Rodney Frelinghuysen

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the gentlewoman's motion.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order that the instructions contained in the motion violate clause 7 of rule XVI, which requires that an amendment be germane to the bill under consideration. As the Chair most recently ruled on October 10, the instructions contain a special order of business within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Rules, and, therefore, the amendment is not germane to the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I insist on my point of order.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 91) making continuing appropriations for death gratuities and related survivor benefits for survivors of deceased military servicemembers of the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 91, the Honoring the Families of Fallen Soldiers Act. Our government has no greater responsibility, Mr. Speaker, than to take care of the families of our brave men and women who have fought and died for our country. This bipartisan legislation provides continuing appropriations to ensure that, if troops are killed serving our country, our government will honor its obligations to them and their families without delay. Specifically, the bill would provide for the payment of death gratuities and other benefits, such as military housing allowances, to the families of our fallen soldiers. It would provide for authorized funeral and burial services for servicemembers and their families. This measure would also pay for families to travel to meet the remains of their loved ones returning home. This bill provides appropriations to pay benefits upon the deaths of military servicemembers. My colleagues, while this bill is written as a ``continuing appropriations act,'' I want to be very clear. The intent of this legislation is to fully fund the specific benefits for all authorized recipients. Mr. Speaker, we have a solemn duty to take care of our troops and their families, especially as we remain a Nation at war. Our men and women serving in uniform, serving in dangerous places all over the globe, deserve the peace of mind of knowing that during the worst of times their families will receive the benefits they deserve immediately. This bill removes any ambiguity on this point. This is a bipartisan bill with Democratic and Republican cosponsors that, I believe, should pass with overwhelming support. Mr. Speaker, we are all looking for legislation upon which we can reach consensus. I am hopeful this bill will bring us together, and I urge support for it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), chairman of the full Appropriations Committee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.J. Res. 91, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry), a distinguished member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. We anticipate, through the Chair, several more speakers; but I assume we are both waiting, perhaps, for some additional.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I would be happy to. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me say to the gentleman that I want to salute you and Chairman Young for sponsoring this legislation, which is truly bipartisan, for bringing it to the floor and for giving Members of both parties an opportunity to join together. At a time when there is a lot of disjointment around here and lack of consensus, on this there is no argument at all; and I am highly appreciative of all that you have done to assist in this process?

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, our government has no greater responsibility than to take care of the families of our brave men and women who have fought and died for our country. This legislation will ensure, as we've said earlier in this discussion, without question and any ambiguity, that the Department of Defense should provide payment of death gratuities and other benefits to families of our fallen men and women in uniform. I urge support for this bipartisan legislation, and I thank Chairman Young and Ranking Member Visclosky for their leadership in making sure this bill gets to the President as quickly as possible. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better than a Federal Government that is largely shut down--services curtailed, employees furloughed. They deserve better than a President who says he will not negotiate and a Senate that apparently cannot negotiate. Mr. Speaker, the House has sent multiple continuing resolutions to the Senate to fund government operations through mid-December. The Senate dismissed each one, including our request to establish a House- Senate conference committee to engage in dialogue to discuss our differences and, yes, to work toward solutions. After all, compromise should not be a four-letter word here in Washington. But the President won't negotiate and the Senate won't talk. To paraphrase a recent military leader: Tell me how this ends. Until they come around, we must all remain committed to ending this government shutdown and for fighting for fairness in the President's new health care law.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, in the family of public servants, our military, and especially their families, deserve special attention, especially during this government shutdown. We have spoken with pride many times about our Active Duty soldiers, sailors, marines, Coast Guard, airmen and airwomen, many deployed in Afghanistan and other challenging areas around the globe. I need not remind my colleagues that the men and women of the National Guard are just as vital to the performance of our military. They train, deploy, and they fight alongside their Active Duty brethren. Many of these men and women have completed multiple overseas deployments in some of these same dangerous areas. They guard us here at home and meet the challenges of manmade and natural disasters--civil emergencies like Hurricane Sandy last year in New Jersey or the flooding in Colorado. Last year, the National Guard alone responded to more than 100 natural disaster missions. Mr. Speaker, this bill corrects a drafting error in the Pay Our Military Act, signed into law last Monday. It is intended to appropriate funds so that all of our servicemembers--Active Duty, Guard and Reserve--get paid. It deserves our bipartisan support.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of the continuing resolution. I do so with no small amount of frustration, since Ranking Member Kaptur and I worked hard on our Energy and Water bill, putting months of work into it. It passed the House and now is held up. Ours was a tough, but a balanced, bill. We made some difficult choices to get under the $960 billion cap set by this House, while still funding our Nation's critical priorities, strong national defense, the work of the Army Corps of Engineers, and, yes, the work of the Department of Energy. And all that work will be thrown away unless we deal with sequestration and get back to what we call regular order. Coming up with an approach to manage, or perhaps best, eliminate sequestration, is going to take some time. As those decisions are being made, our Nation must be kept open for business, and the government must provide critical services. If the government shuts down, many of those services will not be funded. Military personnel will not be paid, and their families will suffer. This would be an unpardonable breach of trust to our men and women in uniform. Under the jurisdiction of our committee, the Energy and Water bill, many Army Corps of Engineers activities would quickly grind to a halt. That includes the dredging of waterways critical to American jobs and businesses and work on flood control structures such as levees. At our national laboratories, critical and time-sensitive work to maintain the reliability of our nuclear weapons would also slow down. That would be unconscionable. Our work overseas to ensure that nuclear weapons materials are kept out of the hands of those who would do our country harm would also be curtailed. The continuing resolution before us is a limited, temporary measure which includes no objectionable provisions and ensures the government keeps its obligations to the American people. It deserves passage so the Senate can quickly begin its consideration of the measure.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the ARC of Essex County, New Jersey as it celebrates its 65th Anniversary. When a group of dedicated parents, religious leaders and volunteers gathered in September of 1948 to create services for individuals with developmental disabilities, they not only created a service that would benefit a community, but they formed a service that would change the lives of people development intellectual disabilities forever. With the efforts from these amazing individuals, came a place where people of all ages can grow comfortably and accomplish goals that would be very hard to attain otherwise. Today, the ARC of Essex County is a private, non-profit agency serving people who live in and around the region and it is one of the pre-eminent organizations of its kind in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area. The ARC provides resources to over 1,300 individuals and their families with both traditional and self-directed options. Offering a large number of programs, family resources and education outlets, the ARC is happy to individually tailor fit their programs to address the unique needs of each person and family. The group also allows for more traditional services such as Adult Day Care Service and community service programs. Each of these programs has proven to be a valuable asset to everyone involved with the ARC. The dedication of the volunteers of the ARC is to be commended as well. Their work allows the important programs and advocacy of the ARC to continue and be extraordinarily successful. These passionate volunteers are consistently providing services and assistance to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Much of the success of the ARC of Essex County may be seen through its accomplishments. Their educators, volunteers and staff have created opportunities for people with developmental disabled people that would have been unthinkable 65 years ago. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the ARC of Essex County, New Jersey as it celebrates its 65th Anniversary.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, serving five counties of northwest New Jersey, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. As a non-profit law firm, the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey seeks to provide free legal assistance on matters affecting essential needs of low-income and other vulnerable people in our community. In the past ten years, Legal Services of New Jersey has provided services for 42,873 low-income constituents in the area. Their services seek to help individuals maintain safe and affordable housing, gain suitable incomes, access quality health care and secure family stability. The organization has attorneys and administrators working in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties. Legal Services of Northwest Jersey is dedicated to the cause of equal justice and each year prioritizes their work and mission to serve different needs of the low-income community. Recently, the organization has focused on disaster legal assistance, access to health care and assistance for those affected by HIV/AIDS. In these areas, the organization has helped those affected by Superstorm Sandy as well as those seeking legal advice on accessing benefits of the Affordable Care Act and Medicare/Medicaid. In order to provide these services, as a public-private partnership, the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey is funded by federal, state and county governments. Most notably, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women, the Merck Foundation and the County Bar Associations provide support for the organization. In addition, the organization received a $20,000 grant from the State of New Jersey in October 2012, specifically to provide legal access to those constituents affected by HIV/AIDS. To highlight one of their own, William F. Matrician, Esq., a veteran, has served as an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Morris County since 1971. He was instrumental in helping the organization grow into the well-recognized and respected non-profit law firm that it is today. His colleague, Joel A. Murphy, Esq., describes Bill as ``a great attorney with a very big heart''. Bill's character and dedicated service to those less-fortunate in his community is indicative of all those who devote their work and time to the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey's mission. In recent news, the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey has made available its MENTOR (Meeting Education Needs Through Representation) program to low-income constituents. The Daily Record, highlighted and explained the mission of the program that seeks to meet the education needs of its client families through representation over a broad range of educational areas, including special education, school attendance and registration, homelessness, educational access and school disciplinary proceedings. Through the MENTOR and similar programs, the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey provides constituents with help in obtaining their basic rights as citizens, in this case, access to a quality education. Recently, the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey has struggled to provide the civil legal services needed by their constituents due to fewer resources. Despite such obstacles, the organization has continued to provide the most comprehensive and helpful legal advice it can to low-income constituents of northwest New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey as they celebrate their 10th Anniversary.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the 12th anniversary of the attack on America of September 11, 2001. In lieu of formal remarks, I would like to read ``The Names,'' a poem written by then-poet laureate Billy Collins, which was read before a joint session of Congress in lower Manhattan just after the attacks. ``The Names,'' by Billy Collins: Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night. A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze, And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows, I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened, Then Baxter and Calabro, Davis and Eberling, names falling into place As droplets fell through the dark. Names printed on the ceiling of the night. Names slipping around a watery bend. Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream. In the morning, I walked out barefoot Among thousands of flowers Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears, And each had a name-- Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal Then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins. Names written in the air And stitched into the cloth of the day. A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox. Monogram on a torn shirt, I see you spelled out on storefront windows And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city. I say the syllables as I turn a corner-- Kelly and Lee, Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor. When I peer into the woods, I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden As in a puzzle concocted for children. Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash, Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton, Secrets in the boughs of an ancient maple. Names written in the pale sky. Names rising in the updraft amid buildings. Names silent in stone Or cried out behind a door. Names blown over the earth and out to sea. In the evening--weakening light, the last swallows. A boy on a lake lift his oars. A woman by a window puts a match to a candle, And the names are outlined on the rose clouds-- Vanacore and Wallace. (let X stand, if it can, for the ones unfound) Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z. Names etched on the head of a pin. One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel. A blue name needled into the skin. Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers, The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son. Alphabet of names in a green field. Names in the small tracks of birds. Names lifted from a hat Or balanced on the tip of the tongue. Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory. So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Certainly I appreciate the gentleman's passion on this issue and agree that is an important issue that needs to be addressed. As he is aware, Mr. Chairman, the Department estimates it will take multiple years and a significant investment to properly address these contaminated sites in Puerto Rico. We look forward to working with the gentleman. We understand that he may be considering withdrawing his amendment so we can continue to work with him to address this problem, which significantly has impacted the Commonwealth. I will yield to the gentleman.