Steve Israel

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a nonprofit organization that serves my district, Jacob's Light Foundation. Jacob's Light Foundation has demonstrated an overwhelming amount of commitment to serving the Long Island community. My constituents rely on our nonprofits for the vital services they offer. The continuous selfless efforts of those involved with Jacob's Light Foundation are admirable. I am proud to honor Jacob's Light Foundation, Inc. for their extraordinary work in the community.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a nonprofit organization that serves my district, Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk. VIBS has demonstrated an overwhelming amount of commitment to serving the Long Island community. My constituents rely on our nonprofits for the vital services they offer. VIBS' constant selfless efforts are admirable. I am proud to honor Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk for their extraordinary work in the community.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a gentleman in my district, Peter Hutchison. Mr. Hutchison has been recognized as the 2010 New York State Assistant Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State. He was recognized for his outstanding work at Amityville Memorial High School. He has served as an educator for over 31 years, including six as assistant principal at Amityville Memorial High School. I congratulate him on this accomplishment and applaud his contribution to high school education on Long Island.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Half Hollow Hills East High School, which was named the New York State champion of the We the People: The Citizens and the Constitution competition. The We the People competition is an extremely prestigious national academic contest that promotes the study of the United States Constitution. The students from Half Hollow Hills East who participated in the simulated congressional hearings were judged on their knowledge of and ability to apply the Constitution to current events. The students earned the best scores of the nine high schools that competed in the New York State Final Hearings in March and as a result, will represent New York State in the national finals. I am proud to recognize Half Hollow Hills East High School for this outstanding academic achievement.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill for one fundamental reason. It is simply the right thing to do. Not for my Party, not for the President, not for the Speaker, not for me. But for the people I represent. The middle class and working families; the backbones of our economy--small businesses--challenged by rising health costs. Few debates have been as long and as passionate as this one. Since last August I have heard the strong voices on both sides of this issue. I have listened to the angry chants of opponents of the bill at Town Hall meetings. I have read the mail from people who insist this is a march towards socialism, that it is a dangerous experiment, that it involves government death panels who will deny senior citizens the life-saving health care they need. I have watched protesters march outside my district office on Long Island. I have seen the repugnant signs here in Washington comparing health care to the Holocaust. I have seen and heard it all. But I have also heard others. They are the average Long Islanders--not rich, not poor, but usually somewhere in between--who live in quiet desperation and concern. The small business owner on Long Island who told me he just received a 22 percent increase in health insurance premiums and agonizes at the prospect of either scaling back the care he provides his workers or scaling back the workers he pays. Under this bill, his business will receive a tax credit to help him provide insurance to his workers. And he will be able to shop for competitive rates and services in a new market-driven ``Health Insurance Exchange.'' The woman who thought health care worked pretty well for her, until her daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. She's been forced to deal with high medical costs to care for her daughter. But, under this bill, she will not have to worry about an insurance company that refuses to pay for her chemotherapy. The middle class family with two kids just out of college who are having trouble finding a job that provides health insurance. Under this bill, those young adults can get coverage on their parents' plans until they turn 26. The retired plumber on the block where I live. One day he came to my house. I thought he wanted to debate this bill with me. Instead, he said: ``I wish you would pass this now. Don't these people know that if they lose their jobs they lose their health care?'' And just yesterday, Mr. Speaker, a small business owner called me with concerns and plentiful questions about the legislation we will vote on today. After I explained it, he said: ``There's been too much confusion about this bill. I wish it had been explained.'' He is right. This bill has changed in over a year of debate. Sometimes in an effort to accept bipartisan recommendations. Sometimes to reduce its cost. While one side has had the responsibility to improve the bill, the other side has taken the opportunity to brand it with mischaracterizations. But now the ink is dry, Mr. Speaker. And the dry ink of this bill represents the best hope to protect the middle class and working families I represent. The small business owner in East Northport who now has a level playing field when shopping for insurance. The family in Sayville who can now keep a child insured until the age of twenty-six. The senior in Deer Park whose drug costs will be covered. The accountant in Huntington who lost his job but will be able to shop for affordable health care. This bill will improve coverage for 485,000 of my constituents with coverage through their employer, give tax credits to as many as 81,000 families and 21,000 small businesses to make health care affordable in my district, and extend coverage to 29,000 uninsured residents of the towns I represent. This bill will reduce our debt. Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office certified that the bill is fully funded and will actually reduce federal deficits by $143 billion in the first 10 years and over a trillion dollars in the next 10. This bill is an urgent reversal from 8 years of ignoring the crisis. Between 2000 and 2008, health insurance premiums doubled, insurance company profits quadrupled, and an additional 6 million Americans became uninsured. As a result, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy today is unpaid medical bills. Without action, these trends will grow worse. These are the middle class families and businesses that have always expanded our economy. But rising health costs and insecurity have undermined the middle class. This bill will provide them with the basic security they need to do what they've always done: build our economy. This vote is no different than the 1965 vote for Medicare. Back then, when one quarter of American seniors were living in poverty and wracked with unpayable medical bills, there were loud voices that said, ``do nothing'' and ``start over'' and ``vote no.'' Public opinion was skeptical then. Had I been in Congress in 1965, and the choice was voting for Medicare and risking my seat, or voting against Medicare and saving my seat, I would have voted for Medicare. It became the backbone of economic security for our senior citizens and helped build a middle class with economic security. This is no different. No less necessary. No less historic.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill for one fundamental reason. It is-simply the right thing to do. Not for my Party, not for the President, not for the Speaker, not for me. But for the people I represent. The middle class and working families; the backbones of our economy--small businesses--challenged by rising health costs. Few debates have been as long and as passionate as this one. Since last August I have heard the strong voices on both sides of this issue. I have listened to the angry chants of opponents of the bill at Town Hall meetings. I have read the mail from people who insist this is a march towards socialism, that it is a dangerous experiment, that it involves government death panels who will deny senior citizens the life-saving health care they need. I have watched protesters march outside my district office on Long Island. I have seen the repugnant signs here in Washington comparing health care to the Holocaust. I have seen and heard it all. But I have also heard others. They are the average Long Islanders--not rich, not poor, but usually somewhere in between--who live in quiet desperation and concern. The small business owner on Long Island who told me he just received a 22 percent increase in health insurance premiums and agonizes at the prospect of either scaling back the care he provides his workers or scaling back the workers he pays. Under this bill, his business will receive a tax credit to help him provide insurance to his workers. And he will be able to shop for competitive rates and services in a new market-driven ``Health Insurance Exchange.'' The woman who thought health care worked pretty well for her, until her daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. She's been forced to deal with high medical costs to care for her daughter. But, under this bill, she will not have to worry about an insurance company that refuses to pay for her chemotherapy. The middle class family with two kids just out of college who are having trouble finding a job that provides health insurance. Under this bill, those young adults can get coverage on their parents' plans until they turn 26. The retired plumber on the block where I live. One day he came to my house. I thought he wanted to debate this bill with me. Instead, he said: ``I wish you would pass this now. Don't these people know that if they lose their jobs they lose their health care?'' And just yesterday, Mr. Speaker, a small business owner called me with concerns and plentiful questions about the legislation we will vote on today. After I explained it, he said: ``There's been too much confusion about this bill. I wish it had been explained.'' He is right. This bill has changed in over a year of debate. Sometimes in an effort to accept bipartisan recommendations. Sometimes to reduce its cost. While one side has had the responsibility to improve the bill, the other side has taken the opportunity to brand it with mischaracterizations. But now the ink is dry, Mr. Speaker. And the dry ink of this bill represents the best hope to protect the middle class and working families I represent. The small business owner in East Northport who now has a level playing field when shopping for insurance. The family in Sayville who can now keep a child insured until the age of twenty-six. The senior in Deer Park whose drug costs will be covered. The accountant in Huntington who lost his job but will be able to shop for affordable health care. This bill will improve coverage for 485,000 of my constituents with coverage through their employer, give tax credits to as many as 81,000 families and 21,000 small businesses to make health care affordable in my district, and extend coverage to 29,000 uninsured residents of the towns I represent. This bill will reduce our debt. Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office certified that the bill is fully funded and will actually reduce federal deficits by $143 billion in the first ten years and over a trillion dollars in the next ten. This bill is an urgent reversal from eight years of ignoring the crisis. Between 2000 and 2008, health insurance premiums doubled, insurance company profits quadrupled, and an additional 6 million Americans became uninsured. As a result, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy today is unpaid medical bills. Without action, these trends will grow worse. These are the middle class families and businesses that have always expanded our economy. But rising health costs and insecurity have undermined the middle class. This bill will provide them with the basic security they need to do what they've always done: build our economy. This vote is no different than the 1965 vote for Medicare. Back then, when one-quarter of American seniors were living in poverty and wracked with un-payable medical bills, there were loud voices that said, ``do nothing'' and ``start over'' and ``vote no.'' Public opinion was skeptical then. Had I been in Congress in 1965, and the choice was voting for Medicare and risking my seat, or voting against Medicare and saving my seat, I would have voted for Medicare. It became the back bone of economic security for our senior citizens and helped build a middle class with economic security. This is no different. No less necessary. No less historic.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank the gentleman. Would the gentleman explain to me what reconciliation has to do with honoring veterans at Iwo Jima?

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, I must say that with all due respect I am profoundly disappointed. I always thought that the one thing that we could all agree on in this body without delay, without distraction, without partisanship and without politics, is honoring our veterans. We are discussing a resolution honoring the veterans of Iwo Jima, and even that has been politicized, even that has been delayed, even that has been distracted. Is there anything that you can agree to do with us? Can they not even agree, Madam Speaker, to pass without delay a resolution honoring our veterans without politicizing it and injecting partisanship into it and delay? We are here to honor our veterans. We are here to honor the memory of people who were at Iwo Jima. And instead we turn it into a political debate on an unrelated issue. And for that I am profoundly disappointed.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank my very good friend. I want every veteran in America who is watching this debate who has at one time or another tried to figure out why it takes so long to get an overdue medal, why they have to wait so long to get a retroactive payment for a disability or PTSD, I want them to remember that tonight, when we try to pass a resolution on Iwo Jima, the Republicans delayed it. When we tried to pass a resolution honoring aviators, the Republicans delayed it. When we are going to try to pass a resolution honoring Cold War veterans, the Republicans delayed it. How can you expect as veterans to have your medical care taken care of promptly when the other side won't even allow us to pass resolutions honoring veterans expeditiously?

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank the gentlewoman and the gentleman, as well, for the bipartisan cooperation that has been demonstrated with respect to this bill. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, supporting a day of recognition for Cold War Veterans. I am very proud to have authored it and sponsored it. It recognizes American heroes who protected our Nation during one of the most perilous times in our history. Madam Speaker, the Cold War began on September 2, 1945, and ended on December 26, 1991, and the years in between were fraught with peril. I, along with many of my colleagues, grew up in the Cold War. I remember going to elementary school and hearing the air raid drill, going out into a hall, bracing myself against a wall covering my head with my arms. There were millions of American children who went through those exercises. Tens of thousands of nuclear warheads were aimed between the United States and the Soviet Union. The world was on hair trigger. And while wars were fought and combat raged in places like Korea and Vietnam, those nuclear missiles never fired. The nuclear conflagration between the United States and the Soviet Union never occurred. It never occurred because of those heroes of the Cold War. They answered President Kennedy's call as we embarked on a path full of hazards. They maintained and defended missile silos and checkpoints. They served on remote B-52 bomber bases and storm-tossed Navy ships. And when they returned, there were no parades; there were no public thanks. They went quietly to their jobs. Until today. Today, they receive that thanks. Today we acknowledge their courage, their valor, and their patriotism. Today we say thank you to those who kept the world safe, who kept the peace, who saved the world from that unimaginable nuclear catastrophe. My bill honors their service, Madam Speaker, and asks that Americans fly their flags high in thanks, that we dedicate 1 day each year to thank them for 50 years of security. Those young children in those elementary schools had to feel great fear during those air raid drills. They may have felt unsafe at the time, but those in dangerous places kept them safe for a generation and more. We thank them for that service. I thank both sides of the aisle for their bipartisan demonstration of support for this bill, and I urge its passage.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the service and accomplishments of Petty Officer James K. Brown, who is retiring following 20 years of service in the United States Navy. IS1 (SW/AW) Brown enlisted in the Navy in 1989 and has had numerous operational deployments including Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Desert Fox, Kosovo, and the Global War on Terrorism. His honors and awards include the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (second award), the Combat Action Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal (sixth award), the NATO Medal for Yugoslavia, and the Joint Staff Identification Badge. Petty Officer Brown's distinguished service reflects greatly upon him and the United States Navy. I thank him for his service to our nation and wish him and his family my sincerest congratulations.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join the people of India and the Indian Diaspora as they celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colors. Holi is a time when communities come together after a long winter to welcome the spring harvest. It is a visually stunning event with thousands of people tossing colored powders in the air and using dyed water in an atmosphere where culture, camaraderie and oneness are celebrated. In the evening, community bonfires are lit to signify triumph over divisiveness and negativity. It is one of the largest festivals in the world, with over one billion Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists participating throughout India, Nepal, the United States and many other nations. As a member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I would like to commend the Hindu American Foundation for educating Americans about Holi and the Hindu faith and join them in recognizing this year's Festival of Colors.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, a group of impressive students from the Huntington High School Fashion Program joined First Lady Michelle Obama for a historic occasion, the donation of her Inauguration gown to the Smithsonian's First Ladies Collection. These students impressed and inspired the First Lady a year ago when their teachers challenged them to design an Inauguration gown fit for the new First Lady. They studied both Michelle Obama and the work of other designers. They then sent a book of their designs to the First Lady. More than a year later, the First Lady remembered that project and it when it was time to arrange for her Smithsonian ceremony she asked the Huntington High School students to join her in Washington, DC for the special event. Madam Speaker, all of Long Island couldn't be more proud of the work of the Huntington High School students. We are equally proud of their teachers who challenged them with this creative project. These teachers thought big. They thought outside the box. And they along with their students are being rightfully rewarded with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Madam Speaker, I thank First Lady Michelle Obama for her thoughtful inclusion of the Huntington High School Fashion Program in this ceremony and I commend Huntington High School's students, teachers, parents and administrators whose great efforts led to this special recognition.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a student in my district, Kelly Weinsenseel, from West Babylon High School. Kelly will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, she wrote her own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Kelly for her academic and personal achievements and congratulate her upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge four students in my district, Sabrina Morales, Priscilla King, Lakeitha Lyles, and Diana Edouard, from Wyandanch Memorial High School. These students will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, they wrote their own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Sabrina, Priscilla, Lakeitha, and Diana for their academic and personal achievements and congratulate them upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge four students in my district, Amanda Prunty, Samantha O'Rourke, Cedric Wilson, and Allison Menditto, from Bay Shore High School. These students will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, they wrote their own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Amanda, Samantha, Cedric, and Allison for their academic and personal achievements and congratulate them upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a student in my district, Tiffani Jones, from Central Islip High School. Tiffani will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, she wrote her own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Tiffani for her academic and personal achievements and congratulate her upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge two students in my district, Arianna Pantin and Janai Clark, from Deer Park High School. Arianna and Janai will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, they wrote their own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Arianna and Janai for their academic and personal achievements and congratulate them upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge two students in my district, Ashley Moreno and Jamilah Lindo, from Amityville High School. These students will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, they wrote their own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Ashley and Jamilah for their academic and personal achievements and congratulate them upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge five students in my district, Alfred Muller, Arosa Arshad, Dimitri Jones, Ebonee Padilla, and Estefonia Yactayo, from Brentwood High School. These students will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, they wrote their own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Alfred, Arosa, Dimitri, Ebonee and Estefonia for their academic and personal achievements and congratulate them upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a student in my district, Christina Caputo, from Half Hollow Hills West High School. Christina will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, she wrote her own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Christina for her academic and personal achievements and congratulate her upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge two students in my district, Valerie Kutzler and Audrey Zamichaw, from East Islip High School. Valerie and Audrey will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, they wrote their own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Valerie and Audrey for their academic and personal achievements and congratulate them upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge five students in my district, Emily Smith, Alda Yuan, Jaime Zahl, Alyssa Griffin, and Stephanie Schneider, from Islip High School. These students will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, they wrote their own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Emily, Alda, Jaime, Alyssa, and Stephanie for their academic and personal achievements and congratulate them upon the receipt of this prestigious award.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a student in my district, Lindsey Lefeber, from Northport High School. Lindsey will receive the Honoring Our Future Leaders Award on February 27, 2010. To win this award, she wrote her own rendition of the ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. I am proud to honor Lindsey for her academic and personal achievements and congratulate her upon the receipt of this prestigious award.