Chaka Fattah

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. I thank the gentleman, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. FATTAH. Let me speak briefly on this matter. I thank the gentlelady for bringing this amendment. The Constitution of our United States, which was written in Philadelphia, suggests three branches of government--the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. I would oppose an amendment like this in a Democratic-majority Congress trying to impede a Republican administration's Justice Department from acting to, in their belief, represent the legitimate, authentic view of the Constitution in a Federal matter. To fight in court is one thing. To take away someone's right to have a lawyer--that is to say, the Justice Department can't go into court on behalf of the executive branch when they feel the Constitution is being violated--I think is a bad precedent. I think that for those who are interested in protecting and upholding our Constitution, to support it, this is a vote that you will regret having on your record as you look back on your service in the Congress. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH. I thank the gentleman. Let me sum this up because there is a lot of passion. The Constitution might be an inconvenient thing, yet it is the basis for all of our law, but let's move beyond that. This is an appropriations bill. This amendment, no matter what its result, is not going to be in this bill and this bill have the President's signature. So this is the beginning of a whole set of amendments having nothing to do with how much money we're going to spend but, rather, having to do with various political passions. Most, if not all of the amendments, are going to be stripped from this bill. So we're going to spend hours here, and we're going to debate these things, but they're not going to be part of the bill as it finally becomes the law of the land. We're not going to resolve immigration policy in this bill. So I am going to recede from using all of this time, and I want to thank my colleagues for their comments. The truth of the matter is that this is actually an appropriations bill, and these matters are going to get settled in some other way. I thank the gentlelady for offering the amendment. It does violate, within the Constitution, the notion of the separation of powers. I believe that, even in a Democrat-controlled Congress and with a Republican President, I would vote against denying the executive branch the right to have its lawyers go to court and argue whatever point of view they wanted to argue.

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Chairman, I ask for a recorded vote on the last amendment.

Mr. FATTAH. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FATTAH. I think that maybe if the gentlewoman would withdraw the amendment, we would work with her to make sure that we think we've met what is needed to make sure that every one of these kits is analyzed. And if that's not the case, then we can revisit it between now and conference. But the chairman and I would be glad to work with you to make sure this is done because, as he said, we agree that this is vitally needed. We think we've met the requirements as needed.

Mr. FATTAH. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. FATTAH. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. FATTAH. I just want the House to be aware that this would be a cut in the FBI budget of close to a hundred million dollars. There will be a cut to the DEA. We just had a major incident in which the Federal Government and our law agencies are working right now involving a mother and three children from Tennessee, where there's been a murder and kidnapping and trying to track these people down. The idea that cutting a dozen agents doesn't affect our ability to apprehend criminals or to protect the public, I think, really would be malfeasance on the House to just pass an across-the-board cut. If you want to cut an amount of money, let's examine where you want to cut it at. But it's very easy to come and just say, Well, let's slash across the board. It is true that we've held lots of hearings. It is true that we visited with our law enforcement agencies. I've been out to the counterterrorism training center. I've met with Director Mueller. This will be a cut that has an impact. So this is not frivolous, and the House Appropriations Committee has the responsibility of figuring out what needs the Nation has that need to be funded. It is the Ways and Means Committee, under our Constitution, that is supposed to figure out how to pay for it. I don't hear anyone running to the floor asking for an across-the- board tax increase because they see that as being onerous, but to cut FBI agents who are in hot pursuit of criminals, we think that's fine. I think it's wrong. I ask that we oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. FATTAH. I was trying to figure out if we cut 12 percent of the weather satellites budget, how would the satellite actually function with 12 percent less of its capacity? We have, in Georgia, which the gentleman is from, and from many of our others States the most severe weather that the country has ever seen over the last 20 months. We've had more billion-dollar-plus incidents than we've ever had. And when we have forecasting through our satellite systems that we're launching through the Weather Service, we actually save lives and money by being able to delineate exactly where the storms or tornadoes or hurricanes are going to hit. And it takes time to be able to evacuate people and the like. So his cuts to the National Weather Service under this 12 percent approach, especially with exempting certain agencies, would have a disproportionate effect. And I think that for farmers and for others, the lack of weather information would be very problematic in our economy and would actually threaten lives. So I would reject this amendment. I thank the gentleman for offering it. I hope the House has the wisdom to also reject it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. FATTAH. I rise in opposition to this amendment. This amendment affects fisheries under the jurisdiction of NOAA, as written in the actual amendment in the South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Gulf of Mexico fishery management council areas; and it prohibits these catch shares from any funds being used. Now, I believe that the 15 Federal catch shares programs have worked well. I think that they have had a great deal of social, economic, and biological benefit. They deal with the essential challenge here, which is overfishing. And it also deals with some of the dangerous conditions related to kind of this race to fish, or derby kind of atmosphere because it creates some order. And order is useful, and is done at a local level. Now, our committee is an appropriations committee. It is not the place for this to be worked out. This is not the hour for it to be worked out. But if the House has to take a vote on this, I think that we should understand our responsibilities in terms of stewardship here. There's a difference between saying, well, it shouldn't be the regional council, it should be the fishermen and saying that there should be no funds of NOAA used to organize these catch shares. They're two different things. They are not the same. So I join the gentlelady from Maine, I join my ranking member from Washington State, and I ask the House and I'll be asking members of my caucus to vote ``no'' on this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the tenacious spirit, remarkable expertise and admirable accomplishments of Geneva A. Black in providing high-quality and compassionate in-home, community and center-based services for elderly and vulnerable residents in West Philadelphia. As Ms. Black begins a richly deserved retirement as Executive Director of Haddington Multi-Services for Older Adults, Inc., where she has served our senior citizens for 41 years, it is time to reflect upon and thank this outstanding leader. In 1970 Ms. Black joined the Haddington Leadership Organization as its housing coordinator and two years later became Executive Director. At the time, Haddington had three employees. Now the renamed and expanded Haddington Multi-Services for Older Adults, Inc. has a fulltime staff of 25 and a million-dollar- plus budget. Along the way, under Ms. Black's leadership, the Haddington organization purchased the vacant firehouse at 5500 Haverford Avenue and converted the building to a showplace center for senior activities, serving over 30,000 West Philadelphia seniors since 1975. It is only fitting that Philadelphia City Council recently named the stretch of Haverford Avenue adjoining the firehouse as ``Geneva Black Way.'' This is where Geneva Black's way on behalf of older Philadelphians has been making a difference for decades--and that service will be her legacy into retirement. Having her ``Way'' is only one of the many tributes flowing toward this remarkable leader. The Board of Directors of Haddington Multi- Services, in recognition of her valued contributions, will honor Geneva A. Black with a celebration on Friday April 27, 2012, at First District Plaza in West Philadelphia. I invite my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in saluting and congratulating a great Philadelphian, Geneva A. Black, and to wish her good health and long life upon her retirement as Executive Director of Haddington Multi-Services for Older Adults Inc.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. I rise in support of this bipartisan budget that's being offered that would approach this in a balanced way, that is, with both cuts and additional revenues. It is the basis under which there is a majority support in our country. We have a responsibility to rise to the occasion, and I would hope tonight that we would have Members of this House that could rise above party and do what's right. Let's move the country in a responsible way so that we can continue to make the investments we need so America can live up to its responsibilities to its citizens and to global leadership.

Mr. FATTAH. I thank the gentlelady, and I applaud her work on the Joint Economic Committee. I come this evening to suggest that it would, indeed, be cheaper for our country if we want to subordinate this great Nation to other nations in this world. If we want to educate less of our children, if we want to invest less in innovation, if we want to do less in terms of providing for the well-being of our country, we could try to operate on the cheap. I don't think it's worthy of our House to consider a budget that would cut off America's global leadership position. As we see China, India, other countries, the European Union rising to become more and more economic competitors to the United States, this debate between Democrats and Republicans is much too small for this body. We need to be thinking about our country, thinking about the future of our country and its position in the world. No one can intellectually argue that somehow it would be better for our Nation to educate less of our children, to have less scientists or engineers or to invest less in manufacturing and innovation. So I would ask the majority this evening, after we get finished with this part of the process, that we try to come together, to think about not our party but positioning our country for future greatness. We have a grand legacy as a Nation, and for us to come here and to say, well, the way we're going to solve this problem is we're just going to cut, cut, and cut--this is a budget that cuts trillions but doesn't get the budget in balance for the next 30 years. Really, they are using the fiscal circumstances of the country to go after programs that they never supported anyway. This is not a worthy proposition for our House. I am prepared to support the Democratic budget. I am prepared to support Simpson-Bowles. I'm prepared to support raising additional revenue. The majority of our country believes that we should have a balanced approach, that is, we should cut programs we don't need and we should raise the revenues we do need. We're at a 60-year low in tax rates, and the young lady who spoke on the other side said earlier that any economist will tell you that by raising taxes you will lose jobs. Well, let me tell you what the facts are: When, under the Clinton administration we raised taxes, we invested in education, we invested in clean energy, we created close to 23 million new jobs in this country, and every sector of our society improved. Yes, the rich got richer, but every other group of Americans also did better. Those are the facts. Facts are stubborn things. I hope that, as a Congress, we can rise to meet the needs of this great Nation.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an accomplished and distinguished member of the United States Senate who is achieving a milestone worthy of recognition in this body. Senator Barbara Mikulski is the longest-serving woman in congressional history. Before being sworn into the Senate in 1986, Senator Mikulski served in this chamber for five terms. She has now served the people of Maryland for more than 35 years. Senator Mikulski is the daughter of Polish American small-business owners, who taught her the meaning of hard work. She attended Mount Saint Agnes College and the University of Maryland, where she earned a degree in Social Work. The inequities she observed during those years are what drove her to become a voice for her community. An activist, she organized community members to stand up against a local plan to build a 16-lane highway through neighborhoods in Baltimore, indeed she was successful. Her career as a government leader began in 1971, when she was elected a member of Baltimore's City Council. Prior to becoming the first Democratic woman sworn into the Senate in 1986, she served ten years as a Representative of Maryland's 3rd Congressional District. Without a doubt, Senator Mikulski's admirable leadership trajectory is reflected through the varied roles she has held in Congress. She has advanced initiatives involving women's reproductive rights and women's health issues. She is currently a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Children and Families. She is also a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee. In my work as the House CJS Subcommittee's leading Democrat, I have been grateful for the partnership of my companion in the other chamber. Senator Mikulski is a pioneer who has paved the way for many women. Throughout her career she has served as a mentor for women in congressional leadership and continues to create partnerships to focus the spotlight on women. Her contributions go beyond the walls of Congress and she continues to be an integral part of her community, greeting constituents and lending a hand to empower and help make a difference. She continues to fight to give Maryland the resources necessary to compete in a global economy. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring this notable woman who is making history and extend our gratitude for her service and wish the senior Senator from the State of Maryland good health and good times.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished member of the Philadelphia clergy who is achieving a milestone that is worthy of recognition and admiration in the people's House. The Reverend Canon Thomas Wilson Stearly Logan, Sr., will celebrate his 100th birthday on March 19, and even more remarkable, he is still going strong. Reverend Canon Logan's career as one of Philadelphia's most prominent and honored Episcopal ministers is highlighted by 44 years as Rector of Calvary Northern Liberties Church and its predecessors, St. Michael's and Calvary Monumental churches. Since reaching mandatory retirement age in 1984, he continues to be active and holds the title of Rector Emeritus. He remains on the go, known by all for his lively and friendly manner and a voice that commands attention. Reverend Canon Logan's life has been one of accomplishment from his birth in Philadelphia in 1912, the son of a minister and a teacher and one of eight siblings who would ultimately finish college. He is a 1935 graduate of Lincoln University, and was ordained for Episcopal Church ministry in 1938 upon graduation from General Theological Seminary. He went on to earn a Master of Sacred Theology from Philadelphia Divinity School, doctorates in divinity and theology, and two honorary doctorates. Throughout his life, Reverend Canon Logan has been a fighter for civil rights, an NAACP activist, a friend and advocate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a demonstrator and a trainer in the tactics of non- violence. In addition to his stint at Calvary, Reverend Canon Logan has served the Episcopal Church in numerous leadership and missionary roles. He has been a veritable ``Mister Fixit'' in Philadelphia as interim priest at five parishes, chaplain for the Philadelphia Presbyterian Hospital and Philadelphia Police Department. Reverend Canon Logan's contributions to his hometown go beyond the life of the church. He is a past president of the Philadelphia Tribune Charities and Rafters' Charities and one of the founders of the Afro- American Museum. He is a life member--and an active member--of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest intercollegiate fraternity founded by African-American men, which he pledged in 1933 at Alpha Omicron Chapter as a student at Johnson C. Smith University. Just last summer, the good Canon attended Alpha's 105th anniversary convention in Chicago, accompanied by his wife Hermione, who had reached the century mark a few months ahead of her husband. It goes without saying that Reverend Logan is Alpha's oldest living member. Even today, as he approaches the century milestone, this remarkable man of God carries the title of associate priest at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, 6361 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia, the nation's first to be established by and for black Episcopalians. St. Thomas, under the leadership of the Reverend Dr. Martini Shaw, traces its founding to 1792 and its first pastor, the pioneering Reverend Absalom Jones. It is fitting that St. Thomas will be the venue for Reverend Canon Logan's 100th Birthday Celebration Mass on March 18, 2012--his 99th year, 364th day upon this earth. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring this remarkable man, extending best wishes, good health and good times to the Reverend Canon Thomas Wilson Stearly Logan, Sr.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I call to the attention of my colleagues-- and not just those who are basketball fans--that on March 2 in Philadelphia we will celebrate a once-in-the-universe athletic feat that occurred precisely 50 years ago. On March 2, 1962, in a game between the Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks on a neutral court in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Wilt Chamberlain--perhaps the greatest and most influential player in basketball history--scored exactly 100 points. No one had done it before. No one has done it since. No one ever will. But for Wilton Norman Chamberlain, born in Philadelphia August 21, 1936, and already a national superstar when he played for Overbrook High School in the early 1950s, astonishing feats on the hardwood were the commonplace. Basketball has been utterly and permanently changed since he first attracted notice on--and above--the courts of West Philly in neighborhoods I have been privileged to represent in Congress. Even in the quintessential big man's game of basketball, Wilt Chamberlain towered over his on-court contemporaries and truly loomed larger than life. These days, ``game changer'' has become a cliche. Wilt might as well have authored the term. Not just 7-foot-1 but agile, competitive and creative, he transformed ``the city game.'' He invented and perfected a style that has become another cliche: ``above the rim.'' The Warriors-Knicks game that historic day was otherwise unremarkable. The Knicks were in last place. The ``crowd'' in Hershey was 4,124. There was no TV or video, and press coverage was scant. The Warriors' statistician Harvey Pollack was drafted to cover the game for the Philadelphia Inquirer and two wire services--and he's the guy who penciled ``100'' onto scrap paper for the iconic post-game photo that's gone 'round the world. Wilt said later he had been up all night the night before, and was a bit embarrassed to have taken 63 shots to reach 100, with teammates feeding him the ball and Knicks fouling him at every opportunity. It seemed like no big deal at the time--Wilt scored at least 70 points five other times, and that season averaged 50.4 a game. But it's a big deal now in his home town, the subject of ESPN and NBA TV specials, and exalted wherever fans gather. Philadelphia's team, the Sixers, will be hosting Wilt's old team, now the Golden State Warriors, on the night of March 2, with an amazing giveaway--two-inch squares of the long abandoned Hershey Sports Arena oak-wood court where Chamberlain scored those 100 points. Leading the tributes in Philadelphia is Donald Hunt, the respected and tireless sportswriter for the Philadelphia Tribune, who has led efforts to commemorate the game and have Wilt Chamberlain honored on a U.S. postage stamp. Keep putting up those shots, Donald. Basketball has come a long way since that evening a half century ago. The American game has gone global, from Belarus to China, from Argentina to Zaire, at the Olympics, on aircraft carriers, against garage walls and on a million playgrounds, wherever a hoop can hang and a roundball sent skyward. Its heroes and innovators are figures of historic and cultural import. Wilt Chamberlain, take a bow.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, the Philadelphia arts community is losing a highly talented administrator and dedicated advocate with the retirement in February of Cheryl McClenney-Brooker as Director of External Affairs for the Philadelphia Museum of Art after a remarkable 28 years of service. Ms. McClenney-Brooker, born, raised, and educated in Chicago, has worked in the cultural field and the museum profession for more than 40 years. Her professional involvement with arts and culture began in New York City as Curatorial Coordinator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from 1970 to 1974, then two year stints as Assistant Director of the Museums Collaborative Cultural Voucher Program and Assistant Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. She moved to Washington D.C. to serve for five years as Director of Humanities Projects in Museums and Historical Organizations at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Then in 1983 Ms. McClenney-Brooker arrived on the scene of Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, to begin this most notable stage of her career at the Philadelphia Museum of Art--and seemingly everywhere in the cultural community. She has shown a special gift for leadership and inspiration in African American and Multicultural arts and culture, both in Philadelphia and as a roving ambassador around the world. Here's just a sampling: Ms. McClenney-Brooker is a member of the boards of directors of Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, African American Museum in Philadelphia, Multicultural Affairs Congress of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Philadelphia Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs, and The Jonathan Phillip Ford Memorial Foundation for Bipolar Disorder Awareness. She was Co-Founder and, from 1990 to 2005, Chair of the City-wide Philadelphia World AIDS Day/Day Without Art observance. She has served on federal, State and municipal funding panels, corporate and foundation funding committees, and works with several national, State, and local professional and community groups. Ms. McClenney-Brooker's honors include: a National Scholastic Art Magazine scholarship to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; International Council of Museums' travel grant to Europe; Partners of the Americas' museum travel grant to Brazil; Leadership Pennsylvania Certificate; African American Women of Achievement Award from the African American Museum in Philadelphia; Individual Achievement Award for Arts Administration from the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations; and the Share the Heritage Award from the Multicultural Affairs Congress of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. One thing we know for sure about this tireless and selfless lady: As she transitions to ``official'' retirement with her husband, artist and art professor Moe Brooker, with the love of daughters Misha and Musa Brooker, she will simply have more time and energy to devote to the arts and culture projects that have consumed her life. I ask my colleagues in this House to join me in wishing good health, good times, and a productive ``retirement'' to Cheryl McClenney-Brooker.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw the attention of the House to the recent innovative vision developed by the Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization. The organization's mission aims to decrease the disparity of educational resources, by using the internet as a tool to revolutionize the way we approach knowledge. In their attempt to mobilize a free, world-class education, they have compiled over 2,700 videos in the subjects of math, biology, chemistry, physics, history and art. The production of these videos is helping adults and children fill in gaps of knowledge they either forgot or never learned. I know that the Khan Academy recognizes the importance of technology in education and I commend them for their effort to develop creative strategies to help our children learn. Salman Khan is the founder and visionary of the Khan Academy project. After graduating from Massachusetts Institution of Technology, he pursued a career in finance and quit his job in 2009. While he assisted his cousin with the subject of mathematics, he designed tutorial videos and eventually published them online. He received a successful response from over 20,000 users, which ultimately led to his interest in crafting a media tool that would help revamp traditional classroom techniques. Currently, the Khan Academy receives about $2 million in support and continues to expand videos and programs. Most recently, the organization decided to make the material available in community colleges and charter schools in the United States. By recognizing the importance of technology in education, we have a responsibility to make sure that more people have access to the intemet. If we fail to pave the road for this access to pioneering technologies, we run the risk of furthering economic disparities and barriers to equal education. I encourage my colleagues to become familiar with the Khan Academy's website and use the fresh approaches in technology to elevate their knowledge about the world.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Let me thank the gentleman for yielding. And in this Christmas season, let me wish all of my colleagues a merry Christmas and a happy Chanukah. And for our country, there is good news. It has just been reported that unemployment has dropped in 43 States. This is the most States that we've seen unemployment drop in 8 years. The policies that have been put in place by President Obama are working. Car sales are up, home starts are up, and the stock market is above 12,000. How better off would we have been if we would just get the majority here in the House to agree to work with the President? We have three caucuses out of four that have agreed to move forward on keeping in place the Obama tax cuts that make work pay. That is a tax cut on their payroll taxes. And we have one caucus that's decided they want to go their own way, that somehow they know better and they want to go their own way. But the other three caucuses have agreed, let's put in place a continuation of this tax cut, and let's work toward a 1-year extension. I hear my colleagues complaining that they didn't get everything they want. Well, there are going to be Christmas trees all over our country, and there are going to be presents under those trees; but we can't always get everything that we want. We need to have common sense and an ability to cooperate. I would ask my colleagues, my friends, in the holiday spirit, can't we come together and help this President who is lifting this economy through policies that are working? In 43 States, unemployment has dropped--the most we've seen since 2003. These policies work. Let's keep them in place, and let's ask our Republican friends to come on, let's put partisanship aside and put America first because counting against this country is a bet that you really shouldn't place. America is coming back, and it's coming back stronger than ever.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, Pennsylvanians in need of affordable housing, and those of us who advocate for quality, safe housing accessible to all, have a quiet superstar in our midst. Since 2003, Brian A. Hudson Sr. has served as Executive Director and CEO of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, the agency that turns the portfolio of affordable housing programs into brick and mortar. His ascension to leadership is well deserved: he has worked at the agency for three decades. Brian Hudson's work frequently brings him into Philadelphia where PHFA has accomplished near-miracles in public-private-nonprofit partnerships and Brian Hudson is legendary for the art of the deal. Those deals provide affordable housing for seniors, for young families, for veterans, for low-income families, for individuals facing substance abuse and Philadelphians with disabilities. Brian Hudson may not be well-known by the public but those who work with him and his agency hold the man in awe. Mr. Hudson's presence at a ribbon-cutting or turnkey dedication or groundbreaking is a welcome sight, and I've been pleased to share that podium with him on many occasions as an advocate in Congress for these critically needed programs. When Brian Hudson is on the scene, it means the hard work has been done, and it's been done right. Most recently, on October 31, Mr. Hudson and I, joined by Mayor Michael Nutter and a ``who's who'' of business and community leaders as well as older residents who were already in residence, dedicated The Apartments at Cliveden in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. The NewCourtland Network's latest development is a $14.6 million project, launched with major help from Brian Hudson and PHFA, to provide 62 units of affordable, dignified, modern living for seniors 62 and older. Brian Hudson's list of credits--and responsibilities--in the housing field is long and impressive. He has been a Director of the federally chartered Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh since 2007. He has served as Vice President and on the board of the National Council of State Housing Agencies. He is a member of the Consumer Advisory Council at The Federal Reserve System. Since its founding in 1972, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has financed more than 130,000 houses and 54,000 apartment units while assisting 40,000 homeowners threatened with foreclosure. In recent months Mr. Hudson's PHFA performed an astounding feat of public service under extreme deadline conditions. PHFA was able to administer and distribute more than $100 million made available to Pennsylvanians under the Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program (EHLP) by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development--within less than six months. I sponsored the EHLP program in Congress and secured its inclusion in the Wall Street Reform Act. This emergency assistance was based on an earlier program, the Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) that I developed as a young legislator in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in the early 1980s. That's just about the time a young housing whizkid named Brian Hudson came to work for PHFA, helping that agency turn HEMAP into the nation's premier state-based emergency mortgage assistance program. Over a quarter century HEMAP provided more than $433 million in emergency mortgage assistance loans. Nearly 90 percent of Pennsylvania homeowners receiving this assistance have avoided foreclosure. Those clients were Pennsylvanians who had been making their mortgage payments until, through no fault of their own, they lost a job or other income stream and tumbled toward default. Thanks to HEMAP, 17,000 Pennsylvania families were able to stay in their homes, get back on their feet, and even to repay HEMAP for that home-saving loan. In fact, over its lifetime, HEMAP actually turned a modest profit for the taxpayers! That outstanding track record was worth duplicating, and it became the model for the EHLP program I introduced. This federal program provided up to $50,000, or 24 months, of continuing financial assistance, to families who were in danger of losing their homes due to lost income from involuntary unemployment, under-employment or medical expenses. Unfortunately we were able to fund EHLP only for FY2011. Faced with the rapidly approaching Sept. 30, 2011, deadline and a complex set of regulations for homeowners in need of emergency assistance, Mr. Hudson oversaw the processing and approval of 3,056 applications in Pennsylvania, with distribution of $108 million in emergency home-saving aid in less than six months. That's more than 10 percent of the EHLP funds made available coast to coast. We will be working to bring EHLP back to life. Meanwhile, Brian Hudson and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency have plenty of work to do. They've been funding a housing locator service for state residents dislocated by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. They are expediting affordable housing developments everywhere in the Commonwealth involving a myriad of municipal, state and federal programs. The record builds, and tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians are already saying thank you. Through it all, the simple formula for success remains: Brian Hudson = Affordable Housing.