Michael Grimm

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a pro-life Catholic and as an American deeply concerned with the administration's ruling as part of the health care law to require the Catholic Church, Christian and other religious-affiliated organizations to offer health insurance that covers contraceptives and sterilizations, even though it is clearly in violation of their beliefs and the fundamental teachings of the church. I stand with Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, when he said, ``In effect, the President is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences'' and turn our backs on thousands of years of church teachings. Religious liberty has been sewn into the fabric of our exceptional Nation. The ability to exercise our religious beliefs free of government interference was part of the very reason our Founders came to America and is the very first right mentioned in the Bill of Rights. The current administration's efforts to challenge the conscience and reproductive rights of the Catholic Church, or any other religion, will not and should not be tolerated. I urge the President to reconsider this rule and restore the church's religious freedom.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. I appreciate the opportunity to speak in support of my bill, H.R. 2606, the New York City Natural Gas Supply Enhancement Act. This bill, as was said, will authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow the construction and operation of natural gas pipeline facilities in the New York portion of the Gateway National Recreation Area. I would like to especially thank my colleague and cosponsor and friend, Congressman Gregory Meeks, for all of his efforts. It was a pleasure to work with him in a bipartisan manner, and we appreciate his staff as well. We would like to thank Natural Resources Chairman Hastings, Ranking Member Markey, Subcommittee Chairman Bishop, Ranking Member Grijalva, and their staffs for helping move our bill through the committee and on a bipartisan basis for their work with the National Park Service in strengthening the bill as it moved to the House floor. The National Park Service deserves our appreciation as well for all of its efforts over the years for improving the Gateway National Recreation Area and, in particular, for reviving the historic Floyd Bennett Field for future generations. This project will be the first bulk natural gas transmission project in Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens in more than 40 years. The 5.2 million people living in these three boroughs are demanding more and more natural gas. Natural gas, as we all know, is reliable; it's clean; it's domestic; and it's economical. On September 15 of last year, New York City Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway testified before the National Parks Subcommittee and, in support of the Grimm-Meeks bill, explained why it was so important. I would like to thank Mr. Holloway, the deputy mayor, for his efforts, and I would like to draw special attention to some of his testimony. Deputy Mayor Holloway stated: ``Energy demand in New York City is increasing and will continue to grow,'' so getting this Gateway project done, as Deputy Mayor Holloway said, ``is a major effort that includes the private sector, the city, State, and Federal Governments.'' This pipeline will pass underneath both Gateway's beachfront Jacob Riis Park in Queens and Jamaica Bay to the meter station located at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn where it will then interconnect into the local natural gas distribution system serving the communities in and around my district. The pipeline project authorized in H.R. 2606 will help the Park Service in the face of severe fiscal constraints by authorizing the NPS to enter into a lease, which will allow the Gateway pipeline project to meter and regulate a station inside one of the hangar buildings. The meter station is basically a secure building inside a building with a hangar building's exterior being restored to its original condition coupled with a lease payment that we expect NPS to put towards the restoration of other hangar buildings for multipurpose park uses. More importantly, however, is the fact that the Gateway pipeline project will generate approximately $265 million in construction activity. That's almost 300 local jobs--300 construction jobs--and that's about $8 million in annual local property taxes for New York City, providing a much-needed short-term and long-term boost to our local economy. When I came to Congress, I promised my constituents on Staten Island and in Brooklyn that I would find fiscally conservative ways to create jobs and get the country moving again. Mr. Speaker, this bill does exactly that. Not only will it create a unique public-private partnership to revitalize Floyd Bennett Field, but it also creates good-paying jobs and increases the supply of inexpensive natural gas.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Staten Island Steel All in the shadow of liberty . . . All in this most Gotham of all cities . . . There grew up to be, one of our nation's finest sons so indeed . . . As strong, as strong . . . as strong as can be! Army Strong that's who he! Whose heart and soul, makes our Lord so complete . . . Whose courage so makes even the Angels up on high so weep! Because . . . Some Steel, cannot so be crushed! Some Steel, will not so rust! Some Steel, cannot so be bent! Some Steel . . . cannot so be broken! As if this Steel was Heaven sent! All in how, his heart of Steel has so spoken . . . So very deep down inside, all in what Rocco is invoking . . . That which so brings such tears to eyes . . . Which against all odds somehow kept hope alive! To So Teach Us . . . To So Reach Us . . . To So Beseech Us! Because, The Greatest Steel In This World . . . Comes from Staten Island, my little boys and girls . . . Yea, The Stronger than anything known to man! Staten Island Steel . . . Move over Superman, you're just a comic book . . . Rocco is real! And Batman this is not your city anymore! Brendan Marrocco, ``Rocco'' . . . Aka . . . Staten Island Steel! Because, Rocco you have the word hero stamped all across your chest! As you Rocco put the B . . . In Be The Best! All found in your heart of gold, and your life's quest . . . For Army Strong is your life's song! Brendan, You Rock . . . all night long . . . And when we gaze upon his heart, we feel the burn! And now more Steel has so been forged! The Bear! PFC Bryan Dilberian a 10th Mountain Man . . . A Brooklyn Man, a Real Beastie Boy who stands! A question asked, ``in New York, what are you putting in that water man''? This Christmas and Hanukkah, remember all of those men and women . . . Who upon them this our Nation do so depend . . . Who with hearts of Steel, all for us so live and die . . . As across this nation families cry . . . Separated by death and distance, who this holiday season so miss this . . . And men like Rocco, who with hearts of Steel . . . Who to all of us so reveal! That word Hero, Brendan Marrocco . . . Staten Island Steel!

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Congressman Royce for introducing H. Res. 306, Urging the Republic of Turkey to Safeguard its Christian Heritage and to Return Confiscated Church Properties, and thank him for his leadership in ensuring this important legislation is considered by the full House of Representatives. As a cosponsor of this resolution I strongly support its passage and encourage my fellow members to join me in voting in favor of this bill. While Turkey considers itself a secular democracy, in reality this is simply not the case. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has classified Turkey one of the world's top violators of religious freedom. Out of a population of roughly 76.8 million people, the country's religious make-up is 99 percent Muslim (mainly Sunni) and 1 percent Christian, Bahai, and Jewish. Regulations imposed upon minority religious groups, specifically Christians who make up less than 1 percent of the nation's population, serve to deny religious equality within Turkey. For example, national identification cards have a line item that displays one's religion, and while people are allowed to omit their religion on their I.D. card, it clearly marks individuals as non-Muslim. Despite Turkey's obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the government has not recognized minority religious communities, such as the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church, as independent entities with full legal status. The Turkish government's policies go so far as to deny non-Muslim communities the rights to train religious clergy, offer religious education, and own and maintain places of worship, leading to the decline, and in some cases the virtual disappearance, of these important religious and historical communities. Through its expropriation of church properties, continued harassment of worshippers, and refusal to grant full legal status under Turkish law to some Christian groups, the Republic of Turkey has failed to fulfill its obligation as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which requires ``freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.'' This resolution ``Urging the Republic of Turkey to Safeguard its Christian Heritage and to Return Confiscated Church Properties'' calls upon the government of Turkey to end religious discrimination, cease all restrictions on gatherings for religious prayer and education, and return stolen church property. On behalf of my Greek, Cypriot and Armenian American constituents in New York's 13th Congressional district, I strongly support the passage of this important resolution and encourage my colleagues to stand against religious persecution throughout the world.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a brother, a member of the United States Marine Corps. He gave his life for his country and fellow marines during the Vietnam war. Sergeant Angel Mendez was born to Puerto Rican American parents but was raised in the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, an orphanage located in Mount Loretto, in my hometown in Staten Island, New York. When Angel graduated from high school in 1964, he volunteered to join the United States Marine Corps. Angel Mendez was assigned to Company Foxtrot, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division as a corporal and often said he found a family in the United States Marine Corps. His company participated in Operation DeSoto in Duc Pho, Vietnam. During a search and destroy mission on March 16, 1967, Mendez and his company were taken under intense Viet Cong fire. Half of the company sat across an open rice paddy separated by enemy fire. Among them was the platoon commander, Lieutenant Ronald Castille, who had been shot in his right leg; and without hesitation, Sergeant Mendez volunteered to lead a small squad to help his fellow marines and move Lieutenant Castille to safety. Castille remembers Mendez shouting, ``I'm coming, Lieutenant, I'm coming,'' as he crossed the open paddy, providing cover fire for the platoon commander and other wounded marines. Mendez shielded Lieutenant Castille with his own body as he dressed the wound on his leg and attempted to carry the commander to safety, but it was at this point that he was shot in the shoulder. Two marines came to aid Mendez in carrying Lieutenant Castille to safety, but he refused to let go of the lieutenant and chose to directly expose himself to enemy fire while still carrying Castille's legs. Mendez was shielding Castille and the other marines with his own body when he was mortally wounded. Lieutenant Castille survived the attack, which occurred on his 23rd birthday, and later went on to become the district attorney of Philadelphia and chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Sergeant Angel Mendez is a true hero who gave his life protecting fellow marines; and in honor of his bravery, he was posthumously promoted to sergeant and awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest award for valor a marine can receive. Angel Mendez is survived by his brother, Ismael, and sister-in-law, Aida, who have long sought recognition for Angel's heroic actions on that day. I believe it is important for Congress to honor the sacrifice of my fellow marine. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2422 in honor of Sergeant Angel Mendez, and designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 45 Bay Street in Staten Island, New York, as the ``Sergeant Angel Mendez Post Office.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible sacrifice made by the victims of the Holocaust. On the 27th Day of Nissan, Jews around the world stood in respect and memoriam to honor the senseless slaughter of so many. On Staten Island, the 18th annual Yom Hashoah-Holocaust Commemoration Program for the Staten Island Jewish Community was held at Temple Israel Reform Congregation, Randall Manor. Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher--a woman of remarkable bravery--gave the keynote address. While humanity vowed never to repeat the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, we must recognize that genocide continues in places like Darfur and Rwanda. With the memory of the Holocaust permanently in our minds, we must maintain an intense focus on the present and future to put an end to these unconscionable crimes.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 805, I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 807 I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 806 I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 809, I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted, ``yea.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 808 I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 810, I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 812, I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 811, I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 815, I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 814, I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 813, I had district work that required my presence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on July 1, 2011 PFC Bryan Dilberian, Jr., while on patrol in Arghandab Valley in Afghanistan, was nearly killed by an Improvised Explosive Device that took both of Bryan's legs and an arm. His brother in arms, SPC Jimmy Waters died literally in his arms from the same IED explosion. But, because of his Gotham Heart and extraordinary will to live, and not just live but flourish, he is now walking less than three months from the day he lost his legs. His courage is a lesson to us all in the resilience of the human spirit. PFC Dilberian and his wonderful family make us all proud to be Americans; their faith, courage, and character throughout this trying ordeal is an inspiration, and like all Wounded Warriors, are shining examples for our nation. I submit this poem penned by Mr. Albert Caswell to honor PFC Bryan Dilberian Jr. of The Tenth Mountain Division from Brooklyn, New York and his fallen brother in arms SFC Jimmy Waters. A Gotham Heart (By Mr. Albert Caswell) A Gotham Heart! And from this Gotham City of great consequence! Has but come such a fine young Man, to all hearts to so enhance! A Man of such heart and soul, to warm our hearts when they are cold! Oh yes my Lord, something so special so . . . as but such a sheer work of art, to behold! One Mountain of a Man! Tenth Mountain . . . ``The Chosen'' . . . America's Son, who makes all of us so very proud this one! As One of The Band of Brothers, known as 10th Mountain Men! Angels put upon this earth, to but protect us all our Lord has sent! Oh to be A Tenth Mountain Man! Magnificent . . . Magnificent . . . Magnificent! And so gallantly off to war, for all of us he so went! Who upon battlefields of honor bright! One of Brooklyn's best, who so makes all our hearts ignite! As so soon Bryan, you began your new fight! While, out on patrol . . . as you so stood at death's door that night! Losing your two strong legs, and arm of might! As the tears rolled down your most precious eyes, this sight! And your Brother In Arms SPC James Waters, almost in your arms so died! As the Angels cried, The Angels Cried! As there they found you together side by side . . . And Bryan, you so said to yourself, I will live! I will not die! Armed now, with only the kind of courage that makes the Angels cry! As Bryan you so wiped away all of those tears from your most brilliant eyes! To so teach as all, how high a heart can rise! All about, what within a Gotham Heart so lies! Even Batman, doesn't have such a Gotham Heart as comprised! With such courage and faith, oh how Bryan you make us cry! As you were off running, for you had mountains to so climb! In less than three months Bryan, you would walk with your head held high! Making your wonderful Mother Mary Jane, and your family so cry! With your heart as big as New York City, full of courage . . . as tall as any building does rise! Yea, The Beasty Boys aught to write a song about your life . . . Word! Don't Sleep to Brooklyn, might be one of the lines! Showing us all, as to what new heights a heart can climb! Beseeching us all to behold, the beauty of mankind! As against all odds, somehow Bryan the way back you'd find! As you live each new day, all in honor of your Brother Waters in kind! And that blood that binds you, forever in time! For in your heart your brother in arms, Machine Gunner . . . this American Hero will never die! Yes, Strength In Honor Bryan . . . is what your most courageous life defines! As so Gotham is your heart, so beating here now so in time! For all in your life, you will so teach woman and mankind! Because, Tenth Mountain man . . . you do, you do shine . . . For Bryan there is no mountain that you cannot climb! All over this Gotham City with your Gotham heart in time! Yes, arms and legs we all need . . . but we can survive! But, without a Gotham Heart of Gold . . . we will surely die! Because, up in Heaven you need not arms or legs! And Bryan my son, that's where your are going one day! And you will look into our Lord's eyes! And if ever I have a son? I wish he'd have a heart as Gotham, as your one! Hooah Bryan! For you have mountains to so climb! And you have miles to go, and hearts to heal and inspire before you die! As Bryan, out across our Nation your Gotham Heart so cries!

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Thank you, Chairman Miller. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2074, which includes the text of H.R. 198, the Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act. That's a bill that I introduced along with our lead cosponsor, House Veterans' Affairs Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Michaud. A special thank you to the ranking member. As a marine combat veteran, it's a unique honor for me to see this bill considered today by the full House. Over the past 9 months, I've had the honor to meet with our Nation's veterans who are now faced with the challenges of coping with PTSD and physical disabilities resulting from their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their stories are not for the weak of heart, and they're truly moving, with these personal accounts of their recovery, both physical and mental, and the important role therapy and service dogs played that inspired this legislation. The Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program in VA medical centers assessing the effectiveness of addressing post-deployment mental health and PTSD through the therapeutic medium of training service dogs for veterans with disabilities. These trained service dogs are then given to physically disabled veterans to help them with their daily activities. Simply put, this program treats veterans suffering from PTSD while at the same time aiding those suffering from physical disabilities. Since it was introduced, this legislation has gained the bipartisan support of 96 cosponsors. With veteran suicide rates at all-time highs and more and more servicemen and -women being diagnosed with PTSD, this bill meets a crucial need for additional treatment methods. I believe that by caring for our Nation's veterans, while at the same time providing assistance dogs to those with physical disabilities, we create a win- win scenario for everyone. This is a goal we can all be proud to accomplish. Just as an added bonus, we provide these wonderful animals with a loving and safe environment. And that's why I strongly urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 2074.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Time Warner Cable, the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development for their efforts in the construction of a new, state-of-the-art technology center in on Staten Island. The Technology Center at the Gerard Carter Community Center, sponsored by Time Warner Cable and the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, is fully equipped with the newest computers, high-speed Internet, flat screen and high definition televisions and educational software to help Americans succeed in the 21st Century. The hard- working residents of Staten Island can now take advantage of modern technology to train and search for 21st century jobs. Facilities like the Gerard Carter Community Center provide state-of- the-art tools for displaced workers to update their skills and regain their competitive advantage in the labor market. It also provides a place for students to utilize the latest technology to further their education. I applaud Time Warner Cable and the Gerard Carter Community Center for giving Stapleton residents access to the latest technology. I urge my colleagues to join me in applauding Time Warner Cable and the Gerard Community Center to create the Technology Center--its ventures like this give the unemployed and the underemployed the opportunity and the encouragement they need to take back their lives and get to work.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 706, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I appreciate an opportunity to recognize those lost in the attacks. I think about our heroic emergency responders, the families of those who lost loved ones, and those, themselves, that never returned on that tragic day. I was a 9/11 first responder, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the despair, the feeling that it wasn't actually happening. It was surreal. I didn't believe it. But most of all, there was an indescribable look in the eyes of those that were walking away from the pile. I can tell you without any uncertain terms that, during this time and for the weeks that followed throughout the rescue and recovery, the vast majority of us turned to prayer, and for many of us it was prayer that got us through dealing with the wreckage and the carnage and the reality that it was not a movie set, it was not surreal. It was, in fact, an attack on America. It was, in fact, a beautiful day where ordinary Americans, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, went to work one day and never came home. It was during this rescue and recovery that a perfectly intact crossbeam was found among the wreckage, and that crossbeam was believed to have been from Tower One. The cross was lifted out of the pile and was put on display. It became much more than a crossbeam but, rather, a symbol of hope and a symbol of comfort for all of those on the pile and for all of those watching in despair wondering if they would ever see their loved ones again. There is a lot to be said about 9/11, and it's very visceral, very personal for everyone that was touched by it, but I can tell you that if there was one common thread, one common bond, it was the prayer, the symbol of hope, the feeling that we all came together, and this cross is part of that. This crossbeam, this steel taken from Trade Center One was a part of the story and the journey that all of those involved went through. And now that crossbeam has been placed in the museum to be memorialized as an artifact to remember everything that happened, but it's under attack by atheist groups that simply want their moment, their spotlight in the news, and that's why I put forth legislation to make it a national monument. This crossbeam, the steel itself, represents solace at a time of one of the darkest moments in our history. It should be preserved. It is a part of that history. It is a part of the comfort that we sought. And for that purpose, I am very hopeful that my legislation will secure this crossbeam's place at the museum so that we can all remember our Nation's strength and resilience in the aftermath of this attack, and we can move forward as a stronger and better America. God bless you, and God bless America.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today to ensure that the voices of those that I represent in Staten Island and Brooklyn are heard, and what they have to say is actually quite simple. They expect of us to use common sense to bring solutions to the problems that this Nation faces. And the problem that we face is not a debt ceiling problem; it's a debt problem. And the people in Staten Island and Brooklyn, every day, they go home and they have to figure out how to manage their households. They go to work and they have to figure out how to manage their small businesses, and to do that with common sense. That's what they ask of us. You cannot spend money you don't have. You cannot continue to rack up debt with no plan to pay it off. Today, this debate is about moving America forward, together, in a bipartisan way, because this is not a Democratic debt or a Republican debt. It's an American debt, which means that Americans must come together to solve the problems. Today is about solving problems. So I proudly stand here and say that I will support this bill, I will support Speaker Boehner, and I will bring solutions to the problem, not just bickering.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 350th Anniversary of the first settlement of Staten Island. Staten Island makes up most of the 13th District of New York and I am proud to call it home, and anyone who has ever lived on Staten Island or visited this unique place knows how wonderful it is. Deep in the heart of Staten Island and all her residents, lives an enthralling history, so rich with the American experience, as to rival the other boroughs of New York City and indeed every community across the nation. Since before her founding, this island has been for many a place of tolerance, liberty, and justice. It was a new land that promised religious and political freedom more than a century before the Founding Fathers immortalized those freedoms in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; the very same declaration that was first revealed to the British Troops in the American Revolution at none other than the Rose and Crown Tavern, which once stood at the corner of what is now Amboy Road and New Dorp Lane. It was here on Staten Island that His Majesty as well as the world first learned of the colonies' fearless declaration of their independence. Even before this, the first European settlers to set foot on this Island in 1661 had one essential thing in common: they were all seeking freedom from violent persecution. Dutch, French, and Belgian Protestants, including Peter Billiou, Staten Island's most prominent early settler whose house still stands in Historic Richmondtown, found a haven of hope and peace on this gleaming gem amidst the Narrows. The Island also served as a refuge for many other freedom fighters, most notable among them, Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Father of Italian Unification, who used his time as a resident of Rosebank to raise money and support to free the Italian people from imperial oppression. This has come to be a defining aspect of the legacy of Staten Island. It is this borough that has come to exemplify so proudly the promise emblazoned on that beautiful Lady that lights the way of the Staten Island Ferry and in her younger years first revealed to my grandparents and many of your grandparents that they had finally reached the land where liberty lives and thrives. In the period between and after the two world wars, while much of humanity wallowed under communist and fascist regimes, countless men and women sought refuge here on Staten Island. Waves of immigrants including Italians, Irish, Greeks, Russians, Poles, Liberians, Sri Lankans and many, many more came to these shores in search of a better life for themselves and their families. ``Give us your tired, give us your poor, give us your huddled masses yearning to be free'' is a call that this Island faithfully answered, and it has served us well--for the culture of the island has been shaped by the vibrant, rich, and complementing cultures of the many diverse groups of people who proudly call this place home. Three centuries ago in the early 1700's, a local schoolteacher quoted scripture when she remarked that Staten Island had already become a bustling community full of men and women from ``All the nations under heaven.'' It is a mark of distinction that we continue to proudly display, however today, we consider ourselves all citizens of the greatest nation. Mr. Speaker, please join me, and Americans from all different origins and backgrounds, in embracing one of the most central and meaningful things we all have in common, and that is the love and pride we have for our hometown of Staten Island. And of course, in wishing her a very happy 350th birthday, may she have many, many more.

Mr. GRIMM

Mr. GRIMM. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I am almost at a loss for words when I hear that we are taking away the protections for our seniors, and we're weakening this and we're weakening that. This is simply a commonsense approach to reforming the CFPB and correcting the bureaucratic overreach of Dodd- Frank. Specifically, this bill, very, very simply, replaces a single director model with a five-member bipartisan commission. A bipartisan commission, that's what this bill is doing. A commission has several advantages over a single director. For example, a commission will drastically decrease uncertainty over the rules issued by the CFPB. As the bureau is currently structured, a new director can unilaterally reverse the decisions of his or her predecessors. Such dictatorial power will do nothing but increase uncertainty in our markets, reduce credit access to businesses and consumers; and that stifles job growth. Today, we have unemployment at 9.2 percent. We must stop the job- killing, economy-crushing policies that have come out of Washington, and that's why I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1315.