John Larson

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of the lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I submit the remarks of Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy, at the Interfaith Vigil for the families and community of Newtown, CT with the President of the United States. Pat, thank you for all of the great work that you have done for this community in the last three days. To the police chief and to the superintendent of schools, thank you for your great service, as well. To all of the first responders, thank you. When I came into the hall, one of the first songs to be played on the piano was ``Amazing Grace,'' which is fitting for any number of reasons. Its become an anthem for first responders. It has great words. It also speaks of the power of faith. ``Amazing Grace'' was written by a former sea captain engaged in the slave trade. And those profound words that ``I once was lost and now am found'' speak to us on a day like today when we are called upon--dare I say required to be invested in our faith. A faith so evident in this room and in this community at this time. A faith that is, after all, at its very core a gift from God. A faith in which we find comfort and hope and compassion. A faith in which we are given the power to go on, to survive that which has befallen this community, these families, these spouses. That which has happened and is unimaginable and unthinkable and was never, we thought, intended to be upon us here in Connecticut, or in Newtown, or in Sandy Hook. I choose to think about the fact that in the coming days we will officially enter winter. And that is always to be followed by the spring. Let me assure you that in winter, each time I see the beginning of a snowfall, I will be thinking of those 27 souls lost just a few days ago. Each time the day gets a little longer, I will think and dream of the lives that might have been and the lives that were so full of grace. And when the flowers start to come out of the ground, and when they rise up, I will know that we are in touch with those that we have lost in the last few days. We will go on, we will find strength. Faith is a gift, as is our ability to support one another in our greater community. To all of you, I extend my most profound condolences on behalf of all of your fellow citizens for what you have seen, for what you have witnessed and for what have you personally experienced. We will move on, we will never forget, we will in many ways be made stronger for what has transpired and we will get better. We are blessed today to have with us the President of the United States, who upon meeting with Pat and me just a little while ago said that the most difficult day of his presidency was Friday, when he heard the news of that which had befallen this community. I assured him that Connecticut, Newtown and Sandy Hook are strong, and I welcomed him on your behalf to our community. I now introduce the President of the United States.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on February 15, 2013, I was not present for rollcall vote 45. If I had been present for this vote, I would have voted ``yea.'' personal explanation

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, Thoreau famously said most men lead lives of quiet desperation. My mother led a life of quiet inspiration. Thousands gave witness to that and stood in line for more than three hours to pay their final respects to Lois Nolan Larson, affectionately known as Pauline. My family was deeply touched by the outpouring of the community. It was a great tribute to my mother's lifetime commitment to her community. Several kind statements of appreciation were made by elected officials--from the President of the United States to the Governor of our state; from Senators to House Leaders in Congress and members of the Connecticut General Assembly. It was, however, two articles--one by Tom Condon of The Hartford Courant, the other by Bill Doak of our hometown paper, The East Hartford Gazette, that captured the sentiment, feeling and appreciation of an everyday mom who gave to her community and set an example to emulate. The following are those two articles: [From the Hartford Courant, Oct. 12, 2012] East Hartford Mother Left Legacy of Involvement and Action (By Tom Condon) Democracy works because good people give their time and get involved. At the municipal level, few epitomized the ethic of participation quite like Lois Pauline Nolan Larson of East Hartford, who died this week at 87. For decades starting in the 1960s, Mrs. Larson, known to all as Pauline, served the town in most of the ways it is possible to serve. She was a member of the town council and the Democratic town committee, on which she served as vice chairwoman and treasurer. She served on the town's parks and visiting nurse association boards and the cemetery commission. The community center in the Mayberry Village neighborhood where she lived is named in her honor. She volunteered her time while she and her husband were raising eight children, and while she was battling multiple sclerosis. She inspired two of her children to go into public life. Her son Timothy Larson was mayor of East Hartford for eight years and is now a state representative. Her son John Larson is the seven-term U.S. representative from the 1st District. John Larson spoke of his mother's battle with declining health in a televised speech at the recent Democratic National Convention, and how she wanted not to be a burden to her family. ``Mom, you're not a burden,'' Larson told the convention crowd. ``You're an inspiration.'' Many in East Hartford nodded.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Carol Walter, a fierce advocate for the homeless in Connecticut, who passed away on December 27, 2012. Carol served as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness and dedicated her life's work to fighting homelessness and its contributing causes. Her passion, energy, and persistent focus on finding solutions helped countless individuals and families across our State. For all those who knew her, worked with her, and benefited from her good works--we are saddened by this loss and offer our deepest condolences to her family. While many in the community will pay tribute to Carol Walter, I would like to submit the following article from The Hartford Courant that captures her dynamic spirit: Vibrant Advocate for the Homeless, Carol Walter, Dies at 53 (By Jenna Carlesso) [From the Hartford Courant, Dec. 28, 2012] Carol Walter, the executive director of Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, was remembered by her friends Friday as a quick-witted, energetic leader and unwavering advocate for the homeless. Walter, 53, died Thursday after a short battle with lung cancer, friends said. When Walter became executive director in 2006, friends said, she had landed her dream job. Walter was passionate about creating long-term solutions to homelessness, including permanent housing and supportive services. ``Beyond shelters and short-gap solutions, she was very interested in finding longer-term solutions, particularly in reducing chronic homelessness,'' said Mercedes Soto, who served on CCEH's board of directors from 2009 to 2012. ``She was able to rally an entire spectrum of people to work toward these goals, and worked to get people housed as quickly as possible. ``She was a dynamo. She made a big impact on me and everyone who knew her.'' Colleagues at CCEH said Walter presided over ``a sea change'' in the organization's approach to homelessness, including greater coordination of services among other nonprofits and oversight of the coalition's statewide ``point in time'' homeless consensus. She also led efforts in rapid re-housing and shelter diversion strategies, they said. ``People often tell me how energetic I am,'' said Shawn Lang, a longtime friend of Walter. ``I tell them, `go hang around with Carol for a while, she'll make me look like a slug.' She had great passion for her work. Her enthusiasm and her energy and smarts opened a lot of doors.'' Prior to her position at CCEH, Walter worked at homeless shelters in New Haven, Hartford and Stamford, friends said. She also worked at the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition as a membership services coordinator, where she helped people with AIDS find employment. Walter was active in her work, sometimes to the point that she couldn't sit still. ``She had more energy than 10 of us,'' said Dave Martineau, vice president of CCEH's board of directors and a friend of Walter. ``She always used to say, `I have no time. I'm trying to end homelessness.' She gave her whole life to it.'' ``She was a woman who could never stand still,'' added Jose Vega, program manager for the McKinney homeless shelter in Hartford, who had worked with Walter. ``She was a fighter, and such a strong advocate for this community. She touched so many lives.'' Howard Rifkin, executive director of Partnership for Strong Communities, an organization that seeks to end homelessness and create affordable housing opportunities, recalled Walter as ``maddening and endearing at the same time.'' Rifkin collaborated with Walter on several initiatives, including a plan to end chronic homelessness and homelessness among veterans and families with children in Connecticut. ``We're both opinionated people,'' he said. ``She and I would sometimes go at it, but we would always end our meetings with a hug and a laugh.'' Rifkin said Walter had ``a sense of urgency'' about her work. ``She had a deep, deep commitment to [creating] a more equitable and socially just society, and I'm sure that her passion for this work was informed by that,'' he said. Outside of work, Walter was an avid theater-goer, friends said. She loved the outdoors, traveling and being near the ocean. She was also a devoted Mets fan. ``Carol would put a Yankees cap in her freezer to give the Mets good luck,'' Lang said. ``If that didn't work, we'd change the places we were sitting. There were a lot of crazy rituals around baseball games.'' Lang said Walter's friends and colleagues would miss the woman who had ``a real zest for life.'' ``Connecticut is a little smaller and a little darker today,'' she said. Walter is survived by her wife, Debra Walsh, of West Hartford.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 649, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on December 20, 2012, I was not present for rollcall vote 639. If I had been present for this vote, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 639.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Thank you, Chris Murphy. We just came from a vigil over on the Senate side that Senator Lieberman, Senator Blumenthal, and former Senator Dodd were at, and all of us had the opportunity to be there. Joe Courtney, when he spoke, spoke of our colleague Chris Murphy and the incredible job that he's done for his district and for our State. When you hear him speak on the floor about quintessential New England and the community he represented for 6 years in Newtown and the little village of Sandy Hook, you understand that this is a man who truly represents the people of his district and this great State. All of us have been shocked by the events that have transpired. Many things will be said. Dick Blumenthal, Elizabeth Esty, who's the Representative-elect, have been there for the last 4 days. The whole world has looked in on this horrific event. And parents all across this country and all across the world understood implicitly what we all fear--the unspeakable: the parent describing a trip in an automobile from Bridgeport to Newtown, racing to get there to see whether their child was alive, had survived, and the joy when they were able to see their kids; and the complete and utter despair when your child was not one of the kids who came out. And Chris Murphy and Dick Blumenthal and Elizabeth Esty, our colleagues, were there. These first responders who came on the scene and prevented the loss of more lives deserve our unending thanks. The great coordination by our State police and local police, everything that transpired, all the volunteers that participated; the teachers, the professionalism that they exhibited, the execution of a drill that they had been through time and again; and, as Rosa talked about, the principal and the teacher who sheltered her children and gave her own life. These are difficult things. As Chris has so eloquently said, we're seeking answers and know that we must move on. And where do you find the strength? We found the strength in a great leader, in a Governor, Dan Malloy, who's been there all 4 days and beyond. At the vigil last evening where the President spoke in an ecumenical gathering, he said: As winter approaches and snow begins to fall, I will always think of these children as precious snowflakes during this winter of events. But I am heartened by the fact that every spring when the flowers bloom, we will think of their precious memory as well. Our President said that the people of Newtown were inspirational. Indeed, they are.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Clio, the muse of history, used to sit above this Chamber. The muse of history's responsibility was to sit there, as you'll see the statue in Statuary Hall, with a book and pen, recording the events of this Chamber. We are in a unique position of responsibility. We have been sent here to perform a duty; and not only the muse of history, but all the world is watching the United States Congress. We have a responsibility to respond in the most comprehensive way. This is an attack of terrorism. This has happened all too often and all too frequently all across this country. And in such an attack, we would do everything within our power to make sure that no stone was left unturned, to make sure that we provided every answer and every opportunity that we can, as Rosa said, to protect our children. That's why we take an oath of office here. That is our God-given responsibility. We must act, and act now.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, Thoreau famously said most men lead lives of quiet desperation. My mother led a life of quiet inspiration. Thousands gave witness to that and stood in line for more than three hours to pay their final respects to Lois Nolan Larson, affectionately known as Pauline. My family was deeply touched by the outpouring of the community. It was a great tribute to my mother's lifetime commitment to her community. Several kind statements of appreciation were made by elected officials--from the President of the United States to the Governor of our state; from Senators to House Leaders in Congress and members of the Connecticut General Assembly. It was, however, two articles--one by Tom Condon of The Hartford Courant, the other by Bill Doak of our hometown paper, The East Hartford Gazette, that captured the sentiment, feeling and appreciation of an everyday mom who gave to her community and set an example to emulate. The following are those two articles: [The Hartford Courant, Oct. 12, 2012] East Hartford Mother Left Legacy of Involvement and Action (By Tom Condon) Democracy works because good people give their time and get involved. At the municipal level, few epitomized the ethic of participation quite like Lois Pauline Nolan Larson of East Hartford, who died this week at 87. For decades starting in the 1960s, Mrs. Larson, known to all as Pauline, served the town in most of the ways it is possible to serve. She was a member of the town council and the Democratic town committee, on which she served as vice chairwoman and treasurer. She served on the town's parks and visiting nurse association boards and the cemetery commission. The community center in the Mayberry Village neighborhood where she lived is named in her honor. She volunteered her time while she and her husband were raising eight children, and while she was battling multiple sclerosis. She inspired two of her children to go into public life. Her son Timothy Larson was mayor of East Hartford for eight years and is now a state representative. Her son John Larson is the seven-term U.S. representative from the 1st District. John Larson spoke of his mother's battle with declining health in a televised speech at the recent Democratic National Convention, and how she wanted not to be a burden to her family. ``Mom, you're not a burden,'' Larson told the convention crowd. ``You're an inspiration.'' Many in East Hartford nodded.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Julie Fagan, a dedicated public servant, who will be retiring at the end of this month. After 23 years of service with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Julie B. Fagan is set to retire effective November 30th. Julie is currently the Field Office Director of the Hartford Field Office for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was previously the Director of the HUD Salt Lake City Field Office and the national director overseeing the Public and Assisted Housing Drug Elimination Program in Washington, DC. She also served on the senior management team for Governor Roy Romer (D) of Colorado. Julie started her career at HUD following her passion to fight drug use in public and assisted housing. During her career she has played a critical role in preserving and redeveloping critical Federal public housing properties all over Connecticut, particularly in Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport. Julie has also made it a top priority in her time as director of the Connecticut HUD office to collaborate with her peer Federal, State and local agencies. She has greatly improved the housing landscape for the people of Connecticut by initiating many vital working relationships with government, non-profit and private organizations that play a role in housing the people of Connecticut. In addition, Julie has been a leader in Connecticut by helping residents navigate the challenges presented by the foreclosure crisis. Her leadership and ability to train her staff to accommodate the many changes in the housing market allowed for constituents to have their needs addressed in as timely and professional a manner as possible. Julie is looking forward to spending more time with her husband Jack, her five wonderful children and nine grandchildren. I applaud her hard work, time and dedication in serving the State of Connecticut and the country and thank her for her years of public service that has helped so many families. I know that our office will miss working with Julie and we wish her and her family all the best.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, one of my constituents wrote very emphatically: How could Congress possibly leave when they know that we the people face the deep, dark abyss of uncertainty-- uncertainty about our unemployment, uncertainty about the jobs that we need, the uncertainty that comes when your mortgage is under water, the uncertainty that comes when you know that you have to educate your children, and yet Congress leaves without addressing the basic needs of the people that we're sworn to serve. For the last week, we've heard an awful lot about work requirements. The primary work requirement that should be asked is of this United States Congress, for it to stay and do the work of the people. There is a jobs bill that's out there. There are tax cuts that can be achieved. Let's stay and do that work.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) for organizing this hour and concur with my colleagues that an hour is not nearly enough to highlight the virtues and certainly the public service of our distinguished colleague, Jerry Costello. Jerry, as has already been said, and his lovely wife, Georgia, their beautiful family, we're all very happy and proud that he will be joined with them. In whatever endeavor he does, we know he will bring the kind of energy, the kind of commitment, and the kind of integrity that he's brought to the floor of the House. Robert Remini, also from Illinois and a historian, has written a significant history about the House. In his book, he talks about the character of the people that serve here. I'm proud to say that I've had the opportunity to serve with someone who is so genuine, who cares so deeply about this institution, his home State of Illinois, and the people he has served with. He does it the old fashioned way, the Bill Lipinski way, with a handshake and a commitment and always looking you directly in the eye. As Don Young from Alaska indicated, he also has the great capacity to reach across the aisle, understanding implicitly that things don't get done unless we're capable of working together. An incredible wise sense of humor, always sage advice, and an incredible understanding of politics, not only the local flavor of his great State of Illinois, but also the ebb and flow of business here on the floor of the House of Representatives. He is honored by his colleagues and respected not only for his political acumen and his professionalism, but most of all because of the integrity that he brings to this floor each and every day. He will be sorely missed. It's an honor to have served with him. I look forward to a continued relationship with this great man from Illinois, Jerry Costello.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I thank the distinguished ranking member. This debate today is extraordinarily informative. This isn't about Democrats or Republicans. This is about saving and preserving our middle class. Lauren Mishkin from Connecticut, a mother who recently came up to talk to me about student loans, said, ``When only the rich can follow their dreams, we have a problem.'' So here today, we face a very clear choice that I think all Americans understand. We should be able to come together as Democrats and Republicans and provide a tax break for everyone up to $250,000. Lauren was right: we have a problem. A constituent of mine said, ``How is it that the Congress doesn't understand that what they're doing is throwing all of us into the deep abyss of uncertainty?'' It's that deep abyss of uncertainty that all Americans are concerned about. And what they want is for us to come together. We know that we have a bill that has passed the Senate, a bill that the President will sign, a bill that we virtually agree on on both sides of the aisle. So what really frustrates the American citizens and the people in my district is that we can't come together. I implore my colleagues on the other side, don't plunge us further into this dark abyss. Do the things that the wealthy amongst us have more than the ability to shoulder and make sure that we all come together, as Americans, and do the right thing on behalf of our constituents. That's what the Lauren Mishkins want, that's the kind of dream that we need to provide for all American citizens, and that's what this country desperately needs--a Congress that will take leadership. There are times when you need to step aside, and there are times when you need to step up. We need to step up as a Congress and pass this Democratic substitute.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to compliment both sides for the quality of debate that has occurred on this floor over the last couple of days. Today, we are here for the 31st time to act on repealing the Affordable Care Act. I give my colleagues credit for their persistence, but I'm deeply troubled by the obstinacy and the obstruction that they have demonstrated in an almost callow indifference to the needs of American families. Most importantly, the simple dignity that comes from a job that more than 14 million of our Americans are being denied, and we can't, in this great civil body, bring forward the President's bill that will create jobs. One of the people in my district, Signe Martin, said, do you not understand that you have plunged us into the dark abyss of uncertainty? The only thing that creates and corrects that situation is the simple dignity that comes from a job. And yet today, we spend our time on the floor talking about something where we should be working together, where Members on our side of the aisle, who would have preferred Medicare for everyone--the majority of our caucus would have been there--and yet embraced the compromise that extolled the virtues of the Romney plan in Massachusetts. But there is no room for compromise on the other side of the aisle. So we can only surmise this: that you would rather see the President fail than the American people succeed. Person after person on both sides of the aisle have gotten up and talked about the need for us to come together. You embrace most everything that's in this plan but would rather see the President fail than the Nation succeed.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. To respond here, as Mr. Andrews has very patiently and eloquently pointed out, the $500 billion that was just discussed by the previous speaker is something that the Republicans have voted on twice. Perhaps they didn't get a chance to read that bill as they sometimes claim about health care on this side. I yield 2 minutes to the vice chair of the Democratic Caucus, the gentleman from California (Xavier Becerra).

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. It gives me great honor to yield 1 minute to the dean of the Connecticut delegation and a voice for compassion and who believes passionately about this health care law that's in effect for the American people, Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 10 seconds.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to our distinguished whip from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), a person who understands what it means to make it in America.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), a leader in the Democratic Caucus.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time we have on both sides.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to our Democratic leader, the gentlelady from San Francisco, California, without whom there would not be an Affordable Care Act, and we greatly appreciate her efforts.