this bill makes have been the catalyst for some of the greatest innovators and drivers of our economy, including Google, Genentech, and Cisco. This legislation will fund the next generation of innovators to ensure that the 21st century is an American century. Americans of my generation and that of my parents have always accepted it as an article of faith that the United States would lead the world in invention, ingenuity, and innovation. No matter what the challenge, America has risen to meet the competition and we have come out on top. With this legislation, we renew our commitment to the generations to come that we will plant the seeds today to ensure America's growth in the future. I applaud Chairman Gordon on this legislation and I strongly urge my colleagues to support the reauthorization of the COMPETES Act.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer my amendment No. 42 to this National Defense Authorization Act. Mr. Chairman, what brings me to the floor is something that I think should concern every single Member of the House. We all know that our number one obligation as Members of Congress is to secure our country. And as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, it matters not Republican or Democrat, we stand shoulder to shoulder. We may debate different things. We all know, and the full House knows, that this is our first and top obligation. In order to carry that obligation out, that duty done well, as a member of the House Intelligence Committee we must do effective oversight. We have to do investigations. It is the way we do our work. The reason I offer this amendment is because, unlike all the rest of the committees of the House who can use the GAO, dispatch the Government Accountability Office into the executive branch to make the kinds of determinations on financial issues, financial management, personnel, acquisitions, information technology, whatever it might be, the House Intelligence Committee is not allowed to do that. And in attempting to do it, it has drawn the ire of the administration. Now, I am a Democrat. We have a Democratic administration. I think the administration is ill-advised in this. These are the prerogatives of the Congress and the jurisdictions of our committees. I think that we need to be able to have the tools that the GAO has, with all of the safeguards in place relative to sources and methods and those things that are the most sensitive in the intelligence community. But I don't believe that the executive branch should be telling the legislative branch what tools we should have and to make that decision for us. That speaks to the separation of powers, and it also speaks to what we, as Members of Congress, in terms of our duty have to carry out and to do. So my amendment really corrects this flaw, and I think it's an important provision that would restore the GAO's role in congressional oversight. I don't think this is a question of whether the information is too sensitive for the GAO. They have the security clearances. They have dealt with things before, and nothing has ever happened. So as I said, I believe this issue goes directly to the heart of one of the most important functions of the Congress, and that is effective oversight. That's what this amendment is about. I want to thank, in particular, Chairman Howard Berman for his work on this issue from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and also my colleagues from the House Intelligence Committee who are sponsoring this amendment: Congressman Holt, Congressman Tierney of Massachusetts, Congressman Thompson of California, and Congresswoman Schakowsky of Illinois. I rise to offer my amendment #42, to the FY2011 National Defense Authorization Act. This Amendment would require the Director of National Intelligence to cooperate with GAO inquiries initiated by committees of jurisdiction. Oversight of matters in the intelligence community--including financial management, personnel systems, acquisitions, and information technology--is a fundamental prerogative of Congress. GAO plays a critical role helping committees examine the functions of government agencies in an objective, thorough manner. But despite this expertise, the intelligence community refuses to allow GAO in the door, even when the intelligence committees--the committees that have jurisdiction over them--have asked them to investigate. The Administration has even threatened to veto the Intelligence Authorization Bill because it contained a provision that would restore GAO's role in Congressional oversight. The co-sponsors of this amendment have joined me in rejecting the Administration's flawed legal analysis that would exempt the intelligence community from GAO's review--even though they review every other federal agency. This is not a question of whether the information is too sensitive for GAO. GAO has evaluated a number of national security programs, including ones that have sensitive intelligence implications like Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance programs which are known as ISR platforms. GAO has issued classified reports on the Iraq war and parts of the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative. Their personnel have the appropriate security clearances and they know how to safeguard sensitive information. In an abundance of caution, the amendment lays out additional safeguards that GAO must follow to be able to have access to our nation's intelligence information. I believe this issue is one that goes directly to the heart of one of the most important functions of the Congress, and that is oversight. This also goes to the very core of the principle of Separation of Powers. My amendment would make clear to the intelligence community that they cannot bar the door to Congressional oversight, and it is Congress, not the Executive branch that determines which tools we get to use. In particular, I'd like to thank Chairman Berman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and HPSCI members Representatives Holt, Tierney, Thompson of California, and Schakowsky for co-sponsoring this amendment. I urge the adoption of the amendment. At this point I would like to yield to Mr. Berman, my trusted and distinguished colleague from California.

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

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, it can be said that the word extraordinary has become too commonplace a term used in all-too-ordinary circumstances. I rise today in appreciation of a man who fully embodies that word, a truly extraordinary man--Joseph W. Cotchett. He is a man of passion and great intellect, a man of incredible attention to detail, a broad, sweeping embrace for all life has to offer, and a serious man capable of great joy. He has a thirst for fairness, a passion for justice and an unquenchable desire to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. On the evening of May 22, 2010, Joe is being honored with the Notre Dame de Namur University 2010 Community Spirit Award. The event is sold out and will be attended by friends, colleagues and admirers, each with a story about Joe standing at their side in a time of need. Similarly, the Honorary Gala Committee is more than 150 names long and represents every profession and every walk of life that Joe has touched--labor, sports, finance, entertainment, the environment, politics . . . including the Speaker of the House, and, of course, his beloved profession of the law. Joe embodies the finest values of our great nation. With an abiding love for his country, Joe served in the U.S. Army in the Intelligence Corps, the Judge Advocate General's Corps, and as a paratrooper in Special Forces. After active duty, he remained in the Army Reserve for more than 30 years, retiring as a Colonel. His generosity is legendary . . . whether making a major gift to his alma mater, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, where he received a degree in Engineering, or the University of California Hastings College of the Law, where he received his law degree. He gives everywhere and to everyone and in countless ways--rebuilding a landmark grocery store in Half Moon Bay, buying a table at the annual fundraising events of dozens of local nonprofits, or serving as a board member to dozens of others. Then there is Joe Cotchett, the lawyer. He has been named one of our nation's preeminent trial lawyers for more than decade, winning every recognition in his profession. He has won judgment after judgment-- totaling billions of dollars--on behalf of investors defrauded by modern-day robber barons. Often donating the time and resources of his talented law firm, Joe has defended the First Amendment against corporate bullying, defended citizens against the oppressive hand of government, brought suit on behalf of the dispossessed children of American servicemen in the Philippines and defended the judicial system against Wall Street. Wherever power is abused, greed runs rampant or injustice flourishes, Joe is there to stand up and to bring to account those who would twist the American system to their own ends. Remarkably, after decades of fighting the good fight, he has not grown weary. He has not lost his capacity to get angry. For all this, he is a man of old-fashioned values . . . carry your own weight, pay your own way, tend to your family and your friends. He has an unending pride in his five children and six grandchildren, who he organizes as if they, too, served in the Armed Forces. And he does all these things with an endearing quirkiness that can take the form of worrying whether all the chairs in the conference room are facing in the right direction or eliminating every speck of dust around. Joe is tender and kind. He honors each of us with his presence and does so in a way that makes us feel special when we are blessed to be with him. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me and the community of friends who will gather in an expression of appreciation for Joseph W. Cotchett--a lion of the courtroom, a lover of life, a benefactor, a patriot and a great American.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3333, the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010. I'm pleased that the Senate finally passed its version of a bill that the House passed last December, and I look forward to enactment and implementation of much-needed improvements to the laws governing the transmission of satellite signals to American consumers. Among this bill's many consumer-oriented regulations is Section 207, which ensures that satellite providers do not discriminate against noncommercial high definition signals. I drafted this language to protect the rights of consumers to receive federally funded programming broadcast by America's Public Broadcasting Service, PBS. Without this provision, PBS stations cannot compete for viewers with commercial stations favored by satellite contracts. This problem is particularly troubling in the case of DISH Network, which covers 93 percent of U.S. households but only carries local PBS HD broadcasts in Alaska and Hawaii--where they are legally obligated to do so. The behavior of DISH contrasts with Direct TV, which voluntarily offers 106 PBS HD channels in its regions of operation. With the enactment of this bill, 14 million satellite viewers will have a date certain when they will receive PBS HD signals, and PBS stations will have an even playing field when their signals are distributed via satellite providers. My language is a simple and direct solution to a problem that undermines consumer rights and shortchanges PBS carriage: Carriers will give their customers local non-commercial HDTV transmissions when carrying other locally broadcast HD signals. It provides for carriage compliance for 50 percent of the stations by the end of 2010, with an extra year for the remainder, thus accelerating the FCC 2013 date. When new service is initiated, noncommercial stations will get equal treatment. Carriers will have one last opportunity to sign a contract prior to the date of enactment to receive a safe harbor from the hard deadlines in the bill. I look forward to final passage of the Satellite bill, and especially the anti-discriminatory section which is so essential to America's consumers.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and work of my mentor, teacher, and dear friend David Nichols who passed away at the age of 81 on March 11, 2010. David is survived by his four beautiful children . . . Mark of Oregon, Paul of Hillsborough, Beth DeGolia of Alamo, Stu of Los Altos, his beloved seven grandchildren, his daughter-in-laws and son-in-law. His beloved wife Edie preceded him in death. David Nichols was born in Turlock, California and received his Bachelor of Science and Master's Degree in Business Administration at the University of California at Berkeley. David was the captain of the varsity basketball team at the university and it was also where he met the love of his life and future wife, Edith (Edie) McEwing who was then the Student Body Vice President. When he graduated from Cal, David took his first job in Contra Costa County as an Assistant Administrative Analyst. This position was followed by a 35 year career of distinguished public service that shaped the lives of residents of Sonoma and San Mateo Counties. In 1955, David went to Sonoma County as an Assistant County Administrator, and in 1968, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors appointed him Chief Administrative Officer. In January 1977, David became the County Manager of San Mateo County where he remained until his retirement in 1989. There was a point in time when David, as San Mateo County's Manager and his son Paul worked in the same building as a Deputy District Attorney. His son mentioned that even though they worked in the same building they would rarely go out to lunch because David would instead have lunch at home with Edie. Throughout his distinguished tenure in county government, David was involved in a number of professional organizations, regional governments and regulatory bodies. They include the Association of Bay Area Governments, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Coastal Commission, Bay Vision 2020 Commission and the National Association of County Administrators, where he served as President in 1977. While he was actively participating in all these organizations, David remained a staunch supporter of the University of California Alumni Association and the Bear Backers who support athletic programs. Beside his family, Cal was without a doubt, the other great of his life. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life of David Nichols and that we express our deepest condolences to the Nichols family on their loss. I am especially blessed to have had him as a mentor, a teacher, and friend during the many years I served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, with David as County Manager. David Nichols had a deeply held regard for public service. He treated all employees with respect and made sure those who worked with him were always faithful in the execution of the public trust. He lifted all of us to a higher standard and it was his unquestioned integrity that established a `gold standard' in everything we did in service to the people we represented. We are indeed a better country and a better people because of David Nichols and his extraordinary legacy of public service, as well as a life with values. America was blessed to have him as a son and a servant of the people.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010. This sensible legislation addresses two of the most pressing issues of our day: our immediate need for jobs and our future energy reliance. At its heart, the bill is simple--it will provide rebates to homeowners who make energy efficiency improvements to their homes. But the effects of this simple legislation will be anything but modest. Homeowners who participate in the rebate program will purchase American energy efficiency products and employ American workers to install these products, creating almost 170,000 jobs in the construction and clean technology industries. Homeowners who purchase the improvements will save money in energy costs--nearly $10 billion over the next decade and the energy equivalent of 6.8 million barrels of oil next year alone. These past few weeks, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reminded us of the truly destructive power of our energy habits and the urgent need to reduce our dependence on 20th century fuels. I also know personally just how important energy efficiency renovations can be and how much money they can save. I'm very proud that my District Office in Palo Alto is now the only Congressional office in the country that is Green Certified by the Bay Area Green Business Program. The improvements and policies we've introduced in my office save taxpayer money and reduce pollution and energy usage throughout our District. H.R. 5019 will help homeowners throughout the nation achieve similar improvements, rewarding them with lower costs and providing our nation with more jobs and greater energy independence. It is simple, sensible legislation that will move us forward on two critical priorities.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Barbara Clark, a pillar of the community in East Palo Alto, California who passed away at the age of 79 on April 10, 2010, surrounded by those who loved her. Barbara was born in East Palo Alto, California on March 16, 1931 to Bert and Clara Richards. She attended Ravenswood Grammar School and graduated from Sequoia High School in 1949. She met her husband, Clyde Clark, EN 1 USN in November 1949 and they married on June 17, 1950. They have 3 sons; David, Glenn and Bert. Barbara Clark was a friend and mentor to many in East Palo Alto. She was involved in school PTA work, joined the Community Association for the Retarded (now Abilities United), and joined P.A.R.C.A./Special Olympics as a volunteer lunch coordinator overseeing the food distribution for 2000 people for their annual Field and Track event over a span of 25 years. She joined the California Federated Women's Club of East Palo Alto and later joined the Redwood City Club. Her late husband, Clyde joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars and she became a member of Auxiliary Post 2310. Barbara was a member of the East Palo Alto Grange for 43 years. In 1993, Clyde founded the Veterans Employment Committee of San Mateo County and Barbara became a charter member. Other positions she held were President for VFW Post 2310/Auxiliary, Chaplain for VFW District 12 Auxiliary, First Vice President for California Federated Women's Club Past Presidents and Board Alumnae, Treasurer for California Federated Women's Club of Redwood City, Correspondence Secretary for the Veterans Employment Committee of San Mateo County and a member of the East Palo Alto Grange #409. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life and accomplishments of Barbara Clark. How privileged I am to have known this magnificent woman and to have called her friend. Her decades of contributions to her community in East Palo Alto stand as lasting legacies of a life lived to the fullest. She will always be missed, but never forgotten.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of my legislation, the Restitution for Local Government Act of 2010. This legislation will require the Department of the Treasury to assist public entities that lost taxpayer dollars when Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy in September of 2008 . . . the single largest bankruptcy in the history of the United States. More than 40 municipalities from around the country lost close to $1.7 billion when Lehman collapsed. In my Congressional District, San Mateo County and its public institutions were severe victims, and still are, of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. San Mateo County is required by California State law to hold operating funds, reserves and bond proceeds in an investment pool. Their investment pool held funds for the county and local cities, school districts, transit agencies and the community college district. They invested in the most highly-rated, conservative Lehman securities. They were not `playing the market' or rolling the dice. They are victims of some of the worst abuses and deceit of a financial institution that was considered to be one of the soundest and safest in the Nation. When Lehman collapsed, San Mateo County lost $155 million. As a result, the county and its 735,000 residents are now reeling financially. Teachers are being laid off. Schools are not being built or renovated. Roads are not being improved. Transportation plans are being scrapped, and critical upgrades in public safety have ceased. The financial plight of San Mateo County was recently profiled in detail in a February 24, 2010, Wall Street Journal article entitled, Lehman's Ghost Haunts California. (Madam Speaker, I respectfully request that this article be included in the Record.) My legislation will require the Secretary of the Treasury to use any profit made by the sale of troubled assets acquired through the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to be used to purchase the securities, bonds, and other financial instruments issued by Lehman Brothers which were held by local governments on September 12, 2008. The bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a $1.7 billion remediation fund, and grants him the authority to assist the public entities affected by the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Under my legislation taxpayers will get their money back and will know where the money goes. My legislation specifically states that any local government which receives money from this new fund must report back to the federal government on how this money is being used, and demonstrate job creation, retention, and economic activity equal to the amount of funds received. Financial institutions were deemed ``too big to fail.'' Today, we should not overlook those who are being treated as though they are too small to help. It's time to serve the best interests of the American people. They lost their hard-earned taxpayer dollars which were specifically intended to be invested in their community for vital services, and I urge my colleagues to join in this critical effort. [From the Wall Street Journal, Feb. 24, 2010] Lehman's Ghost Haunts California (By John Carreyrou) San Mateo, Calif.--Little more than a year after the worst of the financial panic, Wall Street is bouncing back. But in this county just south of San Francisco, pain from the financial system's near-collapse is still felt every day. San Mateo, a scenic swath of peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, saw $155 million evaporate when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt in September 2008. On top of deep budget cuts brought on by California's fiscal crisis, the loss on Lehman securities means San Mateo's 735,000 residents are taking a hit. Public schools here have laid off dozens of teachers and delayed or canceled renovations. Local community colleges are slashing classes and scrapping new facilities, even as enrollment surges because of the bad economy. The county trimmed its commuter rail service and shelved plans to build a new women's jail to alleviate overcrowding. The biggest factor behind San Mateo's trouble is California's spending cuts. But its Lehman losses make a bad situation worse. The problem underscores the diverging fortunes of Wall Street and Main Street and helps explain the populist anger still simmering in many parts of the country. Last week, Barclays PLC reported that its 2009 profit more than doubled to $14.7 billion thanks in part to its acquisition of Lehman's North American operations. Lehman Brothers' collapse is ``old news for most of America,'' says Richard Gordon, a member of the county's board of supervisors. But in San Mateo County, he says, ``It's a continuing story that continues to unfold.'' A report by Beacon Economics, commissioned by the county, estimates that the Lehman losses reduced local government spending, especially on construction projects, by $148 million over two years. The consulting firm says this resulted in 1,648 jobs lost or not created. County unemployment now hovers around 9%, double what it was 18 months ago. Dozens of cities and counties around the country, from Sarasota, Fla., to Boulder, Colo., lost a total of $1.7 billion when Lehman went under, because they held Lehman bonds or other securities. The two worst hit states are Florida and California. Florida public agencies lost a total of more than $400 million, mostly from a state investment pool. California municipalities lost a total of $250 million across some 28 cities and counties. San Mateo County's loss was the biggest of any municipality. Under state rules, the county government, city governments and area school districts hold their operating funds, reserves and bond proceeds together in an investment pool that lost about 6% of its value when Lehman went under. The investment pool owned highly rated Lehman bonds and notes, which currently trade around 20 cents on the dollar. Any recovery from the bankruptcy process will take at least another year. A recovery of 20 cents on the dollar would leave the pool with a loss of roughly $125 million. Much of the anger in San Mateo is directed at the Obama administration and, specifically, at Timothy Geithner, the Treasury secretary. Mr. Geithner has declined to use funds from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, to bail out municipalities. ``There's too big to fail, and we're too small for them to care,'' says Mary McMillan, the county's deputy manager. Before Wall Street's crash in late 2008, San Mateo County was on track to balance its $1.7 billion annual budget within five years. California's cutbacks and the Lehman collapse torpedoed that. The county government lost $37 million when Lehman Brothers went under. That's on top of a $100 million deficit due in part to state cutbacks. San Mateo County has limited power to increase taxes: Boosting sales taxes requires two-thirds voter approval, and two efforts have failed in recent years. The schools were hit hard, too. In one typical case, Lehman-related losses at the Sequoia Union High School district, one of 25 in the county, totaled $6.2 million, an amount equivalent to 7% of the district's annual budget. Meanwhile, the state cut its funding to the Sequoia district this school year by $1.9 million and is cutting it again next school year by another $3.4 million. San Mateo ranks among California's most diverse counties. Home to software giant Oracle Corp. and biotechnology pioneer Genentech, it encompasses both wealthy enclaves and working- class, immigrant cities such as Daly City and East Palo Alto that depend heavily on county services. In East Palo Alto, unemployment is 20%. When Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy-court protection on Sept. 15, 2008, the news was met with a mix of panic and disbelief by local officials. The county's schools took the worst hit, losing $38 million overnight. Two county school districts, the Sequoia district and the Menlo Park City Elementary School District, had just sold more than $90 million worth of bonds to fund renovations and expansions and deposited the proceeds in the county investment fund. The lost bond proceeds totaled nearly $8 million, a debt local taxpayers will be paying off for the next 30 years. Jean Holbrook, the county's superintendent of schools, says the Lehman losses came on the heels of deep funding cuts from the state that had already cost the jobs of 91 of the school's 681 employees, including 21 teachers. In the ensuing year, 60 more school employees would have to be let go, resulting in larger class sizes and fewer elective courses. San Mateo's board of supervisors ordered an independent review of the way the county investment fund was run, but found no wrongdoing. In keeping with rules California passed in the mid-1990s (following Orange County's disastrous experiment with derivatives), San Mateo's treasurer had invested in highly rated securities and put no more than 10% of the fund in any single issuer. With Lehman bonds trading at pennies on the dollar, county officials held little hope of recovering their investment through bankruptcy proceedings. So they opted for a two- pronged strategy: They sued former Lehman Brothers executives for fraud, and they lobbied their state congressional representatives to insert language in TARP legislation that would let municipalities tap the federal rescue program. Though such language was included in the final bill, bailing out municipalities was low on the list of the federal government's priorities in late 2008 as the financial system flirted with collapse. To rally support and keep the issue alive in Washington, Ms. McMillan, the deputy county manager, began reaching out to other counties and cities ensnared in the Lehman bankruptcy. In May 2009, as financial institutions began to stabilize and the specter of a depression subsided, the House Committee on Financial Services agreed to hold a hearing on the matter. In their testimony before the committee, Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier, whose districts span parts of San Mateo County, argued that the $1.7 billion municipalities were asking for amounted to just one-quarter of 1% of TARP funds and paled in comparison with the hundreds of billions of dollars the Treasury Department had provided to banks. Ron Galatolo, chancellor of San Mateo's community colleges, told the assembled congressmen that he felt it was ``highly inequitable to use TARP funding to shore up banks and to bail out failing corporations but fail to protect agencies' taxpayer dollars, such as ours.'' After the hearing, Rep. Eshoo sought a meeting with Mr. Geithner, but says the Treasury secretary didn't respond to her letters and phone calls for months. Rep. Eshoo finally met with him on Oct. 28, followed by a second meeting on Dec. 2. She says Mr. Geithner told her that TARP was intended only for financial institutions and that rescuing municipalities would open a Pandora's box of claims from other investors. Rep. Eshoo invoked the passage inserted a year earlier in the TARP bill, which refers to ``the need to ensure stability for U.S. public instrumentalities, such as counties and cities, that may have suffered significant increased costs or losses in the current market turmoil.'' She says Mr. Geithner said the passage fell short of mandating use of TARP funds to bail out municipalities. While declining to comment on the meetings, a Treasury spokeswoman says: ``There are countless well-intentioned ideas for deploying TARP funds, but we determined that making Lehman Brothers' creditors whole is not consistent with what Congress intended for TARP funding.'' In San Mateo, reverberations from the Lehman losses were on display on the campus of Canada College, one of the county's three community colleges, earlier this month. Students held a two-day teach-in to protest faculty layoffs, course cancellations and fees that jumped 30% this year. Lilliam Castellanos, a 35-year-old student majoring in Latin America studies to become an interpreter, said she could no longer afford textbooks because the funding for a program that handed out book vouchers to Hispanic students had been cut sharply. Other students complained about long wait lists to get into courses and a reduction in the number of counselors. Mr. Galatolo, the chancellor, says the colleges' $25 million Lehman loss compounded funding cuts made by the state, forcing him to slash the colleges' annual budget by one-fifth, to $100 million from $125 million. Of the $25 million loss, $20 million had been earmarked for new buildings and classrooms that he says now won't be built. The remaining $5 million came directly out of the colleges' operating fund. Mr. Galatolo says he's angered by the return of multimillion-dollar bonuses on Wall Street ``while we can't make ends meet for our students.'' As for Mr. Geithner, he says, ``He had the ability to help us, and he chose not to.'' On the other side of the peninsula, in the wind-swept, rural community of Half Moon Bay, Robert Gaskill, superintendent of the Cabrillo Unified School District, says his district's share of the Lehman loss was $1.4 million, out of an annual budget of $28 million. Mr. Gaskill says he had to lay off five teachers and projects that 20 more will be let go in the 2010-11 school year, out of 177, because of state funding cuts. The district is also paring back summer school. Michael Bachicha, former director of the schools' special programs, sat through the school-board meeting at which his job was eliminated in April 2009. Because he had tenure, Mr. Bachicha was able to land another job teaching at the district's ``continuation'' high school for students who are falling behind. But his salary dropped from $105,000 to $72,000. Around the same time, his wife lost her job as a kindergarten teacher at a local private school. Mr. Gaskill, the district superintendent, says the teaching job that Mr. Bachicha took bumped someone else less senior off the payroll, resulting in one of the five teacher layoffs. Ms. McMillan, the deputy county manager, hasn't given up on getting the Lehman money back. She holds conference calls every two weeks with officials from other affected counties and cities to plot strategy. On last week's call, 35 people dialed in from across the country. In the meantime, the county is gearing up to dismiss hundreds of employees this spring, the first time it has had to resort to mass layoffs, according to Mr. Gordon, the member of the board of supervisors.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts and the authors of this resolution honoring our Chaplain, Father Daniel Coughlin. Mr. Speaker, when I think of Father Coughlin coming to the House, I think of the moment 10 years ago when our previous Chaplain had retired and the Speaker and the Minority Leader appointed a committee to come up with a recommendation. There was some turmoil that was a part of that. But I have always believed that the Spirit's hand was in this. And who came forward but Father Coughlin from Chicago? Everyone has spoken about what he did before he came here. But essentially, Father Coughlin was a parish priest. And so from all of the experience that he had in tending that flock, he came to tend a new one, and that is the United States House of Representatives. And tend this flock he has. As Mr. Sensenbrenner said, there are many constituents that have asked why does the United States House of Representatives need a Chaplain? Look up above the Speaker's chair. It says, ``In God we trust.'' But many times what happens to human beings really shakes that trust. So the Chaplain of the House is the one that tends to each one. How important that is in not only the dark times, the dark periods in individuals' lives where they need the spiritual guidance, the support, the love, the quiet time, the trust with someone that will never break that trust. That is what Father Coughlin has done on an individual basis with Members throughout the House. It matters not, as was said before, what faith background any Member comes from, and even if they don't have any faith background. That guidance feeds the soul and it helps to heal each person here that has gone through something traumatic in order to resume the public duties that are filled with burdens and blessings as Members of Congress. But there are national times of stress and burden, and he has been with us throughout those times as well. Fifty years as a priest. I can't help but think of the words that are said at ordination. ``Thou art a priest forever.'' And 50 years. What a great blessing. An even greater blessing for your mother, Father Coughlin, to be present when you were ordained, throughout your priesthood, and 50 years, 10 years of that priesthood here with the United States House of Representatives. We honor you and we thank you for it. And as a Roman Catholic, I want you to know that you are a special source of pride. But that pride I think is really felt by the entire House. Thank you for your quiet faith, for your steely faith, for the prayers that you offer here that when each one of us take those to heart it's a road map. It's a road map because it is faith that calls us to everything that we do in life. And today in 2010 in the 21st century those words of faith are our reality. And it calls us to do better for our country and people around the world. So God bless you and thank you for your 50 years and your 10 sterling years here.