Vito Fossella

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this budget, which significantly raises taxes on the American people. The Conference Report represents an enormous tax increase on hard-working American families--families that cannot afford to send more of their money for politicians and bureaucrats to spend. My staff analyzed the original House budget resolution and determined that it would cost an average family on Staten Island or Brooklyn nearly $4,000 more a year in Federal taxes. My friends across the aisle hail this resolution because they say it raises taxes less than the budget Resolution--as if that is an achievement to be proud of. The simple truth is that this Budget still raises taxes when we should instead be working to reduce them. In fact, the reduced tax increase is only achieved if certain triggers are hit--triggers that are based on projected surpluses. But you don't need a degree in economics to know that surpluses will only be hit by restraining spending, which this Resolution most certainly does not do. How are we supposed to have a surplus large enough to avoid raising taxes when this Resolution does nothing to reign in spending--and also includes hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending without proper offsets? The math does not add up. I cannot support a budget resolution that will ultimately cost families on Staten Island and Brooklyn $4,000 more every year in Federal taxes or a New York City Police Officer $1,300 more, a New York City public school teacher $1,500 more, and a New York City Firefighter $2,000 more. The other side claims to support a ``Pay As You Go'' system when, in reality, this budget Resolution amounts to ``Buy Now, Pay $400 Billion More in Taxes Later.'' I urge my colleagues to vote against what is one of the largest tax increases--if not the largest tax increase--in American history.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. I yield the remaining time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis). (Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FOSSELLA. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter).

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Chairman, I yield myself 3\1/2\ minutes. Madam Chairman, most people don't realize while our troops are in harm's way in Afghanistan and Iraq, that their family members back home, if they want to send them a care package, whatever that care package may consist of, from a young child's homework assignment or a drawing or an artist's rendering, to just something from home to help them in their time of trouble, right now those families must pay for it. And on average, it's not unusual for a family to incur about $1,500 a year in postage to mail those packages. My amendment would authorize free mailing privileges for family members of our servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe the amendment offers tremendous opportunity to increase the morale of our troops overseas which, as we are well aware, is a necessary component to have a confident and fully prepared military. I would like to thank, of course, Chairman Skelton, Ranking Member Hunter, Personnel Subcommittee chairman, Mr. Snyder, and my good friend, John McHugh from New York, for helping to bring this amendment to fruition. I drafted the amendment in response to concerns expressed to me by many family members that it was becoming too costly to send those regular care packages to their loved ones overseas. I heard story after story of families that are already finding it hard to make ends meet now having to spend as much as $1,500 a year to mail care packages. These packages, as I mentioned, bring a touch of home to our servicemembers. Pictures, cards, school projects from kids, and I'm told there's not good pepperoni in Afghanistan yet, so that comes as well. But they also provide the military men and women with basic necessities like additional shampoo or powder or perhaps phone cards. In my district of Staten Island and Brooklyn, residents join together and raise money to help military families send these packages overseas. I was inspired by the outpouring of support for our servicemen and women, particularly in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, where postal service employees raise money to cover the postage for every package sent to our troops. In Staten Island residents formed the Staten Island Project Home Front, Incorporated, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving our deployed troops and their families by sending thousands of care packages. This month alone they sent over 230 packages to our soldiers overseas. It was with acts of generosity and patriotism such as these that prompted this amendment. The amendment has also received the support of organizations such as the VFW, American Legion, National Association of Uniformed Services. And to quote the VFW, ``Letters and packages from home do wonders in boosting morale of our men and women serving in harm's way, and high morale transfers to combat ready and effectiveness.'' Comments such as this I wholeheartedly agree with. It goes without saying that our servicemen and women are making enormous sacrifices fighting this war on terrorism and defending freedom and liberty. They face great challenges under trying circumstances, and often without some necessities such as blankets or toothpaste. It falls upon their families back home to get them these supplies and to cover the cost of shipping them overseas. The amendment will make life a little easier for our soldiers and to ease the financial burden on those back home. It's a simple way of bringing a touch of home to America's heroes overseas. In short, what it would do would give each family member a voucher, the equivalent of sending a 10-pound package every 2 months, and would reduce that cost to those families. Madam Chairman, I'd also submit for the Record letters in support from the VFW and the American Legion. Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington, DC, May 15, 2007. Hon. Vito Fossella, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Fossella: On behalf of the 2.4 million members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) and our Auxiliaries, I am pleased to offer our strong support for the ``Supply Our Soldiers Act of 2007'' (H.R. 1439), which provides for free mailing privileges for personal correspondence and parcels sent to members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. As you are aware, letters and packages from home do wonders in boosting the moral of our men and women serving in harms way; and high moral translates to combat readiness and effectiveness. Unfortunately, too many military families are financially strained and cannot absorb the cost of postage to send parcels on a recurring basis. Your initiative goes a long way in eliminating that burden. Thank you for taking the lead and introducing this measure. We look forward to working with you to ensure it is enacted. Sincerely, Michael H. Wysong, Director, National Security and Foreign Affairs.

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, as we return from Mother's Day weekend, I would like to take this opportunity to express my support for H.R. 1157, the Breast Cancer Environmental Research Act, and urge my colleagues to cosponsor this important legislation. This weekend we honored our mothers and grandmothers and the immense contributions they have made in our lives. As we celebrate these women, we should also take the opportunity to renew our focus and efforts on an issue that affects far too many women in the United States: breast cancer. There are more than three million women currently living with breast cancer, and each year tens of thousands of women die from the disease. While we have made important progress in treatments and research, we still do not know what causes breast cancer or how to prevent it. And the alarming nature of these uncertainties is compounded by the fact breast cancer rates are on the rise. A woman in the United States has a 1 in 7 chance of developing invasive breast cancer in her lifetime-- this risk was only 1 in 11 in 1975. While it is generally believed the environment plays some role in the development of breast cancer, scientific evidence about the extent of its role is minimal. Studies have explored the effect of isolated environmental factors such as diet, pesticides and electromagnetic fields, but in most cases there is no conclusive evidence, and they cannot be translated into real ways in which women can better protect themselves. The Breast Cancer Environmental Research Act will create a competitive, peer-reviewed research program at the National Institutes of Health to study the potential links between breast cancer and the environment. Less than 30 percent of breast cancers are explained by known risk factors, and there are many understudied factors suspected to play a role that could be valuable in understanding the causes of breast cancer. H.R. 1157 will start a collaborative, comprehensive and national strategy to study these issues. I proudly stand in support of the Breast Cancer Environmental Research Act. I hope you will join me in cosponsoring this important, bipartisan investment in breast cancer research.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. On October 6, 2005, New York City was once again the site of a potential terrorist attack, an apparent plot to hide bombs in baby strollers, briefcases, and packages and set them off in the city's subways. Unfortunately, New Yorkers who tuned in to the news that day for information received conflicting messages. On one hand, local officials announced that a credible threat was aimed at the city's subway system; on the other hand, Federal officials downplayed the severity of the threat, even describing it as ``specific yet noncredible.'' The incident in New York was not isolated. Just weeks later, Federal officials responded to a bomb threat in the I-95 tunnel in the Baltimore Harbor, a threat that local officials learned about from the news media. The information was either credible or not credible, but it certainly wasn't both. I strongly support efforts by antiterrorism forces at the Federal, State, and local levels; but it disturbed me, and I am sure others, to watch the confusion that unfolded in these situations. Where improvement is needed is how different levels of government interact with each other when terrorist threats are elevated. Everyone needs to be on the same page and, when credible threats occur, the public needs to be informed in a coordinated manner. In short, what is needed is a 911 call center for first responders. To achieve that, my amendment works as follows: authorizing a study to be conducted by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to identify the problems and the successes of terrorist threat information sharing among the different levels of government; Recommends a formalized process for that sharing; And authorizes centers of best practices spread throughout the country, and would allow local governments, State and others, to interact and to share that information. Because not every city, as we know, can dedicate resources to developing advanced techniques to fight terrorism, the Centers for Best Practices would be on the front lines providing advice to every city and State in our Nation on the most effective strategies to protect their citizens from new attacks. This amendment would ensure an enhanced level of coordination on communicating terrorist threats to the public. But while it comes to matters of national security, our government must speak with one voice, a knowledgeable voice that can provide accurate information to the American people. Government cannot send conflicting messages at such critical times. Last year during debate of this bill, the House approved this amendment by voice vote; and I notice the gentlelady from California who is here, Ms. Harman, said it probably best. She said at the time, We not only need to share information better horizontally, a point we have been making in this committee and one of the reasons we set up the Director of National Intelligence, but we need to share it better vertically. Some of the best ideas are in our hometowns and some of the best people to try to keep us safe are in our hometowns. I support the Fossella amendment. It will help us through the establishment of Centers of Excellence to develop best practices to share information horizontally and vertically, and give best information to those in our hometowns trying to protect us. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, for generations, Israel has been defending itself against hostile nations and terrorism in the midst of a region long plagued by turmoil and instability. The United States, now more than ever, must stand by its relationship with Israel. I want to take this opportunity to address in more detail my support of recent legislation before Congress regarding Israel. I am pleased to see a key piece of legislation pass the House this week that I have cosponsored, H. Res. 125. The resolution expresses deep concern over the use of civilians as human shields in violation of international humanitarian law and the law of war during armed conflict. During the summer of 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and the State of Israel, Hezbollah routinely used this brutal and illegal tactic of embedding its forces among civilians to use them as human shields. This bill calls upon the international community to recognize the breaches of international law through the use of human shields and calls upon the State Department to make recommendations to prevent the future use of human shields during armed conflicts. The majority of civilian casualties of that conflict might have been avoided and civilian lives saved had Hezbollah not employed this tactic. I am also very concerned about an issue facing the rapidly shrinking population of Holocaust survivors, and their right to research the facts of the unspeakable tragedy. Earlier this year, I signed letters addressed to the Ambassadors from Great Britain, France, Greece, Belgium and Italy urging them to expedite the process of releasing the Holocaust archival records of the International Tracing Service (ITS) located in Bad Arolsen, Germany. These millions of extensive records have remained inaccessible to Holocaust survivors, their families, and researchers alike for decades. Although progress was made last May when the International Commission of the ITS amended the Bonn Accords to allow each Commission member country to receive a digitized copy of the archives, some of the nations have yet to ratify the amendments. For the sake of these survivors and their families, I joined my colleagues in urging these governments to ratify this critical treaty amendment without delay. These letters led to the introduction of H. Res. 240, of which I am an original cosponsor and that passed the House this week. Mirroring the letters, the bill urges all countries that have not ratified the amendments to abide by their May 2006 treaty obligations and expedite such ratification. The bill goes on to urge all members of the International Commission of the ITS to consider the short time left to Holocaust survivors and unanimously consent to open the ITS archives should all countries not ratify the amendments by May 2007. Since I was first elected to Congress, I have always supported strengthening the partnership between the United States and Israel. I am pleased to see these two important bills pass the House, and throughout the 110th Congress, I will continue to look for opportunities to bolster the relationship with our key ally, Israel.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association on the auspicious occasion of the 85th Anniversary of its founding. For nearly a century, AHEPA has been a leading organization of Greek-Americans, today representing 1.3 million individuals. On July 26, 1922 AHEPA was formed by eight visionary Greek immigrants to unite their community against discrimination, denigration, and violence perpetrated by hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. From its modest origins, AHEPA has grown into a bastion of philanthropy, education, humanitarianism, and family life. Its members are patriotic, civic-minded Americans enriched with a deep respect and admiration for the heritage and culture of their homeland, Greece, the cradle of democracy. Their members have served bravely in the armed forces, worked diligently in civilian life, and been elected to every level of American government. Each year, AHEPA contributes more than two million dollars for scholarships, medical research grants, and other charitable causes. Since the 1940s, when its health centers first opened their doors, AHEPA has become a world-class benefactor of improved health care. From the Cooley's Anemia Foundation, which issues grants to medical researchers to find a cure for the disease to the Bone Marrow Registry, established to help match those in need of marrow with compatible donors, Americans enjoy superior medical facilities and treatment thanks in part to AHEPA's assiduous efforts. Mr. Speaker, in closing I would like to extend my congratulations and thanks to the entire AHEPA family, including the Daughters of Penelope, the Sons of Pericles, the Maids of Athena, and AHEPA's chapters in Canada and Australia. May their next 85 years be as productive and inspiring as the last.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Bread of Life Drive of Staten Island, NY For the past 16 years, the University of Notre Dame Alumni Club of Staten Island has sponsored this enormous food drive, which provides necessary provisions to soup kitchens, shelters, and other charitable organizations on Staten Island. This year, with the help of students from 92 elementary, junior and high schools and colleges, this year's Bread of Life Drive was able to raise enough supplies to fully stock 25 essential organizations that serve the homeless, low-income families, single mothers, and victims of abuse. Since its inception, the Bread of Life Drive has contributed 800,000 cans and boxes of food items to a wide range of charitable entities. This year's drive was very appropriately dedicated to Father Ted Hesburgh, president emeritus of Notre Dame, in celebration of his 90th birthday. I would also like to personally highlight the efforts of Joe Delaney who has tirelessly headed up the Bread of Life Drive for many years. Madam Speaker, in closing, I would personally like to thank the University's Alumni Club as well as all of the students, teachers, family members, and volunteers for their tireless efforts to help the needy of Staten Island. These good Samaritans have made the Bread of Life Drive an exemplary model of generosity and selflessness. Finally, I would like to wish Father Hesburgh a very happy 90th birthday and many more.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, on January 31, 2007, my good friend and colleague, Mr. Honda, introduced H. Res. 121 on Comfort Women, of which I am a proud co-sponsor. Given recent events, the necessity and imperative to pass H. Res. 121 by the full House of Representatives is now more important than ever. It is my hope that this non-binding resolution will signal to our friend and ally, the Government of Japan, that working to officially resolve its longstanding historical issues will not only restore honor and dignity to the Comfort Women survivors, but bring out greater trust and cooperation among our other friends and allies in the region. A formal apology by the Japanese government would help bring a sense of peace and healing to the women who were abused as well as to their families. Many of these innocent women were taken at a young age and suffered unspeakable and disgusting crimes that destroyed their lives. An apology cannot undo this damage, but it is important for the victims to know that the Japanese government has accepted responsibility in a clear an unequivocal manner. I believe an official apology would help strengthen and improve relations between our friends and allies in the Northeast Asian region. Without objection, I wish to insert into the Congressional Record an editorial on this issue that appeared in the New York Times on Tuesday, March 6, appropriately entitled: ``No Comfort.'' [From The New York Times, March 6, 2007] No Comfort What part of ``Japanese Army sex slaves'' does Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, have so much trouble understanding and apologizing for? The underlying facts have long been beyond serious dispute. During World War II, Japan's Army set up sites where women rounded up from Japanese colonies like Korea were expected to deliver sexual services to Japan's soldiers. These were not commercial brothels. Force, explicit and implicit, was used in recruiting these women. What went on in them was serial rape, not prostitution. The Japanese Army's involvement is documented in the government's own defense files. A senior Tokyo official more or less apologized for this horrific crime in 1993. The unofficial fund set up to compensate victims is set to close down this month. And Mr. Abe wants the issue to end there. Last week, he claimed that there was no evidence that the victims had been coerced. Yesterday, he grudgingly acknowledged the 1993 quasi apology, but only as part of a pre-emptive declaration that his government would reject the call, now pending in the United States Congress, for an official apology. America isn't the only country interested in seeing Japan belatedly accept full responsibility. Korea and China are also infuriated by years of Japanese equivocations over the issue. Mr. Abe seems less concerned with repairing Japan's sullied international reputation than with appealing to a large right-wing faction within his Liberal Democratic Party that insists that the whole shameful episode was a case of healthy private enterprise. One ruling party lawmaker, in his misplaced zeal to exculpate the Army, even suggested the offensive analogy of a college that outsourced its cafeteria to a private firm. Japan is only dishonored by such efforts to contort the truth. The 1993 statement needs to be expanded upon, not whittled down. Parliament should issue a frank apology and provide generous official compensation to the surviving victims. It is time for Japan's politicians--starting with Mr. Abe--to recognize that the first step toward overcoming a shameful past is acknowledging it.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. I thank the lady for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the question before us is whether the front line in the war on terrorism moves from Baghdad back to America. Although this resolution is nonbinding, the message it sends to our troops on the battlefield and to our enemies is crystal clear. Our words have consequences, as powerful as our actions. We must choose them carefully, for they are being listened to all over the world. And the words this Congress speaks today will send a message to both our allies and enemies about our resolve. It is not a contradiction to support our warriors in battle and also to seek a lasting peace. That principle has guided us through tougher times than this. Indeed, it is America's gift from one generation to the next that we create a Nation that is stronger, freer, more prosperous, and more likely to enjoy God's world in peace. To abdicate this responsibility for political expediency is a dereliction of duty and a sign of lost faith in the promise of America. Throughout history, it has been proven that you cannot surrender the battlefield and still win the war. This war on terrorism was thrust upon us. America and other free nations were attacked by evil forces. To leave these forces unchecked would stoke the insatiable appetite of the beast. We know this because we have seen it before. Regarding the fall of Cambodia, Henry Kissinger wrote: Sirik Matak, who was the prime minister, was asked by then Ambassador John Dean if he would like to be evacuated, as the United States had just announced it was leaving. The prime minister responded, in part: Thank you for your offer to transport me towards freedom. I cannot, alas, leave in such a cowardly fashion. As for your great country, I never believed for a moment that you have the sentiment of abandoning people which have chosen liberty. You have refused us your protection and we can do nothing about it. You leave, and my wish is that you and your country will find happiness under the sky. But mark it well, that if I shall die here on this spot and in my country that I love, it is no matter because we are all born and we must die. I have only committed this mistake in believing in you, the Americans. The very next day the New York Times reported the evacuation with the following headline, ``Indochina Without Americans: For Most, a Better Life.'' As for the Prime Minister, he was shot; and it took him 3 days to die without medical help. Every other government official and their families were executed, and one to two million Cambodians were rousted from their homes and led to the slaughter like cattle. Is this the fate we wish to leave millions of Iraqis who have tasted freedom after decades of oppression? Is this the fate we wish for our allies and the leaders who are nurturing an infant democracy? Is this the legacy we choose for our airmen and our soldiers and for those heroes who have fallen? With an open mind I have spent hours this week listening to the debate. Like many Americans, I was willing to listen to new ideas and explore a new course in Iraq. But an opportunity was wasted, because all I have heard is no from the other side. I have not heard a plan, nor have I heard a strategy. And let me be clear. It is not my place to question one's motivation or patriotism. But I can question judgment. This resolution is either an endorsement of the status quo or a clarion call of retreat, and neither is acceptable to me or to many in this Chamber. Some now talk about a slow bleed strategy to cut off funding for our troops. I ask, if we surrender this battlefield, which battlefield will our enemy choose next? Will it be New York? Will it be Los Angeles? Will it be Washington, D.C.? Appeasement does not work. Just look back. The World Trade Center in 1993, Somalia, the Khobar Towers, Kenya and Tanzania, the USS Cole and, of course, September 11, 2001. This copy of the Staten Island Advance, my local paper, shows the faces of some of the victims, 240 on this sheet alone. These are the people I knew, and they were the people who we promised, these 240 people who left 450 children without parents because they perished because evil people attacked this country. We made a promise to them that we will never let this happen again. I ask you, do we break that covenant? Do we surrender to the beast? To that I simply respond, no.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to someone that lost their life several days ago. Today, on Staten Island, at St. Peter's Church in St. George, many gathered, family and friends of John Lavelle. He was a State assemblyman from Staten Island and also the Democratic Party leader from Staten Island. His mother, his children and not to mention his colleagues in the State legislature, the Governor, the Attorney General and many members of the City Council, Councilmen Oddo and McMahon; State Senator Andrew Lanza; State Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio; the borough president; and so many others who flocked to the church to honor a good, decent guy. As I mentioned, he was a leader of the other party; and perhaps, if he had had his way, I wouldn't be here today. But in a way it is a reminder, and John Lavelle to me lived it, that you can disagree and you can feel very passionately about certain things, and, in fact, most often, John and I, we shared the same goals: how to help those who are poor, how to help those who are oppressed. He was the son of immigrants. The notion that new immigrants to this country make it the great country that it is and they need our help. The fact that he was such a community oriented guy. Some of the eulogies today emphasized not just his passion, but his son talked about John's grandson and will the community be okay now that his grandfather passed away? He had a beautiful family. Three boys and grandchildren that kept him going and kept him strong. He was someone who came into office not just for the sake of running. In fact, he spent many years in the private sector and, while in the private sector, paid his dues. He paid his dues at the soup kitchens. He paid his dues at helping those who were poor and oppressed. Politics was his life and his passion, but it wasn't just about politics. In my opinion, John was truly someone who wanted to help others. And I will bet you right now there are folks gathered back in Jody's Club Forest on Forest Avenue in Staten Island who are raising a beer to John and his life and his memory, as well they should, because as much as he brought to life a passion for politics, he also brought a passion to be around others and to fight hard during the day. Almost like two lawyers in a courtroom, they are fighting it out on behalf of their clients, but when the courtroom door closed, you could get together for a beer and share and swap a story or tell a joke. The world needs more folks like him. He was someone who wasn't so caught up on style. He was focused more on substance. Indeed, a straight shooter and someone who, although you may disagree with his policies or his point of view, he knew exactly what he meant and where he was coming from. So we pay tribute because I know sometimes in life, especially in political life, we have a tendency to get caught up in the toxic environment which is created, but I can tell you in Staten Island folks were able to rise above it. And last week alone, while John laid in the ICU, Democratic- and Republican-elected officials as well as so many family members and friends held vigil in the hospital to hope for a recovery that tragically and sadly did not come. Staten Island was a better place because of John Lavelle. This country was well served by his service. So tonight I pay heed not as a political official here but as a friend of John Lavelle.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Catholic Schools not only in my Home Congressional District of Staten Island and Brooklyn, but also the entire nation as we honored Catholic Schools Week from January 28-February 3, 2007. America's Catholic schools educate nearly 2.5 million students a year, providing the nation's young men and women with a broad academic background emphasizing the lifelong development of moral, intellectual physical and social values. Catholic school initiatives that reach out to disadvantaged young people have touched a diverse group of students who sometimes find themselves trapped in underachieving schools. It is not surprising to me that more than 27 percent of Catholic school students are from minority groups and nearly 14 percent are non-Catholics. Parents recognize the importance of a quality education and are willing to sacrifice to ensure their children have every opportunity to succeed in the world. Catholic Schools Week pays tribute to the dedication, character, compassion, and values that embody Catholic education in this country. I believe it is important to recognize the outstanding contributions Catholic Schools make in our country today. Their commitment to the educational standards and values ensure our children will have the right moral framework to help lead our great Nation in the future. I would like to recognize all Catholic Schools in the 13th Congressional District of New York: Academy of St. Dorothy, Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary, Immaculate Conception, Notre Dame Academy, Monsignor Farrell High School, Moore Catholic School, Mother Francciska, Notre Dame Academy Elementary, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Our Lady Help of Christians, OL Mount Carme/St. Benedicta, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Sacred Heart, St. Adalbert, St. Ann, St. Charles, St. Christopher, St. Clare, St. John Villa Academy, St. Joseph, St. Joseph by the Sea High School, St. Joseph Hill Academy, St. Joseph-St. Thomas, St. Margaret Mary, St. Mary, St. Patrick, St. Paul, St. Peter's Boys, St. Peter's Girls, St. Peter's Elementary, St. Rita, St. Roch, St. Sylvester, Seton Foundation For Learning, St. Teresa, Most Precious Blood, Fontbonne Hall Academy, Our Lady of Angels, Our Lady of Grace, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Anselm, St. Bernadette, St. Ephrem, St. Finbar, St. Frances Cabrini, St. Patrick School, Sts. Simon & Jude, Visitation Academy, Xavarian High School, Xavarian Genesis Program.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, at the outset let me just thank the majority for bringing this bill to the floor because I think that most Americans want Democrats and Republicans to work together to ensure that all America remains safe and secure and not to repeat another September 11. And by and large there are some very good elements of the legislation, but let me right at the outset request that as we go forward there are some specific concerns that New York City has that I think need to be addressed. First is the issue that the city itself cannot apply directly for the interoperable communications grants, it must go through the State without any requirements that the State get the funds to the locality like New York City such as exists in the UASI process. We know by now that New York City has specific needs and therefore I believe this should be addressed. The same would apply to what could be a duplicative process in relation to the new interoperability grant program under DHS speaking as someone who was involved with the establishment of the first interoperability grant program under the Department of Commerce where as we speak the NTIA is in the process of preparing guidelines. My concern is that we don't get in a situation where there are two different agencies getting into a bureaucratic trap which will prevent the flow of money. Most importantly, however, is that we know that one size does not fit all and I speak specifically that under current law there could be, and I think will be a problem, with relation to section 3006 of Public Law 109-171. And that is, as much that over the last 10 years New York City has allocated a lot of money and in the last 5 years since 9/11 almost a billion dollars to upgrade its interoperability capacity to allow firefighters and police officers to talk to each other. So now under current law we are essentially saying that everyone must use the 700 MHz in the spectrum. New York City cannot, like I said, they have allocated a billion dollars, in the 400 and the 800 megahertz spectrum, Why? Because they found out that it is easier to use that to communicate into subways, into high rise buildings. The last thing I think this Congress wants to be on the record for is to essentially tie the hands of New York City. Undo much of the good work that has taken place over the last 5 years and allow New York City and other localities that have unique and specific needs to continue to deploy and build on the networks that they have put in place. I think it would be a big mistake, I encourage the majority to consider using this legislation as a vehicle to clarify congressional intent in current law as the process goes forward. I make no mistake, I make no hesitation that not acting will hurt and punish New York City and the millions, tens of millions of people who come there to visit the greatest city in the world.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 522 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, on October 8, 2006 Brother Paul Hannon will celebrate 25 years of service as a Christian Brother and educator. For the past 25 years Brother Hannon has worked as a teacher, athletic director, and hockey moderator. He has spent the past 10 years of his service at my Alma mater, Monsignor Farrell High School in Staten Island, NY. Over the last quarter century Brother Hannon has served as a Christian Brother whose assignments have been varied and enriching. His most fulfilling calls to service have been spent working with many youth, particularly those near and dear to me at Monsignor Farrell. His enthusiasm is unwavering, and he has created programs such as in-house television studios which have given students exposure to areas of study they never before would have imagined. Brother Hannon is an invaluable member of the communities I represent and I commend him for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, on July 11, 2006 seven separate bombs were detonated throughout the train network in India's cultural capital, the city of Mumbai. More than 180 people were killed, and over 900 were injured. The bombs exploded simultaneously during the evening rush hour resulting in an entire shut down of the rail network which stranded hundreds of thousands of commuters. The terrorists may have hit a target with high practical and psychological impact, but I am confident that the people of India will again stand tall and not relent to such senseless and unfathomable violence. Following the attacks, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described the incidents as a ``shocking and cowardly attempt to spread a feeling of hatred.'' Even Pakistani leaders condemned the blasts as a ``despicable act of terrorism.'' The tragedy continued even after the bombing, with an eyewitness reporting that some of the dazed survivors who had jumped from the train after the blast were run over by another train coming in the opposite direction. Undoubtedly, the hospitals in Mumbai were swamped with casualties. Many parallels can be drawn between Mumbai and New York City. Mumbai is home to 17 million people, and is headquarters to many big Indian companies and foreign multinationals, with property prices among the most expensive in the world. Both Mumbai and New York have been attacked more than once by terrorists. In 1993 New York saw the first bombing of the World Trade Center, and in the same year 250 people were killed in Mumbai from bombings throughout the city. Mr. Speaker, in closing I would like to remind the people of India, as partners in a civilized world, America will not stand for senseless terrorism and together we can fight this evil until it no longer impedes the advancement of society.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, on June 26, 2006, a homicide bomber drove his explosive-laden motorcycle into a car carrying Major General Parami Kulatunga, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, killing him instantly. While they deny responsibility, this act mirrors many terrorist attacks carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). This is another unfortunate event in the constant struggle between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. Sri Lanka and the United States share a good friendship, with Sri Lanka as Asia's oldest democracy. While on the other hand, the LTTE is a group that the Secretary of State has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. One possible step in mitigating this violence is for the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers to renegotiate a cease-fire agreement. This must be done in a successful manner so the hostilities do not resume. However, with the LTTE's refusal to renounce violence, this peace process is constantly in jeopardy. Tragically, the number of violent acts the LTTE has committed since the peace agreement with Government of Sri Lanka has only increased. While it has been the United State's policy to encourage peace through negotiation, if the violence continues, the State Department should consider taking more aggressive steps in aiding the Government of Sri Lanka's fight against the LTTE. It is in the interest of the United States to ensure that the LTTE renounces violence, primarily so all Sri Lankans can live in peace, but also so the LTTE's reign of terror does not spread. Reports have indicated that the LTTE had ties with al Qaeda. Furthermore, the LTTE has at least a dozen oceangoing vessels with which they have honed waterborne terrorist tactics not unlike what occurred with the USS Cole bombing. The Government of Sri Lanka is a friend to the United States, and I stand by the commitment to ensure that friendship lasts well into the future.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, on July 10, 2006, one of the world's greatest terrorists, Shamil Basayev was killed during a special operation by Russian Security Services. Basayev represented the radical aspect of the Chechen rebel movement. The movement began as a secular fight for independence and has become overrun by Islamic extremists. Russia claims that Basayev's efforts have now been supported by international terror networks like al-Qaeda. For more than 10 years, Basayev, designated as a terrorist by both the United States and the United Nations, was the mastermind behind the most horrific attacks on the Russian people. His reign of terror includes the seizure of a hospital in Budyonnovsk in southern Russia in 1995 that killed approximately 100. He attacked a theater in Moscow in 2002 where dozens of hostages died. And most tragically and horrific in its cowardice, he abducted a school in Beslan in 2004, where 331 people died, more than half of them schoolchildren. Basayev was set to strike again, but the Russian government stopped him in his tracks. Russian security officials engaged in a special operation that used information gained from tracking weapons and explosive shipments from abroad. They linked this information to plans for a terrorist attack in southern Russia intended to coincide with a meeting of the Group of 8 leaders. Before his death, in his last known statement in public, Basayev was said to express ``great thankfulness'' for the insurgents in Iraq who killed 5 Russian diplomats. Terrorism is an affront to civilized people the world over. We in New York and the United States know the bloody price of terrorism. This represents a small victory in the global war on terrorism. Civilized society cannot rest until terrorism is stamped out once and for all.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, on November 15th, 2005, America lost one of its greatest entrepreneurs, the great Preston Robert ``Bob'' Tisch, the former Postmaster General and owner of the New York Giants Football Club. Bob Tisch grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, to middle-class parents who had emigrated from Russia. He had a vision that anyone could succeed in life if they worked hard enough to achieve it. He once mentioned that ``perseverance is at the heart of meeting any challenge.'' This is a motto he would live by for the rest of his life. In 1943 Bob Tisch joined the U.S. Army and fought in World War II. Shortly after he left the military, he earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Michigan in 1948. That same year he began what he would later become famous for: he joined his family hotel business at the Laurel-in-the-Pines in Lakewood, New Jersey. Later in life he would move on to gain total control of the Loews Theater Corporation and in 1962, would build the Summit Hotel in Bal Harbour, Florida. At over 50 stories, it was the world's tallest hotel at the time. Throughout his life he would find success in all that he did. This would continue into the later years of his life. At the age of 60, President Ronald Reagan appointed him the United States Postmaster General, a post he would hold for two years. And finally in 1991, he purchased a 50 percent share of the New York Giants Football Club, an ownership he would happily share with the late Wellington Mara. Recognizing the financial crisis that New York City was experiencing in the 1970s, Bob Tisch organized regular breakfasts at his Regency Hotel with some of the cities most influential movers and shakers. These breakfasts helped attract influential businessmen and women from all over the country and turned New York City's financial crisis into a burgeoning economy. Bob Tisch had an incredible record of charity work. He helped create the Meals-on-Wheels program and would serve as its president for over 20 years. His final campaign was called the ``Take the Field'' imitative which was established to revitalize the ragged athletic fields of the city's public high schools which raised over $140 million. He also gave countless millions of dollars through his philanthropic works to hospitals, charities, and universities in the spirit of improving the lives of Americans. While we mourn his loss, we as a Nation should smile proudly at his life and his deeds, for there is no greater credit to his accomplishments than having left this Nation and our world better than he had found it.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, after 28 years covering Capitol Hill for The Staten Island Advance, Terence J. Kivlan is retiring. In an age when many news reporters gravitate to the glamorous national story and use the news to raise their own profiles, Terry, 61, has doggedly followed issues of concern to his hometown readers. His appreciation for Staten Island was evident in his stories, and his words helped educate millions of residents on the daily happenings in Washington. Terry seemed to have a knack for finding the Staten Islander in a crowd. His stories always brimmed with a local flavor and featured the thoughts, opinions and voices of Staten Island residents. Terry distinguished himself with his reporting on the ABSCAM scandal in the 1970s and his honest and sensitive coverage of the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City. Terry is a throwback to a day of shoe-leather reporting that put a premium on getting out of the office and taking the pulse of the people in the know. His first priority was getting the story for the people of Staten Island and it's a tribute to Terry that he would be proud to be remembered just that way.

Mr. FOSSELLA

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. As mentioned, last week with approximately a billion people watching, for the first time in 24 years, the Italian National Soccer Team won the Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup. It was indeed a great day for the people of Italy. I know they celebrated with pride and enthusiasm, and they probably still are, and rightfully so. But it was also a very important and poignant day for many Americans of Italian descent. While I, like many here, rooted for the American team, and I tip my hat to the U.S.A. team that tied the Italian soccer team, they should be very proud for trying and giving their best and representing our Nation well in Germany. But no question, Italy's victory captivated the world and showed that teamwork is the key to success. It was wonderful to watch the game across Staten Island and Brooklyn, whether it was the Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn, and I spent much of the day in Bensonhurst along 18th Avenue. I stopped into many of the clubs and restaurants, and literally televisions were in the middle of the street as people poured out to watch their favorite players and cheer. There were thousands celebrating into the night as well. During the game, we were proud to watch Italy play with a passion, overcoming every challenge to go undefeated in the tournament and walk away the champions. Team Italy, known as Azzurri, or simply ``The Blue'' went undefeated in World Cup play and won the final game in only the second World Cup championship to be determined by a shoot-out. That makes Italy the second most successful country in World Cup history, winning four championships in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006. But fate rested on the side of Italy this year, and despite strong competition of many countries, Italy was the victor. I am delighted to have introduced this resolution to recognize Azzurri and extend our praise to its coach, Marcello Lippi, and the entire team. I would like to thank Chairman Hyde, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member Lantos. And also, finally, I know this has been a great relationship, which has just been mentioned, between Italy and the United States. The role that Italy has played is often taken for granted. It is one of our largest trading partners. It is a nation that embraces Western values, that celebrates and cherishes freedom and individual liberty and has been an especially strong supporter of our country in the last several years as we engage in the war on terror. There is no question that we have a tremendous bond with the Italian people and that it serves our interests as well as theirs. There is no question that there are many Americans of Italian descent who have made this country the greatest in the history of the world. From the art, the literature, the law, politics, music, you name it, there have been contributions from Americans of Italian descent. And I would say, finally, if you had a visual of driving around at least Brooklyn on that day to see the American flag waving so proudly outside people's houses and on their door steps, and next to it the Italian flag, I think it represents the strong alliance and unbelievable embrace that Americans of Italian descent love this country, respect their heritage, and on that day, Italy proved to the world that teamwork and pride works. No, ifs, ands, or head butts.