John Larson

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 756, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 734, which expresses support for and honors September 17, 2009, as ``Constitution Day.'' September 17 is the day that our United States Constitution was signed in 1787, by 39 delegates from 12 states, including from Connecticut, Samuel Huntington, Oliver Wolcott, and Roger Sherman, whose statue resides in the crypt of this Capitol building. My home state of Connecticut has a strong and proud connection to the founding principles and documents of this country. Roger Sherman was the only man to sign the Articles of Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. Connecticut itself is known as the Constitution State, for its enactment of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the first written constitution of its kind. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was adopted by the Connecticut Colony in 1639 and established a government for the Connecticut Colony, based on the yearly election of a governor and six magistrates, two from each town in the Colony. These officials were chosen by the count of a written vote, and all freedmen who resided in the colony and had taken an oath of fidelity were eligible to cast their vote. The Fundamental Orders established limits on the powers of government, emphasizing the power of the people to elect their leaders and act against them should those leaders ignore their concerns. Further, it defined the operating procedures of a government established by the people, of the people, and for the people, ensuring each elected magistrate a vote in matters of governance, and the governor a vote only in the event of a tie. Many of the principles in the eleven sections of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut later were echoed in the familiar cadences of our great Constitution, which continues to represent the American ideal of a government consisting of a body of officials elected by the people to serve in their best interests. It was Roger Sherman's ``Connecticut Compromise'', made during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which ensured fair representation for large and small states in the bicameral legislature which defines our body of Congress. As a high school history teacher, I had the privilege of studying, learning, and teaching the Constitution. It is the innovation and undiminished endurance of the ideals of our Constitution for which I rise in support of House Resolution 734 to express support for and honor September 17, 2009, as ``Constitution Day.''

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a great loss in the world of music. I ask that this tribute penned by Albert Caswell of the Capitol Guide Service be placed in the Congressional Record. The Conductor Erich Kunzel, known as ``The Prince of Pops,'' was always a colorful showman who sold well over ten million recordings and for over two decades conducted the National Symphony on Memorial Day and Fourth of July concerts at the United States Capitol in Washington. As the founding conductor, he has directed the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra since its inception in 1977. He will be missed. Orchestrating a Life Orchestrating, a life . . . The beats and measures, that which now forever so burn bright . . . All in the rhythms of our lives . . . Are all of those songs which we now so leave behind . . . Are all of those beats of our lives so in time . . . Composing, something so sublime . . . All in how we lead, all in these our life- times . . . Composed, all in these our short lives . . . In this, The Symphony of our lives . . . which we so now leave behind! Of this the leader of The Band, so very fine . . . As Erich, you so stood there so waving your baton . . . All in what you so invoked, so inspired, so beautiful we now so find . . . Such emotion and masterpieces, with such rhyme . . . As one of the greatest of all Maestros of our time . . . As why Eric, for you the violins now so cry . . . And the drums so beat, for you now that you've died . . . As that lone bugle plays taps, one last time . . . Thinking of you, the smiles and the tears we now so find . . . Of a gentle warm man, so very kind . . . All because of the life you so conducted, which now so comes to mind . . . Like a great symphony Erich, what you so orchestrated all in your time . . . Thinking of you, we hear a rhapsody in blue . . . and now so cry . . . Knowing, that we have so lost such a wonderful guy . . . But life, has only so many beats . . . and measures to define . . . What it is, that we have so left behind . . . All in what we have so composed, all in these our times . . . Magnifica, Maestro as is your life's Masterpiece so very fine! And now, Erich . . . there is music in Heaven so sublime . . . All because of the kind of life, that you have so orchestrated in your time! In heaven now, waving his baton . . .

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 3221--the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009. This bill makes the single-largest investment in student aid in our nation's history and will increase opportunities for our workforce to expand their skills through community colleges. I would like to thank Chairman Miller for working with me to include in the bill legislation that I offered to expand the mission of community college computer labs as a hub for training our nation's workers. Specifically the addition of Section 503 (f)(8) allows funds for community college reform to be used for the purpose of ``providing information technology training for students and members of the public seeking to improve their computer literacy and information technology skills through public accessibility to community college computer labs and information technology training providing on weeknights and weekends by an employee of a community college who is capable of basic computer instruction.'' I.am a strong supporter of our nation's community colleges and believe they represent an invaluable and untapped information hub within our communities. By participating in the program set forth by the bill and simply keeping their computer labs open to the public for 20 hours a week on weeknights and 10 hours a week on weekends, our community colleges would provide individuals the ability to gain the skills they need to move into a new job or advance in their current job. Further, to ensure that the time spent in the computer labs will help build those information technology skills, the community colleges should be required to have an instructor from the college present to provide basic computer instruction during those hours. Access to this instruction should also be free of charge and accessible to students and members of the public. In order to provide this access to the computer labs my intent when drafting this language was to allow community colleges to access funds for the maintenance, administration and improvement of computer labs, which includes: staffing facilities; purchasing computer equipment, which includes hardware and software; maintaining, repairing, and replacing technology equipment; maintaining and securing facilities; and providing utilities for the facilities and computer equipment. Once again, I thank Chairman Miller for his hard work on this legislation and urge its passage.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3631--Medicare Premium Fairness Act. I commend Congresswoman Titus for her efforts on this issue and also would like to recognize Chairmen Rangel, Waxman, Stark, Dingell and Pallone for their tireless work. Today Congress acted to ensure that some of our nation's most vulnerable citizens do not face a dramatic increase in their Medicare Part B premiums. During these difficult economic times we must make the right choices to protect our senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. Without this measure that we are acting on today, many of my constituents in the First Congressional district and individuals and families across the country would be faced with an increase in the cost of their health care that they simply can't afford. I am pleased that there is bipartisan consensus on this legislation and hope to build upon this effort to protect and strengthen Medicare as we move forward with health care reform. Once again I thank my colleagues for their hard work on this issue and urge the bill's passage.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 736, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 732, Kingston Motion to Adjourn, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, on September 15, 2009 I missed rollcall vote 701. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3246, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act, and I want to especially applaud Congressman Peters and Chairman Gordon, who I have had the honor to serve with on the Science Committee, and the distinguished ranking member, Mr. Hall, for his continued and outstanding commitment to science and technology and innovation. That's what moves the Nation forward. It's where his political career has been invested, in making sure that we continue to see America be the preeminent military, social, cultural, and economic leader in the world, and largely because of the embrace of technology and innovation like fuel cell technology. We know, for example, that every time we replace a gasoline-powered bus with a fuel cell bus, it's equal to removing 77 cars from our roadways. Hydrogen and fuel cell industries support in Connecticut some 2,100 jobs. With the vision that the chairman has laid out, that will only increase and expand across this country. We had a young visionary President in the sixties who said that we could put a man on the moon within 10 years. We actually did it in nine. With this technology embracing the most abundant element in the universe, you can't tell me that we can't heat and cool our buildings and get people back and forth to their jobs if we make the appropriate investment. When you look at the certification from NASA of our ability to utilize fuel cell technology in flight and also in our space station, you understand the great potential that it has. But unless you have the backing of a visionary leader like Bart Gordon, it will not come to fruition.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3246, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act, and applaud the efforts of Congressman Peters, Chairman Gordon, and his colleagues on the Science and Technology Committee for their contributions to the future of advanced automobile technologies in the U.S. As long as we are exporting our dollars overseas in exchange for oil, our economic and national security are at risk. The future of the American auto industry and thousands of American jobs rest on the ability of domestic car companies to research, develop, and commercialize new, clean, efficient technologies, including hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, that will be the backbone of a new U.S. vehicle market and economy. Hydrogen fuel cells can provide power for a wide array of transportation applications. Fuel Cells are a proven technology and already in use today. In Hartford, CT, the transit department is using a fuel cell powered bus that emits no pollution. Every time we replace a gasoline powered bus with a fuel cell bus it is equal to removing 77 cars from our roadways. The hydrogen and fuel cell industry already supports 2,100 jobs in Connecticut alone and with this bill is poised to add many others. Hydrogen fuel cells are clean and efficient and will allow us to become more energy independent while reducing carbon emissions. Supporting this bill will give us more options to create jobs in Connecticut, keep America competitive, and reduce pollution. I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. So, again, Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and the committee for your commitment to this very important technology that seeks to advance our country and wean ourselves from dependency on foreign nations and help bring our troops home.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I thank Chairman Miller for yielding. Madam Chair, expanding access to an affordable college education and job training is one of the surest ways we can build a stronger and more competitive American economy for years to come. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 is the single largest investment, the single largest investment, in aid to help students and families to pay for college in the history of this country. I commend Chairman Miller, the ranking member, and the entire committee, especially in these severe and dire economic times and when there's so much stress on working families, to provide this opportunity to have America resume the preeminent position that it occupies economically, socially, culturally, and militarily in society. This means for Connecticut, as Joe Courtney, a member of the committee, reminds us, over 277 million additional dollars in funding for Pell Grants to thousands of Connecticut students. This bill also includes legislation that I've worked on, and I thank the chairman and the members for including it, the notion of expanding opportunity to our community colleges, to expand their mission, an opportunity to reach out in these economic times for people who seek to retrain themselves and utilize the opportunities that our community colleges represent. Community colleges reach every corner of this country with over 1,100 in urban, rural, and suburban settings. This is vitally important in this economy and as we face additional global challenges that we are able to retrain our workforce in a manner that allows them to matriculate into the job networks that will be created from the community college effort combining with the entrepreneurial and private sector to create the jobs that we need. I commend Chairman Miller for this effort and urge support of this bill.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the participants of the House Fellows Program. The House Fellows Program, run by the Office of the House Historian, is a unique opportunity for a select group of secondary education American history and government teachers to experience firsthand the inner-workings of Congress. These educators have demonstrated excellence in the classroom, are dedicated to educating our Nation's youth and are truly deserving of our recognition. One of the goals of the House Fellows Program is to develop curriculum on the history and practice of the House for use in schools. During the program, fellows prepare a brief lesson plan on a congressional topic of their choosing, which is then shared with the other fellows. These plans will become part of a larger teaching resource database on the House. During the school year following their participation in the House Fellows Program, each Fellow is responsible for presenting his or her experience and lesson plans to at least one in-service institute for teachers of history and government. Since the House Fellows Program began in 2006, 63 teachers from across the country have participated in this innovative program, with 12 more enrolled for this summer. With plans to select a teacher from every congressional district over the next several years, the House Fellows Program will impact thousands of high school teachers and their students and will energize thousands of students to become informed and active citizens. As a former U.S. history teacher, I believe strongly in the importance of civic education. We must continue our efforts to get our youth involved in the political process in districts across the country. Educating teachers about the ``People's House'' is one of the best ways to do that. I congratulate the following educators who are participating in the 7th session of the House Fellows Program: Ms. Rachel Snell (Camp, MI-4); Mr. Ronald Hailey (McDermott, WA-7); Ms. Rosemary Quirk (Neal, MA-2); Ms. Jennifer S. Venable (Barton, TX- 6); Ms. Cheryl Anderson and Mr. David Martin (Lewis, GA-5); Ms. La- Shanda West (Ros-Lehtinen, FL-18); Ms. Rhonda Rush and Ms. Jessica Newman (Bachus, AL-6); Mr. Michael Feldman (Castle, DE-AL); Mr. Don Woods (Hall, TX-4); Mr. George Blackledge (Taylor, MS-4). Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in thanking the Office of the Historian for sponsoring this program. Thanks to Dr. Robert Remini and Dr. Fred Beuttler for their outstanding leadership, and Dr. Thomas Rushford, Dr. Charles Flanagan, Mr. Dave Veenstra, Mr. Anthony Wallis and Mr. Benjamin Hayes for providing the crucial staff support. Thank you also to the Office of the Historian interns: Mr. Maurice Robinson, Mr. Parker Williams, Ms. Kaitlin Utz and Ms. Debbie Kobrin.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, today, I am proud to recognize the past and present service of one of my constituents, Mr. James W. Shelmerdine, Jr., who served with great honor during the Korean War and continues to serve on behalf of Korean War veterans in the State of Connecticut. Mr. Shelmerdine deserves our recognition not only for his service to our country in Korea, but also for his leadership and volunteerism after the war. Mr. Shelmerdine commands a local chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association and advocates tirelessly for Korean War veterans at the State of Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans' Home in Rocky Hill, which houses some of the state's neediest veterans. It is with great pride that I join my colleagues in the House of Representatives in recognizing the courage and sacrifice of Korean War veterans like Mr. Shelmerdine and honoring them by designating July 27 as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. I fully support H.R. 2632, The Korean War Veterans Recognition Act; and, I commend Chairman Rangel for his service, both in the Korean War and in the House of Representatives.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Chairman, I want to associate myself with the remarks of Steve Israel, as the aforementioned also members of the Hydrogen Caucus who have been so critical to promoting this legislation. But I especially want to thank Chairman Pastor and especially his staff, Taunja Berquam, and also Joe Levin, who played an instrumental role in making sure that we got this important funding included in the bill. Now, in Connecticut we pride ourselves as being the fuel-cell center. We have more than eight companies, three in my home district. But as Steve Israel pointed out--and I know Mr. Pastor knows this--the importance of being energy independent cuts to the core of what we need to do. This is a technology that has been around for some time. We use it very successfully in NASA. We're able to power our space vehicles. We're able to use the water and be able to heat and cool and power our spacecraft. With that, can we get people back and forth to work and heat and cool our buildings? I think so. The whole goal here is to make sure that we're able to embrace the most abundant element in the universe, which is hydrogen. If we expect to wean ourselves off of foreign dependency then we have to go with cutting edge technology. Another young President in 1960 said we could put a man on the moon in 10 years. We did it in nine. Part of the technology in getting us there was hydrogen fuel cells. It's long overdue for us to make the kind of investments in the public-private partnerships that Mr. Israel alluded to that are so essential to us moving this economy forward and making sure that we're no longer dependent upon OPEC countries, on Libya, on Venezuela or Russia for our source of fuel, but we make it here in America with American innovation and technology. And with that, again, I thank Mr. Pastor for your leadership and your outstanding staff for providing us this opportunity, what I know is a bipartisan effort to move this Nation forward.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on July 9, 2009 I missed votes because I was attending a funeral. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes 513, 514, 515, 516, 519, 521, 523 and 525. I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall votes 517, 518, 520, 522, 524.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I thank the distinguished chairman. Mr. Speaker, it has been an interesting day in listening to the claims that have emanated from the other side of the aisle, claims about honesty, claims about being forthright. The President of the previous administration, President Bush, stood on the floor and claimed our addiction to oil, and everybody put their head in the sand and did nothing as we continued to send and export American dollars overseas. We send American taxpayer dollars overseas to Russia, to Saudi Arabia, to Libya, to Venezuela, all the people that you have chimed in about today. That's the real tax that we are paying because of our increasing addiction and our need to stand up and rid ourselves of dependency on foreign soil. So the challenge faces us once again--it was here 30 years ago, and we didn't have the courage to make the stand, nor the patriotic fervor or fiber to stand up and do the right thing. Stop this addiction. If T. Boone Pickens can get out front across this country and talk about this awful addiction, and, as Thomas Friedman said very eloquently, if the American policy of the previous administration is to ``leave no mullah behind'' and find our funds that we pay with American taxpayers going to fund our enemies' efforts against our own troops in our efforts against terrorism, that is what this is about in the final analysis. It's about this great country of ours and making a stand for what we believe in, standing up for American dominance and superiority. Yes, the Chinese and Indian nations are out there competing. We want to compete against them because we have better technology. We just have to make the investment here and not in Saudi Arabia and Libya and Venezuela and Russia. That's what the policy of previous administrations have led us to. And that's where it must end today, on this floor.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on June 25, 2009 I missed rollcall votes 454 and 460. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on both.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the participants of the House Fellows Program. The House Fellows Program, run by the Office of the House Historian, is a unique opportunity for a select group of secondary education American history and government teachers to experience firsthand the inner-workings of Congress. These educators have demonstrated excellence in the classroom, are dedicated to educating our nation's youth and are truly deserving of our recognition. One of the goals of the House Fellows Program is to develop curriculum on the history and practice of the House for use in schools. During the program, fellows prepare a brief lesson plan on a Congressional topic of their choosing, which is then shared with the other fellows. These plans will become part of a larger teaching resource database on the House. During the school year following their participation in the House Fellows Program, each Fellow is responsible for presenting his or her experience and lesson plans to at least one in-service institute for teachers of history and government. The House Fellows Program began in 2006, and since then 63 teachers from across the country have participated in this innovative program. Twelve more teachers will be taking part this summer. With plans to select a teacher from every congressional district over the next several years, the House Fellows Program will impact thousands of high school teachers and their students and will energize thousands of students to become informed and active citizens. As a former U.S. history teacher, I believe strongly in the importance of civic education. We must continue our efforts to get our youth involved in the political process in districts across the country. Educating teachers about the ``People's House'' is one of the best ways to do that. I congratulate the following educators who are participating in the 7th session of the House Fellows Program: Ms. Ashley Greeley (Buyer, IN-4); Ms. Susan Hunter Hilton (Spratt, SC-5); Mr. Wayne Williams, Mr. Gregory Cosgrove (Diaz- Balart, FL-21); Ms. Dodie Kasper and Ms. Maria Arena (Johnson, TX-3); Mr. Jeffrey Boogaard (Andrews, NJ-1); Mr. Christopher Moreno (Lowey, NY-18); Ms. Latasha Jones (Engel, NY-17); Mr. Eric Major (Costello, IL- 12); Ms. Mollie Huber and Ms. Yvonne Jackson Pittman (Paul, TX-14). Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in thanking the Office of the Historian for sponsoring this program. Thanks to Dr. Robert Remini and Dr. Fred Beuttler for their outstanding leadership, and Dr. Thomas Rushford, Dr. Charles Flanagan, Mr. Anthony Wallis and Mr. Benjamin Hayes for providing the crucial staff support. Thank you also to the Office of the Historian interns: Mr. Maurice Robinson, Mr. Parker Williams, Ms. Kaitlin Utz and Ms. Debbie Kobrin.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the finest diplomats that both of us have come to know, Mr. Luca Ferrari, the Minister Counselor for Public and Legislative Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Italy. Minister Ferrari, who has been at the Italian Embassy here in Washington since October 8, 2005, is also the Official Spokesman at the Embassy as well. It has been recently announced that Minister Ferrari will leave Washington later this summer to become the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Italy in Madrid, Spain. Minister Ferrari, whose father was a career diplomat, was born in Rome and lived all over the world while growing up. As a result, he can speak five languages fluently. He received a degree in political science from the University of Rome in 1984. He joined the Italian Diplomatic Service in 1986 and served in a number of positions in Rome, including Executive Assistant to the Foreign Minister and Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1991, he was sent to Moscow where, as First Secretary, he held the position of Head of the Ambassador's Secretariat and Chief of the Consular Section until 1995. Then he began his first assignment in Washington, where he was Counselor and Chief of Staff of the Ambassador of Italy to the United States until 1999. After returning to Rome, he served as the Director for Middle Eastern Affairs of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs until his return to Washington in 2005. Given the enormous amount of diplomatic and consular activity between the United States and our critical NATO ally Italy over the years, Washington, D.C. is one of the most challenging posts for Italian diplomats. I think that you will agree with my belief that Minister Ferrari has performed superbly both as a diplomat and as a friend to both of us. Whether it has been his tireless efforts on your historic trip to Italy as the highest ranking Italian-American official, his facilitation of the recent visit of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to Washington, and the numerous visits of other high-level officials in recent years, his work to provide relief in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Abruzzo, his preparations for the upcoming July G-8 Summit in L'Aquila, or the energy he brought to the numerous other projects to which he was assigned; I think that you will agree with me that Luca has set an example of what it means to be a model diplomat. Many of our colleagues are aware of the historic role that the model of Italian diplomacy has played in the creation of the current worldwide diplomatic system and international law. We can easily see how Luca fits into the fine tradition of envoys that Italy has sent to other nations down through the ages. On a personal level, Madam Speaker, Luca has been a true friend to both of us, as well as to your husband Paul and to my wife Leslie. As you have on so many occasions, Luca travelled to Hartford to participate in my annual charity Bocce Tournament, which Leslie and I host at our home to raise money for the St. Patrick/St. Anthony Church in Hartford and the East Hartford Interfaith Ministries. Although he has yet to join you in the elite group of Italian Celebrity Night trophy winners, I am sure that, with a little more practice, he will be awarded that honor at some future tournament. Madam Speaker, I would like to conclude by urging all of our colleagues to join us in saluting Minister Luca Ferrari for all he has done to further relations between our two countries and to wish him, his wife Mariachiara Pastore Ferrari, and their 13 year-old son Alessandro Ferrari all the best as they begin their new duties in Spain.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Chair, on June 18, 2009, I missed rollcall votes 377, 378, 379, and 380. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on all. Amendment No. 91 Offered by Mr. Flake

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Chair, on rollcall Nos. 377, 378, and 379 I was in the physician's office. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment No. 85 Offered by Mr. Flake

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Chair, on June 17, 2009, I missed rollcall votes 351, 352, 353, 354 and 355 due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, on June 16, 2009, I missed roll call vote 350 due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on June 16, 2009, I missed rollcall votes 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347 and 349, due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all.