Paul Kanjorski

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark A. Ciavarella, Jr., who is being honored by the Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick as their 2006 ``Man of the Year.'' A son of Mary Cunningham Ciavarella and the late Mark A. Ciavarella, Sr., Judge Ciavarella was born and raised in the East End section of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Following his graduation from St. Mary's High School, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in history/government and pre-law from King's College. While at King's he attained membership in the Aquinas Honor Society. He was awarded his Juris Doctorate degree from Duquesne University School of Law in 1975. While at Duquesne, he was inducted into the Order of Barristers, which is an organization that recognizes individuals who have attained outstanding achievement in appellate advocacy. From 1975 until 1995, Judge Ciavarella maintained a private law practice in the City of Wilkes-Barre. He was a partner in the law firm of Lowery, Ciavarella and Rogers. From 1976 until 1978, he served as solicitor for the City of Wilkes- Barre and from 1978 until December 31, 1995 he served as solicitor for the Wilkes-Barre City Zoning Hearing Board. In November of 1995, he was elected to the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas and in November 2005, he was retained by the voters of Luzerne County for another 10-year term. Judge Ciavarella was formerly a member of Wilkes-Barre Police Civil Service Commission; the pastoral council and finance committee of St. Therese's Church in Wilkes-Barre; Scranton Catholic Diocesan School Board; United Rehabilitation Services, Inc.; Wilkes-Barre Area School District Long Range Planning Committee; Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center Girls Co-Swim Coach and a member of the board of directors of the Luzerne County Association for Retarded Citizens. He also served as chairman of the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center's Board of Directors and he was an assistant little league coach. Judge Ciavarella is currently a member of the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center's Board of Directors and the Wilkes-Barre Chapter of UNICO. In addition to his duties handling criminal and civil judicial matters, he also serves as Luzerne County Juvenile Court Judge. Judge Ciavarella is married to the former Cindy Baer. The couple has three children. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Judge Ciavarella on the occasion of this fine honor. Judge Ciavarella has served his community well both on the bench of the Luzerne County Court and in the many leadership roles he has undertaken with numerous civic organizations. The quality of life in the greater Wyoming Valley is made better due to the works of people like Judge Mark Ciavarella.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Mr. Peter J. Forbes, of northeastern Pennsylvania, this year's recipient of The Quiet Man Society's ``Michael F. King, Jr. Armed Forces Veterans Award.'' The award is presented annually to a local individual who, after serving in the Armed Forces, by their actions and involvement in community events, exhibited exemplary continued service to God, family and country. The award was endowed by The Quiet Man Society in honor of Mr. King, a charter member of the Society, who was wounded twice in World War II. He is best remembered for the countless hours he spent serving St. Paul's Church, Holy Rosary Church, Holy Family Residence, The Penn Ridge Club and the Irish American Men's Association. Mr. Forbes served with the Australian Army in the Republic of South Vietnam in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in 1971 as a combat medic. He also served as a drum major and a piper. Following a successful business career, Mr. Forbes settled in northeastern Pennsylvania where he currently serves as national commander of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc., and the Veterans Coalition, which is headquartered in Pittston, Luzerne County. Mr. Forbes has made it known that he will dedicate his award to the memory of three Scranton natives who served during the Vietnam War and are believed to have made the ultimate sacrifice and were declared missing in action. Their names are: Frederick Krupa, Wesley Ratzel and Lothar Terla. To further honor the memories of these men, Mr. Forbes will present a synopsis of their service records to student representatives at each of Scranton's four high schools so the stories of their heroic service can be re-told and so the present generation understands that they and all others who have died fighting for our country are gone . . . but not forgotten. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. Forbes for his selfless service to military veterans. Those who serve to protect others deserve the best this grateful nation has to give. Mr. Forbes has spent many years advocating for veterans rights, a crusade that has improved the quality of life for all who have worn a uniform and volunteered to place themselves in harm's way.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Martin D. Popky, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, who is being honored for his many years of service to the Seligman J. Strauss Lodge of B'nai B'rith Housing Foundation. Mr. Popky has served as president of the Foundation for 35 years since the establishment of the B'nai B'rith Apartment complex in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He is also a member of the national board that operates 36 B'nai B'rith senior citizen housing projects in six countries. The owner of a successful independent insurance agency, Mr. Popky recently celebrated 50 years with CNA Insurance Company during which time he was a high performance agent. A member of the Masonic Lodge, Mr. Popky is also a member of the Irem Temple where he formed the Stewards Unit, serving as chief steward for more than 20 years. A life member of Temple Israel and a member of Ohav Zedek Synagogue, Mr. Popky also served as secretary and a member of the board of directors of the Jewish Community Center. He was also a three term chairman of the United Hebrew Institute School Board and chairman of its board of trustees. In 1993, Mr. Popky received the highest honor of the United Hebrew Institute when he received its Shofar Award. An active volunteer in many civic activities, Mr. Popky founded the American Blind Bowlers Association; served as treasurer of GRIT; was the owner and operator of Washington Square Apartments and was treasurer of the Interfaith Council of Wyoming Valley. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. Popky on this special occasion. His commitment to community improvement has had a positive effect on the quality of life in the greater Wyoming Valley and, by his example and hard work, he has demonstrated what it means to be a true leader.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Natalie Solfanelli, executive director of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority in Lackawanna County, PA. Mrs. Solfanelli has been honored by the Lackawanna River Corridor Association for her exceptional performance in creating partnerships to preserve and develop the Lackawanna Valley's historic, cultural, natural and economic resources through preservation, education and promotion of the regional heritage. The Lackawanna River Corridor Association is a nonprofit community organization created in 1987 to promote the restoration and protection of the Lackawanna River and its watershed resources. A major goal of the LRCA is to foster the development of a 40-mile long network of parks and trails along the Lackawanna River. The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority and the Lackawanna River Corridor Association have been collaborating to get the 40-mile trail and greenway system built. Known as the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, several sections were developed in the past few years. Other sections are in final engineering phases and will be under construction soon. Mrs. Solfanelli's leadership and vision have contributed to making the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail project a strategic link in the work of the authority and its partners to promote the economic and environmental revitalization of communities along the river. After being named LHVA executive director, Mrs. Solfanelli began to enhance the scope of the Downtown Riverfront Trail Project and position the trail as an economic development generator. She is leading a riverfront partnership effort to look ahead at the next steps that will enable private developers and local public agencies to further develop the riverfront area as a complement to the revitalization of downtown Scranton. Mrs. Solfanelli has an impressive background in financial services, having served with Alpha Benefits Group, Consulting Group, Inc. and Omni Health Plan. She is an NASD licensed registered representative with MidSouth Capital, Inc. and has been president of Harbor Group, Inc., an insurance and investment planning firm since 1989. Mrs. Solfanelli is also a certified life underwriter and a long term care professional. Mrs. Solfanelli serves on the board of Scranton Tomorrow, the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, Temple Hesed, Presidents Advisory Council of Keystone College and the Economic Development Council of Lackawanna County. Married to Attorney Joseph R. Solfanelli, the couple has three adult children. On a personal note, let me express my appreciation to Natalie for welcoming me into the Greater Scranton community. Her boundless energy and enthusiasm are infectious; everyone who deals with Natalie is inspired to work even harder to make Lackawanna County a better place to live. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Natalie Solfanelli on the occasion of this honor. Mrs. Solfanelli epitomizes the finest level of selfless community service and the quality of life in the greater Scranton area is better because of her efforts.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to John Cosgrove, former executive director of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Cosgrove has been honored by the Lackawanna River Corridor Association for his leadership in creating partnerships to preserve and develop the Lackawanna Valley's historic, cultural, natural and economic resources through preservation, education and promotion of the regional heritage. The Lackawanna River Corridor Association is a non-profit community organization created in 1987 to promote the restoration and protection of the Lackawanna River and its watershed resources. A major goal of the LRCA is to foster the development of a 40 mile long network of parks and trails along the Lackawanna River. The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority and the Lackawanna River Corridor Association have been collaborating to get the 40 mile trail and greenway system built. Known as the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, several sections were developed in the past few years. Other sections are in final engineering phases and will be under construction soon. Begun under Mr. Cosgrove's tenure, the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail project is a strategic link in the work of the authority and its partners to promote the economic and environmental revitalization of communities along the river. Mr. Cosgrove was named to be the first executive director of the newly formed Association of National Heritage Areas in 2004. Prior to his 6 years with the LHVA, he served as executive director of Neighborhood Housing of Scranton and held several positions in the administration of the late Governor Robert P. Casey. He also chaired several initiatives for Scranton Tomorrow including City Pride and First Night Scranton. Mr. Cosgrove resides in Scranton with his wife, the former Eileen Egan Cosgrove and their three daughters. On a personal note, I wanted to mention how much I enjoy working with John and look forward to continuing to work with him on his expanded portfolio serving heritage areas around the country. John is yet another example of a talented Northeastern Pennsylvanian who is now sharing his skills to serve the entire Nation. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating John Cosgrove on the occasion of this honor. Mr. Cosgrove's leadership, dedication and commitment has enhanced the quality of life in the Greater Scranton region and all its citizens are better because of it.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Michael Lombardo, mayor of the city of Pittston, in Luzerne County, PA, and senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry as he is honored by his friends and colleagues at a testimonial dinner. Mayor Lombardo is widely respected for epitomizing what an elected official should be: committed, decisive, dedicated, and visionary. Under Mayor Lombardo's leadership, the city of Pittston has been improved in many ways to enhance the quality of life for its residents and visitors alike. As a senior member of the management team at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, Mayor Lombardo has been able to apply the skills learned as a mayor of a single city in ways that touch the lives of citizens from many towns in a positive manner. Mayor Lombardo is a former educator in the Pittston Area School District. In that capacity he encouraged many young men and women to aspire to great things and to always search for ways to contribute to the greater community. Mayor Lombardo has been actively involved in the community for many years. He is a board member at the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Pittston YMCA and at College Misericordia's Insalaco Center. He is a member of the Council of Delegates at the NEPA Alliance, the Pennsylvania League of Cities Policy Council, the Knights of Columbus and the Wyoming Valley Watershed Coalition Steering Committee for the Riverfest Project. He is co-chairperson of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in the Pittston area and the Pittston Tomato Festival. He is also vice president of the Pittston City Festival Association. Mayor Lombardo has received awards for his community service from the Pennsylvania Library Association and the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce Community Partnership. He was named Greater Pittston Person of the Year in 2000. On a personal note, I would like to say that I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Mike over the years. Whenever I helped him obtain Federal money for the city of Pittston, I knew that it would be spent wisely and for the long-term benefit of the people of Pittston. I look forward to continuing to work with him as he serves in his new capacity. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mayor Michael Lombardo for setting a fine example for others to emulate.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to Andrew J. Benyo Jr., a supervisor in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, who has retired after completing 18 years of dedicated public service. Mr. Benyo was educated at St. Gabriel's Elementary and High School in the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania and at St. Bernard's College in Cullman, Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and English. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having served during the Vietnam War at DaNang Air Base in the field of combat support. During his years of service as an elected official in Hazle Township, Mr. Benyo held fast to a campaign promise to avoid raising property taxes. He was successful in accomplishing numerous construction projects, including Humboldt Fire Station No. 2, Community Park Soccer Fields, Babe Ruth Field, North Park Road and the Municipal Office Complex and Commons Building. An environmental activist, Mr. Benyo also served on the Council of Governments. Well known for his compassion and responsiveness to his constituents, he was a driving force in securing a resolution to water problems in the Beaver Brook area of the township. He was also instrumental in bringing about the connector road between Route 93 and Route 309 in the area of 28th Street in the township. Mr. Benyo never failed to make himself available, especially during winter months, and, in particular, during the severe winter storms of 1993, 1996 and the ice storm of 2005. Mr. Benyo enjoys spending time with his wife, Judy, and their children, Karin and Sgt. Andrew J. Benyo 3d, who is serving with the U. S. Army Rangers, and his wife, Christine. He also intends to make time for salmon and deep sea fishing and his other hobbies that include boating, woodworking and cooking. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. Benyo for 18 years of devoted service and commitment to his community. Because of individuals like Mr. Benyo, the quality of life in communities like West Hazleton is enhanced. And, for that, we can all be grateful.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague in expressing a little disappointment in the failure of the other body to rise to the occasion. A considerably better piece of legislation was drafted and passed here in the House and sent over to the other body, only to get to this 11th hour and get back some legislation that is less than a good product. It does several things; and I dare say, I have to rise to support it because it is the only thing flying in town tonight. And since terrorism reinsurance will expire in 2 weeks to an incredible disadvantage of American business and American jobs, I think we have no alternative but to support this piece of legislation tonight. What it does not do, however, is it does not pass on and consider legislation taking care of nuclear, chemical, biological, radioactive terrorism incidents. What it does not include is allowing for a commission that would sit down and analyze and develop a mechanism so that we can pass the responsibility for the public back to the private sector in a smart and reasonable way. And it does not extend it nearly for long enough or provide for the continuation of this type of coverage into the future, because as the chairman well said, 2 years is entirely too short. The only thing we are certain of is we will be back in this Chamber within the 2 years to do something over again, having lost 2 years of work product and probably again 2 years of involvement. Finally, the last thing the bill does not include today that is a great disappointment to me is comprehensive health coverage insurance. It seems that we are willing to insure the buildings, but not the people. Group life was included in the House side of the bill, but has fallen out as the bill has come back from the Senate. I guess the last sport I would complain about with the Senate is, if I recall, several days ago or maybe a week has gone by, we had the appointment of a conference committee in the House. And our coach was lined up and ready to go. We all went out and bought uniforms and prepared to do battle, and somebody forget to give the referee a whistle. As I understand, the conference never started or ended. This is merely a product sent over as a last-ditch effort, take it or leave it. That is what we are faced with. But with all of that said, I think it is another example that, at least here on the House side, the Financial Services Committee has had and has displayed a great deal of capacity to work together in trying times. I wanted to thank and recognize all the folks on the Republican side of the aisle that were so bipartisan in working on this. And I think we were of common mind to get it done, and we got a good product done. On my side of the aisle, many of the participants in this legislation will have an opportunity to speak, and they can critique the legislation and their own role as they do speak. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) for 3 minutes.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation because of its necessity to America's working men and women and the business community of America. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes. (Mr. KANJORSKI asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Revision Act. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon altered how we each assess risk. This adjustment was especially apparent in the insurance industry. Terrorism insurance is critical to protecting jobs and promoting America's economic security. Unfortunately, the supply of terrorism reinsurance after the September 11 attacks significantly decreased. Eventually, we approved the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act to address this problem. At recent hearings, we have learned that this law has worked to increase the availability of terrorism risk insurance, lowered the cost of such insurance, contributed significantly to stabilizing the overall insurance marketplace, and advanced delayed economic development projects. We also wisely designed this program as a temporary backstop to get our Nation through a period of economic uncertainty until the private sector could develop the models to price for terrorism reinsurance. Unlike hurricanes and fires, acts of terrorism in the American experience currently remain inherently unpredictable in frequency and scale. As a result, the private sector has not yet returned to the terrorism reinsurance marketplace. Many studies support this finding. The Government Accountability Office, for example, has determined that the industry has made little progress to date in providing terrorism insurance without government involvement. A report by the Rand Corporation also found that TRIA is needed, but because of its gaps, it is not robust enough to protect against evolving threats like those posed by nuclear, biological, chemical and radioactive events. Many have, therefore, called upon us to modify and extend the life of the terrorism risk insurance program in order to prevent short-term market disruptions and better protect the economy. The consensus bill before us today wisely extends the program up to 3 years and adopts other prudent reforms. I am especially pleased that the bill includes group life insurance as a covered line. The original TRIA omitted such coverage. This bill fixes that oversight. We need, after all, to insure the people inside the buildings, not just the buildings themselves. In closing, Mr. Speaker, this is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is an American issue, a business issue and an economic security issue. With less than 4 weeks remaining before the current program expires, we need to expeditiously pass this important economic stabilization legislation and move forward with a conference. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the charming gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, this has been a difficult time, because so many of us over the last year have desired to move this legislation along. But I would be remiss if I did not take this occasion to perhaps illuminate an example for this entire Congress as represented by the financial services industry. I would have to say, without doing an in-depth study, that the Financial Services Committee of the House of Representatives has proven that even in the 109th Congress we can have bipartisan activity of an extraordinary amount, and that to a large extent is due to the incredibly good leadership of our gentleman friend, the chairman from Ohio, and the ranking member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank). I also would be remiss if I did not suggest a strong and hard effort by our friend, the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Baker of Louisiana. Perhaps the full House could take note that in pressing times of need for legislation that can be contentious and has philosophical differences of great order, both sides of the aisle on this piece of legislation, and so many more in this session of Congress, have come together to perform the people's work; and I think the congratulations to a large extent for that effort go to the gentleman from Ohio, the chairman, Mr. Oxley. With those remarks, Mr. Speaker, and urging all my colleagues in the House to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Objection.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Objection.