Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Representative Barbara Lee's amendment to prevent an escalation and limit funding to the safe and orderly withdrawal of our troops and military contractors from Afghanistan. After 9 years of war, the time has come to bring our troops home. I will also vote in favor of the McGovern-Obey amendment that would require the President to provide Congress with a plan for the expeditious redeployment of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and a timeline for completion of the redeployment. I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership for bringing this bill to the floor today in a manner that allows clear up or down votes on funding for the war and other domestic priorities. The challenges in Afghanistan are great. As the violence and attacks on our troops continue to increase, we still do not have a clear path forward or a way to measure progress there. We cannot afford to sustain an open-ended commitment with no clear definition of success. Reports of corruption abound in Afghanistan, and without a true partner in the Karzai government, our prospects for making real progress have grown dim. Our troops have fought with honor and professionalism in the face of great challenges, and at great cost--I am truly humbled by their service and sacrifice. These brave men and women in uniform deserve our full support and commitment to return them home safely to their families and loved ones. President Obama did not start this war, and I was among those who have spoken out in support of allowing for the time necessary for a new strategy in Afghanistan to turn the tide. But after years of war that has strained our military, their families, and the country, I am unable to continue to support what increasingly looks like an intractable situation in Afghanistan. That is why I vote in favor of these amendments today. Despite my opposition to our continued military presence in Afghanistan, the bill does include critical domestic funding that I will support. These include saving teachers' jobs, Pell Grants, emergency food assistance for hungry Americans, and disaster aid to respond to the Gulf oil spill catastrophe. For example, today we are providing $10 billion for an Education Jobs Fund to provide additional emergency support to local school districts to prevent impending layoffs. Estimates suggest that this fund will help keep 140,000 school employees on the job next year. Moreover, when we invest in education, we save jobs in other sectors and spur economic recovery. According to the Economic Policy Institute, for every 100,000 education jobs lost, another 30,000 jobs are lost in other sectors due to reduced consumer spending and tax revenues. The list of important programs this bill funds is both extensive and impressive: Among other priorities, we are providing $304 million for the Gulf Coast oil spill; $50 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program for food purchases to distribute through local emergency food providers; $13.377 billion for the payment of benefits to Vietnam veterans and their survivors for exposure to Agent Orange, which has been linked with Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease, and hairy cell/B cell leukemia; and $2.93 billion for Haiti. These are extremely important priorities which are fully paid for and which I support.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, unemployment benefits are a necessary lifeline for jobless workers trying to make ends meet and also provide a boost to the economy. These benefits are crucial when there are five job seekers for every available job. Unemployment benefits keep workers attached to the workforce, preventing some workers from shifting to other more costly programs, such as Social Security disability insurance. By the end of 2010, the Joint Economic Committee estimates that 290,000 unemployed disabled workers will exhaust their benefits. Shifting these workers from the labor market and onto the Social Security disability insurance rolls--the cost of inaction--is a staggering $24.2 billion lifetime cost, contrasted with $721.3 million this year by extending the benefits. Extending unemployment benefits is both morally right and the fiscally responsible thing to do, providing a boost to the economy and a savings to the government.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues Representative Chris Smith and Representative Kay Granger in congratulating the government of South Africa for their efforts to combat human trafficking. Let there be no mistake: human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Although slavery was abolished almost 150 years ago in the United States, millions of people worldwide are still deprived of their freedom. Victims of this growing epidemic are forced into a world of abuse and exploitation. I have worked with my colleagues in Congress for years to fight this horrific problem but our work is far from over. Past experiences indicate that global sporting events such as the World Cup strongly affect the human trafficking industry. The influx of millions of tourists to South Africa for the World Cup increases the demand for prostitution and facilitates the entry of trafficking victims to the country. Women and girls are reportedly being trafficked to South Africa from all over the world in order to meet the demand for commercial sex. With so many people entering the country, it is important to raise awareness of the horrors of human trafficking and be able to identify victims from tourists. The government of South Africa not only needs to protect its vulnerable population but also those that have been trafficked from across the globe. House Resolution 1412 is an important measure that not only commends the government of South Africa for their efforts to combat human trafficking but also urges them to act quickly to pass anti-trafficking legislation. Strong police enforcement and strict government laws are especially critical during the World Cup in order to protect potential victims and ensure victims are given proper attention. Although the government of South Africa has worked to tackle this issue and has successfully convicted two human trafficking cases more needs to be done to prosecute traffickers and buyers of the industry. It is our duty to protect men, women, boys, and girls from this devastating scourge that is destroying people's lives.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Stickball Hall of Fame, an institution that promotes and preserves the great athletic tradition of stickball that has been a mainstay of urban life in America and has helped countless youths learn about the precepts of fair play, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence. The Stickball Hall of Fame has recognized and commemorated a sport which truly represents the spirit and innovation that exemplifies New York, our nation's greatest city. Adapted from and closely linked to our great national pastime of baseball, stickball helped transform the urban landscape of 20th century America. Since the 1920s, the game of stickball has been an important team sport in cities across the country, where it served to strengthen personal relationships between families and friends, and forged strong bonds within the communities in which it was played. In 1968 in New York City, a group known as the 111th Street Old Timers was formed. It organized an annual festival centered around the game of stickball. In 1999 the group began to focus its efforts on reaching out to the kids and seniors within the community. The group raised money to send youths to summer camp, established a scholarship fund, and distributed toys to children in hospitals. Today we honor this organization for its meaningful contributions to the citizens of New York City. In 2000, the 111th Street Old Timers founded the Stickball Hall of Fame in order to recognize the pastime which made these charitable works possible. The Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the game of stickball as well as commemorating great players and community activists for whom stickball was a beloved pastime. Annually, four to six members recognized for skills both in the game of stickball and for their community service are inducted into the Stickball Hall of Fame. Additionally, this year, the organization will pay tribute to a great player and citizen, Charlie Rivera, founder of the Puerto Rican Stickball League, who passed away in May 2010. The current president of the Stickball Hall of Fame, Carlos Diaz, exemplifies the spirit of selfless service. He has long been devoted to community activism, serving on the advisory boards of many important institutions, including those of Con Edison and New York Telephone, the East Harlem Baseball Federation, and the George Conroy Educational Fund. He served as chairman of the East Harlem Council for Community Improvement, and founded a group called the Explorer's Program in which junior high school students were exposed to careers in healthcare. Last month, his years of tireless and effective community service were recognized and honored by the Community Advisory Board of Metropolitan Hospital. Madam Speaker, in recognition of the tremendous contributions made to the civic life of our nation by the game of stickball by its most skilled players, I request that my distinguished colleagues join me in paying tribute to the Stickball Hall of Fame, which has helped preserve a great American tradition and is an inspiration to us all.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of Captain Robert R. O'Brien, Jr., on the occasion of his retirement as Commander of the United States Coast Guard's New York Sector. He has served our Nation, and its greatest city, with distinction, and all Americans owe him a debt of gratitude. Captain O'Brien assumed command of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Sector New York on June 15, 2006 after completing his previous assignment as the Commander of the USCG's Marine Safety Office in Hampton Roads, Virginia. I know that my distinguished colleagues join me in extending our appreciation and gratitude to Captain O'Brien, who throughout his career has courageously and selflessly dedicated himself to protecting, defending and serving his fellow Americans. Captain Robert O'Brien's remarkable career in the United States Coast Guard has spanned more than four decades. Enlisting in the Coast Guard in 1970 after leaving the Roman Catholic Seminary, he first served aboard the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Laurel in North Carolina. In 1976, he was assigned as Officer-in-Charge of the USCGC Blackberry, also stationed in North Carolina. Upon his promotion in 1979 to Chief Boatswain's Mate, he was transferred to the largest Aids to Navigation Team in the Atlantic Area as Officer-in-Charge. In 1983, Robert O'Brien was promoted to Lieutenant, and for the next 20 years served with distinction in assignments that found him in areas ranging from Galveston, Texas to Detroit, Michigan, and numerous places in between. Upon his promotion to Captain in 2003, he assumed command of the Marine Safety Office in Hampton Roads, Virginia. After serving in that capacity for three years, he then became Commander of the New York Sector, where he has been stationed since. Throughout his long and distinguished career in the United States Coast Guard, Captain Robert O'Brien has earned a number of awards and honors. He has received the Meritorious Service Medal, the Coast Guard Commendation Medal, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal and the Coast Guard Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon, among many others. Captain Robert O'Brien was born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Ridgeland, South Carolina. He and his wife, Martha, have three children: Reid, Jennifer and Caroline, all of whom must be tremendously proud of their father's accomplishments and honorable service to this Nation. Madam Speaker, in recognition of his lifetime of service to this country, I request that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Captain Robert R. O'Brien, Jr., a distinguished member of our armed services and a patriotic American who has devoted his professional life in service to our country. Captain O'Brien's selfless and enduring dedication to our Nation provides a worthy example for all of us.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Arthur Wolf, a great New Yorker and a great American who has devoted himself to serving others. Arthur provided top-notch public service to the citizens of the Empire State for decades as an official at the Social Security Administration and then at the New York City Department for the Aging. He has provided invaluable and expert advice to me on issues related to aging, and in particular, Social Security and Medicare, for the last seventeen years. Last month, he hosted a celebration of his upcoming 80th birthday (he will actually turn 80 on September 25) at a gathering at Aleo restaurant in Manhattan. Here in Congress, we are elected by the people to make laws, but the job of implementing, applying and enforcing them falls to others. Throughout his professional life, Arthur Wolf has, in his own mild- mannered way, helped citizens overcome the barriers that sometimes exist between often byzantine bureaucracies and the people whom government is supposed to serve. A proud son of the Bronx, Arthur Wolf has been a consummate New Yorker throughout his life. He did venture far from home to begin his undergraduate education at the University of Georgia, where he witnessed first-hand the mean-spirited racial segregation that then permeated the region, an experience that helped inspire him to try to make a difference for the better. After two years, Arthur returned to his hometown to finish his undergraduate education at New York University, an outstanding institution of which he is a proud, loyal, generous, and highly revered alumnus. After earning his bachelors degree, Arthur became a welfare investigator. In areas like the South Bronx, Arthur Wolf ensured that often underprivileged New Yorkers got a fair shake from the government when it came to accessing benefits to which they were legitimately entitled. He was also a diligent steward of taxpayer dollars who made certain that the public till was not bilked by those who fraudulently tried to qualify for welfare benefits. As a Social Security Administration official, Arthur helped countless senior citizens cut through red tape that stood between them and the benefits to which they were entitled. Many of these citizens would be penniless if it weren't for the dedicated work of this extraordinary man. In one memorable instance, Arthur helped an elderly widow tap into Social Security benefits to which she was unknowingly entitled, providing her with a sum in the six figures that constituted an enormous boost to her quality of life. He carries that same commitment to serving others everywhere he goes. A longtime resident of Peter Cooper Village, a bastion of middle class housing on Manhattan's East Side, Arthur often helps seniors in the neighborhood by offering uncompensated counsel on how to traverse the Social Security bureaucracy. His work ethic is only matched by his remarkable selflessness. A former Scout Master, he helped introduce inner-city kids to the great outdoors. For many years, he also volunteered his time hosting a radio show on Fordham University's radio station, WFUV, answering callers' Social Security inquiries. An active member of many community, civic and fraternal organizations, Arthur Wolf is a Full Mason and upstanding member of the Grand Lodge of Accepted Masons of the State of New York, which he has served as Secretary for many years. He remains a longtime member of the Executive Board of the Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club. Madam Speaker, for his extraordinary contributions to others and to the civic life of our nation's greatest city, I ask that my distinguished colleagues rise and join me in honoring Mr. Arthur Wolf.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, and to the United States National Committee for UNIFEM. This month, the UNIFEM-U.S. National Committee (USNC), in partnership with the National Council for Research on Women, is holding its 2010 Annual National Conference in New York City. The theme of this year's conference, ``Strategic Imperatives for Ending Violence Against Women,'' is timely and important, and I salute UNIFEM-USNC for convening prominent leaders and activists to address these critical issues. The Conference is being held at Hunter College of the City University of New York on Manhattan's Upper East Side and is being co-hosted by the College's Women & Gender Studies Program and historic Roosevelt House. The 2010 Conference is helping to increase awareness of the nexus between violence against women and its harmful effect on key indicators, be they economic, educational, or relating to public health. Convening prominent leaders and activists from the worlds of business, academia, philanthropy, advocacy, nonprofit organizing, and public policy, the Conference will advance UNIFEM's critical mission and develop and promote strategies to combat gender-based violence. UNIFEM's vital mission is to advance women's rights and achieve gender equality around the world. UNIFEM begins with the fundamental premise that all women have a right to live a life free from discrimination and violence. By supporting national as well as local programs, UNIFEM has helped pave the way toward a more just society, free of gender discrimination and the oppression of women. UNIFEM supports the advancement of existing international commitments for gender equality on a national level. It has helped advance some of our loftiest ideals, values of human and civil rights embraced by the vast majority of U.N. member nations, as embodied by important initiatives such as the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. UNIFEM is active all across the globe, from sub-Saharan Africa to the islands of the Caribbean. Its staff works with countries to formulate and implement laws and programs to promote gender equality in all aspects of civil society, working to secure fair and fairly compensated employment opportunities for women, to end the scourge of violence against women, and to help secure their inheritance and property rights. In Sudan, UNIFEM has partnered with the United Nations Mission in Darfur to promote awareness of, and to try to stem, the surge in violence against women. Its staff works closely with tribal leaders and refugee camps to teach women how to protect themselves from sexual assault and violence, achieving a noticeable positive impact on the area. UNIFEM also strives in collaboration with governments to achieve greater gender equality and increase awareness of the basic human rights of women. In collaboration with various NGOs, UNIFEM has successfully pushed for increased female representation in the legislatures of numerous governments in the Middle East and Asia. Madam Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join in recognizing the remarkable contributions toward improving the quality of women's lives around the world made by UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, and the UNIFEM United States National Committee, on the occasion of its 2010 Annual National Conference. For thirty-four years UNIFEM has worked closely with governments and organizations across the globe to make the ideals that we hold a reality, and all citizens of the world owe a debt of gratitude to UNIFEM and to UNIFEM-USNC.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the supplemental war funding for Iraq and Afghanistan. After 9 years of war, the time has come to bring our troops home. I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leadership for bringing this bill to the floor today in a manner that allows clear up or down votes on funding for the war and other domestic priorities. The challenges in Afghanistan are great. As the violence and attacks on our troops continue to increase, we still do not have a clear path forward or a way to measure progress there. We cannot afford to sustain an open-ended commitment with no clear definition of success. Reports of corruption abound in Afghanistan, and without a true partner in the Karzai government, our prospects for making real progress have grown dim. Our troops have fought with honor and professionalism in the face of great challenges, and at great cost--I am truly humbled by their service and sacrifice. These brave men and women in uniform deserve our full support and commitment to return them home safely to their families and loved ones. I support the president and our military leadership in bringing this war to a responsible end. President Obama did not start this war, and I was among those who have spoken out in support of allowing for the time necessary for a new strategy in Afghanistan to turn the tide. But after years of war that has strained our military, their families, and the country, I am unable to continue to support what increasingly looks like an intractable situation in Afghanistan. That is why I vote against this war funding today. Despite my opposition to the troubling war funding, the bill does include critical domestic funding that I will support. These include saving teachers' jobs, Pell Grants, emergency food assistance for hungry Americans, and disaster aid to respond to the Gulf oil spill catastrophe. For example, today we are providing $10 billion for an Education Jobs Fund to provide additional emergency support to local school districts to prevent impending layoffs. Estimates suggest that this fund will help keep 140,000 school employees on the job next year. Moreover, when we invest in education, we save jobs in other sectors and spur economic recovery. According to the Economic Policy Institute, for every 100,000 education jobs lost, another 30,000 jobs are lost in other sectors due to reduced consumer spending and tax revenues. The list of important programs this bill funds is both extensive and impressive: Among other priorities, we are providing $304 million for the Gulf Coast oil spill; $50 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program for food purchases to distribute through local emergency food providers; $13.377 billion for the payment of benefits to Vietnam veterans and their survivors for exposure to Agent Orange, which has been linked with Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease, and hairy cell/B cell leukemia; and $2.93 billion for Haiti. These are extremely important priorities which are fully paid for and which I support.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3962, which will protect patient access to their doctors and prevent a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors, and also boost physician payments by 2.2 percent through November 30. Congress has spent the last decade--under both Republican and Democratic leadership--overriding the Sustainable Growth Rate, SGR, formula to prevent America's doctors from facing pay cuts in Medicare and to ensure seniors can keep their doctor. Last November, the House passed H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, permanently fixing the SGR. Democrats have long recognized that this formula is fundamentally flawed and have been working to fix it only to be stymied by Republicans in the Senate. This bill, though necessary, will require Congress to review the formula again in December when the current fix expires. Temporary fixes are not the answer. We must have a permanent solution to this problem to protect our Medicare patients and retired military veterans. I urge my colleagues to work toward a permanent fix of the Sustainable Growth Rate.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Stop Deceptive Advertising in Women's Services (SDAWS) Act with 11 other Members of the House of Representatives. Senator Menendez is introducing the companion legislation in the Senate as well. Fake reproductive health clinics that sometimes bill themselves as legitimate crisis pregnancy centers entice women with unintended pregnancies through their doors under the pretense of providing a full range of reproductive options, and then try to dissuade women from abortion by subjecting them to inaccurate medical information, anti- choice propaganda, and intimidation. This bill would help stop the fraud that these crisis pregnancy centers are perpetrating on the women of America. The SDAWS Act directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate rules declaring it an unfair or deceptive act for an entity, such as a crisis pregnancy center, to advertise as a provider of abortion services if the entity does not provide abortion services. Organizations that are not deceptive in their advertising or marketing will not be impacted by this bill. The Stop Deceptive Advertising in Women's Services Act (SDAWS) serves to protect women seeking information about reproductive options from being subject to disturbing anti-choice propaganda and misinformation about the nature of abortion and its medical effects. Women have a right to unbiased pregnancy counseling, and should not be subject to deceptive advertising from anti-choice centers about the nature of their services. Too many studies have documented that some CPCs are intentionally deceiving women, providing false or misleading information about the health effects of abortion, the effect of abortion on future fertility, and the mental health effects of abortion. Women deserve accurate medical information when making tough medical decisions. We must not allow this type of behavior to be perpetrated against women seeking reproductive health services.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Thank you, Chairman Frank, for yielding, for your leadership, and for presiding over the most open and transparent conference process in the history of this Congress. The Dodd-Frank bill is landmark legislation which will protect consumers and investors while allowing our financial services industry to continue financing the creativity and innovation which has, even in these very difficult times, made the American economy the envy of the world. This bill restores safety and soundness, reduces the likelihood of another systemic crisis, restores faith and confidence in our institutions and markets, while safeguarding Americans from predatory, unfair, and deceptive practices. I have made it a mission throughout my career to help put consumers on an equal footing with their financial institutions through laws like the Credit Card Act. And today, we can take a huge step forward toward a more level playing field with the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. For far too long in our financial system and its products, any concerns about consumer protection came in a distant second or a third or none at all. Now, anyone who opens a checking or savings account, anyone who takes out a student loan or a mortgage, anyone who opens a credit card or takes out a payday loan will have a Federal agency on their side to protect them. For the first time, consumer protection authority will be housed in one place. It will be completely independent, with an independently appointed director, an independent budget, and an autonomous rulemaking authority. And, very importantly, it will have a seat at the table at the Financial Stability Oversight Council. Continuity and oversight of our financial system will consider not only safety and soundness but also the best interests of the American consumer, the American taxpayer, the American citizen. I am particularly pleased that two items that I offered were included that will give consumers direct access to the CFPB through a consumer hotline and consumer ombudsperson. The bill also addresses the challenge of interchange fees. Working with Senator Durbin and Representative Meeks, we were able to craft a balanced compromise that addressed both the concerns of merchants about high interchange fees and the concerns of the financial sector to be fairly compensated for their services. This bill ensures transparency, establishes accountability, and protects consumers and investors. America has long been the world leader in financial services. With this landmark bill, we can set an example and take the lead in global financial reform. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 5175, the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections, or DISCLOSE Act. This legislation addresses serious concerns raised by the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC by increasing transparency in our electoral process. My colleague from Maryland, Mr. Van Hollen, and my fellow New Yorker, Senator Schumer deserve thanks for their leadership on this issue. The recent Supreme Court ruling grants even greater influence to powerful special interests--effectively drowning out the voices of average Americans. This legislation provides voters with the opportunity to make informed decisions--shedding light on the millions of dollars being spent with the intent to influence elections and politicians in Washington. The DISCLOSE Act eliminates ``pay-to-play'' by preventing government contractors--and TARP recipients--from spending money on elections. The bill extends the current ban on political spending by foreign nationals to include domestic corporations controlled by foreign nationals, requires corporate CEOs to stand by their political ads in the same way candidates must, and enhances disclosure requirements for political expenditures by organizations who lobby government officials. The legislation before us today is not a perfect bill, but it is a necessary first step to rein in the influence of special interests in our political process. The American people are greatly concerned by the recent Supreme Court ruling, and they rightly fear that only big money and special interests get a hearing in Washington. Passage of the DISCLOSE Act will bring transparency and accountability to campaigns and ensure Americans' voices are not drowned out by corporate dollars. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the fourth anniversary of the kidnapping of Israeli Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit and call for his immediate and safe return to Israel. Four years ago, Hamas militants attacked an Israeli outpost near the border between Israel and Gaza. Two soldiers, Staff Sergeant Pavel Slutzker and Lieutenant Hanan Barak, were killed and Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit was kidnapped. Less than a month later, two other Israeli soldiers, Sergeant Major Ehud Goldwasser and Sergeant First Class Eldad Regev were captured and killed by Hezbollah. On July 16, 2008, their bodies were returned in exchange for over 200 prisoners demonstrating Israel's special concern for the redemption of their captured soldiers--going so far as trading live and dangerous terrorists for the remains of their fallen heroes. Hamas continues to inhumanely hold Staff Sergeant Shalit for ransom and has denied him basic medical needs. Since his capture, Gilad Shalit has been deprived of every basic right a captured soldier should be able to expect: visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the ability to send and receive letters to his family, and protection from being used involuntarily for propaganda footage. The captivity of Shalit is unacceptable and in clear violation of the laws of the Geneva Convention. I urge Congress to reaffirm Israel's right to defend itself and that the path to peace in the region lies in the recognition of Israel's right to exist, the dismantling of Hamas' terrorist infrastructure, and the release of Gilad Shalit. As we continue working to secure Staff Sergeant Shalit's safe return, we also keep Corporal Shalit's parents, Aviva and Noam, his older brother Yoel, and his younger sister Hadas in our thoughts.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5481, granting Subpoena Power to the Commission Investigating the BP Oil Spill. Last month, President Obama established the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, a panel that will be vital to investigating the disaster and assuring this does not happen again. However, this Commission does not have subpoena power--something critical to ensuring the full disclosure of evidence and witnesses. In the aftermath of 9/11, I supported similar legislation that gave subpoena power to those investigating the terrorist attacks. Now we face a different kind of attack from the oil gushing out of the Gulf of Mexico. Similar to the work done post 9/11, the clean up workers are getting sick from this toxic waste. The Commission must have the ability to investigate the shortcuts, cost-cutting and lack of oversight by BP and other responsible entities. Such unprincipled actions cost the lives of 11 men, injured 17, and continue to destroy an ecosystem and change a way of life for those along the Gulf. In order for the task force to mitigate the risks of future oil spills, the Commission must have full understanding of what led to the explosion on the Deepwater Oil Rig. We need answers to the causes of this ecological man-made disaster. We need to be able to prevent this from happening again. The oversight inquiries Congress has already conducted into BP, Transocean and Halliburton have yielded crucial information. And now, with subpoena power, the Commission can conduct its investigation to the fullest.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for H.R. 2194, a powerful package of sanctions against Iran. These new measures increase pressure on Iran to do the right thing and put an end to its sponsorship of terrorism and its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. I am pleased that the United States has worked with the United Nations to secure multilateral sanctions, but the United States should also be increasing pressure on Iran by implementing the sensible, targeted sanctions contained in this bill. This conference report contains a package of sanctions that ups the ante on Iran's trading partners, making it clear that doing business with Iran has a price. It targets Iran's energy and banking sectors, and imposes sanctions on foreign companies that are supplying energy and know-how to Iran. It allows the government to restrict access to America for the purposes of banking, foreign exchange and property investment. It requires companies seeking procurement contracts to certify that they are not engaging in sanctionable conduct. The executive branch will have to report sanctionable activity and must either implement sanctions or waive them. Our sanctions will no longer be tough on paper and weak in implementation. Iran can secure an end to them at any time by ending its sponsorship of terrorism and by ending its quest to develop or acquire nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and ballistic missiles and ballistic-missile launch technology. Iran has shown, time and time again, that it is determined to acquire nuclear weapons. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Iran has enriched 17 kilograms of uranium to 20 percent purity, and that this is a significant step toward the 90 percent enrichment required for weapons-grade uranium. In April, Iran unveiled a third generation of centrifuges and has indicated that the testing phase is nearly complete and that its scientists are working on a fourth generation. It is clear that Iran is racing toward its goal of becoming a nuclear nation. Iran has also been one of the chief state sponsors of terrorism, sending funding, weapons and know-how to terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. These organizations specifically target civilian populations and have no compunctions against lobbing missiles at homes, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. There are reports that Iran has backed militants in Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Iran's leaders have also targeted their own people, viciously putting down the fledgling democratic movement last year and working to restrict communication among its own people. I am pleased that these sanctions specifically ban procurement contracts to any foreign company that exports to Iran technology used to restrict the free flow of information or to disrupt, monitor, or otherwise restrict freedom of speech. We must do everything we can to persuade Iran to change its reckless course. A nuclear Iran will be dangerous for the entire world. Iran has been most outspoken in its threats against Israel, but Israel is not the only Middle Eastern nation with reason to fear a nuclear Iran. There is longstanding tension between Shi'ite Iran and its Sunni neighbors. Some argue--because Iran's President has threatened to wipe Israel off the map and Iran has provided weapons and resources to terrorist organizations that are actively trying to accomplish that aim--that America is acting solely to help Israel. And indeed, when Iran threatens to annihilate Israel, I think we should take it at its word, and should assume that it intends to use its nuclear weapons to turn its threat into a reality. But, these sanctions are also necessary because a nuclear Iran threatens all of its neighbors and it has been exporting terrorism to a wide range of nations around the globe. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the conference report for H.R. 2194, and in voting to increase pressure on Iran to turn from this dangerous path. These sanctions are a reasonable and necessary augmentation of existing restrictions and an additional means to put pressure on a state that seems intent on exporting terror and death throughout the world.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, according to the latest figures from OSHA, at this time there are over 27,000 workers employed by BP or its contractors and more than 2,000 Federal employees directly involved in the massive cleanup operation now underway in the gulf coast. At a hearing last week, another Federal agency, the CDC, tried to assure Congress that it was doing all it could to keep these workers safe and that it is closely tracking surveillance data across the Gulf Coast States for health effects that may be related to the oil spill. This was good to hear. But a workshop held by the Institute of Medicine down in New Orleans this week made one thing abundantly clear. When there are that many people engaged in such a complex cleanup effort of such unprecedented size over such an unforeseeably long time, the true danger levels for exposure simply are not known. As a story in USA Today put it: ``While some health officials say they don't think long-term illnesses are likely, they've never seen pollution of this scale, and there are just too many unknowns to say for sure.'' The Institute for Medicine workshop participants noted that proper protective gear can help keep exposure at safe levels, but the problem comes when heat and humidity cause workers to remove their gear. The average daytime high temperatures in New Orleans for the next 2 months is 91, very hot and very humid. Now, consider an assessment of BP's overall attitude toward worker safety that was contained in a letter sent to BP by an OSHA official back in May: ``The organizational systems that BP has in place, particularly those related to worker safety and health training, protective equipment, and site monitoring, are not adequate for the current situation or the projected increase in cleanup operations.'' The letter also noted that ``these are not isolated problems. They appear to be indicative of a general systematic failure on BP's part to ensure the safety and health of those responding to this disaster.'' The unknowable risks of an environmental disaster of this scale, the foreseeable weather conditions of the near future, and the known failures of BP in the recent past should all raise some great big red warning flags for OSHA, for the Centers for Disease Control, and for NIOSH. I am writing OSHA to ensure that the workers have the proper protective gear, such as respirators, in order to ensure their safety and to protect their health. This is a region of the country that was previously devastated by a natural disaster that was made worse by the Bush administration's failure to respond with timely assistance and adequate safeguards. Many lost their lives. The gulf coast is now under siege by a manmade disaster. Far too many have already lost their livelihood. The entire region is at risk for losing a way of life. No one should also lose their health simply because we failed to help them when more help was clearly needed. In my great City of New York, we have witnessed firsthand the terrible price that can be paid over time by those who labor day after day in a toxic environment helping their city recover from a terrible blow on 9/11. I hope that this Congress will do everything in its power to ensure that those who have been asked to clean up this mess and are cleaning up this mess are not asked to pay for their efforts with the loss of their health.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victim Support Act of 2010, bipartisan legislation that would take a multi-disciplinary, cooperative approach to shutting down human sex trafficking of children in the United States. I am pleased to be joined by original cosponsor Mr. Chris Smith, who along with me co-chairs the Human Trafficking Caucus. Representatives Blumenauer, Steven Cohen, Ted Poe, Laura Richardson, and David Wu also join me as original cosponsors. The legislation is the House companion to S. 2925, introduced by Senators Ron Wyden and John Cornyn in the Senate. While many think that child sex trafficking is a problem only in foreign countries, experts estimate that over 100,000 children in the United States are currently exploited through commercial sex. Although it is hard to believe, the average age of first exploitation is 12-13. We can no longer ignore that children in our country are being so horrifically exploited for economic gain. The legislation takes a comprehensive approach to reducing trafficking of minors. It would create block grants to provide shelter and care for the victims, ensure adequate resources for law enforcement and prosecutors to rescue victims and put pimps behind bars, strengthen deterrence and prevention programs aimed at buyers, and require timely and accurate reporting of missing children. We have a moral obligation to help the neglected victims of sex trafficking and to crack down on their abusers.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, this past Monday the Wall Street Journal ran an excellent article on the challenges facing small businesses. It began with a question that small businesses all across America are asking: Where is the money? The Journal article cites a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business that found that half of the small businesses that tried to get the loans last year were either denied the loans or they were not given the money that they needed. We found that small businesses in the Joint Economic Committee report have been badly hurt by the tighter lending standards that resulted from the financial crisis. That is why passing the Small Business Lending Fund Act last week was such an important step forward and sending it to the Senate. Where is the money is an important question to ask, and the answer is, it is on the way. We hope that the Senate will act quickly and pass this important legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in expressing support for the State of Israel. Israel is a tiny country that has been under attack since its founding 62 years ago. Nonetheless, it has developed into a vigorous democracy. With a free and active press, freedom of religion, free elections and a free and independent judiciary, Israelis of all religions and nationalities enjoy rights and opportunities unimaginable elsewhere in the Middle East. Israel is our strongest and most reliable friend in the Middle East. Israel is a strategic ally, helping to improve American anti-terrorism efforts, working with the US military to improve training, intelligence gathering, research and development, preparedness and protection of travel and trade. Despite the threats against it, Israel's economy is thriving, in large part as a result of her agricultural, technological and medical innovations. Israel constitutes a fraction of 1 percent of the land mass and only 2 percent of the population of the Middle East. Nonetheless, Israel far outshines much of the world in terms of academic, scientific and technological achievement. Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees per capita in the world and produces more scientific papers and more books per capita than any other nation in the world. It is the only nation in the world that has had a net increase in the number of trees. Israel has transformed itself from an impoverished backwater to a gleaming modern nation, ranking among the very highly developed countries of the world. The threat against Israel is growing. Hezbollah, along Israel's Northern border with Lebanon, is heavily armed with increasingly powerful weapons. Hamas, along the Gaza Strip, is vocal about its determination to destroy the Jewish State. And the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is refusing to pursue direct talks with Israel, believing that they will get a better deal if the United States or other countries do the negotiating for them. Fatah leaders and the Abbas-controlled official media of the Palestinian authority continue to deny Israel's existence. The recent Gaza flotilla in which armed thugs challenged Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip makes clear that Israel is facing a clear and present danger. If the blockade is broken, weapons will flow freely into Hamas's hands. In the years preceding the blockade, Hamas launched more than 8,000 missiles at civilian targets in Israel, killing and injuring thousands. If the blockade is lifted without a peace agreement, Israel's cities and towns can expect the bombardment to resume. Israel has to be vigilant in defense of its borders. The stated desire of Hamas and many Fatah leaders is to wipe Israel off the face of the world. When the world condemns Israel for defending its population, they are currying favor with terrorists at the expense of a democratic nation. And condemning Israel makes peace much less probable. I hope the Obama Administration will continue to make clear that Israel has no obligation to lift the blockade, and that it is Hamas and its terrorist allies who are responsible for the situation in Gaza. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues in strongly expressing my support for Israel.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of Mr. Edward Geffner on the occasion of his retirement as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Project Renewal, a not-for profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of homeless persons in New York City. Edward Geffner began his work with Project Renewal in 1976. For the past third of a century, he has served the organization as its Executive Director, leading it with extraordinary compassion and commitment. Under his able management, Project Renewal has reached out to countless homeless men and women in need of support. Under Mr. Geffner's leadership, Project Renewal has taken a comprehensive approach in providing critical assistance to its clients. The organization reaches out to homeless men and women on the streets of our nation's greatest city through mobile medical and psychiatric teams. Project Renewal helps provides essential services to those who are also coping with mental illness or drug addiction by linking residents to treatment programs that help them combat addiction or learn to manage their mental illness. Edward Geffner and the Project Renewal staff recognize that a good job is critical to independent living, and they have created a wide range of employment initiatives, including a culinary arts program that has successfully placed 85 percent of its graduates in jobs. I have seen the effectiveness of the programs that Project Renewal operates in the district that I represent. Supported largely by private philanthropy and corporate sponsors, Edward Geffner and Project Renewal have worked in collaboration with numerous public, private, and not-for-profit organizations and social service providers to help homeless and formerly homeless individuals and families find employment and housing. Trained social workers and staff members, many of whom were formerly homeless, visit and coordinate services for those in need of assistance in managing and in accessing benefits and medical and social services to which they are entitled. Project Renewal provides information, referral and ongoing monitoring and care management as well as providing some special services that are not offered by other service providers. The agency also collaborates with organizations at all levels to develop and improve coordination of services for the homeless and formerly homeless persons who need individualized community-based preventive protective services if they are to live safely in their own homes. Thanks in no small part to Edward Geffner's expert leadership, Project Renewal now provides dedicated and compassionate assistance to more than 10,000 New Yorkers every year. Madam Speaker, in recognition of a lifetime of service to others, I request that my distinguished colleagues join me in paying tribute to Edward Geffner, a great New Yorker and a great American. Throughout a career of professional and voluntary activity, he has fought for and secured immeasurable improvements to the quality of life of his fellow New Yorkers. Edward Geffner's selfless and enduring dedication to public and community serves as an inspiration to us all.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5502 and commend my colleague Representative Dan Maffei for his leadership on this bill. The gift card provisions were part of the Credit Card Act that I sponsored and the President signed in May, 2009. The Fed was directed to promulgate rules associated with the provisions and I fully support the rules that the Fed adopted. However, many companies that issue cards whose funds do not expire will have to remove gift cards from store shelves that will be out of compliance starting August 22 when the provisions become effective. Replacing these cards entails not only the production of sufficient new cards to replace in-store inventory, but the additional cost of restocking retailers and pulling all noncompliant cards off the shelf and destroying them. A short transition period will allow the companies who issue cards with non-expiring funds to sell through their existing card stock on store shelves during the holiday season without having to discard and destroy 100 million cards. It is estimated that this volume would take up more than eight football fields buried 12 feet deep in such cards. I wrote to the Fed, along with several of my colleagues, asking that they extend the compliance date to January of 2011. However, the Fed felt that since they had been directed to promulgate the rules, they did not want to preempt Congress's authority. This bill will codify the request I made to the Fed in my letter. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill so that it can become law before the August 22 implementation date.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, it's been more than 30 days since the Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. In that time, at least 40 million gallons of oil have entered our oceans. To give you some idea what this means for the gulf coast, if the oil disaster was centered in my district, it would completely cover New York City, Long Island, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey, and far more in the east and the west. With a disaster of this enormous magnitude, it's absolutely critical we know everything we can about the oil, its scope and its effect on the Gulf of Mexico. But according to recent reports, BP is refusing to provide critical samples and data to scientists studying the disaster. Scientists researching the vast underwater damage of the oil spill have been denied oil samples from BP. Other scientists studying the flow rate at the source of the oil haven't received high quality video they requested from BP's underwater robots. Still more researchers have asked for, but not received, access to much-needed data to study oil plumes beneath the surface of the ocean. It is imperative for BP to give scientists inside and outside of government access to every sample, every data point, and every other resource they need to help us understand the truth about BP's oil disaster. The American people have a right to know.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the BP oil spill has caused a great emergency along our gulf coast. I hope as the response to it continues, we never forget the lessons of the Ground Zero workers. In the wake of 9/11, thousands of men and women labored tirelessly. Driven by a sense of urgent purpose, safety precautions were not taken and assurances were given that proved to be false. The health of far too many of those who worked on that toxic pile, they suffered long- term health consequences. Now, in the gulf, men and women are once again being exposed to a toxic sea of elements. After just 40-some days, there are already reports that workers have suffered from exposure to the oil. And this cleanup will go on for years. The time to address the issue of the health of the cleanup workers is now, before they lose it.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, along with my colleague and good friend Congressman Nadler, I rise to recognize World Trade Center Responder Day, which will be held in lower Manhattan on the afternoon of Saturday, June 5th. World Trade Center (WTC) Responder Day is organized by the Mount Sinai World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program Clinical Center, the New York State AFL-CIO, and the New York City Central Labor Council to honor the men and women who rushed to lower Manhattan to rescue and recover others following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The collapse of the World Trade Center towers took thousands of lives in a matter of seconds and released a massive cloud of asbestos, pulverized concrete, and other poisons that sickened thousands more in the days and months after the attacks. The first responders who participated in search, rescue, and recovery operations at Ground Zero toiled in this toxic environment, often for weeks at a time. As a result of their service, many of these heroes and heroines now suffer from a host of illnesses, including severe respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder--as do many survivors of the attacks. For many, 9/11 has receded into memory, but the nightmare of that day continues for Americans sickened as a direct result of these attacks on our country, and are not getting the help they need and deserve from the federal government. In addition to honoring their service, WTC Responder Day also serves as a reminder that we must do more to provide proper health care and compensation to first responders and survivors of the attacks who are suffering. The federal government has a moral obligation to care for those who respond to an attack on our country, just as we did more than 65 years ago in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attacks. At that time, American civilians helped recover the dead and salvage what remained of our Pacific fleet. Many of these civilians also were killed, injured or made sick as a consequence of their heroic service to our nation. In passing the War Hazards Compensation Act of 1942, Congress wisely and compassionately extended health care and financial relief to civilian responders in need. It is time that this Congress did the same for those who lost their health as a result of 9/11. More than 100 colleagues serving in this House, from all across the nation, have joined with Congressman Nadler and me in a bipartisan coalition to co- sponsor the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. It will provide medical monitoring for everyone who was exposed to World Trade Center toxins, treatment for anyone who is sick as a result, and compensation for economic losses by reopening the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Though WTC Responder Day is held in Manhattan, caring for the heroes of Ground Zero Americans is an issue that extends far beyond the borders of the Empire State. According to the federally-funded World Trade Center Health Registry, citizens from all 50 states and nearly every Congressional district in the country ventured to lower Manhattan to volunteer their services on or after 9/11, and now harbor serious concerns about their health. In all, more than 10,000 people enrolled in the Registry live outside the greater New York tri-state metropolitan area that also encompasses northern New Jersey and southwestern Connecticut. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proclaimed June 5th to be World Trade Center Responders Day in the Big Apple. The organizers of Responder Day plan to make this a recurring, nationally-recognized event, one that will continue to inspire other communities around the country to host their own Responder Day gatherings in the years to come. Madam Speaker, Congressman Nadler and I ask that our colleagues join us in applauding the Mount Sinai World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program Clinical Center, the New York State AFL-CIO, and the New York City Central Labor Council for organizing World Trade Center Responder Day. We commend these fine organizations for their patriotism and dedication to caring for the heroes of 9/11.