Brian Higgins

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, an alarming number of former employees at Bethlehem Steel in western New York are now suffering from cancer and other diseases due to radiation exposure as a result of having unknowingly worked with and around uranium during the Cold War. After a multiyear fight, and thanks to the determination of workers and their families, those who were employed at the site from 1949 to 1952 are eligible for $150,000 in compensation for their injuries. However, the cutoff at 1952 is arbitrary because no serious mitigation was undertaken until 1976. Madam Speaker, those workers should also be eligible for just compensation. I am working with our Senators to urge the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to meet with these workers, hear their stories, and finally grant them eligibility for just compensation.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, a recent report issued by American and Canadian scientists for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans reveals alarming findings regarding the health of our Great Lakes. The report warns that Asian carp are closer to entering the Great Lakes than we had anticipated. When introduction occurs, it will be irreversible and devastating to the ecology of the lakes and the economy of the region. This report is an urgent reminder that it is imperative that we intensify our efforts and act immediately to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. Today, I, along with 15 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, sent a bipartisan letter to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers calling attention to this study, and urging swift action on the threat of the Asian carp to the Great Lakes environment. Keeping our waters healthy and free of invasive species is a Federal responsibility. It's time to act--and to act now.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, the new Federal courthouse in Buffalo opened last November. It opened to great fanfare, and rightly so, because it is a beautiful building that enhances our community and will provide needed space for the crucial work that is done there. But the opening of the courthouse was also significant to western New York because it did not come easily. In the 1990s, Federal Judges William Skretny and Richard Arcara began to make the case that the Michael Dillon Courthouse in Buffalo was no longer suitable for the growing caseload of the Western District of New York. The United States Judicial Conference agreed, and they ranked a new courthouse in Buffalo near the top of the list of new facilities it annually sends to Congress. Yet Judges Skretny and Arcara watched along with the rest of our community as Congress repeatedly passed over Buffalo for other facilities around the country. But the judges kept fighting, and so did Buffalo. We finally passed the funding through Congress in 2007, and we now have a magnificent 10-story structure right on historic Niagara Square that we can be proud of. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today would name this new courthouse for Supreme Court Justice, chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, Solicitor General and U.S. Attorney General Robert H. Jackson. He is a uniquely western New York story and a uniquely American story. Robert Jackson was raised near Jamestown, New York, and spent the first 42 years of his life in western New York. For a time, he lived on Johnson Park, now in the shadow of the new courthouse, and practiced law in the historic Ellicott Square Building. He would often walk to work from his home, passing the site where the new courthouse now sits. He was a prominent attorney in Buffalo when he was called to Washington by President Franklin Roosevelt. As U.S. Solicitor General, he argued more than 30 cases before the United States Supreme Court, on which he would later sit. Louis Brandeis, the constitutional scholar and a former member of the U.S. Supreme Court, said at the time that Jackson was so good as Solicitor General, he ``should be Solicitor General for life.'' And as U.S. Attorney General, Jackson focused on national security issues as the United States headed toward involvement in World War II. Robert Jackson served the United States Supreme Court for 13 terms and took part in the landmark decision prohibiting segregation, Brown v. Board of Education. He is celebrated as among the most accomplished writers in the Court's history. In fact, constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe called him ``the most piercingly eloquent writer ever to serve on the United States Supreme Court.'' At the request of President Truman, Jackson took a leave of absence from the Court to serve as the chief prosecutor of Nazi war criminals at the International Military Tribunal, commonly known as the Nuremberg trials. He designed and was the driving force behind this first international trial, bringing Nazi criminals to justice while establishing an important foundation of international law. In his oral arguments at Nuremberg, he spoke not only to the assembled tribunal, he spoke to the world of the American ideals of justice and freedom, and of freedom being the essence of man. He said America's history and promise is to help other nations define freedom in their own terms. Jackson's oral arguments at Nuremberg are considered among the greatest speeches of the 20th century. Shortly after the Nuremberg trials concluded, Justice Jackson was invited to speak at the University of Buffalo's centennial celebration at Kleinhans Music Hall on October 4, 1946. With over 2,000 people in attendance, Jackson's speech was delivered with power and eloquence. In it, he said that ``education is humanity's hope,'' connecting his work at Nuremberg to the work of the university, and he received an honorary degree of doctor of laws from the University of Buffalo. The leadership of the western district of New York has endorsed naming their building in honor of Justice Jackson. Judge Skretny called him the most distinguished jurist and most acclaimed legal mind to come out of western New York. Jackson is the only member of the United States Supreme Court from western New York, making this honor especially significant. I want to thank Chairman Mica and Ranking Member Rahall for bringing this bill to the floor today; and I would like to thank the western New York congressional delegation--Kathy Hochul, Louise Slaughter, and Tom Reed--and the entire New York delegation, including our two Senators, for their bipartisan and unanimous support of this bill. This is a proud day for western New York, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor to talk about the extraordinary transformation in the city of Buffalo and Buffalo's waterfront. The national publication, The Economist, had declared last week that the city of Buffalo is back in business. Buffalo was once an industrial economy and an industrial working waterfront. Today, there is a transformation of public places along the water's edge attracting some 800,000 people from all over Buffalo, western New York, and southern Ontario into the city of Buffalo. There are 425 cultural and arts events. Four years ago, there were none. Buffalo's last 36 months have been a period of great progress, with tens of millions of dollars of private sector investment following the public investment of infrastructure that has transformed Buffalo's waterfront. The last 36 months have been a period of great progress. The next 36 months are poised to be a period of even greater progress.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Chair, the appropriations process and the budget is not only a spending plan about future priorities, it's also a statement about our values. The United States in 2001 went into Afghanistan and took out the Taliban government. We have also taken out Osama bin Laden. The United States is proposing to spend $88.5 billion again this year in Afghanistan. We're going into our 11th year of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. Eleven years ago, Afghanistan was among the poorest and most corrupt countries on the face of the Earth. Today, it is still among the most corrupt and poorest countries on the face of the Earth. We've lost 2,000 American soldiers, 16,000 wounded. Last week the U.S. Government decided to spend $105 billion rebuilding the infrastructure of this country, less than $53 billion in each of the next 2 years for a Nation of over 300 million. You've just spent $78 billion rebuilding the roads and bridges of Afghanistan, a nation of 30 million people. It's time that we do nation-building right here at home. Of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan, the spiritual and financial home of the Taliban are Kandahar and Helmand provinces, because that is disproportionately where the poppy fields are that finance the Taliban. The literacy rate for women in Kandahar province is 1 percent. The literacy rate for men is about 15 percent. How do you build up an Afghan police force and Afghan national army with people who are illiterate? We have to build schools and we have to build roads to get them to those schools and electricity to power those schools. That, Madam Chairman, is nation-building in Afghanistan. We need to do nation-building right here at home. This $88.5 billion should be directed immediately to rebuild the roads and bridges of this Nation, in America. According to Transportation for America, we have 69,000 structurally deficient bridges. In New York State alone, we have over 2,000 structurally deficient bridges. In my home community of western New York, we have 99 structurally deficient bridges, and no plan to address that. Every second of every day, seven cars drive on a bridge that is structurally deficient. We need to get our priorities in order. We need to reaffirm our values. We need to have a vision for rebuilding America. And the best way to do that is start with this appropriation and reprogramming it right back here at home for nation-building here in America. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Chairman, the Department of Defense oversees important research into the varied threats that face our Nation. This research is essential to safeguarding our communities and empowering research institutions and universities to come up with the creative solutions to detect, confront, and neutralize weapons of mass destruction. My amendment is very straightforward. It would increase funding by $10 million for the defense-wide research, development, test and evaluation account. It is offset by reducing funding for the operation and maintenance defense-wide account. The intent of this amendment is to support the ongoing work that is being performed through basic research programs at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which is the Department of Defense's official Combat Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction. The grants provided by this funding support 160 research projects across the Nation. Twenty-one universities participate in competitive research projects that help to define, detect, and mitigate the proliferation and use of weapons of mass destruction. This important work is providing us with a better understanding of the threats we face and creating new innovative solutions to the security risks posed by a chemical, biological, or nuclear attack on the United States homeland. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment and the important lifesaving research being performed at important institutions across the country. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the tragic crash of Continental Flight 3407 in my western New York community, Congress successfully passed comprehensive airline safety reforms. While final rules have begun to be released for these reforms, there are still many regulations yet to be finalized and implemented. Yesterday, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt and I, along with 44 of our colleagues, sent a letter asking the Federal Aviation Administration to take immediate action on finalizing long overdue rules on crew training. This rule would mandate additional training and evaluation of requirements, ensuring that those working aboard an aircraft are best equipped to handle potential emergency situations. Mr. Speaker, the National Transportation Safety Board found that between 1988 and 2009 inadequate training was found to be a leading factor in 178 accidents. The crash of Flight 3407 was preventable. Each day that these rules go unfinished carries a potential risk to the flying public.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, yesterday New York State's Eric Schneiderman was in western New York to celebrate the passage of New York State's I-STOP law. This law uses online databases to connect doctors and pharmacists helping to combat the tragic prescription drug abuse epidemic. I was pleased to join the effort by leading a bipartisan State delegation letter in support of this law. While there are many important players in the passage of this bill, I would like to especially congratulate Senator Tim Kennedy, Avi and Julie Israel for their efforts. The passage of I-STOP raises awareness of the growing importance of integrating health information technology and electronic medical records into the field of health care. Madam Speaker, I am hopeful that other States move to implement this and other electronic medical record technologies. This is a serious problem, and it is our responsibility to act swiftly.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, in my home town of Buffalo, New York, nearly half the Bills games were blacked out last season because, despite an average game attendance of 67,000, the games were not sellouts because Ralph Wilson Stadium is one of the largest in the league. Last week, we learned that NFL owners passed a resolution allowing teams to decide to broadcast games locally when more than 85 percent of seats are filled. This is a change to current policy, which requires a stadium to be sold out. If teams embrace this new policy, it will be a game changer for football fans in Buffalo and across the Nation. This change would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of loyal sports fans, including Sports Fans Coalition, the Buffalo Fan Alliance, and the Bills Mafia. I urge the NFL owners to opt into this policy and the Federal Communications Commission to consider a similar policy change. Fans support their local stadiums with their tax dollars. It's time for teams to give back something in return for that commitment that they have made.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, the Republican majority of this House is holding the American people and its economy hostage in a cynical ploy to keep the economy from growing and creating jobs. In the year 2000, 12 years ago, the Federal budget had a $258 billion surplus that was a direct result of having created 22 million private sector jobs under the Clinton administration. New road and bridge projects were funded and American businesses were providing the labor and equipment to help rebuild the Nation's infrastructure. In the year 2001, the new Republican administration came in and looted a surplus that they didn't create to finance two tax cuts we couldn't afford and two wars that took over $1 trillion out of the American economy. They ruined the American economy by losing more jobs than in any period in the past 60 years and created a financial crisis not seen since the Great Depression. The Republican Party and their failed policies took us from record surplus to record deficit. In 2009, the Republicans handed this mess over to the current President and have vowed not to help him rebuild this Nation and its economy. They have created a phony debt limit crisis that reverberated throughout the American economy and the financial markets. The debt ceiling crisis cost American investors $18 million and led to a downgrade of the Nation's credit rating. This debt limit crisis imposed a tax on the American people that did real and permanent damage. Default, or the threat of default, will exact more economic damage on an already fragile recovery, and they're threatening to do it all again later this year--this, despite the fact that the House Republican budget resolution spends $1 trillion more than it takes in in revenue. The logical consequence of their budget, the Republican budget, is to raise the debt ceiling. We need to nation build right here in America. Our Nation's roads and bridges are falling part. You have 69,000 structurally deficient bridges in this Nation. Every second of every day, seven cars drive on a bridge that is structurally deficient. The Senate and the House just passed a $105 billion transportation bill to spend less than $53 billion in each of the next 2 years. While it is something, it's weak-- in fact, it's pathetically weak. It will fill a few potholes, surely, but won't reconstruct roads or build bridges. It will create some jobs but won't put a dent in the unemployment rate. We need to do nation building right here at home in America. Congress just spent $65 billion rebuilding the roads and bridges of Iraq, a nation of 26 million people. You just spent $78 billion rebuilding the roads and bridges of Afghanistan, a nation of 30 million people. And all you can come up with is $53 billion for nation building in America, our Nation, a Nation of over 300 million people. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave us a D grade, and they and the United States Chamber of Commerce agree that the poor quality of America's infrastructure costs our economy hundreds of billions of dollars in lost growth. To grow this economy and create jobs, we need to invest in rebuilding the roads, bridges, water, and sewer systems of this country. According to the New America Foundation, a 5-year, $1.2 trillion American rebuilding plan would create 27 million jobs. In the first year alone, the economy would add 5.2 million jobs, or 433,000 jobs each month, and the economy would grow by over $400 billion. Unemployment would be reduced to 6.2 percent in the first year alone and 5.6 percent in the second year. This is a real and compelling jobs plan. The best tax policy is to bring back into the economy lost taxpayers and to buy labor, materials, equipment, and services from American small businesses. Austerity didn't work in the United States in 1937, it didn't work in Japan in the 1990s, and it's not working in Europe and the United States today. To grow the economy, we need to invest and save. House Republicans need to stop whining about China and stand up for America.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, the Peace Bridge is the second-busiest crossing at the U.S.-Canada border. Expediting traffic at the bridge is essential to the economic future of western New York. The historic Beyond the Border agreement between the United States and Canada raises the possibility of pre-inspecting much of the U.S.- bound cargo traffic on the Canadian side of the border crossing. I have repeatedly advocated that the Department of Homeland Security initiate a pilot program for commercial pre-inspection at the Peace Bridge. Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo added his strong support for this proposal. What Governor Cuomo understands, Madam Speaker, is that the pre- inspection at the Peace Bridge would go a long way toward improving congestion at the bridge and, thereby, further integrating the western New York economy with that of southern Ontario. The success of the western New York economy is undoubtedly tied to predictable, reliable access into and out of Canada. Let's take the steps necessary to open up this bottleneck.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I recently added my name to a resolution introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro to honor the Catholic sisters for their contributions to this country and to my community. I grew up in the shadows of the Mercy Convent of south Buffalo, New York. The sisters came to Buffalo in 1858, started hospitals to heal the sick, schools to teach the ignorant, and to help all of us see the gifts of God's presence in a changing world. The sisters take a vow of poverty and obedience to serve God and God's people, particularly women and children. The Vatican says that the sisters are failing to uphold the Catholic doctrine and appointed three bishops to rein them in. The sisters reject the Vatican's assessment of their life work and vow to fight. In scripture, Jesus says: ``Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me.'' The sisters are doing God's work with courage, conviction, and selflessness. May God's guiding wisdom continue to inspire their good works.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, every day more and more cancer patients across the country are denied coverage for smart drugs because insurance companies refuse to cover them. A resident in my district called my office last month to say that her insurance company refused to cover an oral chemotherapy drug she was prescribed to fight her cancer because her policy only covered generic drugs. Madam Speaker, the insurance paradigm has not kept pace with the science, and this is unacceptable. That is why I have introduced H.R. 2746, the Cancer Drug Coverage Parity Act, to mandate parity in coverage for all forms of chemotherapy, whether they're administered orally or through the vein. I urge colleagues to support this legislation because cancer treatment should be determined by a physician, not by arbitrary and outdated insurance policies.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, the Great Lakes are our most threatened national assets, yet they are the largest source of fresh water in the world, and account for $7 billion in economic activity annually. In my western New York community, the resurgence of our Inner and Outer Harbors along Lake Erie is an important reminder of the relationship between the health of the Great Lakes and our region's economic future. The State Department is finalizing a revision to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with Canada. This important agreement expresses a joint commitment to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes ecosystem. Madam Speaker, I recently joined my congressional colleagues in the Great Lakes region in asking the State Department for the status of this agreement and have offered to host a signing ceremony between the United States and Canada in Buffalo, New York. It is more important than ever before to affirm our commitment to protecting the health of the Great Lakes.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, in the past year, the United States Postal Service has attempted to close thousands of its facilities across the Nation. Though many, including the mail processing facility in Buffalo, have been spared, the process gives me no confidence that the current postal leadership should lead this organization during this challenging time. Regarding the proposed closures, postal executives discourage public engagement, refuse to provide information on how they reach their often contradictory conclusions, and dismiss the idea that they were accountable to this body or to the public. That is why I'm calling on the Postal Board of Governors to proceed with immediate action to replace Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. Mr. Speaker, I don't take this action lightly, but I believe that we are left with no choice. We must protect the institution of the Postal Service and the people and businesses it serves.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Chairman, my amendment, which is cosponsored by Representative Stivers, is a bipartisan effort to provide essential public safety funding to communities across the country that have been determined to be at high risk of a terrorist threat. This amendment would provide for an additional $58 million to State and local grant programs that the Secretary of Homeland Security should use to increase eligibility for the Urban Areas Security Initiatives to all communities at high risk, including Buffalo, which I represent. The intent is to restore the eligibility of these communities to again participate in the UASI program after being unfortunately cut out in the past. The Buffalo-Niagara region was made ineligible without merit. The area includes four international border crossings and the busiest passenger crossing along the northern border with Canada, the largest electricity producer in New York State, and the area was home to the al Qaeda terrorist cell, the Lackawanna Six. It sits along two Great Lakes, which contain the largest freshwater supply in the world, and is within a 500-mile radius of 55 percent of the American population and 62 percent of the Canadian population. Buffalo is not alone either. Border communities like El Paso, San Antonio, and Austin were cut as well. Cities in close proximity to large ports, refineries, and utilities like Columbus, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, and Oklahoma City were cut as well. Thirty-six communities in total were cut from all across the country. Now, as we are only beginning to realize the threats posed by these places, is it penny-wise and pound-foolish to leave them without the resources to maintain the capacity gains they developed throughout this program? Mr. Chairman, the 9/11 Commission made it clear that protecting the homeland from terrorist threats can and should be a Federal priority. Yet the Department has hedged on this commitment by excluding too many vulnerable communities that need to participate in this Department of Homeland Security program. We know that the threats to these areas are real, and we should be doing everything possible to provide law enforcement with the tools to prevent and to respond to them. Again, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment because the terrorist threat to these communities is real and it is dynamic. We should be doing everything that we can to empower these communities to protect themselves from these threats. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan amendment to provide adequate funding for the non-defense environmental cleanup program. One of the most important roles of government is to protect public health and safety. However, the amount of money appropriated in this bill is insufficient to do one of these most important areas. Our amendment ensures that nuclear cleanup sites get the funding they need to protect surrounding communities from radioactive contamination. In my community and that of Mr. Reed's in western New York, the West Valley Nuclear Waste Reprocessing Plant was established in the 1960s in response to a Federal call to commercialize the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel from power reactors. Just a few years ago, the site ceased operation, and more than 600,000 gallons of high-level radioactive waste was left behind, posing a significant and enduring hazard. This site, prone to erosion, contains streams that drain into Lake Erie, located just 30 miles away. We have already seen a leak on the site develop into a plume of radioactive groundwater. If this radioactive waste makes its way into the Great Lakes, the largest source of surface fresh water in the world, the environmental and economic implications would be devastating. Without question, this hazardous and radioactive waste and the contamination that remains is one of our Nation's largest environmental liabilities. Mr. Chairman, in these cleanup efforts, time is money. Failing to adequately fund the non-defense environmental cleanup program decelerates cleanup efforts. For the past four decades, progress in cleaning up West Valley has been delayed by legal disputes and funding shortfalls. For West Valley, this means $30 million in added maintenance costs per year. In the current budgetary climate, it is more important than ever that the Federal Government use taxpayers' money most efficiently. Mr. Chairman, we cannot jeopardize the irreplaceable natural resources of the Great Lakes or the communities and resources near other nuclear sites across this Nation by continuing to underfund this cleanup program. I'm proud to work with my friend and colleague, Mr. Reed, on this important issue, and I urge support on this bipartisan amendment to ensure we finish the job.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary career of Robert M. Chur, the Chief Executive Officer and majority shareholder of 19 independent, assisted living and skilled nursing companies in my home community of Western New York. These combined entities, which represent Bob's hard work and dedication to service, currently employ 2,800 full and part-time employees, and care for more than 5,000 people each year throughout the Western and Central New York area. Before beginning his outstanding career, Bob served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from St. Lawrence University, and received his MBA in Marketing Management from Syracuse University. Remarkably, Bob has been affiliated with over 25 organizations throughout his career; sitting on various Boards of Directors, and serving as Chairman, President, and holding many other esteemed positions. Bob has also received numerous awards for his service including his 2004 Health Care Hero for Lifetime Achievement award from Business First of Buffalo, and his 2010 ACHA Gold Award for Quality from ElderWood Health Care at Wedgewood. Nine of Bob's skilled facilities and five of his assisted living facilities have earned the Bronze and Silver Awards for Quality from the American Health Care Association. As a result, it comes as little surprise that in 2012 Robert was named one of Western New York's most influential business leaders by Buffalo Business First. It is very easy to see why Bob's facilities have won many accolades over the years. In late April, I was proud to visit one of Bob's facilities, Westwood Village, located in West Seneca, New York, as they welcomed their 1,000th resident, and Bob's company's success was self- evident: they care for people in the most dignified and respectful manner, assisting seniors as they transition through new chapters of their lives. Bob's facilities are not ``nursing homes,'' in the traditional use of that term. Bob, his family and staff members work as hard as they can to simply make his facilities home for the many thousands of Western New Yorkers whom they serve. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to honor Bob Chur on his exemplary career and celebrate his retirement. I thank him for his warm friendship and for his dedicated service to his country and to his community. I know that you and all of our colleagues join with me in wishing Bob good health and the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Antonio S. Restaino, Jr., who passed away on Sunday June 3, 2012 at the age of 78. Mr. Restaino was born in Niagara Falls in 1934 to the late Antonio and Pasqualina Restaino, where he attended local schools until he began his service in the United States Air Force in 1951. Antonio served his country during the Korean War until his honorable discharge on November 5th, 1953. After returning home from his service in the Air Force, Mr. Restaino married Rose M. (Morreale) Restaino in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Niagara Falls on June 11th, 1955. Mr. Restaino began his career working at Bell Aircraft before he was hired by the City of Niagara Falls in 1958 and promoted to the position of Supervisor of Construction and Maintenance in the Sewer & Water Department. In April 1987, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Niagara Falls Convention Center, and in 1988 was assigned to the Niagara Falls Waste Water Treatment Plant as Chief of Buildings & Grounds where he served until his retirement in October 1988. In addition to his wife of fifty years, Mr. Restaino is survived by his children, grandchildren, sisters and a large and loving extended family. But Mr. Restaino enjoyed a relationship with another extended family--the good people of the city of Niagara Falls. Following his retirement, Mr. Restaino remained a very active and effective contributing member of his beloved hometown community. He garnered much praise for his work with local organizations and received many awards for his service, which included a 1993 award for Outstanding Service from the Niagara Falls Democratic Committee, a 2004 Diocese of Buffalo Lay Award of St. Joseph the Worker, and a 2010 Cittadini Speciali, ``Special Citizen'' Award from the Pine Avenue Business Association. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me and with members of the House to express our deepest condolences to the family of the late Antonio S. Restaino, Jr., and join with me in recognizing the many good works he performed during his long and full life. May he rest in peace, and may his family know and understand the tremendous impact that Mr. Restaino had on the city, state and country that he loved so much.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of May as National Cancer Research Month. We have made many promising advances in cancer research, including at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in my Buffalo community. Beyond traditional chemotherapy, cancer research has produced new discoveries, including smart drugs and vaccines for both prevention and therapy. Madam Speaker, the only failure in cancer research is when you quit or you're forced to quit because of lack of funding. Our budget should reflect our Nation's priorities. We all say cancer research is a priority, but Congress then cuts funding to the National Cancer Institute. I urge my colleagues--in the strongest possible terms--to make a strong investment in cancer-research funding. Let's give our scientists and researchers the support that they need.

Mr. HIGGINS

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, last week we learned that the Williams Street mail processing facility in my Buffalo community will remain open despite proposals by the Postal Service to close it. While this is welcome news, I remain deeply disappointed by the ``decide first and justify later'' approach that the Postal Service has used throughout this process. From failing to notify residents of proposed closures to poor record-keeping at public meetings, the amount of community involvement in this process has been unacceptable, and now postal workers are faced with uncertainty as the status of their place of employment remains unclear. Mr. Speaker, we must take advantage of this temporary moratorium on closures in order to take a serious look at the facility closure process and to make much-needed reforms.