Paul Kanjorski

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, over the last 26 years it has been an enormous honor and privilege to represent the people of the 11th congressional district of Pennsylvania as a member of this body, and I rise today to express my eternal appreciation to the people who gave me the extraordinary opportunity to serve them. The youngest son of a lawyer and homemaker who was also a teacher, I was blessed to grow up in a loving, supportive family who encouraged me to pursue even the most ambitious goals. Of all the values my parents imparted to their children, none was more important than education. My father, A. Peter Kanjorski, Jr., graduated from the Wharton School class of 1919 before completing law school at the University of Pennsylvania in 1922, while my mother Wanda Nedbalski Kanjorski graduated from Wyoming Seminary before obtaining her degree from Bloomsburg College. All four of my siblings also completed college; Wendy from Marywood College, Aloise from the Connecticut College for Women, A. Peter III from the Wharton School as well as the University of Pennsylvania law school, and Charie from the University of Florida. This tradition has continued to my parents' grandchildren, as all 13 have earned their college degrees and some have pursued graduate degrees. My daughter, Nancy, for example, has earned her doctorate in geophysics. In light of the importance my parents placed on education, therefore, it was extremely distressing for them to realize that at the age of 10 I was still having great difficulty learning how to read, because of what I now realize was most probably an undiagnosed case of dyslexia. My mother and older sisters, most especially my sister Allie, became my personal tutors. Under their guidance, I became a voracious reader and eagerly consumed historical biographies. From reading about Arthur Vanderberg and Daniel Webster, I learned about congressional pages and convinced Congressman Ed Bonin, the representative for the 11th district of Pennsylvania, to appoint me in 1953. I met my lifelong best friend Bill Emerson when we started as pages together, and we were unfortunate witnesses to the first terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol when Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire on the floor of the House on March 1, 1954. Bill returned to Congress in 1981 as a Republican representative from Missouri, and I followed him 4 years later as a Democratic representative from Pennsylvania. Our political views were starkly different, but we respected one another's views and disagreed agreeably. Those of us lucky enough to be citizens of the United States are privileged to be experiencing the noblest experiment the world has ever known: democratic self-governance. As representatives of the people, we in Congress must be the guardians of that experiment, and in the words of Abraham Lincoln, ensure that it does not perish from this earth. Our constituents have entrusted us to do our very best to make the United States a better place, the reason every one of us sought to serve in Congress. It is a sacred trust, and one I hope that no Member of Congress ever forgets. The people of the 11th congressional district of Pennsylvania gave me a gift for which I will be forever grateful, and to them I would like to say thank you.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Charles J. Graziano on being honored as this year's ``Person of the Year'' by the Italian American Association of Luzerne County. The Italian American Association of Luzerne County will hold its 33rd annual Columbus Day Dinner Dance in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on October 10, 2010. The Association currently has over 200 members. Each year, the Italian American Association of Luzerne County recognizes an individual who has shown distinguished service to the organization and the community as its ``Person of the Year.'' This award honors an individual who has displayed dedication and leadership in the Association. It also recognizes an individual who has volunteered their time throughout the community, and an individual who over the past year has promoted Italian American culture, preserved Italian American traditions, and worked to instill family values. This year's recipient is Charles J. Graziano of Pittston, Pennsylvania. Mr. Graziano was born in Pittston on September 6, 1950. He is the son of Joseph and Mary Leo Graziano. Mr. Graziano graduated from Pittston Area High School in 1968 before attending Wilkes College where he studied Commerce and Finance. After graduation from Wilkes College in 1972, Mr. Graziano attended The American Academy and McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York City. He graduated from the Academy in 1973. For the past 37 years, Mr. Graziano has worked as Funeral Director at the Graziano Funeral Home in Pittston Township. He is the third generation of the Graziano family to operate the funeral service over the past 110 years. A lifelong resident of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Mr. Graziano is a member at St. Rocco's Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Graziano currently resides in Pittston with his wife, Mary Lou. They have two children, Joseph and Silvana. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. Charles Graziano on this auspicious occasion. His lifelong commitment to the Northeastern Pennsylvania community illustrates he is most deserving of this achievement.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the 100th anniversary of Saint Michael's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The foundations of St. Michael's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church began in the late 19th Century when Eastern European immigrants came to Northeastern Pennsylvania to work in its mining industries. The first group of western Ukrainian immigrants settled in Hazleton in the 1880s. In 1910 a small group of Ukrainian immigrants purchased a church in Hazleton from the local Lithuanian community for $5,700, and established St. Michael's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Despite limited resources and through hard labor, the founders paid back the debt they owed in one year. The Church initially had 70 member families in 1910, and by 1912 that number had doubled. The Church, however, was in great need of repairs. Over the next 100 years, the members of the Church and its leadership would undertake extensive renovations to upgrade and maintain their place of worship. The first renovations began in the 1920s, when Rev. Joseph Boyarchuk led the congregation to paint the interior of the Church. In 1926, despite continued hard economic times, Rev. Lawrence Zakrevsky led a renovation of the exterior of the Church. After a fire damaged the Church in 1935, the exterior was again replaced in the 1940s under the guidance of Rev. Andrew Ulicky, and in 1949, a new tile floor was added. During the 1950s, the interior was redecorated under Father Shymansky, and a $4,000 iconostasis was installed. After St. Michael's Church was rededicated in 1954, further renovations continued. In 1957 the roof was replaced, and during the 1970s new doors were added and renovations were made to the property's sidewalks. In honor of the Church's 75th anniversary in 1985, the windows were replaced and the Church's interior was again repainted. Under the current leadership of Monsignor James Melnic, upgrades and renovations have continued to the building and its grounds. On Sunday, October 31, 2010 the Church will celebrate its centennial anniversary with a Pontifical Divine Liturgy. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing this milestone. Over the past 100 years, the dedicated members of St. Michael's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church have demonstrated great pride in preserving the religious community that their ancestors worked so hard to create.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Mr. Joseph A. Paglianite, this year's recipient of the ``Lifetime Achievement'' award from the Italian American Association of Luzerne County. The Italian American Association of Luzerne County will hold its 33rd annual Columbus Day Dinner Dance in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on October 10, 2010. The Association currently has over 200 members. Each year, the Association honors one of its members with its ``Lifetime Achievement'' award. Members meeting broad criteria are nominated and the award is ultimately selected by the Association's Board of Directors. This year's recipient is Joseph A. Paglianite of Dallas, Pennsylvania. Mr. Paglianite was born in Wyoming, Pennsylvania on October 13, 1925. He is the son of Antonio and Mary Paglianite. Mr. Paglianite graduated from Wyoming High School before working as a wielder and inspector in the aircraft manufacturing industry. After a short time working in the aircraft manufacturing industry, Mr. Paglianite was motivated by his Uncle's pizzeria to change careers and enter into the pizza business. In 1953, he opened Joe's Pizza in Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania. By 1960, with the help of his brother-in-law, Mr. Paglianite had transformed Joe's Pizza into Grotto Pizza, and they opened their first restaurant in Delaware. Over the next few years, Grotto Pizza's success in Delaware led to more locations throughout the state. In 1988, a fire destroyed the original restaurant in Pennsylvania. Mr. Paglianite and his family rebuilt a new 650-seat restaurant on the original site, and two more restaurants in Edwardsville and Wilkes- Barre quickly followed. Today, along with the three locations in Northeastern Pennsylvania, there exist eighteen Grotto Pizza restaurants in Delaware. Mr. Paglianite's success as an entrepreneur has been an inspiration throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. This year, the Luzerne County Community College will open the Joseph A. Paglianite Culinary Institute. Mr. Paglianite has donated over one million dollars to LCCC for the development of the new Culinary Institute and a scholarship program for first-year culinary students. Mr. Paglianite is a member of the Plymouth Rotary Club and a member of the Gate of Heaven Roman Catholic Church in Dallas. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Joseph A. Paglianite on this auspicious occasion. His hard work and generosity will continue to live on in northeastern Pennsylvania for generations.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Mr. Leo P. Vergnetti, this year's recipient of the Columbus Day Association of Lackawanna County's ``Man of the Year'' award. Mr. Vergnetti will be honored at the Columbus Day Association of Lackawanna County's 102nd annual banquet in Dickson City, Pennsylvania on October 10, 2010. Mr. Vergnetti is a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Anthony and Angeline Vergnetti. Since 1972 he has owned and operated LPV Enterprises, Inc., the sole food and beverage vendor in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Since 1994, Mr. Vergnetti has been President of Vergnetti Consulting, Inc. He is also an agent with Northeast Insurance and Financial Consultants. Throughout this career, Mr. Vergnetti has been dedicated to helping individuals suffering from drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. Since 1994 he has served as an Aftercare Coordinator and Counselor at Clear Brook, Inc., helping to organize intervention services and support groups with schools, churches and other community organizations. He also serves as a liaison with the Lackawanna County Treatment Court, and has served on the Medical and Legal Advisory Board of the Pennsylvania Drug and Alcohol Commission for the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. In addition to his dedicated work with drug and alcohol addiction support services, Mr. Vergnetti has generously donated his time to numerous community and public service organizations throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society Ball of Hope, the Northeast Theater Group, the Arts and Cultural Commission of Lackawanna County, the Lackawanna County Council on Transportation, and the Lackawanna County Council on Economic Development. Mr. Vergnetti currently resides in Scranton. He has nine children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Mr. Leo P. Vergnetti as the Columbus Day Association of Lackawanna County's Man of the Year. Throughout his career he has been dedicated to improving the quality of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Ned and Mary Ann Abrahamsen on receiving the Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award from Lackawanna Pro Bono. Lackawanna Pro Bono is a non-profit organization established in 1997 to increase the availability of free legal representation for low- income individuals and families throughout Lackawanna County. Over the past thirteen years they have organized local attorneys to volunteer their time to provide representation in over 2,000 cases, and in the process have helped nearly 5,000 residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Lackawanna Pro Bono will host its second annual Fundraising Gala on October 21, 2010 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. For the second year, Lackawanna Pro Bono will honor a select number of individuals and organizations who have demonstrated excellent service to the community with its Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award. This year's group of deserving recipients includes Mr. and Mrs. Ned and Mary Ann Abrahamsen of Scranton. Edwin ``Ned'' Abrahamsen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1951. He graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 1973, and received his Juris Doctorate from the Dickinson School of Law in 1976. Mary Ann Conaboy Abrahamsen was born in Scranton in 1951. She graduated from Marywood College in 1973 before also receiving her Juris Doctorate from Dickinson School of Law in 1976. Together, they are partners at Abrahamsen, Conaboy & Abrahamsen in Scranton. Mr. Abrahamsen specializes in personal injury cases, while Mary Ann specializes in family law, particularly in the areas of real estate, wills trusts and estates, and divorce. Their firm has received the Equal Access to Justice Award from the Lackawanna Bar Association and Lackawanna Pro Bono, as well as the Pro Bono Award from their Pennsylvania Bar Association. Throughout their professional careers, Mr. and Mrs. Abrahamsen have continuously donated their time and efforts throughout the community. Mr. Abrahamsen has served as Solicitor of the Scranton School District and School Building Authority and the Old Forge School District, and currently serves as Solicitor of Blakely Borough. He is also Chairman of the Financial Committee of St. Joseph's Church in Scranton. Mrs. Abrahamsen has served as President of the Parents Club at Scranton Preparatory School, Chairman of the Board at Scranton Prep, President of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Poor, and as Secretary of the Lackawanna Bar Association. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Mr. and Mrs. Abrahamsen. Together they have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to community service in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Mr. Peter Bohlin on receiving the 2010 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. The Gold Medal is considered the highest individual honor an architect can receive from the American Institute of Architects. It recognizes ``a significant body of work of lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.'' Mr. Bohlin is the 66th recipient of this prestigious award. Mr. Bohlin graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1959 before receiving his Masters in Architecture from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1961. During his sophomore year of college, Mr. Bohlin's parents moved from New York to Northeastern Pennsylvania. After graduation from Cranbrook, Mr. Bohlin founded Bohlin and Powell in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania with his former Rensselaer classmate Dick Powell. Their first job was to design a home for Mr. Bohlin's parents in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania. Only a few years later, they designed a second home for Mr. Bohlin's parents in Connecticut, known as the famous ``Forest House,'' which landed their small firm on the front page of the New York Times' Home section in 1976. After the success of the ``Forest House,'' Bohlin and Powell continued to expand. Shortly thereafter they opened two more offices in Pennsylvania. In 1989 Bohlin and Powell opened an office in Seattle, Washington after winning a contest to design Bill Gates' home. In 1991 Mr. Powell retired and Bohlin and Powell became the firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. In 1999, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson opened its first office in California to design Pixar Animation Studios. It was at this time the firm established its relationship with Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs. Over the years Apple has hired Bohlin Cywinski and Jackson to design multiple Apple stores across the country, including its famous location on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Today, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson maintains offices in Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco. The firm currently has almost 200 employees. Over the years, Mr. Bohlin and his firms have been recognized for their work on hundreds of occasions by the Pennsylvania Society of Architects, AIA, Business Week, the National Parks Service, and the Society of American Registered Architects, among others. Among his award-winning portfolio of projects, he has designed Seattle's City Hall, buildings throughout the campuses of Yale University and Syracuse University, and the Pocono Environmental Education Center in Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Mr. Bohlin on this remarkable achievement. From his humble beginnings in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Mr. Bohlin has established himself as one of our country's premier architects.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the Scranton Area Foundation on receiving the Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award from Lackawanna Pro Bono. Lackawanna Pro Bono is a non-profit organization established in 1997 to increase the availability of free legal representation for low- income individuals and families throughout Lackawanna County. Over the past 13 years they have organized local attorneys to volunteer their time to provide representation in over 2,000 cases, and in the process have helped nearly 5,000 residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Lackawanna Pro Bono will host its second annual Fundraising Gala on October 21, 2010 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. For the second year, Lackawanna Pro Bono will honor a select number of individuals and organizations who have demonstrated excellent service to the community with its Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award. This year's group of deserving recipients includes the Scranton Area Foundation. The Scranton Area Foundation was initially formed in 1954 as a private foundation. In 1988, the Foundation qualified as a charitable non-profit organization and transitioned into a public community foundation. The Scranton Area Foundation's mission is to ``meet a wide variety of education, cultural, human service, and other charitable needs through Lackawanna County.'' To achieve this goal, the Foundation coordinates charitable giving throughout the Scranton area and Lackawanna County by encouraging and facilitating local philanthropy and matching donations to the community's greatest areas of need. The Foundation educates donors on the different mechanisms of charitable giving and works with them to maximize the effectiveness of their donations. Then, the Foundation's staff directs the donations to the community's arts and culture, economic development, education, environmental, health, and recreational needs. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $8 million in grants throughout the Scranton area and Lackawanna County. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the Scranton Area Foundation on being recognized as a valued asset of Northeastern Pennsylvania. In the years ahead I am confident they will continue to make positive impacts in the growth of our region.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Mr. and Mrs. George and Patti Lynett on receiving the Attorney Robert. W. Munley Distinguished Service Award from Lackawanna Pro Bono. Lackawanna Pro Bono is a non-profit organization established in 1997 to increase the availability of free legal representation for low- income individuals and families throughout Lackawanna County. Over the past 13 years they have organized local attorneys to volunteer their time to provide representation in over 2,000 cases, and in the process have helped nearly 5,000 residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Lackawanna Pro Bono will host its second annual Fundraising Gala on October 21, 2010 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. For the second year, Lackawanna Pro Bono will honor a select number of individuals and organizations who have demonstrated excellent service to the community with its Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award. This year's group of deserving recipients includes Mr. and Mrs. George and Patti Lynett of Scranton. George Lynett graduated from Scranton Preparatory School before attending Holy Cross College. After graduation from Holy Cross, he received his MBA from The University of Scranton before attending Georgetown University Law Center. He is the former publisher of the Times-Tribune and chief executive officer of Times-Shamrock Communications. Patti Lynett graduated from St. Paul High School before attending Marywood University. From 1982 to 1992 she was the co-owner of Helen Schwartz Gifts. Over the past few decades, Mr. and Mrs. Lynett have been involved with numerous organizations throughout the community. Mr. Lynett has served as chairman of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, Scranton Preparatory School, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Foundation, Allied Services, Marywood University and the Scranton Area Foundation. Mrs. Lynett has served as chair of the board of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, and as a board member of Scranton Preparatory School, Marywood University, NEPA Philharmonic, St. Joseph's Center, and Catholic Social Services. She is currently a board member of Moses Taylor Hospital and the Physicians Health Alliance. Together, Mr. and Mrs. Lynett chaired the United Way Drive of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties in 2009. Mr. and Mrs. Lynett currently reside in Scranton. They are the parents of four children, Sheila, George, Jimmy, and Sharon. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing George and Patti Lynett. Together they have improved the lives of a countless number of residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the Greater Hazleton Area Polonaise Society and its annual celebration of Polish American Heritage Month. The Society will mark this year's Polish American Heritage Month with its 33rd annual Polish American Heritage Ball on October 17, 2010 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The Greater Hazleton Area Polonaise Society's mission is to preserve the culture and customs brought to Northeastern Pennsylvania by their ancestors over a century ago. Over the past 33 years, each October the Society has celebrated the history of their ancestors who traveled to the United States, and the lasting impacts they made throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and its mining industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This year's event will also honor the late Reverend Louis S. Garbacik, who served as Chaplain of the Greater Hazleton Polonaise Society for over 23 years. He passed away on January 1, 2010. Reverend Garbacik was born in West Hazleton in 1928. He graduated from Hazle Township High School in 1946 before attending St. Mary's College in Michigan. Following graduation from St. Mary's College in 1950, Reverend Garbacik enrolled at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Michigan. He was officially ordained to the priesthood at St. Gabriel's Church in Hazleton in 1954. Over the past 50 years, Reverend Garbacik led congregations throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. He first was assigned to Gate of Heaven Church in Dallas before being assigned to Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wilkes-Barre. In 1977, Reverend Garbacik was named pastor of Holy Child Parish in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, and in 1983 he also became administrator of Ascension Church in Mocanaqua, Pennsylvania. From 1986 through his retirement in 2006, Reverend Garbacik was pastor of St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church in Hazleton. In 2006 he was appointed pastor emeritus. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the Greater Hazleton Area Polonaise Society and its celebration of Polish American Heritage Month. For over 30 years, the Society has worked to preserve and promote the rich Polish American history in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and this year they will pay special tribute to one of the Society's most dedicated leaders.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the 150th anniversary of Temple Hesed, the oldest synagogue in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Temple Hesed's roots were founded during the mid-19th Century when small groups of worshipers would travel back and forth between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to attend High Holy Day Services. The group, made up mostly of German immigrants, was originally known in the 1840s as ``Chevra Rodef Shalom,'' meaning, ``Brotherhood of the Pursuer of Peace.'' On August 20, 1860, the group was renamed ``Kehilat Anshe Chesed,'' meaning the ``Congregation of the People of Loving-Kindness.'' By 1862, its membership had increased to 27 and was granted a charter. The congregation's first synagogue was located in the 100 block of Linden Street in Scranton. They purchased the land in 1867 from the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, and worshiped in the original synagogue through 1902. During this time, the congregation joined the American Reform Movement, an organization founded by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, who was present to dedicate the original synagogue in Scranton in April of 1867. In 1902, the congregation moved from its original synagogue to a new building on Madison Avenue in Scranton. Over the next few decades, the synagogue was renovated and expanded to accommodate the group's growing membership, and in the 1960s its name was changed to ``The Madison Avenue Temple.'' The congregation moved into its current synagogue off of Lake Scranton Road in 1974, and its name was changed one last time to ``Temple Hesed,'' meaning the ``Temple of Loving Kindness,'' and reflecting the congregation's 19th Century roots. Currently, Temple Hesed remains a member of the American Reform Movement, today known as the Union of Reform Judaism, which now has over 900 member congregations throughout the country. The synagogue promotes a ``welcoming'' environment, and offers traditional worship services along with youth and adult education opportunities to its congregation, which now includes about 180 member families of all lifestyles and backgrounds. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing this remarkable anniversary. Over the past 150 years, Temple Hesed has evolved from a small group of worshipers to a prominent Jewish community in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the 100- year anniversary of the Nanticoke City Fire Department Station No. 4. The Station is located at 108 Espy Street in the Hanover section of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and is home to the Hanover Hose Company, Engine No. 4 of the Nanticoke City Fire Department. The Nanticoke City Fire Department is comprised of seven volunteer fire companies operating out of two fire stations. The Department serves a population of over 10,000 Nanticoke residents, including myself and my wife, and responds not only to fire calls but also EMS calls, motor vehicle accidents, and mutual aid calls with neighboring townships. In 2010, they have responded to over 500 incidents throughout the community. The Hanover Hose Company was originally organized in 1895, making it one of the oldest of the seven volunteer fire companies of the Nanticoke City Fire Department. In 1897, the Hanover Hose Company purchased property at 108 Espy Street in Nanticoke, and donated the property to the local area government--at that time the Nanticoke Borough. Shortly after its donation, the Borough erected an original frame structure on the property where the Company held some of its earliest meetings. In 1910, the Borough replaced the original structure with a brick building, which celebrates its 100-year anniversary this year. The current structure was first home to the Company's hose and chemical truck and horses until 1924. Since then, the building has housed the Company's upgraded fire equipment, including first a Reo Hose and Chemical Truck from 1924 to 1927, and its replacement, an American LaFrance triple combination truck. Since its construction in 1910, the building has also been used as a police station, a jury room, and a library, and has hosted a countless number of community gatherings. Currently, the building at 108 Espy Street in Nanticoke serves as one of two fire stations of the Nanticoke City Fire Department, and currently houses the Hanover Hose Company's 1974 Hahn Pumper. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing this local milestone. Over the past 100 years, 108 Espy Street in Nanticoke has become a symbol of community pride and service.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Thomas E. Pugh on his retirement from the John Heinz Rehabilitation Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Mr. Pugh was born in Hunlock Creek, Pennsylvania in 1942. A lifelong resident of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Mr. Pugh graduated from Northwest Area High School in Shickshinny, Pennsylvania before attending the Pennsylvania State University where he majored in English. Mr. Pugh served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. For the past three decades, Mr. Pugh has worked at the John Heinz Rehabilitation Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, part of the Allied Services network of health care and service organizations that provide rehabilitative, vocational, home care, and residential services throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. John Heinz Rehab specializes in inpatient rehabilitation services, particularly in the areas of brain injury, injured worker recovery, and pediatrics. After almost thirty years working at John Heinz Rehab and Allied Services, Mr. Pugh will retire as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Pugh's exemplary work at John Heinz Rehab over the past few decades has been recognized throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 2009, Mr. Pugh received the Individual Distinguished Service Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Facilities. This award recognizes an individual who, ``by an unusual act or by a significant history of service, has made a substantial contribution to the development of rehabilitation facility or has a marked impact on both the quality and quantity of services provided by rehabilitation programs.'' Throughout his career, Mr. Pugh has also consistently donated his time and efforts throughout the community. He has served on the boards of the Greater Wilkes-Bane Association for the Blind, the Luzerne County Community College Foundation, the Northwest Area School District, and the Arthritis Foundation, where he was honored as ``The Community Leader of the Year'' in 2006. Mr. Pugh has also devoted his time to assisting local veterans, and has been a strong advocate for children suffering from autism and learning disabilities. Mr. Pugh currently resides in Hunlock Creek, Pennsylvania with his wife, the former Christine Cummings. They have four children, Jennifer, Sarah, Rachel, and Matthew. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the remarkable career of Mr. Thomas E. Pugh. Over the past three decades Mr. Pugh has devoted himself in many ways to improving the lives of the residents of our community.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the twentieth anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Twenty years ago, I proudly supported the passage of this landmark legislation in the House of Representatives along with 376 of my colleagues. The Americans with Disabilities Act is often described as the most sweeping nondiscrimination legislation since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Act's purpose is to ``provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.'' It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, public services, and public accommodations to enable millions of disabled Americans to fully function in society. As a result of this Act, employers are no longer allowed to single out disabled individuals in hiring, firing or advancement practices. State and local governments must now follow specific design standards when constructing or altering new buildings to accommodate individuals restricted to wheelchairs, and restaurants and retail stores are required to make reasonable accommodations for disabled individuals. The Act also requires that telecommunication services be provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week for individuals with hearing or speech impairments. Twenty years after its inception, Americans across the country continue to benefit from this legislation. Many of the everyday services and accommodations we now take for granted are a direct result of this ground-breaking law. For example, mass transit systems are now equipped with voice messages to help the visually impaired independently navigate their daily routines, and new stadiums feature accessible seating for those in wheelchairs and their guests. The Americans with Disabilities Act's footprint can be strongly felt throughout my district in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Whether it is access to handicapped parking spaces at the Steamtown Mall, or sidewalk ramps around the public square in Wilkes-Barre, my constituents continue to benefit everyday from this legislation. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the twentieth anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is my sincere hope that in the coming years we continue to remove barriers that prevent our fellow citizens from fully functioning in society.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Mr. Chris DiMattio on being sworn in as the national President of UNICO National. Mr. DiMattio was born in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, in 1966 as the youngest of three children of Louis and Catherine DiMattio. Growing up in Dunmore, he attended St. Anthony of Padua's Grade School and Bishop O'Hara High School. In 1988, Mr. DiMattio graduated from Marywood University in Scranton where he majored in Business Administration and was a member of the Academic Dean's Roundtable and the Student Government. He is currently a Senior Vice President at FNCB Wealth Management Services in Dunmore. Previously, he was an Assistant Vice President at NatWest Financial Markets Group in Scranton. Throughout his academic and professional career, Mr. DiMattio has consistently volunteered his time and efforts throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Lackawanna Branch of the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross, and has also volunteered with the United Way of Lackawanna County and the Scranton Cultural Center. Mr. DiMattio has been a member of the Scranton Chapter of UNICO National since 1990 and served as the Chapter's President from 1997 to 1999. UNICO was originally founded in 1922 by Dr. Anthony P. Vastola as an Italian American service organization to, ``engage in charitable works, support higher education, and perform patriotic deeds.'' In 1947, UNICO merged with another Italian American service organization, the National Civic League, to create UNICO National. Today, UNICO National remains the largest Italian American service organization in the United States. Every year it donates approximately $1 million to numerous charities throughout the country, and, through its Anti-Bias committee, works to overcome negative stereotypes of Italian Americans. Mr. DiMattio has served on UNICO National's National Executive Committee as National Membership & Retention Director from 2003 to 2006 and as Vice President from 2006 to 2010. Mr. DiMattio will be sworn in as the national President of UNICO National at its annual convention being held from July 28 to August 1 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He will become the second Northeastern Pennsylvania resident in the past thirty years to be appointed to this position. Mr. DiMattio currently resides in Moscow, Pennsylvania, with his wife, the former Ann Celli of Peckville, and their two children, Louis Carlo and Robert. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. DiMattio on this auspicious occasion. His exemplary community service record demonstrates he is most deserving of this achievement.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5114, the Flood Insurance Reform Priorities Act of 2010. This legislation would reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through fiscal year 2015 and make several improvements to the program. My Congressional District is home to some of the most flood prone rivers and streams in the United States. Nearly every major rain event causes some type of the flooding for residents and businesses. As a result, the NFIP is a tremendously important program for my constituents and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation. H.R. 5114 contains provisions I authored to help communities that are currently constructing flood control projects where new scientific data would require changes in the design of the levee systems. In this situation, residents and businesses would be required to pay flood insurance rates as if the levees were not even constructed. Mr. Chair, it is enormously unfair for communities that have contributed millions of dollars toward a flood control project to be penalized with higher flood insurance rates because of conflicting scientific data. Communities invest in flood control projects with not only the expectation of being protected from future floods but also having the expectation of receiving reduced flood insurance rates. My provisions ensure that when this situation arises the community will be treated fairly for purposes of purchasing flood insurance during the construction of flood protection measures.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference agreement. Mr. Speaker, this is not a perfect bill, but this is a darn good bill. I know we are going to hear objections on both sides of the aisle, but if you have a chance to look at it, and it is a lengthy bill, the 2,600 pages that are presented to both the House today and within a week or so to the Senate constitutes the first revolutionary change of securities laws in the United States since the Great Depression. At that time we had a tremendous collapse, and our forefathers and predecessors rose to the occasion by establishing a regulatory platform within the United States that made us the envy of the world. We had in 2008 a collapse and a failure of that system. It primarily grew out of the failure of the regulatory system to use all the powers it had and to keep track with our highly speculative and greedful nature at the time to allow us to go into the tremendous credit crisis that we faced in 2008. To now make an argument that we need do nothing and we will recover and we will prosper is pure ludicrousness. The fact of the matter is there are holes, there are loopholes, there are failures within our system. We have to cleanse that system and fix that system, and that is exactly what this bill does. I am pleased to say that I had a part in doing that. I helped prepare one amendment, the too-big-to-fail amendment. What we can say to our successors and to our constituents is that never again in the future will there be an unlimited power for financial institutions to grow either in size, interconnectedness or other negative factors that they can remain and put in jeopardy systemically the economy of the United States and the world. We have the authority vested in our regulators to see that that doesn't happen. If our regulators are able and will use those powers, never again will we face the too-big-to-fail concept of having to bail out some of the largest institutions in the world. Secondly, a large part of this was devoted to investor protection. I can't go through all the elements, but for the first time in history we're going to allow the regulators to study and come up with rules and regulations that allow a fiduciary relationship between broker-dealers, investment advisers, and their clients--their customers. Most people in this country think that already exists. It doesn't. After this bill and the use of those new regulations, it will. You can then trust that the advice being given by the broker-dealer or the investment counselor is in your best interest as a customer and not in theirs. We also call for the largest comprehensive study of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the history of the commission. It will put into place the tools necessary to revise the entire SEC in the future. It also will be the predicate for that type of a comprehensive study to be used in other agencies and commissions of government to allow us the long road of reform in the American government. These things are in the bill. Beside that, we have the capacity to require that no one in the future need worry about the responsibility of the companies they're dealing with as to whether or not they will have counterparties, whether they are relying on representations that are true or false, because we're going to have transparency within the system. In the other areas dealing with derivatives, we're going to have exchanges. We're going to have disclosure. Never has that happened in the history of the United States. Over the years, the last two decades, we have made attempts and have always failed. This time we have succeeded. Mr. Speaker, without reservation, I recommend to my colleagues a vote of ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. It is certainly a pleasure to address the Speaker, and I will. I am sure we should adhere to the decorum of the House and the rules of the House, and I will definitely do that. I wouldn't think of calling the attention of my observations to my colleagues on the other side. That could be frightful if we did that because they may have to respond to those observations. So we won't call those observations. I was going through how we got here and why we are here. And how we got here was we met in rooms around this Capitol for a number of weeks, 2 or 3 weeks, as I recall. And the President of the United States, George W. Bush, in his last year of presidency, or in the last several years of his presidency, indicated that his Secretary of Treasury and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve were his designees to work with Congress to see what we could do to prevent the potential meltdown or catastrophe to the world's economy. And we went to work to do that. Now, as I recall--and I sat in some of those meetings, not all of those meetings--we would periodically tune the conference telephone to economists, Nobel Prize-winning economists around the world, of all political persuasions and philosophical positions. And, to my best recollection, there were several dozen. And to a man, or woman, not one of them disagreed that what we were facing was total meltdown and that precipitous action had to be taken. And the precipitous action that was taken was to provide a rescue package, giving unusual, incredible authority to the executive branch of government, to be utilized by the Secretary of the Treasury, to do what we could to prevent a meltdown in the United States. Now, at all times, as I recall, those eminent economists were telling us that it was their opinion that even if we did these strange and unusual activities of empowering the President and the Secretary of the Treasury to borrow monies, use monies, buy assets, do all kinds of things, the chance of success was rated at about 50/50. As I recall, we worked for about 2 or 3 weeks crafting what originally was a three-page bill that ultimately became a 400-page bill and became known as the ``rescue'' bill. We brought it to the House floor, if all of you will recall, and it failed. And the day that it failed, the hour that it failed, the half hour that it failed, the New York Stock Exchange dropped 900 points. And finally, there was a realization across the country and across the world that if this rescue package was not passed, we probably were looking at the beginning of the failure of the American economic system, and we went to work to see if we could put a coalition together to get it passed, and that took another week, if I recall. Now, we did those things in the midst of an election. We did those things with a Republican President and a Democratic Congress, and it seems we did it pretty successfully. And we didn't call it a ``bailout'' bill. That became a political terminology so that people could be misinformed, misdirected, and have a visceral reaction to what the Congress has done when they really didn't understand it. And what occurred? Well, that prevailed. Rather than calling it a ``rescue'' bill anymore, it became known as the ``bailout.'' I want to correct that because I've heard that term used here at least a dozen or two dozen times. I asked the question, what did we bail out? We made extensive commitments to banks in the United States. To the best of my knowledge, all those banks have now repaid those commitments to the Treasury or to the Federal Reserve. What was the success of that? Most of them did not fail and our economic system did not fail, in totality, so it was pretty good, but we were losing employment and falling like a rock, the economy, to the tune of, in January, when the new President of the United States was sworn into office, this Nation lost 750,000 jobs and had been losing jobs at that rate for several months before and it continued several months after. And we started to get into, as opposed to discussing economics, free market situations and legalities of how we handle this problem. We got into a political ramble that has continued to this day. I think that's what I got up to address. If we stay on this course and this direction, the only thing that's going to happen at this conference committee--and ultimately the bills that are enacted into law and signed by the President--will be very limited-capacity pieces of legislation that will not nearly accomplish what could happen. On the other hand, I say to my friends on the other side and the Members and colleagues of this Congress, if we can put our personal prejudices, our political advantages to the side and spend the next 2\1/2\ or 3 weeks in an honest effort to get the best bill possible to reform the financial markets of the United States, and indeed the world, we can do something that is so historic in nature that we place the stability of our economy for the next 75 years as it was ably put together in the 1930s. If we don't accomplish that, what we're going to end up with is a temporary solution to a disastrous problem, fighting a lot of silly political questions which will long disappear before most of us do from the face of the Earth, but not accomplishing anything for the American people. So I just end this dialogue with saying this--to the gentlemen on both sides of the aisle, so I'm not charged with directing it towards one side--let's put our disagreements aside for the next 2 or 3 weeks. Let's listen to the chairman of the House committee and the ranking member. Let's listen to the chairman of the Senate committee and ranking member and the other 30 participants of this conference committee, with the commitment of doing the best we can within our powers to prevent this from happening, certainly in the near future, or potentially ever again. If we fail to do that, we will have failed our job.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise maybe to make a suggestion. I know it may drop on deaf ears, but, you know, we are about to undertake an historic event, both in this institution, the Congress of the United States, and in the United States of America, and that is to enact laws by a democratic society through their elected representatives that will cause occasions to happen that may actually save the economy of this Nation or the economy of the world. It seems to me at this first preparation date we are awaiting the appointment of our conferees here on the House side, that we are already indicating that there will be a political flavor to this conference as opposed to an attempt by both sides of the aisle to find what is best for America and what is best for the economy of this country. Now, I suggest, and I will concede, having worked with the chairman and Members on the other side, the ranking members and others, for these last 15 or 16 months, that this is not a perfect bill or a perfect solution. I wish it were. But I think we will all have to wait until another day of a higher order to get to perfection. All we are trying to do here is to work in the regular order of the legal process to see if we can make certain that we don't bring down our economy or our government or the world's economy or the world governments. And that's what we are attempting to do. Now, you know, we have all these titles, and I am probably as guilty as others, ``too big to fail.'' And we talk about that like that's an easily definable entity. Well, in reality, it isn't. The fact of the matter is, some things are so interconnected and intertwined and involved in our economic system that, for all intents and purposes, they would appear not to be a risky organization, but that when you examine them and you see the tentacles that they send out through our society and other organizations throughout the world, that their failure can precipitate a failure of the economic system of the world. That's what we experienced in an organization known as AIG. You know, an organization in excess of 100,000 people, working in tens of countries around the world, had a little organization in London, England, called AIG Financial Products. Those 400 people were able to take a name, AIG, American International Insurance Group, and utilize that to get into the derivative business to the tune of $2.8 trillion without the support of adequate assets to meet their counterparty positions. And what happened? It started to fail to meet its counterparty positions and immediately would have put at risk most of the major banks of not only the United States but of the world. Now, when that was happening--and that occurred after other failures in the United States had occurred--we had several choices. We could have sat by and said, ``Well, the market will cure all things.'' And I guess if you are a purist, that's not a bad position philosophically to take, because it is correct. I will concede to that. But I am one of those people that favor affecting the market and taking the actions that will, in some instances, short-circuit the effects of the market when the effects of the market will be so severe on our population that it warrants such action. And that's exactly what happened at AIG. If we had sat back and allowed that to occur and the ripple effect around the world, we would have collapsed the economy of the United States and the world, probably, some of our best economists in the world indicated, within 72 hours. We would have been in a position of no one knowing what the world's economy would have looked like. We were called upon to take certain actions, and that was way back in September or October of 2008. And many of us came back to Washington just before our vital elections that year, and we went to work and we created something. Can I reconstruct for you gentlemen what it was about? We didn't come back to the Obama administration. We didn't come back to a situation-- -- Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the 100- year anniversary of the St. David's Society of Lackawanna County. The St. David's Society of Lackawanna County was founded in 1910 to promote, preserve and hold sacred the Welsh traditions of Lackawanna County in northeastern Pennsylvania and foster friendship among all ethnic groups in the region. The Society is a non-profit, non-sectarian and non-political organization. Northeastern Pennsylvania has a strong Welsh tradition dating back to the 18th century when Welsh made up about one-third of Pennsylvania's colonial population. After the discovery of coal in the region during the 1800s, a new wave of Welsh immigrants descended on northeastern Pennsylvania. By the early 20th century, Welsh-born immigrants were heavily settled in the city of Scranton. Today, Pennsylvania maintains one of the highest populations of Welsh ancestry in the country. Over the past 100 years, the St. David's Society of Lackawanna County has worked to preserve Welsh history throughout the region. Last year, the Society commemorated the 140th anniversary of the 1869 Avondale coal mine disaster by completing a restoration project at the Washburn Street Cemetery in Scranton where 60 Welsh miners were buried. Each year, the Society celebrates St. David's Day on March 1 with an annual dinner in honor of the patron saint of Wales and as a yearly celebration of Welsh heritage in the region. This year's centennial celebration began on March 1 with flag raisings in Carbondale and Clarks Summit, PA. To commemorate this historic anniversary, the Society has also organized a special Welsh Heritage Exhibit at the Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton to promote the Welsh influence in the coal industry in northeastern Pennsylvania. On May 29, 2010, the Society will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a dinner and concert in Dickson City, PA. This year's dinner and concert will feature the Ystradgynlais Male Voice Choir who will be traveling from Wales to take part in the festivities. Catrin Brace of the Welsh Assembly Government in New York will serve as the keynote speaker. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the St. David's Society of Lackawanna County on this historic occasion. In the years to come, I am confident they will continue to foster a rich ethnic appreciation for the next generation of northeastern Pennsylvania residents.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the seven Gold Star Members of the Welsh Bethel Baptist Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The Welsh Bethel Baptist Church was founded in 1884. During the 1940s, the Church established an Honor Roll of all of the members of the Church who served during World War II. In total, 111 members of the Church served in World War II, including 110 men and 1 woman. The Church would honor those who were killed in action during the War by placing a gold star next to their name on the Honor Roll. Six members of the Church were killed in action during World War II and received this honor. About ten years ago, the Church recognized its only member to be killed in action during World War I by adding his name to the Honor Roll along with a gold star. Every year on Memorial Day, the Church holds a ceremony to honor its seven Gold Star Members. On Sunday, May 30, 2010 the Church will pay tribute to the seven Gold Star Members of the Church by dedicating a memorial stone in front of the church in their honor. The seven Gold Star Members, and Wilkes-Barre natives, being honored are: Private William Robbins who was killed in Germany in World War I. He was only sixteen years old. Private First Class Charles Grosspietsch who was killed in Luzon in the Philippines during World War II. He was 20 years old. Corporal Kenneth Hobbs who was killed in Whelan, Germany during World War II. He was 28 years old. Private First Class Robert Hummel who was killed in Germany during World War II. He was 21 years old. Private William Parry, Jr. who died at Normandy during World War II. He was 24 years old. Private William L. Richards who was killed in Anzio, Italy during World War II. He was 22 years old. Staff Sergeant Thomas D. Williams who was killed in Russeisheim, Germany during World War II. He was 24 years old. The memorial stone will be unveiled by Jack Johnson, the last surviving World War II veteran of the Church. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring these brave men who gave their lives protecting our country. This stone will serve as a reminder for future generations of the ultimate sacrifice made by these seven men who came before them.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to introduce to you and to our colleagues today our newest member of the Pennsylvania delegation, Mark Critz. Congressman Critz is a dedicated public servant to the people of western Pennsylvania. For more than a decade, Mark has served in many roles for the late Jack Murtha, including as his district director. As I am sure many of you know, a Member's district director knows the ins and outs of a Member's congressional district, and Mark was an integral part of the communities for which he served and a strong advocate for them. He deeply understands the needs of western Pennsylvanians and comprehends what needs to be done to help them. Mark is a proven problem solver, and residents of western Pennsylvania can clearly see the results of his and Jack's efforts throughout their district. These experiences have prepared him well for his job as a Member of Congress. This is a bittersweet moment for me. Jack passed away too soon. I recently said that Jack was always there when Pennsylvania needed him, and that he was emblematic of the hardworking Pennsylvanians that he represented for so many years. During many of his years in Congress working right next to him and helping Jack get the job done was Mark. I could think of no better person to take over his seat and continue Jack's efforts than Mark. It is a true honor to introduce him as the newest Congressman from Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I yield to a Member of Congress from Pennsylvania, Joe Pitts.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Pennsylvania, the Honorable Mark S. Critz, be permitted to take the oath of office today. His certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to his election.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie on his appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judge Vanaskie was born in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, in 1953. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lycoming College in 1975 where he was a first-team Academic All-American football player. In his senior year, Judge Vanaskie was named outstanding male student-athlete. Judge Vanaskie attended the Dickinson School of Law where he was a member of the Dickinson Law Review Editorial Staff and was named to the Woolsack Society for outstanding academic achievement. He graduated Cum Laude in 1978. After law school, Judge Vanaskie clerked for Chief Judge William J. Nealon of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania from 1978 to 1980. From 1980 to 1994, Judge Vanaskie worked in private legal practice in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He worked in the law firm of Dilworth, Paxson, Kalish & Kauffman until 1992 before leaving to become a principal member of the law firm Elliott, Vanaskie & Riley. On November 17, 1993 President Clinton nominated Judge Vanaskie to a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. His nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 10, 1994. Judge Vanaskie was sworn in on March 1, 1994 and served on the U.S. Middle District Court for fifteen years, including as Chief Judge from 1999-2006. In 2001, Judge Vanaskie began serving on the Information Technology Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States. In 2005, he was appointed by the late Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist as Chair of the Judicial Conference Information Technology Committee and served in that position until 2008. Throughout his career, Judge Vanaskie has continued to give back to his community. He is the former Chair of the Scranton Preparatory School Board of Trustees and a Member of the Scranton Community Medical Center Board of Directors. On August 7, 2009 President Obama nominated Judge Vanaskie to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 21, 2010 by a vote of 77-20. Judge Vanaskie was officially sworn-in by Chief Judge Anthony Scirica of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on April 28, 2010. He is only the second judge in the 107-year history of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judge Vanaskie resides in Clarks Green, Pennsylvania, with his wife, the former Dorothy G. Williams. They are the parents of three children, Diane, Laura and Tom. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Judge Vanaskie on this auspicious occasion. His exemplary service throughout his distinguished judicial career demonstrates he is most deserving of this achievement.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Most Rev. Joseph Bambera, the newly ordained Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. On Monday, April 26, 2010, Bishop Bambera became the 10th Bishop of the Scranton Diocese. A native son of the 11-county Catholic diocese, Bishop Bambera spent nearly 20 of his 27 years as a priest ministering in the diocese's parishes. He brings to his new post enthusiasm, humility and a unique understanding of his Catholic flock. ``With deep humility, I offer thanks to Almighty God, through whose providence and grace I've been called to serve as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton,'' Bishop Bambera stated during his installation at St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton before a large audience of priests, bishops, Cardinal Justin Rigali, head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Apostolic Nuncio Pietro Sambi, Pope Benedict XVI's top diplomatic and spiritual representative in the United States as well as hundreds of the faithful. Bishop Bambera has received the endorsement of many of his fellow priests in the Diocese who know him as a consensus builder and a man who appreciates the power of humor. ``In God's wisdom and providence, he has given you one of your own as bishop,'' he said referring to the fact that he is only the second bishop to be a native of the diocese. ``For you, perhaps God's wisdom may be confounding,'' he added to laughter from his church audience. Then, he offered, ``For me, your example, your dedication to prayer and service and your support have been a great source of inspiration and great consolation.'' Again, Bishop Bambera called upon his gift of humor to express his deep emotion about his family roots. He recalled that his father died in 2004 and that his mother, when told that her son had been appointed as bishop, she was not ``ecstatic.'' He recalled that she said, ``Well, you've got quite a job to do.'' Then, when told that the public announcement of his appointment would occur on a Tuesday at 10 a.m., she responded, ``That works out just fine. I have a hair appointment at noon.'' Choking back tears, Bishop Bambera thanked his parents for raising him well. ``My mother and father taught us by their example powerful lessons of faith and hope, peppered with healthy doses of commonsense. As parents go, I could not ask for more,'' he observed. Bishop Bambera called attention to the chalice he uses during Mass, noting that it was a gift from his Great Aunt Marie, who died in her 80s, after outliving three children. ``One day my mother asked her, `How do you remain so upbeat given all the loss you've experienced in your life?' Here's what she said, `No one knows the tears that I shed for those I've lost. But I am convinced that there is nothing that we cannot bear in life if we have faith.' '' Bishop Bambera called upon the faithful of the diocese to work together with him to ``. . . meet the challenges.'' In his remarks, Cardinal Rigali, speaking about Bishop Bambera, noted that, ``. . . the faithful bishop is a good shepherd who knows that despite his own human limitations and his many faults and shortcomings which he recognizes and strives with God's help to overcome, he must still challenge the flock.'' Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Bishop Bambera on this most joyous and inspiring occasion. His faithful service to the spiritual well-being of his parishioners; the respect that he enjoys among his peers and superiors; his leadership and his unyielding devotion to God and the Catholic congregation of northeastern Pennsylvania will serve him well as he moves forward in this new and demanding position. In that regard, we all wish him well.