Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of Mr. Lyle Frank on the occasion of his retirement as Chairman of New York City's Community Board 6. A tireless and dedicated community activist and civic volunteer, Lyle Frank is a consummate New Yorker who has distinguished himself in his career in both the public and private sectors. A respected attorney, Lyle Frank has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to serving others through his public and community service. After graduating from New York University and Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Frank began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County, where he presented arguments in the ``Megan's Law'' hearings. He continued his legal career at Callan, Koster, Brady & Brennan, LLP, and later at Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP, serving as a lead attorney in New York Supreme Court trials involving personal injury. Currently a small claims arbitrator for the New York County Civil Court, he serves as Legal Counsel for the New York City Council's Committees on Parks and Recreation and on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment. Mr. Frank is also an adjunct professor at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Most recently, he became an adjunct professor at Baruch College, where he is an advisor to students in the National Urban Fellowship Program that prepares students for leadership and management positions in government or non-profit agencies. It is for his volunteer service as a Member and Chairman of Community Board 6 for which Mr. Frank is being honored by his fellow Board members and community residents on the evening of June 21, 2010. Community Board 6, which encompasses the East Side of Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets along the East River, serves as the representative town meeting of the historic and nationally prominent neighborhoods that lie within its boundaries. It thus provides a voice to community residents and their concerns, running the gamut of issues from land use to traffic to sanitation and beyond. After joining the Board in 1994, Mr. Frank became a dedicated and energetic representative for his fellow citizens. His leadership abilities were recognized when he was elected Chairman of Manhattan's Community Board 6 in January of 2006. He has just concluded four years as Chairman. Community Board 6 residents are fortunate that Lyle Frank will continue to serve their interests as a Member of the Board. Throughout all his professional and voluntary activity, Lyle Frank has fought for and secured immeasurable improvements to the quality of life of his fellow Manhattan residents. Madam Speaker, in recognition of his tremendous contributions to the civic and public life of our nation's greatest city, I request that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Mr. Lyle Frank, a great New Yorker and a great American. Lyle Frank's dedication to public and community serves as an inspiration to us all.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the men and women in our armed forces and H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2011. H.R. 5136 makes sound investments in our armed forces--strengthening our national security and providing needed resources and support for our men and women in uniform and their families. I am particularly pleased by the inclusion of twenty-eight provisions to ensure the Defense Department has the tools it needs to prevent and respond to sexual assault in the military. These important provisions will implement into law many of the recommendations of the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services, and the inclusion of these provisions in this bill makes this the single most comprehensive legislative package in history to address sexual assault in the military. Preventing sexual assault in the military is a persistent problem and an issue that I have worked on for many years. I firmly believe that the best way to effectively tackle a problem such as sexual assault in the military is to have accurate data, which is why I previously introduced legislation that would force the Department of Defense (DoD) to implement fully the Defense Incident-Based Reporting System (DIBRS). DIBRS collects statistics about crimes committed within the military services. Despite the clear need for a well-functioning system for reporting such crimes, DIBRS has yet to be completed. In the FY10 National Defense Authorization Act, I offered an amendment that was successfully adopted that required that the Secretary report to Congress on the Department's progress to completing DIBRS. Since that time, the Defense Department reports that the Navy has resumed full-time reporting and is working towards full compliance. I applaud the Department for its efforts and look forward to an accurate accounting of the crimes that are occurring in the U.S. military and the effective policies that will be implemented in response to ensure the safety of our military personnel. I have also introduced legislation, the Preventing Sexual Assaults in the Military Act, that would provide funding to process the backlog of DNA kits in the military, reduce the processing time, train medical personnel as SANEs, and ensure an adequate supply of rape kits to theaters of operation, academies, and domestic or overseas bases. Similar provisions passed in the FY05 Defense Authorization legislation, and I am very pleased to see that this bill before us today requires DoD to specifically budget for the sexual assault prevention and response program--a program that addresses these shortfalls. This bill before us today protects and supports our military service members, while strengthening the ability of the finest military in the world to respond to today's and future threats. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in supporting H. Res. 1391, congratulating Israel for its accession to membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD. On May 10, 2010, Israel became the 32nd member of the OECD by unanimous vote of the other members. This is an extraordinary achievement for a small, beleaguered nation that came into existence little more than six decades ago. Sixty-two years ago, Israelis began the difficult process of creating a country from nothing. For more than a thousand years, the territory that is now Israel had been ruled by a series of far-off empires. It had no infrastructure, no history of self-rule, no major industrial base and very few large enterprises. After Israel's establishment in 1948, Israelis created their own institutions from scratch. Israel has grown from an impoverished backwater colony to an economic powerhouse in the region. And although it has fewer natural resources than most nations of the world, it has made the most of what is has, investing in knowledge, development, innovation and medicine. Today, Israel is a center of scientific, medical and technological innovation, a leader in agriculture, water purification, alternative energy and public health. Israel is a flourishing democracy, with a strong free press, a free and independent judiciary and a strong banking system that protects the safety and soundness of its financial institutions. The World Bank ranks Israel among the 30 countries in which it is easiest to do business. It is tied for fourth in ease of getting credit and tied for fifth in protecting investors. Similarly, the World Economic Forum rated Israel fifth of 133 nations on the Forum's legal rights index and 15th in judicial independence and 15th in financial market sophistication. Israel's founders wanted to create an agricultural Garden of Eden-- and since much of its territory consists of desert, its farmers developed techniques for growing crops in arid ground, using very little water. These techniques are now being marketed and used in developing nations across the globe. As part of its acceptance into OECD, Israel has agreed to increase its aid to underdeveloped nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. As part of that promise, Israel will be sending hundreds of experts in agriculture, water, and irrigation to impoverished areas, as well as experts in alternative energy, public health, education, and internal security. By sharing its knowledge, Israel will be helping its neighbors and improving relationships with developing countries. Even before OECD acceptance, Israel astounded the world by arriving in Haiti with a high tech field hospital that was able to perform sophisticated procedures and save lives. With oil-producing nations hostile to it, and very little oil or gas of its own, Israel learned to become energy efficient, using solar power and other alternative fuels. With little land and few natural resources, Israel positioned itself at the cutting edge of technological innovation. Many of the technological innovations we take for granted, including instant messaging, security firewalls, artificial stents, wireless computer chips, were developed in Israel. In 2010, the World Economic Forum ranked Israel 27th out of 133 countries in its Growth Competitiveness Index. Israel ranked third in quality of scientific research institutions, fourth in utility patents, seventh in life expectancy, ninth in innovation, 15th in availability of the latest technologies. Israel leads the world in the number of high-technology start-up companies, scientific publications, and research and development spending per capita. Acceptance in the OECD is a mark of member nations' respect for Israel's economic progress, and it will help Israel attract foreign investors and develop its markets. Membership will enhance Israel's status in the world and will enhance its participation in other international bodies. It is no secret that the Palestinian Authority tried hard to deny Israel membership in the OECD precisely because they were concerned that OECD membership would enhance Israel's reputation in the world and strengthen its ties with other nations around the globe. Mr. Speaker, Israel's accession to the OECD is a remarkable achievement. I am pleased to join my colleagues in saluting Israel's success and in expressing appreciation to the OECD members for their unanimous decision to accept Israel as a member. For all of the foregoing reasons, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1391.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing bipartisan legislation along with Representative Mike Castle and Representative Lois Capps to save and reclaim the lives of mothers and their babies. The Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope and Dignity Restoration Act of 2010 authorizes funding to reduce obstetric fistula, a terrible condition which can be prevented and repaired. More than two million women worldwide have obstetric fistula resulting from prolonged labor without medical attention. The pressure created internally on a woman from this obstructed delivery kills tissue and causes a hole to develop between the woman's vagina and rectum, leaving the woman without control of her bladder and/or bowels for the rest of her life if left without treatment. It often results in the death of the infant. Many women with obstetric fistula are abandoned by their husbands and families because they are considered ``unclean''. Left without support, the women are often forced to beg or turn to prostitution to survive. The World Health Organization estimates that 50,000-100,000 new cases of obstetric fistula develop each year, adding to the estimated 2 million current cases, with most cases occurring in poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia where access to maternal and obstetric care is limited. Fortunately, there is hope. This condition is almost entirely preventable. Prevention efforts include medical interventions such as skilled attendance present during labor and childbirth, providing access to family planning, and emergency obstetric care for women who develop childbirth complications as well as social interventions such as delaying early marriage and educating and empowering young women. This condition also is treatable in up to 90 percent of cases, costing an average of $300 for repair. The treatment requires a specially trained surgeon and support staff, and access to an operating theater and to attentive postoperative care. This bill supports a comprehensive approach to end obstetric fistula--prevention to eliminate occurrences, treatment to repair those women who already suffer, and rehabilitation to help those recovering fully heal and reenter society. It focuses on efforts to build local capacity and improve national systems to prevent and treat obstetric fistula. Women are fundamental to ensuring the health of their children and other family members. Obstetric fistula is devastating; but doesn't have to be life- shattering. With our bill, we can provide hope and a healthy future. I urge my colleagues to support the Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope, and Dignity Restoration Act of 2010.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support. A new report from the Joint Economic Committee shows that extending unemployment benefits is not only the morally right thing to do, it is fiscally responsible. The report focuses on unemployed disabled workers. By the end of 2010, the JEC estimates that 290,000 unemployed disabled workers will exhaust their unemployment benefits. Without extension of unemployment benefits, the JEC estimates that two-thirds of these workers will leave the labor force and move on to Social Security Disability Insurance. Shifting these workers from the labor force and onto the SSDI rolls, the cost of inaction is a $24.2 billion lifetime cost. By contrast, keeping these workers attached to the labor force by extending unemployment insurance benefits and COBRA premium subsidies is $721 million in 2010. The JEC analysis concludes that the Federal Government can save $23.5 billion by extending unemployment benefits and avoiding a lifetime of SSDI for currently unemployed workers. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the Joint Economic Committee released a report this week which shows the staggering cost to the government of failing to extend unemployment benefits. The report focuses on unemployed disabled workers. By the end of 2010, the JEC estimates that 290,000 unemployed disabled workers will exhaust their unemployment benefits. Without extension of unemployment benefits, the JEC estimates that two-thirds of these workers will leave the labor force and move on to Social Security disability insurance. Shifting these workers from the labor market and onto the SSDI rolls--the cost of inaction--is a $24.2 billion lifetime cost. By contrast, extending unemployment insurance benefits and COBRA premium benefits is $721 million in 2010. Not only is an extension of unemployment benefits the morally right thing to do; it is fiscally responsible, saving the government over $23 billion.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Chair, it is time to repeal the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue'' policy and to allow lesbian, gay and bisexual persons to serve openly in the military. From the initial introduction of this profoundly misguided policy in 1993, I have never wavered in my belief that our nation's armed forces should not discriminate against otherwise qualified citizens on the basis of their sexual orientation. Today, at a time when our nation is engaged militarily in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the extent to which the so-called compromise ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy has damaged America's military readiness has become even more apparent than it was seventeen years ago. The policy against allowing lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members to serve openly has resulted in depriving our armed forces of the abilities, experience and dedication of thousands of qualified active duty personnel. This institutionalized discrimination is completely illogical and counter-productive as we grapple with an increasingly dangerous world, with our servicemembers serving all over the world The U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO, has documented the cost to our nation. In 2005, the GAO estimated the cost of discriminating against service members on the basis of their sexual orientation at nearly $200 million over the course of just the last decade. This estimate may, in fact, be too low, as the GAO itself acknowledged and as other studies conducted by reputable academic institutions like the Michael Palm Center at the University of California have documented. Advocates for the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy continue stubbornly to cite elusive factors to justify its inherent institutionalized discrimination. The most common argument is the specious insistence that ``unit cohesion'' among the armed forces will suffer if lesbians, gay men, and bisexual persons are allowed to serve openly--an argument that even Richard Cheney, while serving as the Secretary of Defense during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, acknowledged in congressional testimony was ``a bit of an old chestnut to be tossed onto an open fire and consigned forever to the ashbin of history.'' The fact is that many other nations--including trusted allies whose armed forces are respected around the world such as Great Britain, Israel, Australia, and Canada--have allowed their citizens to serve in their armed forces regardless of their disclosure of their sexual orientation. It is high time that the United States of America, which prides itself as a beacon of liberty and equality, joins their ranks. I urge the members of this House to vote to repeal this misguided and counterproductive and un-American policy.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the economy has taken another 290,000 steps in the right direction. Two hundred ninety thousand, that's how many jobs the economy added in the month of April. This comes on top of the 230,000 jobs added in March. According to Commissioner Keith Hall from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now numerous bright spots, the trend is encouraging, and the growth is widespread. The growing consensus is that the economy is steadily improving, and that the private sector will continue hiring. This real possibility of hope on the job front is one of the reasons that an additional 800,000 people entered the labor force last month. As you can see from this chart, the declining red is the number of jobs lost in the prior administration. The blue shows the jobs and the trend in the right direction, showing that policy does matter. This V chart is not for victory, but it certainly shows that we are moving in the right direction. There is now reason to hope, and there is real progress on the jobs front.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Noguchi Museum. Isamu Noguchi was one of the twentieth century's most influential and critically acclaimed Japanese-American sculptors. The museum, which he established and designed, is considered by many to be one of his greatest achievements. It is also the first museum in the United States to be founded by a living artist in his lifetime. Noguchi's innovation is evident in the museum's construction. He converted a 1920s photo-engraving plant in Long Island City into a two- story, 27,000 square foot exhibition space divided into ten galleries, along with a serene sculpture garden. The museum houses the world's largest and most extensive collection of Noguchi's work, including his complete archives. There is a comprehensive selection of his sculptures in stone, metal, wood, and clay, as well as drawings, models for public projects and gardens, stage sets, furniture, and his Akari Light Sculptures. An internationalist, Noguchi drew inspiration from his extensive world travels. This influence is evident in the materials and techniques he chose to use in his projects. Noguchi believed in the social role of sculpture and created public works all over the world including a playground in Japan, a plaza in Texas, a garden in Paris, a fountain in New Orleans and this museum in Long Island City. He did not belong to any particular movement; often his choices reflect his commitment to creating art around public spaces. Through his collaborations with international artists, Noguchi became fluent in a range of different media and schools and set a new standard for artistic achievement. The museum repays his debt to the international community, by organizing traveling exhibitions and loaning works to other institutions for special exhibitions. It serves as an international center for the study and interpretation of Noguchi's vision, life, and the influence of his work on later artists. The museum's steadfast commitment to education is reflected in the myriad of public and academic programs and tours offered to children, teens, and adults of all ages. Particularly popular are the ``Second Sundays'' series, which convene renowned experts in art, architecture, and design to explore a variety of timely topics and complement the museum's mission and exhibits, and the summer ``Music in the Garden'' series. Other programs vary from panel discussions to curators' talks, artist-led gallery tours, and poetry readings. The Noguchi Museum recently underwent a renovation which has not only preserved the artist's vision, but has better enabled its facilities to meet the needs of its ever expanding audience. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to all the friends, family and supporters of the Noguchi Museum on the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support the U.S.-Israel Rocket and Missile Defense Cooperation and Support Act, H.R. 5327, to provide $205 million to support Israel's deployment of the Iron Dome rocket defense system. Israel is our closest ally and the only true democracy in the Middle East, yet throughout its 62-year existence, it has been under attack from neighboring states and terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah that deny its right to exist as a Jewish State. Funding for this program is consistent with America's promise that there can be no space between the U.S. and Israel when it comes to security. U.S.- Israel cooperation is beneficial to both nations, particularly when we collaborate to develop advanced defense technologies like the Iron Dome rocket defense system. For nearly five years, Israelis were subjected to a rain of terror as nearly 8,000 missiles were fired over the border from the Gaza Strip following Israel's unilateral withdrawal in 2005, leading to a desperate effort by Israel to end the bombardment with Operation Cast Lead which began on December 27, 2008. Large population centers like Sderot, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Be'er Sheva were hit by rocket and mortar fire. Widely derided as `home-made' by the international press, these bombs were deadly for those unlucky enough to be in the way. And they fell indiscriminately on homes, schools, hospitals and businesses. A four year old boy was killed at a nursery school in Sderot. Other rockets hit a school and a sports center in Ashkelon. Luck and a system of sirens and bunkers kept the death toll down, but thousands were injured and thousands more were traumatized by living with daily terror. Similarly, during the Lebanon War of 2006, residents of Northern Israel, including the city of Haifa, were subjected to a barrage of Katyusha rockets from Sourthern Lebanon. Nearly 4,000 of these rockets fell on Israel during the 5 week conflict. While incidents are fewer today, Israeli citizens along the border, particularly in the city of Sderot, continue to face occasional rocket fire. Evidence suggests that there are now at least as many rockets targeting Israel from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip as there were before Operation Cast Lead and the 2006 Lebanon War. And while the missiles do not fall regularly, they do fall. For example, on August 8, 2009, a rocket fired from Lebanon went through the roof of a nursing home in Nahariya in Israel, passing through several bedrooms and landing in the kitchen. By chance, the rocket hit while residents were on a lower level waiting for breakfast and there were only minor injuries and shock. Had residents been in their rooms, there would have been many deaths. Currently, the only defense is a warning siren that sounds 15 seconds before the bombs hit, allowing Israelis a few seconds to scramble for the nearest bomb shelter or safe room. That's fifteen seconds of terror while mothers call frantically for their children and old people painfully try to make it to safety. For those who are bedridden, there's merely the hope that the bombs will fall elsewhere. The best way to end terrorism is to render the terrorists powerless. Our $205 million will build a rocket defense system to give Israelis another form of self-defense. This defense system will advance the cause of peace by enhancing Israel's ability to defend itself from attack. Instead of building stronger bunkers and better underground facilities, it gives Israelis the hope that the missiles can be destroyed before they hit. If the missiles cannot get through, then Israelis will not have to cower in their bunkers and basements and safe rooms. And perhaps their dreams of a lasting, secure peace will become a reality. Madam Speaker, I believe this funding offers hope to Israelis weary of terror, and reason for optimism for those who understand that peace is impossible without the promise of security. Accordingly, I strongly support H.R. 5327 and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Responsible GSE Affordable Housing Investment Act of 2010. I would like to recognize my colleagues Representatives Nadler, Velazquez and Meeks for their co-sponsorship of the legislation. The bill will curtail the ability of Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to invest in future deals-- like in the case of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village in my district--that do not result in an increase in, or preservation of, affordable housing. Since 1992, GSEs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been required to meet certain affordable housing goals each year. ``Housing Goals Credit'' is awarded numerically based on the types of transactions that they enter into. GSEs in turn make decisions about their investments based on whether these investments would be eligible for Housing Goals Credit. In 2007, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac invested in a $22 billion commercial mortgage-backed securities transaction that contained the debt on the Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village project. The deal was one of the largest commercial mortgage-back securities (CMBS) deals ever; Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's participation as senior debt holders of $3 billion was critical. At the time of the deal it was clear that the Stuyvesant Town property was overleveraged--the debt on the property was larger than the rental income it was receiving. After the transaction closed, over the course of several years, the new owners of the property engaged in aggressive tactics to convert affordable units to market rate so that they could increase their rental income--yet the GSEs received affordable housing goals credit for this investment. The investment on the part of the GSEs secured completion of the deal and the GSEs were incentivized to make it because of the housing goals credit they received. The GSEs should be incentivized to invest in projects that actually do increase or preserve affordable housing. That is what my bill will do. It will require the Federal Housing Finance Agency to rewrite its rules for distributing housing goals credit so that Freddie and Fannie cannot receive credit for investments like the one they made in the Stuyvesant Town project. It would also require the GSEs to use the same underwriting standards for investments in the secondary market that they do for their direct investments which are much stricter. That way, the GSEs won't invest in the secondary market in projects where the rental income is insufficient to cover the payments on the debt on the property. Madam Speaker, this bill addresses a critical component of GSE decision-making when it comes to their investments: whether or not they will receive housing goals credit. It does not prohibit them from making investments, it merely says that if those investments do not lead to an increase or a preservation of affordable housing, the GSEs cannot receive credit for them.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the Joint Economic Committee released a report this week that looks at how tighter credit standards have hit small businesses especially hard. That means that now, even as big and mid-sized businesses have begun adding jobs once again, small businesses are struggling to expand and put Americans back to work. Small businesses are rightly considered to be the great engine of the American economy. Seventy-five percent of all employees work for businesses with less than 250 employees. And if small businesses are the engine, then credit is the fuel that keeps that engine going. While large and mid-sized firms have multiple funding sources, including the public debt market, small businesses rely almost completely on financial institutions. Improving credit availability to small businesses will help to grow our economy and create jobs. That is why the Financial Services Committee today is working on legislation to create a small business loan fund. It's an investment in America that is truly worthy of a AAA rating.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am reintroducing the Access to Birth Control (ABC) Act along with 12 other Members of the House of Representatives. Senator Frank Lautenberg is introducing companion legislation in the Senate. Ninety-eight percent of American women use birth control at some point in their lives. This bill ensures that any woman who would like birth control and who has a legal prescription or is seeking over-the-counter emergency contraception, will be able to get it in a timely and convenient manner. The ABC Act would make it illegal for a pharmacist to refuse to return a birth control prescription, or for a pharmacist to intimidate, threaten, or harass customers, or intentionally breach, or threaten to breach, medical confidentiality. Under my bill, if a pharmacist on duty refuses to fill the prescription, then the pharmacy must ensure that another employee on staff fills the prescription for the customer without delay. Very simply, this legislation ensures a woman's legal access to birth control. An alarming trend has erupted in some pharmacies across the nation. Over the past few years, there have been increasing reports of pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control pills. In some cases, pharmacists have kept and refused to transfer a prescription, refused to sell over-the-counter emergency contraception, or given the customer false medical information about the requested birth control. Pharmacists have taken it upon themselves to decide whose prescription they will fill and which over the counter medication they will provide. Despite action by the Food and Drug Administration to make emergency contraception available without a prescription to women over the age of 17, refusals among pharmacists continue to be a problem. Access to birth control is especially important for women living in rural areas who may not have multiple pharmacies near them and for women from low-income communities who lack the resources to find another pharmacy in the appropriate time. Women from all walks of life are being traumatized and humiliated at the hands of pharmacists who are denying them their right to contraception based on their own personal beliefs. The Access to Birth Control, ABC, Act is an important step in protecting a woman's constitutional right to contraception. Birth control and emergency contraception are part of women's basic health care and pharmacists should not have the right to interfere.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, this is a chart prepared by the Joint Economic Committee, which I call the V chart--not for victory, or total victory, but it certainly shows success and that we're trending in the right direction in our economy. The red bars on the chart represent the job losses under the prior administration. The last month of the Bush administration, this country lost over 770,000 jobs. The blue bars represent the record of the Obama administration as we recover from the depths of an inherited economic disaster. There is still much left to do as we recover from the great recession. Millions of Americans still suffer. But if we wish to avoid repeating history, we should first remember and understand it. The policies of the past drove our economy down. The policies of this Congress have begun to lift it up. You can see it here very clearly in a V and in red, white, and blue.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Chair, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act. This legislation will help to create jobs while saving consumers money and reducing our nation's energy consumption. It will also provide an important boost for the construction sector which has been mercilessly pounded by both the recession and the collapse in new housing construction. In my role as chair of the Joint Economic Committee, we have been examining the sector-by-sector impact of the Great Recession. The construction sector has seen employment drop by almost 28 percent since the recession began. More than two million jobs--in this sector alone--were lost. We're not going to get those jobs back overnight, but policies like the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act can play an important role in encouraging growth in construction while speeding our transition to a more energy-efficient economy. The legislation provides rebates to consumers for purchasing energy- efficient products or materials and for doing renovations to make their homes more energy efficient. Consumers can get the rebates for buying caulk or insulation, at their local hardware store for example, or working with a contractor on larger projects, such as installing new heating or cooling systems, or replacing windows. The larger the project, the larger the rebate. The legislation also creates a new state-federal program to provide loans to consumers for renovations that improve energy efficiency. The Home Star legislation builds on the energy efficiency provisions in the Recovery Act, including weatherization programs targeted at low- income families and retrofits of public housing. The legislation helps us accomplish two key goals--increasing jobs and reducing our energy costs and consumption. A number of studies have already shown the job creation power of retrofitting homes and buildings. The Center for American Progress estimated that $40 billion invested in retrofits would create approximately 800,000 jobs. And these are good, high-paying jobs--construction workers, carpenters, electricians and roofers. Finally, residential and commercial buildings use 40 percent of the energy in our country and account for 40 percent of carbon emissions. The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act will speed the pace of home retrofits, speed up the creation of badly needed jobs, decrease our demand for carbon based fuels, and help us move more quickly to a cleaner, brighter more energy efficient future. I encourage you to support H.R. 5019.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Chair, I rise in support. This legislation will help to bolster our Nation's economic competitiveness by supporting basic research, the fundamental building block for innovation and making investments in science, technology, engineering, and math. The Joint Economic Committee released a report this week looking at the role of basic research in the R&D process. The report highlights the critical role the Federal Government plays in funding basic research. While the Federal Government supports about one-quarter of overall R&D, as you can see on this chart, it funds more than half, 57 percent, of basic research. Without Federal involvement, basic research would be underfunded because the returns the private sector can gain on basic research are smaller than the broader benefits to our overall economy. As we recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression, we have to look under every rock to give ourselves every chance of sparking innovations that will fuel future growth and jobs. The America COMPETES reauthorization funds the basic research that will drive a new generation of innovation, spawning new technologies and industries and leading to additional growth and jobs. America COMPETES will strengthen our economy by making strategic investments in America's future. I urge a ``yes'' vote and applaud the chairman of the committee for his many years of service.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, as someone who was actually attending an event in Times Square on Saturday night, I and the thousands of people who were also in the area that evening are profoundly grateful to the two New Yorkers who saw something--and said something. The swift, coordinated response of New York City and national law enforcement agencies--led by Commissioner Ray Kelly and the NYPD-- yielded equally swift results. I don't hesitate to call them heroes--they were ``merely'' doing their jobs, thoroughly and well, but that is itself a form of heroism. The NYPD, the FBI, and the Joint Terrorist Task Force all did an incredible job in apprehending this suspect quickly and preventing him from fleeing the country. These first responders deserve the bipartisan tribute we make here today. But all first responders around the globe should take a share of this honor--without them, many more would die, and too many perpetrators would go free.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Chair, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act. This legislation will help to create jobs, while saving consumers money, and reducing our Nation's energy consumption. It will also provide an important boost for the construction sector which has been mercilessly pounded by both the recession and the collapse in new housing construction. In my role as Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, we have been examining the sector-by-sector impact of the Great Recession. The construction sector has seen employment drop by almost 28 percent since the recession began. More than two million jobs--in this sector alone-- were lost. We're not going to get those jobs back overnight, but policies like The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act can play an important role in encouraging growth in construction while speeding our transition to a more energy-efficient economy. The legislation provides rebates to consumers for purchasing energy- efficient products or materials and for doing renovations to make their homes more energy efficient. Consumers can get the rebates for buying caulk or insulation at their local hardware store, for example, or working with a contractor on larger projects, such as installing new heating or cooling systems, or replacing windows. The larger the project, the larger the rebate. The legislation also creates a new State-Federal program to provide loans to consumers for renovations that improve energy efficiency. The Home Star legislation builds on the energy efficiency provisions in the Recovery Act, including weatherization programs targeted at low- income families and retrofits of public housing. The legislation helps us accomplish two key goals--increasing jobs and reducing our energy costs and consumption. A number of studies have already shown the job creation power of retrofitting homes and buildings. The Center for American Progress estimated that $40 billion invested in retrofits would create approximately 800,000 jobs. And these are good, high-paying jobs--construction workers, carpenters, electricians and roofers. Finally, residential and commercial buildings use 40 percent of the energy in our country and account for 40 percent of carbon emissions. The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act will speed the pace of home retrofits, speed up the creation of badly needed jobs, decrease our demand for carbon based fuels, and help us move more quickly to a cleaner, brighter, more energy efficient future. I encourage you to support H.R. 5019.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the StartUp Visa Act of 2010, the companion bill to Senator John Kerry's bipartisan legislation of the same name, which he introduced with Senator Richard Lugar this past February. What do American household names such as Google, eBay and Proctor & Gamble have in common? They are all former start-ups founded by immigrants. In 2009, the percentage of U.S. residents creating new domestic companies fell to 8 percent from 12.4 percent in 2005. Over the same period, the percentage of residents in foreign countries creating new companies rose to 11 percent from 8.7 percent. Despite this trend, our current visa laws have made it unnecessarily difficult for immigrants to launch new companies in the United States. I am introducing the StartUp Visa Act of 2010 because the economic dynamism of foreign-born talent has always been a crucial factor in our country's growth, and we must take steps to enable it to continue. By allowing immigrant entrepreneurs greater access to American visas, we truly can drive American job creation and channel the power of innovation. Currently, the EB-5 category visa permits foreign nationals to obtain a green card if their efforts invest at least $1 million into the U.S. economy and create at least 10 jobs. This bill creates a new EB-6 visa for immigrant entrepreneurs. After proving that he or she has secured initial investment capital (totaling at least $250,000) and if, after two years, an immigrant entrepreneur can show that he or she has generated at least five full-time jobs in the United States, attracted $1 million in additional investment capitol or achieved $1 million in revenue, then he or she would receive permanent legal resident status. The entrepreneurial spirit is ingrained in our country's history and success. I believe that this legislation is a vital component of promoting our global competitiveness. We must ensure a strong foundation for foreign-born, highly-skilled talent to create American jobs and promote economic prosperity and this bill works toward that end.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in so many ways, and I thank my good friend on the other side of the aisle for his leadership on this issue and many others. We are united today in a bipartisan effort, Republicans and Democrats. We are united in our efforts to stop the RNC from using census mailings for political gain and to fundraise for the RNC. Mr. Steele, in particular, the head of the RNC, 5 days after this Congress in a bipartisan vote that was unanimous on both sides of the aisle, mailed out another partisan mailer, raising money for the RNC in an envelope that looked like it was an official document for the Census Bureau. I suggest that Mr. Steele contact the members of his own party before he acts in such a way, because the Republicans supported stopping using the census mailer in any way for partisan gain. Specifically, this Congress passed legislation to stop mailers, fake mailers, look-alike mailers, that made the document look official, like a census document, to open it up. The RNC and others were mailing fundraisers, acting like they were the census. This is wrong. We passed legislation to stop it. It is now under review by the postal department. I have every bit of confidence that they will report that it violated not only the spirit of the law but that it violated the law. The ink wasn't even dry from President Obama signing the legislation into law, and 5 days later the RNC leadership sent out another partisan mailer designed to look like the census to mislead people. This is dangerous because the census is important to our country. It is mandated by the Constitution. It must take place every 10 years, and the census numbers are the numbers that we use to decide representation. Practically every funding formula is based on census numbers. So we want people to respond to the census. It's important. To the degree that mock, fake mailers are out there deceiving people, it will drive down the participation. So today we are united on enforcing the law in a bipartisan way. And I congratulate particularly the leadership on the other side of the aisle that are speaking out against the leadership of their own RNC, knowing that the census is important and should not be used for partisan reasons. So I compliment Steny Hoyer and Mr. Boehner for moving this to the floor immediately so that another mailer doesn't go out. This is a critical time for the census. It is in full swing. People are responding to their mail. There will be enumerators. There will be additional mail. To the extent that people are fundraising with fake look-alike documents, it will drive down the participation in the federally mandated, constitutionally required, and federally funded census. It is undercutting tax dollars from the public that are trying to get an accurate count and an accurate picture of where we are from the census data. So this is a very important action, and it's one that we are acting quickly on. And I hope the RNC and anyone else who wants to put out a deceptive, misleading mailing will stop and respect the law, respect the census, and respect this Congress. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I missed rollcall vote 219, on the Motion to Instruct Conferees on Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act-- Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Reports are clear that Iran is speeding forward toward developing the capability to manufacture and launch a nuclear weapon. A nuclear Iran will put the world's most deadly weapon into the hands of a nation that is actively supporting terrorism and is actively engaged in providing weapons and other support to terrorist organizations. Iran's leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has made no secret of his desire to destroy our ally Israel--he has promised to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. If Iran develops a nuclear bomb, it will have the ability to do in a matter of minutes what it took the Nazis six years to do. A nuclear Iran will destabilize the entire Middle East. If Iran has nuclear capability, every nation in the Middle East will rush to acquire the same capability. Although Israel has much to fear from Iran, there are many other countries in the region that have a long history of bad relations with Iran. And there is no love lost between Shi'ite Iran and its Sunni neighbors. I salute the young people who have risked their lives in Iran in the hopes of removing this madman from power. Their courage deserves our praise and our support. But a nuclear Iran will be a threat to every nation in the Middle East, regardless of who is in power; and there is no sign that a different Iranian leader would dismantle the nuclear program. Sanctions are our best hope to pressure Iran to relinquish its nuclear program. Tough sanctions have an impact. They have already discouraged companies from doing business in Iran, thereby reducing Iran's access to the goods it wants. Time Magazine reported that two of the world's largest insurance companies, Lloyd's and Munich Re, will no longer insure cargo going into or out of Iran. Major oil brokers are no longer willing to sell refined petroleum to Iran, a blow to a country that must import much of its oil. LUKOIL, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, BP and Malaysia's Petronas and other companies will no longer sell gasoline to Iran. Sanctions change corporate behavior--and if the corporations that do business in Iran are no longer willing to trade, it will have an immediate and direct effect on the quality of life in Iran. The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2009 is a good bill--a strong bill. It's time to go to conference and move forward with implementing strong sanctions that can make a difference. The only nation that benefits from delay is Iran. Time is on its side--with more time, it can realize its nuclear ambitions. We can change the equation by moving this bill forward now. Accordingly, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this motion.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate the 62nd Anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. Much like our July 4th, this day commemorates the date on which David Ben Gurion read the formal Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel drafted by a coalition of zionist leaders, voted on by the People's Council (Moetzet Ha'am) and signed by 37 founding mothers and fathers of the Jewish State. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations approved a partition plan to take effect upon the expiration of the British Mandate. The partition plan was immediately rejected by the Arabs and armies from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria attacked to try to destroy the fledgling Jewish State before it could be established. During the War of Independence, the Jewish Settlement (Yishuv), under the leadership of David Ben Gurion, formally established the State of Israel. The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel was signed on May 14, 1948, which fell on the 5th of the Hebrew Month of Iyar, the date the British Mandate over Palestine expired. At a ceremony held at the Tel Aviv Museum, now known as Independence Hall, David Ben Gurion read the Declaration and 25 of the 37 signatories formally affixed their signatures before a crowd of 250 invited guests and a radio audience of countless listeners. Eleven of those who ultimately signed the Declaration were trapped in Jerusalem which was then under seige; the 12th was abroad at the time of the ceremony. Eleven minutes after the declaration was signed, President Truman de facto recognized the State of Israel. America shares an unshakable bond with Israel, born of our shared values and our common outlook. We are both nations of immigrants that believe the path to success lies in invention, creation and investment. We are both nations that believe in the rule of law and the importance of a strong and independent judiciary. We are both nations that were created by pioneers seeking religious freedom. We are both pluralistic nations in which what you know and what you create is more important than who you are and where you came from. And, the United States must stand with Israel and must work to ensure that Israel endures as a Jewish State. In the 62 years that followed its establishment, Israel has survived and flourished despite the repeated efforts to destroy her. Israel is a vigorous democracy, our strongest ally in the Middle East. Her economy is thriving, in large part as a result of her agricultural, technological and medical innovations. 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 constitutes a fraction of 1% of the land mass and only 2% 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. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to congratulate Israel for its 62 years of independence, innovation and enterprise.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today we mourn the loss of Dr. Dorothy Height, a true American hero, who worked tirelessly throughout her 98 years to make the world better as a leader, activist, and counselor in the civil rights and women's rights movements. In 2004, I was privileged to support legislation that honored Dr. Height with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can bestow. Dr. Height led a remarkable life and made a significant difference in the lives of so many others. After earning degrees at New York University, Dr. Height joined the staff of the Harlem YMCA. There she met human rights activists First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and educator Mary McLeod Bethune. Her encounter with Dr. Bethune led to Dr. Height's involvement with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), an organization she would come to lead as president for four decades. Dr. Height was a tremendous mediator and minister during times of great civil rights strife, such as after the 1935 riots in Harlem and then again in 1963, at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, after a bomb killed four African American girls in a church. Called the queen of the civil rights movement, Dr. Height was often the only woman at key moments in civil rights history and we are indebted to her for keeping women's rights and equality in the fore. During her tenure with NCNW, Dr. Height instituted programs to establish dialogue between interracial groups of women, to expand business ownership by women, to celebrate women's history at the Bethune Museum and Archives, and to monitor human rights around the world. In addition to her efforts to overcome racial prejudices and for full voting rights of all, she also fought for school desegregation, for access to decent housing, and for better employment opportunities. It seems only fitting that we honor the legacy of Dr. Height on Equal Pay Day, a day each April intended to bring awareness to the inequalities that still exist in our society. Dr. Height was at the White House ceremony when President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act and was there again when President Clinton marked the 35th anniversary of the legislation. Dr. Height was apt to tell her colleagues at NCNW to continue their efforts to address issues of social concern. In gratitude for everything she has done, we are inspired to continue with her life's dedication to expand civil rights and equality for all.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, as a proud member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, and the Representative of a large and vibrant community of Armenian Americans, I rise to welcome His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan in his offering of the opening prayer, and join my colleagues this week in the sad commemoration of the Armenian genocide. On this 95th anniversary of the genocide, I join with a chorus of voices that grows louder with each passing year. We simply will not allow the planned elimination of an entire people to remain in the shadows of history. The Armenian genocide must be acknowledged, studied, and never, ever allowed to happen again. The archbishop is the head of the Armenian Church in the United States, which is located in my district. As the spiritual shepherd of several hundred thousand Armenian Americans in the Eastern United States, he plays a significant role in the life of the Armenian community. It is a great honor to welcome him today.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today we will cast a series of historic votes. The outcome of the votes will result in 32 million people without health insurance gaining coverage and 94 percent of Americans with guaranteed health care coverage. In New York State, close to 2.5 million people who are currently uninsured will have health care coverage once the day is over. To get to this point, the House had to first vote on the Senate passed health care bill and then vote on a bill that makes important changes that have been negotiated by the House to dramatically improve the Senate bill--this is called the reconciliation bill. Without a promise of these important fixes, like taking out several of these ``special deals'' I would not vote for the Senate bill. However, with the guarantee of these improvements, today I will cast my vote in favor of the Senate health care bill. I appreciate the opportunity to outline some of my concerns with the Senate passed health care reform bill. Most importantly, the Senate bill would have cost New York close to a billion of dollars in Medicaid funding. Unlike the House bill which saves New York billions, the Senate bill penalizes States like New York for its expanded coverage of its citizens under Medicaid. Under the Senate bill, States that have not significantly expanded their Medicaid programs would receive a large influx of Federal funding, but States like New York are penalized for doing the right thing. The House bill contained a more equitable solution to sharing the costs of Medicaid expansion under health care reform by providing increased Federal funding for Medicaid expansion regardless of existing State eligibility levels. FMAP provisions in the Senate bill would result in a significant loss to New York State as a significant number of uninsured New Yorkers who are eligible for Medicaid enroll, while the House bill fairly shares in the costs for currently enrolled and newly enrolled childless adults and parents. Fortunately, the reconciliation bill that we will be voting on, fixes this problem, and the distribution of Federal Medicaid funding is more equitable and saves money for New York. The Senate bill similarly penalized New York in terms of its treatment of payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals, DSH. Historically, Medicaid hospital reimbursement rates, on average, have been lower than the cost of providing care, and DSH payments were instituted to cover reimbursement shortfalls and uncompensated care costs. The need for DSH reimbursement will remain even after health care reform is passed since there will millions of newly eligible individuals who will receive care through Medicaid. The Senate bill reduced Federal funding for Medicaid DSH payments by $19 billion and Medicare DSH payments by $24 billion over 10 years; reductions to DSH payments of this magnitude will jeopardize the stability and the services provided by our safety net system. The original House bill which I supported had included more reasonable reductions of $10 billion each from Medicaid and Medicare DSH and similarly, the reconciliation bill, while not as good as the original House bill, reduces the cuts that the Senate bill would have imposed. I am also opposed to the restrictive abortion language contained in the Senate bill. The Senate bill is significantly onerous, stigmatizing abortion services and creating obstacles for those consumers who would like to purchase this coverage and to those insurance companies would like to provide this coverage. Though I am strongly opposed to these restrictions, I am voting for the final bill because overall, reforming our current health care system dramatically and positively impacts women. As Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, I prepared a report that looked at the specific health care challenges facing women and how women would benefit from comprehensive health care reform. More than 2 million women have lost their health insurance since the recession began due to their own job loss or their spouse's job loss. 1.3 million women lost their health coverage when their spouse lost his job and an additional 800,000 women lost their health care as a result of their own job loss. More than 2 million women have faced the brutal double- whammy of a lost job and lost health care. While job losses during this recession were much greater for men than women, women have fared worse than men in recent months. And this has had real consequences for women's health care coverage: in the last 6 months, the number of women losing health insurance benefits due to their own job losses has increased by nearly 50 percent. Over one quarter, 28 percent of women ages 19-24 have no health insurance at all. Part of that number is likely explained by the economic challenges facing young women. Young women have been hit hard in the recession, facing an unemployment rate of 13.1 percent, significantly higher than the national rate of 9.7 percent, and making it less likely that they will have job-based coverage. Health care reform will help us to overcome inequities at the center of the current system--where women pay more than men for the same coverage, or even, where women who are not smokers pay more for coverage than men who are smokers. My report and the reality is that the current health care system is serving women poorly, the recession has made the situation worse, and now more than ever, we need health care reform. I have been a strong supporter of the public option and voted for the House bill in large part because it contained a public option. I believed then and I believe now that a public insurance option will increase competition and reform our current system. Every day, 14,000 Americans lose their health care coverage. A public option would have brought down costs and expanded access. Unfortunately, the Senate was unable to pass a bill with a public option, though many Senators supported the provision. While I am disappointed that the final bill that will go to the President for signature will not include it, I feel confident that the end product will achieve the goals of covering the vast majority of Americans, reduce health care costs, and reduce our deficit by trillions of dollars. Madam Speaker, it is clear that the Senate bill had flaws and as passed was not as good of a bill for the State of New York as it should have been. If I was just casting one vote today, it would be a no vote on this bill. However, we are being given the opportunity to fix and improve the Senate bill with the upcoming reconciliation bill which is why I am able to vote in favor of this bill. With this vote, I am voting in favor of helping Americans gain affordable, quality health care they both need and deserve, I am voting in favor of dramatically reducing the Federal deficit by $143 billion in the first 10 years, and I am voting in favor of improving coverage by removing denials of coverage based on preexisting conditions or gender. I am voting in favor of a strong and healthy future for all Americans and for our great country.