Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 1105, the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The $410 billion omnibus bill encompasses nine separate appropriations measures that stalled last year when the Bush administration insisted on preserving severe cuts to health care, education, law enforcement, and other programs contained in its FY 2009 budget proposal. I'm happy that under the Obama administration, we will keep the government running and finish last year's business. While there are many critical provisions in this legislation, I want to highlight a few issues that are especially important to me and the people of the 14th Congressional District of New York. The FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act includes $277.7 million in federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway and $209.6 million for East Side Access. One of my top priorities since I was first elected to Congress, the Second Avenue Subway will run from 125th Street to lower Manhattan. It will offer a much-needed alternative for commuters and will reach underserved neighborhoods on the East Side. East Side Access will bring the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal, carrying approximately 163,000 average weekday boardings. The bill also contains $70 million in new funding for federal 9/11 health programs. The new funding, combined with $112 million carried over from previous years, would cover the World Trade Center Health Programs' $182 million estimated cost for FY 2009. I thank Mr. Obey for including this funding to provide much-needed health care for WTC community members and first responders both in New York and across the country. I am pleased that the legislation also provides a total of $545 million for international family programs--an increase of more than $80 million from the 2008 level. Included in this total is $50 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and its work to improve reproductive health, raise the status of women and improve the quality, safety and availability of contraceptives in nearly 150 countries. Additionally, I want to thank Chairman Obey and the committee for including $151,000,000, the fully authorized amount, for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program. I believe that ``The Debbie Smith Act'' is one of the most important anti-crime bills that has ever passed Congress and been signed into law. Today we take another step forward in preventing violence against women by supporting a program that helps to put rapists in prison. Finally, the bill includes a no-cost, common sense solution that will reduce unintended pregnancies by reinstating access to low-cost birth control at college health centers and safety net providers. Since January 2007, more than 3 million college students and hundreds of thousands of low-income women have lost access to affordable birth control because of a provision in the 2005 Deficit Reduction act which--by all accounts--unintentionally cut off every college and university health center and hundreds of safety-net providers from access to low-cost drugs. The no-cost fix included in this bill will correct this mistake and restore affordable birth control to these populations. In closing, I want to note that this legislation will work in harmony with the economic recovery package that President Obama has already signed into law by making investments that address the country's immediate needs while investing in our long term economic strength. I'm pleased to support H.R. 1105, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 1105, the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The $410 billion omnibus bill encompasses nine separate appropriations measures that stalled last year when the Bush administration insisted on preserving severe cuts to health care, education, law enforcement, and other programs contained in its FY 2009 budget proposal. I'm happy that under the Obama administration, we will keep the government running and finish last year's business. While there are many critical provisions in this legislation, I want to highlight a few issues that are especially important to me and the people of the 14th Congressional District of New York. The FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act includes $277.7 million in federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway and $209.6 million for East Side Access. One of my top priorities since I was first elected to Congress, the Second Avenue Subway will run from 125th Street to lower Manhattan. It will offer a much-needed alternative for commuters and will reach underserved neighborhoods on the East Side. East Side Access will bring the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal, carrying approximately 163,000 average weekday boardings. The bill also contains $70 million in new funding for federal 9/11 health programs. The new funding, combined with $112 million carried over from previous years, would cover the World Trade Center Health Programs' $182 million estimated cost for FY 2009. I thank Mr. Obey for including this funding to provide much-needed health care for WTC community members and first responders both in New York and across the country. I am pleased that the legislation also provides a total of $545 million for international family programs--an increase of more than $80 million from the 2008 level. Included in this total is $50 million for the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, and its work to improve reproductive health, raise the status of women and improve the quality, safety and availability of contraceptives in nearly 150 countries. Additionally, I want to thank Chairman Obey and the committee for including $151,000,000, the fully authorized amount, for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program. I believe that ``The Debbie Smith Act'' is one of the most important anti-crime bills that has ever passed Congress and been signed into law. Today we take another step forward in preventing violence against women by supporting a program that helps to put rapists in prison. Finally, the bill includes a no-cost, common sense solution that will reduce unintended pregnancies by reinstating access to low-cost birth control at college health centers and safety net providers. Since January 2007, more than 3 million college students and hundreds of thousands of low-income women have lost access to affordable birth control because of a provision in the 2005 Deficit Reduction act which--by all accounts--unintentionally cut off every college and university health center and hundreds of safety-net providers from access to low-cost drugs. The no-cost fix included in this bill will correct this mistake and restore affordable birth control to these populations. In closing, I want to note that this legislation will work in harmony with the economic recovery package that President Obama has already signed into law by making investments that address the country's immediate needs while investing in our long term economic strength. I'm pleased to support H.R. 1105, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act, which would require standards and enforcement provisions to prevent child abuse and neglect in residential programs for teens with behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems. When families struggle with a troubled teen, many eventually look to private or public residential programs for help. Parents deserve to know that their child will be safe and in good hands. However, in some states residential facilities are subject to state law or regulation, but in other states they are not. Because of the resulting loose patchwork of state oversight and lack of accountability, at some programs, young people have been subject to abuse and neglect. In a small number of cases, this abuse and neglect has led to the death of a child. The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act sets new national standards to prohibit abuse and neglect and increases transparency to help parents make safer choices for their children. The bill also holds teen residential programs accountable for violating the law and asks states to step in to protect teens in these programs. We have an obligation to keep teens safe, especially when they and their families are battling behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems. I hope that this legislation will support families in their pursuit of the health and well-being of their children.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am re-introducing the Community Protection and Response Act to eliminate confusion in responding to disasters following homeland security events. One of the major lessons learned in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 is that timely response is critical. Any delay complicates short-, medium-, and long-term recovery efforts. Sadly, many of the lessons that we have learned have gone without an appropriate response. In response to the attacks of September 11 for example, Congress took a series of actions to bring relief to affected areas. These legislative actions along with existing statutes, including the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Act and the Disaster Mitigation Act, formed the framework for the federal government's response. The magnitude of the attacks and the need for Congress to take action before certain relief could be delivered added to the challenge of the recovery efforts and exposed critical weaknesses in federal authority to respond. The Community Protection and Response Act would amend the Stafford Act along with other statutes and would give the President a series of policy options to choose from following a homeland security event. A homeland security event is defined as an event that poses a significant risk to the security of people and property and is in such a magnitude that effective response is beyond the scope and capability of the affected state and local government. Many of these options are based on congressional action following September 11th or other policy suggestions in reports by the Congressional Research Service, the Government Accountability Office and the New York branch of the Federal Reserve. Specifically, in the event of a homeland security event, the President can provide grants for lost tax revenue, aid to school systems, and assistance to medical facilities and utility companies. The bill also establishes guidelines to ensure the public health of area residents and disaster workers. This bill is an important failsafe and preventative measure that will ensure America is prepared to respond to any homeland security event in the future.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am reintroducing the ``Whatever it Takes to Rebuild Act''. A disaster can leave the tax base of an affected community eroded, necessitating Federal assistance to pay for essential services. These essential services, including police, fire, and school personnel, are even more critical in the wake of a disaster. To aid communities, Congress created the Community Disaster Loan Program. While this program has worked with great success, there are two significant issues that need to be fixed. The first issue is that this assistance is delivered in the form of a loan and the second is that any loan is limited to $5 million. Providing this aid as a loan can further delay the recovery of a local community and the $5 million cap does not allow for adequate assistance for medium or large communities. The ``Whatever It Takes to Rebuild Act'' would repeal the requirement that disaster affected communities epay the assistance they receive under the Community Disaster Loan Program. This legislation would permanently repeal the $5 million cap on these loans, would make states eligible for this assistance, repeal the cap that limits loans to 25 percent of a municipalities operating expenses, and would provide this assistance as grants when the President waives the provisions for a catastrophic event. All of these provisions are aimed at giving the Federal Government the tools and flexibility we need to fully respond following a disaster. This program was used most recently immediately following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. While it was able to provide significant benefits, repayment requirements have raised significant hurdles for many recipient communities. In the wake of a disaster, the government should give American communities the financial assistance they need to get back on their feet with no strings attached. That is why I am reintroducing the ``Whatever It Takes to Rebuild Act.''

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the speed at which both chambers and both parties have come together on this recovery package shows how committed Congress and the Administration are to shoring up our troubled economy. The landmark legislation that we will pass today will create millions of jobs, provide cut taxes for hard working families, provide basic necessities to families in need and make investments necessary to transform our economy for the 21st Century. Economists, business leaders, and labor unions across the political spectrum know that decisive action is the only way to jolt our economy out of its intensifying tailspin. Everyone in the process has compromised, except for House Republicans. It's time for the House Republicans to stop saying ``no'' to everything and start saying ``yes'' to bipartisanship and ``yes'' to recovery. The current economic crisis requires bold solutions that address the magnitude of our economic woes, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment plan will do just that. We will blunt the effects of the recession for families by increasing food stamps benefits, expanding unemployment benefits, and preserving health care benefits. The recovery plan also invests in America's school, roads, bridges, water systems that are in disrepair and creating a drag on our economy. We have an historic opportunity to make the investments necessary to modernize our public infrastructure, transition to a clean energy economy, and make us more competitive in the future. Our plan also supports working families by providing a tax cut for 95 percent of workers and their families. By spreading job creation out over the next couple of years and across a variety of sectors, we will soften the downturn and foster a solid economic recovery. It's time to get our economy back on track. Furthermore Mr. Speaker, in writing about the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the front page of the Wall Street Journal said it well. This historic bill will spur road building, give businesses tax breaks, and expand broadband access. Yes, it will do all that, and so much more. It will help our country avoid a recession so dark and deep that the pain and economic dislocation it would produce for the vast majority of people would be terrible to contemplate. According to a broad consensus of the brightest minds in the field, this economic stimulus bill will help put Americans back to work now, and get us back to doing what we do best--lighting the way to the future. It will provide more than $150 billion in public works projects for transportation, energy and technology. We will begin to develop the clean energy sources and smart transmission lines that the whole world will demand tomorrow. There is $10 billion for medical research to help America retain its vaunted leadership. The bill also provides for the urgent needs of today, with $87 billion to help states meet rising Medicaid costs. There is money to help state unemployment offices that are overwhelmed by the numbers and funds to help those who have been thrown out of a job through no fault of their own, and are struggling desperately to keep health insurance coverage for their families. And it addresses the three most important issues facing us today. Jobs, jobs, and more jobs. This bill is expected to create about 3.5 million jobs. The total impact on my state is expected to be the creation of 215,000 jobs with almost 8,000 jobs in my district alone. Across the country the bill is expected to produce over a million jobs in construction and manufacturing, and 345,000 jobs in professional and business services. And 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector. There is a tax cut for 95 percent of working American and the bill protects millions of middle income taxpayers from having to pay the Alternative Minimum tax in 2009. The aid that will flow directly to states should also help to ease some of the most painful service cuts that were looming, and may even provide more tax relief. According to Governor David Paterson, New York state might be able to use some of the federal stimulus funds to avoid some of the 137 business and consumer tax increases now planned for next year. In the coming days, you will hear 1,001 different opinions about this bill. And I hope you will keep in mind that Congress listened to a wide range of opinions on just what to do to get America working again. There were many, including Nobel Laureates in the field of Economics who felt we should be spending considerably more. There were some who said we should spend less. And even a few who said we should do nothing. But sitting still and doing nothing was never an option. Inaction is simply not in the American DNA. Some made a case for spending more on infrastructure while others pushed for bigger tax cuts. But politics is the art of the possible-- and tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are what helped to pave the way to the hole we find ourselves in now. And our critics must admit that tax cuts alone never built a school, fixed a bridge or paved a road. With the passage of this bill, our crumbling infrastructure will be repaired, our dependence of foreign oil will begin to be addressed, our healthcare system improved, and our economic well-being restored. This is the plan. This is the time. And ``yes'' is the answer.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today we took a historic step toward economic recovery, and four financial giants took another important step in announcing that they will impose a moratorium on mortgage foreclosures. In response to a request from Congress during hearings chaired by Chairman Frank, CitiGroup, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, and Bank of America today announced plans to suspend foreclosures for the next few weeks or until the President's new plan is in place. These actions create breathing space to allow the new administration to develop and the private sector to implement a new plan to reduce foreclosures and to help Americans stay in their homes. We cannot solve our economic crisis until we solve our housing crisis. And leaders of our financial sector have the ability and responsibility to help lead our recovery. As a representative from the State of New York, I applaud these New York financial institutions for being the first to step forward and take up this challenge. And I urge all other mortgage institutions to follow their example, to take similar steps to help Americans stay in their home. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to really underscore the importance of the vote, the historic vote that we had a chance to vote on today. And I cast a ballot to help create 3.5 million new jobs and give tax credits to 95 percent of working Americans. This was a chance to begin to move our country forward by investing in and modernizing our health and education systems, and we can do it in a way that is accountable and transparent, as the legislation required. And as I noted, the private sector is also playing a crucial and important role. If we work together, we can put America back to work. Thank you very much.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as do so many, to honor John Dingell as he achieves a great milestone: our longest-serving House member. In December 1955, at the age of 29, John won a special election to replace his father. 19,420 days later, we honor him and his spectacular record in serving the people of the United States and of his Michigan district. In December 1955--just to give you a sense of the eras, then and now--Rosa Parks took a stand by refusing to give up her seat on a bus home from work in Montgomery, Alabama. Today, as we honor John, we have an African-American President. People make change--and John Dingell has made more than his share. As Chairman, now Chairman Emeritus, of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, he has carried perhaps the broadest portfolio of any House member in history, from energy, trade and telecommunications to Medicare, Medicaid, consumer protection and government oversight and investigations--Energy and Commerce handled up to 40% of all House legislation in some sessions. An avid outdoorsman and former forest ranger, John was an ``environmentalist'' before the word ``environmentalist'' existed. He was instrumental in the passage of some of our nation's most important environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the 1990 Clean Air Act. And John almost single-handedly has created the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which began in 2001 with some 400 acres and has grown since then to encompass over 4,000 acres from River Rouge to Lake Erie. He has been steadfast in supporting health care for all Americans. Each Congress, he sponsors a national health insurance plan--picking up the baton from his father who first introduced it in 1943. He fought for the Patient's Bill of Rights and the Children's Health Insurance Program. And he was the presiding officer as this House passed Medicare in 1965. Together, John and I worked on identifying the persistence of the ``glass ceiling'' which limits the advancement of women in the workplace. John could not have known in 1955 the changes he would see, and the change he would make, as a member of this body. It has been a career of accomplishment--but now, also, it is a career of longevity. Martin Luther King once said ``It is the quality, not the longevity of one's life that is important.'' But John Dingell has had BOTH quality and longevity. May he keep up the great work. John, please accept my humble congratulations and extend my love to Debbie and your family.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, Americans today can breathe a sigh of relief as we take a first step toward repairing our badly damaged economy. This bill will begin to put Americans back to work fixing roads, repairing bridges, building schools and laying the bases for the economy of tomorrow. The good news is already starting to come in. Caterpillar Tractor, an iconic American machinery manufacturer, announced that it will rescind some of the 20,000 announced layoffs as soon as this bill passes. This bill is expected to produce 4 million jobs. And it contains tax cuts that will benefit 95 percent of working Americans, including a $400 tax credit for individuals and an $800 tax credit for couples. This is a bill that says to the world, ``yes, we can.''

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, along with my friend Mr. Grijalva, I am pleased to reintroduce the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, NREPA, in the 111th Congress. NREPA differs from traditional state-by-state wilderness bills by offering a variety of designations that work in concert to achieve one goal: the protection of entire functioning ecosystems on federal public lands. These are lands that belong to all American taxpayers, and we have a right and responsibility to protect our precious resources. First, NREPA protects over 24 million acres of America's premiere roadless lands as wilderness. It also protect the rivers and streams that are the last habitats for many of America's wild trout stocks, by protecting 1800 miles of river and streams as wild and scenic rivers. Importantly, NREPA emphasizes that all of these wild places are linked together in the most vital ways possible. By protecting natural biological corridors, NREPA connects the region's core wildlands into a functioning ecological whole. NREPA also creates jobs by putting people to work restoring the land in wildland restoration and recovery areas designated in the bill. Finally, I want to be very clear about what NREPA doesn't do. NREPA does not impact private landowners. It impacts only federal public lands--lands owned by all Americans. Some years ago, two NREPA supporters from Manhattan, Montana wrote to me and said ``We feel that there is a little ray of hope for the incredible but dwindling wildlands we are so lucky to live near and love.'' All of us have a responsibility to sustain that hope.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the January job numbers told Americans something they already knew. Things are bad. They are bad all over in almost every sector of the economy and almost every section of the country. In a hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, I asked the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics if there was any bright spots in the labor report. And he said, and I quote, ``No. No good news comes to mind.'' These latest job losses add to the overwhelming evidence that we must get a recovery package to the President's desk fast. People are hurting and crying out all across the country for help from the people in this Chamber. More than 3.6 million jobs have been lost since the recession began in 2007, including the nearly 600,000 jobs shed in January alone. Six hundred thousand jobs is equivalent to all the workers in the State of Maine. My home State of New York has been especially hard hit. Almost 48,000 jobs were slashed. Familiar and storied names, such as Macy's, Estee Lauder, Time Warner, Bloomberg News, and many others, have laid off employees. We are now hearing that seven States have already exhausted their unemployment insurance, and another 11 States may see their funds exhausted by the end of 2009. More than 2 million homes have gone into foreclosure, and millions of other homeowners find themselves owing more to the bank than their homes are worth. Because of lost jobs, millions also lost their health insurance. Many have lost their savings. An estimated $6 trillion in personal wealth has simply evaporated. A solution to this crisis requires a bold action and addresses the magnitude of our economic woes, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will do just that. The recovery package will create or save an estimated 4 million jobs across a variety of sectors. It will soften the downturn and foster a solid economic recovery that benefits all Americans. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called for the passage of the Recovery Act. The National Governors Association says that they support the bill. The bill even has the support of most GOP Governors. The latest Gallup poll shows that 80 percent of Americans believe that passing a new stimulus plan is either ``important,'' or ``critically important.'' Even 66 percent of Republicans told the Gallup pollsters that it is either important or critically important to pass the bill. Perhaps because they know that America's schools, roads, bridges, and water systems are in disrepair, and this creates a drag on economic growth. We have an historic opportunity to make the investments necessary to modernize our public infrastructure. We can begin to transition to a clean energy economy that will make us more competitive in the future. Yes, there are conflicting visions of the perfect bill. Some Nobel Laureates in economics say the stimulus is not big enough. Some would have us do less. But now is the time to put aside whatever differences we might have in our economic theories and put the needs of our country first. The building where the Joint Economic Committee holds its hearings is dedicated to the memory of Senator Everett Dirksen. On the plaque we pass every day, it reads, and I quote, ``His unerring sense of the possible enabled him to know when to compromise, by such men are our freedoms retained. His greatness will forever be an inspiration.'' President Obama and the Democrats are ready to embark on a bold, commonsense plan to turn this economy around, to address the fierce urgency of now, and to get this country back on its feet. We urge you to stand with us shoulder to shoulder as we act to put America back to work.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, I am pleased to introduce the ``James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009,'' along with my good friends Mr. Nadler, Mr. King of New York, Mr. McMahon and others who have worked so tirelessly in this effort. This legislation would provide medical care and compensation for those who are sick with World Trade Center (WTC) illnesses, including first responders who came to New York from every state and nearly all Congressional districts in the nation. Specifically, the bill would establish a federal health and compensation program for WTC responders and community members. Building on the existing programs at WTC Centers of Excellence, the program would provide ongoing medical care for WTC-related health conditions to approximately 15,000 additional WTC responders and 15,000 additional WTC community members, for a total of 55,000 responders and 17,500 community members. The bill would also reopen the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) to provide compensation for those sickened by 9/11 exposure and to address the over 10,000 pending lawsuits brought by sick 9/11 responders. Additionally it would limit the liability in litigation for New York City and the WTC contractors to the amounts available under the Captive Insurance Fund and their existing liability limits and insurance. Finally, the legislation would require a matching contribution from the City of New York for the health program. More than seven years after the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, we must not forget the heroes who served the nation in our time of need. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 748, the ``Campus Safety Act of 2009,'' H. Res. 82, which establishes January 2009 as National Stalking Awareness Month, and H. Res. 103, which supports the goals and ideals of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week. These bills will help to combat violence, disseminate safety information, and raise awareness about these critical issues. All Americans should feel safe in their communities, their workplaces, their schools, and their homes. Everyone, but particularly children and teens, should have access to the necessary resources to recognize a violent or abusive relationship and to get out safely. I believe that it is particularly important in this day of instant communication that we educate young people about the unintended consequences of sharing too much information on the Internet or via a cell phone. While these are valuable tools to communicate in the 21st century, they can also pose new and sometimes unexpected dangers. We all must be aware of the warning signs of violent relationships whether they are affecting our friends, our neighbors, or our children. The bills before us today show that we will not tolerate the violence, abuse, and sexual assault that pervade our society. I urge my colleagues to support these important bills.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am re-introducing ``The Mortgage and Rental Assistance Restoration Act'' for the 111th Congress. I have introduced this in previous Congresses and I will keep working to pass this important piece of disaster relief policy that will protect all Americans. My bill would reauthorize the Mortgage and Rental Assistance Act, MRA, which was discontinued by the Disaster Mitigation Act effective May 2002. The MRA provides mortgage or rental payments to people who suffer a loss of income due to a federally declared disaster such as a hurricane or terrorist attack. Without a job, most people would be unable to keep their homes due to the financial burdens of mortgages or rents. The MRA provides cover for both home owners and renters. After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, individuals who required temporary housing assistance relied upon the MRA, included in the Stafford Act, for aid. Under the MRA program many were eligible for grants to repair homes to a habitable condition, or to obtain mortgage or rental payment assistance to prevent foreclosures or evictions. The MRA program was a crucial component to help victims of the Sept. 11th attack in my home state of New York. However, in 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the MRA was not available for mortgage or rental assistance. As a result many people who would have been eligible for mortgage or rental assistance were unable to receive it. This was unfair and detrimental to the recovery process. The United States government has a responsibility to help communities recover from unpredictable disasters and help citizens keep from losing their homes. The MRA program helps provide stability during unstable times and that is why it must be reauthorized.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, Nearly 16 years ago, President Clinton signed into law the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA, PL 103-3), legislation that allows employees to take time off from work to care for a new baby or sick family member. Because of this landmark legislation, tens of millions of Americans have been able to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave without the risk of losing their jobs. Building on the successes of the FMLA, today I will introduce legislation that would allow more workers to take leave to care for their family members and allow parents to take leave for parent-teacher conferences and family members' doctor's appointments. The Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act would broaden protections under the FMLA to allow employees in companies with more than 25 employees to take family or medical leave. Current law applies only to companies with 50 or more employees. The legislation would also provide up to 24 hours per year of unpaid Parental Involvement and Family Wellness leave, which will allow parents and grandparents to attend parent-teacher conferences or to take their children, grandchildren or other family members to the doctor for regular medical or dental appointments. In these trying economic times, it is more important than ever that family members be able to take time off of work to care for each other, without the risk of losing their jobs. Then-presidential candidate Obama endorsed this concept in a June, 2008 speech in Albuquerque, NM, saying, ``With more and more households headed by two working parents--or a single working parent--it's also time to dramatically expand the Family and Medical Leave Act. Since more Americans are working for small businesses, I'll expand FMLA to cover businesses with as few as 25 employees--this will reach millions of American workers who aren't covered today. . . . We'll allow parents to take 24 hours of annual leave to join school activities with their kids.'' On behalf of America's families, I urge my fellow colleagues to join me in support of the Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, along with Representatives Raul Grijalva, Henry Waxman, Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, Fortney Pete Stark, and Elijah Cummings, I am reintroducing the ``Hate Crimes Statistics Improvement Act'' which will ensure that hate crimes motivated by gender are accounted for by the FBI and local law enforcement agencies. With accurate data, local communities can identify gender-based hate crimes in their area, ensure that the prosecution of such crimes is a priority, and chart their progress toward eliminating them. In states with gender-based hate crimes laws, prosecutors typically must present concrete evidence that the criminal act was committed due to gender bias. Because not all crimes against women are gender-based crimes, prosecutors should have discretion in identifying what constitutes a gender-based hate crime. By collecting data on gender- based hate crimes, we send the message that we will not tolerate the violence targeted toward women throughout our country. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this tremendously important bill, and I place in the Record my statement in strong support of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Mr. Chair, the current economic crisis requires bold solutions that address the enormity of our economic woes, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will do just that. The $825 billion recovery package that we are voting on will create or save an estimated 4 million jobs and will make key investments in our future. But first and foremost, the economic recovery package focuses on blunting the effects of the recession and helping families in need. In addition to increasing food stamp benefits and expanding unemployment benefits, our plan protects health care coverage for roughly 20 million Americans during this recession by increasing the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP) so that no state has to cut eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP, the children's health insurance program, because of budget shortfalls. For my home state of New York it more than doubles the FMAP match resulting in roughly $10.42 billion over 9 quarters. This is critical funding for our state which is seeing an increase in caseloads as a result of the recession. The recovery plan also invests in important needs that have been neglected over the past eight years. America's school, roads, bridges, and water systems are in disrepair and this is creating a drag on economic growth. Our plan will spread job creation out over the next two years, which will soften the downturn and foster a solid economic recovery. We have an historic opportunity to make the investments necessary to modernize our public infrastructure, transition to a clean energy economy, and make us more competitive in the 21st century. It's time to get our economy back on track. I urge my colleagues to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to read into the Congressional Record remarks made by Dorchen Leidholdt, Director of Center for Battered Women's Legal Services at Sanctuary for Families, regarding my selection as the Congressional Anti-Slavery Champion of 2008: On behalf of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, an international NGO fighting human trafficking since 1988, and Sanctuary for Families, a New York City-based provider of services to victims of domestic violence, I am delighted to join other leaders of the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition in saluting Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, the Congressional Anti-Slavery Champion of 2008. Congresswoman Maloney's enduring and dedicated advocacy on behalf of victims of human trafficking is unparalleled in the halls of Congress. Over and over she has demonstrated her profound understanding of the harm of human trafficking, gleaned primarily from her compassionate, respectful attention to the testimony of survivors, and her acute awareness of what it takes to stop this horrific crime and severe human rights violation. Thanks to Congresswoman Maloney's visionary leadership, it is widely recognized that stopping trafficking requires both strong measures to curtail the demand for prostitution and well-crafted criminal provisions that enable prosecutors to put traffickers out of business--permanently. Ken Franzblau has focused on the critically important role Congresswoman Maloney has played in the drafting and passage of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, which enhances protections to victims while strengthening the ability of prosecutors to hold traffickers accountable. Thanks to Congresswoman Maloney's inspiring leadership, the 2008 Reauthorization continues the important advances made by the previous two Reauthorizations. While we celebrate the achievements of the 2008 Reauthorization, our task of strengthening our federal anti- trafficking law is not over; critically important work remains to be done in two important areas. Through her exemplary work in the House of Representatives, in the draft that she shepherded there to close to unanimous approval, Congresswoman Maloney, has pointed the way to two critically important goals that lie ahead. First, the obstacles of proving force, fraud, or coercion, while eased under specific circumstances by the 2008 Reauthorization, continue to stymie the effective prosecution of many sex traffickers. Going forward we must ensure that sex traffickers are never provided a loophole, because their trafficking was not provably `severe.' Second, sex tour operators fuel the demand for sex trafficking worldwide by sending planeloads of affluent American men to the poorest countries in the world to buy the bodies of women and girls in prostitution. While Congresswoman Maloney succeeded in including such a provision in New York State's landmark anti-trafficking law (the strongest state anti-trafficking law in the nation), and saw to it that the House draft reauthorization contained it, the compromise that resulted in the 2008 Reauthorization does not include a provision criminalizing sex tour operators. We must ensure that the next TVPA Reauthorization criminalizes sex trafficking per se and makes it a federal crime to operate a sex tour business. With Congresswoman Maloney leading the campaign, I am confident that we will accomplish these two remaining goals. Congresswoman Maloney, on behalf of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Sanctuary for Families, our congratulations on receiving this well-deserved recognition and our heartfelt thanks for your invaluable leadership in the battle to end human trafficking.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I congratulate the Democratic leadership on moving this bill forward, George, Rosa, Lynn, so many who worked so hard on it. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act stands for equal pay for equal work. This bill overrules the outrageous Supreme Court decision which rejected Ms. Ledbetter's pay discrimination case because she had not sued quickly enough to end an injustice. An injustice is an injustice, and it should not have a time limit on correcting it. Forty years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act and title VI, statistics show that women continue to be paid less than their male colleagues. When I entered the workforce, women were paid 59 cents to every dollar a man earned. Today it's up to 78 cents. A disparity which costs women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million in lost wages over a lifetime. This is terribly unfair. In the midst of the dire economic reports of these last weeks and months, today this Congress can take a step towards helping women and families who are struggling by passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. There are too many Lilly Ledbetters in our country, and when you discriminate against a woman, you discriminate against her family, her husband, her children. Passing the Fair Pay Act sends a strong message of fairness and equity to women and families everywhere. This may be the first bill that gets to President Obama's desk. It shows a change and a shift of priorities between a Democratic Congress and the one we replaced. I congratulate all my colleagues and the Democratic leadership for moving it forward.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the current economic crisis requires bold solutions that address the magnitude of our economic woes, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will do just that. The $825 billion recovery package that we will vote on this week will create or save an estimated 4 million jobs and will make key investments in our future. First and foremost, the economic recovery package focuses on blunting the effects of the recession and helping families in need by increasing food stamps for some 30 million Americans, expanding unemployment benefits, and preserving health care benefits. Our plan protects health care coverage for nearly 20 million Americans during this recession by increasing the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage, FMAP, so that no State has to cut eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program, because of budget shortfalls. I am encouraged that in my home State of New York, where we have an unemployment rate of 7 percent, the State would qualify for an additional 6 percent FMAP on top of the 4.9 percent base FMAP increase, for a total of 10.9 percent, resulting in roughly $10.4 billion over nine quarters. This is critical funding for our State which is seeing an increase in caseloads as a result of the recession. We will also provide health care coverage for nearly 8.5 million Americans through a tax credit that would allow newly uninsured and unemployed Americans to keep their health insurance through COBRA, as well as a new option in Medicaid for low income people who lack access to COBRA. The recovery plan also invests in important needs that have been neglected over the past 8 years. America's schools, roads, bridges, and water systems are in disrepair, and this is creating a drag on economic growth. We will embark on the most ambitious public investment agenda since the 1950s, when we created the Interstate Highway System, which provided an important engine of economic growth. We have an historic opportunity to make the investments necessary to modernize our public infrastructure, transition to a clean energy economy, and make us more competitive in the future. Our plan will modernize our transportation infrastructure, and repair thousands of miles of roadways; enhance security at 90 major ports; renovate 10,000 public schools, and improve the learning environment for about 5 million children; launch thousands of clean drinking water and wastewater initiatives; computerize every American's health record in 5 years, reducing medical errors and saving billions of dollars in health care costs; undertake the largest weatherization program in history, modernizing 75 percent of Federal buildings and 2 million homes; and, double our renewable energy generating capacity over the next 3 years, creating enough energy to power 6 million American homes. Our plan also supports working families by providing a $1,000 Making Work Pay tax cut for 95 percent of workers and their families. In addition, we will expand the child care tax credit, providing a new tax cut for parents of more than 6 million children, and increasing the benefit of the existing credit for more than 10 million young people. By including major fast-spending provisions like tax cuts for middle- class families, measures to avoid State health care cuts, and temporary expansions of unemployment insurance, food stamps, and health care for unemployed Americans, the package will spend out at least 75 percent of its total commitment within the first 18 months after passage. The plan will spread job creation out over the next couple of years, which will soften the downturn and foster a solid economic recovery. This is a balanced stimulus plan that benefits all Americans by creating jobs across a variety of sectors. As President Obama recently said, ``This is not just a short-term program to boost employment. It's one that will invest in our most important priorities, like energy and education, health care, and a new infrastructure, that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century.'' Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke voiced optimism for the recovery plan, stating that, if enacted, it would ``provide a significant boost to economic activity.'' It is time to get our economy back on track. I urge my colleagues to support this important measure.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support for this resolution which was led by my Queens colleague, Congressman Crowley. On January 15, we all stood in awe as we watched as events transpired on the Hudson River. Today, we honor the crew of US Air Flight 1549. Their presence of mind and the extraordinary circumstances on that day led to a miraculous outcome. The more we learn about the details of the flight, the more we can admire what New Yorkers are now calling the miracle on the Hudson River. We must praise the captains and crew of each of the New York Waterway ferryboats which were on the scene next to the plane within minutes of it hitting the water. It reminded us of the rapid response of 9/11, selflessly giving of your time, your effort, and your possessions to help those in need. Captain Sullenberger, First Officer Skiles, and flight attendants Dail, Dent, and Welsh all reacted with their brains and heart, using their training and vast experience. They average over 54 years of flight experience, and they swiftly and safely prepared the passengers for impact and evacuated them safely into waiting vessels, saving 150 lives. The outcome here could not be better, and that is a testimony to the crew and the rescuers. We learned again this month, as we learned on 9/ 11, that ordinary people doing their jobs are the true American heroes and heroines.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I am introducing today the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2009. This legislation is the same bill that passed the House on a vote of 312 to 112 in the 110th Congress as H.R. 5244, except that we have made it effective 3 months from enactment. This legislation would amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish fair and transparent practices relating to the extension of credit under an open end consumer credit plan. The Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights prohibits certain unfair and deceptive credit card practices and provides consumers with tools to manage their credit card debt responsibly. The bill prohibits retroactive rate increases on existing balances except under limited circumstances, including where the consumer is over 30 days late in making payment, and requires creditors to provide consumers with a reasonable time to pay off the balance. It requires creditors to provide a written notice of any rate increase at least 45 days before the increase takes effect, and to send periodic statements to consumers no less than 25 days before the due date. The bill prohibits double cycle billing and requires creditors to allocate payments among balances so as to allow consumers to take full advantage of promotional rates and to make payments towards balances with higher rates. The bill limits overlimit fees and bans fees on interest-only balances. It prohibits creditors from knowingly issuing a credit card to a minor who is not emancipated. For credit cards on which fees in the first year exceed 25 percent of the credit limit, the bill prohibits such fees from being paid from the credit available under the card account agreement (except late or overlimit fees). The bill also provides for additional data collection to enable better oversight and regulation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, I proudly join in a bipartisan effort with Representatives Frank Wolf, Steny Hoyer, Danny Davis, Ed Towns, George Miller, Lynn Woolsey, Chris Van Hollen and many others to reintroduce the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act. I am also pleased that Senator Webb will be introducing the companion bill in the Senate as well. This bill will provide four weeks of paid leave to federal employees when they have a new child. The House passed this important legislation in the 110th Congress with a strong bipartisan majority and I am hopeful that we will be able to promptly pass the bill in both houses and send it to President Obama for his signature. More than ever, families need access to paid parental leave. In the face of rising unemployment and falling home and equities values, families cannot afford to risk losing a job or going without pay after the birth of a new child. Families are already squeezed like never before and the cost of raising a child is only growing. USDA estimates that a family will spend an additional $11,000 in the first year of having a new child. Few families can afford to forgo a month's pay which is why this bill is so critical. If we truly believe in the value of family, then we need to value the work that families do. This means that we need to stop asking parents to choose between a paycheck and caring for a new child. Unlike a generation or two ago, today both parents work outside the home and both need time off from work when they have a new child. Yet, most do not have access to paid family leave. By providing paid parental leave to Federal employees, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act establishes the Federal Government as a model employer. This landmark bill is the first to provide paid family leave for new parents. It is good for the Federal agencies, is good for Federal employees, and is cost effective. Finally, this bill signals our commitment to valuing our employees and their families. Madam Speaker, I am hopeful that together we can work to value families and the work they do and demonstrate our commitment by passing this important bill.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I introduce ``The International Women's Freedom Act of 2009'' along with my friend and colleague, Representative Chakah Fattah. I am also pleased that Senator Boxer has introduced the companion measure in the Senate. This legislation establishes an ``Office of International Women's Rights'' within the State Department headed by the appointed Ambassador at Large, and additionally, would create a United States Commission on International Women's Rights. The International Women's Freedom Act condemns violations of women's rights and gender equality while advocating for the improvement of the status of women of the world and the achievement of their equality with men. It also seeks to channel U.S. security and development assistance to governments other than those found to be engaged in gross violations of the rights of women. I modeled this bill after another piece of legislation that created the United States International Commission on Religious Freedom in 1998. The Commission on International Religious Freedom has made substantial progress towards expanding religious freedom in Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan, among others. In addition to religious freedom, we require the State Department to issue reports on battling international bribery, sex trafficking, and narcotics control and these reports make a difference in people's lives. It is my hope that this bill will make a similarly profound difference in women's lives. I strongly believe that we owe it to the women of the world to shine a spotlight on the status of their rights in an effort to improve them.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, taxpayers want to know where the first $350 billion of the bailout TARP money has gone; so does Congress. The independent General Accounting Office concluded that Treasury has not set up any policies and procedures to ensure that TARP funds are being used as intended. I am therefore putting in legislation to require Treasury to collect, analyze and report to the TARP oversight entities data on what recipients of the TARP money are receiving, and to let them analyze exactly where this money is going. I am proposing this in the form of an amendment to H.R. 384, which may be on the floor this week. This amendment subjects TARP recipients to additional, but appropriate, scrutiny of their activities. It provides the entities charged with overseeing the TARP, including Congress, the tools they need to analyze exactly where our taxpayer money is going. I urge my colleagues to support it.