Carolyn McCarthy

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of October 28, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following-- Rollcall #561: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended H.R.2189, ``yea''; Rollcall #562: On the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2011, ``yea''; Rollcall #563: On ordering the Previous Question and Providing for consideration of H.R. 992, the Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act and H.R. 2347, the Retail Investor Protection Act, ``nay''; Rollcall #564: On agreeing to the resolution providing for consideration of H.R. 992, the Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act and H.R. 2347, the Retail Investor Protection Act, ``no''; Rollcall #565: On agreeing to the amendment on H.R. 2347 offered by George Miller of California, ``nay''; Rollcall #566: On Motion to recommit with instructions on H.R. 2347, ``aye''; Rollcall #567: On passage of H.R. 2347, ``aye''; Rollcall #568: On Motion to Recommit with Instructions on H.R. 992, ``yea''; Rollcall #569: On Passage of H.R. 992, ``aye''; Rollcall #570 On passage of H.J. Res. 99, ``nay.''

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of October 21, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following. Tuesday, October 22, 2013: Rollcall No. 551: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 185, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 552: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3205, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 553: On passage of the Journal, ``aye.'' Wednesday, October 23, 2013: Rollcall No. 554: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question providing for consideration of H.R. 3080, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 555: On Agreeing to the Resolution providing for consideration of H.R. 3080, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 556: DeFazio of Oregon Amendment No. 2, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 557: Flores of Texas Amendment No. 3, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 558: Hastings of Florida Amendment No. 6, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 559: Richmond of Louisiana Amendment No. 16, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 560: On Passage of H.R. 3080, ``yea.''

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2374, the Retail Investor Protection Act. As you may know, this legislation would prohibit the Secretary of Labor from finalizing a regulation related to investment advisors until the SEC issues a final rule on the standard and conduct for brokers and dealers of securities. The SEC, under Dodd-Frank, already has been designated with the duty of providing universal standards of conduct for brokers and dealers that are similarly in place for investment advisors. Quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, I have been disappointed in the Department of Labor's (DOL) efforts to redefine fiduciary duty for the purposes of ERISA. While I have no doubt that the ERISA law needs to be updated, I believe that the Department has not acted in good faith to put out a pragmatic and acceptable rulemaking. I, along with a bipartisan group of my colleagues, was successful in having the DOL withdraw their original rulemaking pertaining to fiduciary status after we raised both financial security concerns on behalf of average consumers and investors and conflicts of intent with the SEC. Unfortunately, since the Department's withdrawal, it has not been amenable to making practical changes going forward. Over the course of the past couple of years, I have questioned then- Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and have met with Employee Benefits Security Administration officials, including Assistant Secretary Phyllis Borzi to get a better handle on the impetus of DOL's efforts. Following those conversations, I can report that, while the Department's intent is in the right place in regard to this rulemaking, its efforts have ultimately been misplaced. For me, concerns remain for the future of low-balance IRA holders who may be orphaned if the DOL abandons the brokerage model in favor of either ``do it yourself'' online tools, that are often times confusing to average investors, or an advisory model, that typically is out of the price range of average consumers and requires a high minimum balance for account holders. Further, questions remain over the extent of the coordination between DOL and the SEC. The letters I've seen between the agencies are superficial in nature and certainly do not give the indication that any substantial conversations have occurred on the issue. Finally, DOL has not quelled the fears of advisors and broker- dealers that believe that liability concerns might curb access to basic financial information for consumers if a broad fiduciary definition is adopted. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2374 is not an ideal bill and I do have reservations about the precedent this legislation may set in regard to the regular order process for agency rulemakings. However, as I noted above, the Department of Labor has not given me full faith that this process is moving forward in a responsible manner, especially given its shared jurisdiction with the SEC. Especially in these uncertain economic times, this Congress must be focused on incentivizing responsible investment and augmenting access to financial literacy and education. I do not believe these tests have been met successfully thus far by DOL and because of the potentially stifling affect a shortsighted rule may have on the national economy, I will lend my support to the Retail Investor Protection Act.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent from September 30-October 16, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following: September 30th: rollcall No. 501--Ordering Previous Question on H. Res. 367, ``nay''; rollcall No. 502--Agreeing to the Resolution H. Res. 367, ``nay''; rollcall No. 503--Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 1438, ``yea''; rollcall No. 504--Receding from the House Amendments, Concurring in the Senate Amendment with Amendment on H.J. Res. 59, ``nay.'' October 1st: rollcall No. 505--Agreeing to the Resolution--H. Res. 368, ``nay''; rollcall No. 506--Suspend the Rules and Pass H.J. Res. 72, ``nay''; rollcall No. 507--Suspend the Rules and Pass H.J. Res. 71, ``nay''; rollcall No. 508--Suspend the Rules and Pass H.J. Res. 70, ``nay.'' October 2nd: rollcall No. 509--Ordering Previous Question on the Rule H. Res. 370, ``nay''; rollcall No. 510--Agreeing to the Resolution--H. Res. 370, ``nay''; rollcall No. 511--Approving the Journal, ``nay''; rollcall No. 512--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 70, ``nay''; rollcall No. 513--On Passage--H.J. Res. 70, ``nay''; rollcall No. 514--On Passage--H.J. Res. 73, ``nay.'' October 3rd: rollcall No. 515--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.R. 3230, ``nay''; rollcall No. 516--On Passage--H.R. 3230, ``nay''; rollcall No. 517--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 72, ``nay''; rollcall No. 518--On Passage--H.J. Res. 72, ``nay.'' October 4th: rollcall No. 519--Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 371, ``nay''; rollcall No. 520--Agreeing to the Resolution--H.J. Res. 77, ``nay''; rollcall No. 521--Tables the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 85, ``nay''; rollcall No. 522--On Passage of H.J. Res. 85, ``nay''; rollcall No. 523--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 75, ``nay''; rollcall No. 524--On Passage-- H.J. Res. 75, ``nay.'' October 5th: rollcall No. 525--On Passage--H.R. 3223, ``yea''; rollcall No. 526--Suspend the Rules and Pass H. Con. Res. 58, ``yea.'' October 7th: rollcall No. 527--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 77, ``nay''; rollcall No. 528--On Passage--H.J. Res. 77, ``nay''; rollcall No. 529--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 77, ``nay''; rollcall No. 530--On Passage--H.J. Res. 84, ``nay''; rollcall No. 531--Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule on H. Res. 373, ``nay''; rollcall No. 532--on Agreeing to the Resolution--H.J. Res. 373, ``nay''; rollcall No. 533--Table Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.R. 3273, ``nay''; rollcall No. 534--On Passage H.R. 3273, ``nay''; rollcall No. 535--On Passage--H.J. Res. 89, ``yea.'' October 9th: rollcall No. 536--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 89, ``nay''; rollcall No. 537--On Passage H.J. Res. 90, ``nay''; rollcall No. 538--Suspend the Rules and Pass H.J. Res. 91, ``yea.'' October 10th: rollcall No. 539--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 79, ``nay''; rollcall No. 540--On Passage H.J. Res. 79, ``nay.'' October 11th: rollcall No. 541--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 76, ``nay''; rollcall No. 542--On Passage--H.J. Res. 76--``nay''; rollcall No. 543--Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 380, ``nay''; rollcall No. 544--Agreeing to the Resolution--H.J. Res. 380--``nay.'' October 12th: rollcall No. 545--Agreeing to the Resolution--H.J. Res. 378, ``yea''; rollcall No. 546--On Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 2642, ``yea.'' October 14th: rollcall No. 547--Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair on H.J. Res. 80, ``nay''; rollcall No. 548--On Passage of H.J. Res. 80, ``nay''; rollcall No. 549--Agreeing to the Grayson (FL) Amendment to the title, ``yea.'' October 16th: rollcall No. 550--Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendments--H.R. 2775, ``yea.''

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week September 23, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following: Rollcall vote No. 484: H.R. 1961, ``nay;'' Rollcall vote No. 485: H. Res. 354, ``yea;'' Rollcall vote No. 486: H.R. 3095, ``yea;'' Rollcall vote No. 487: H.R. 2600, ``yea;'' Rollcall vote No. 488: Journal Vote, ``yea;'' Rollcall vote No. 489: Grijalva Amendment, ``aye;'' Rollcall vote No. 490: Napolitano Amendment, ``aye;'' Rollcall vote No. 491: Senate Amendment to H.R. 1412, ``yea;'' Rollcall vote No. 492: H.R. 3096, ``aye;'' Rollcall vote No. 493: H. Res. 361--Martial Law Authority Rule, ``nay;'' Rollcall vote No. 494: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule, ``nay;'' Rollcall vote No. 495: H. Res. 366--Rule providing for consideration of both the amendments to the Senate Amendment to H.J. Res. 59, ``nay;'' Rollcall vote No. 496: H.R. 2251, ``yea;'' Rollcall vote No. 497: Motion to Concur with the Senate Amendment with a House Amendment, Part 1 (Paulsen), ``yea;'' Rollcall vote No. 498: Motion to Concur with the Senate Amendment with a House Amendment, Part 2 (Blackburn), ``nay;'' Rollcall vote No. 499: H.R. 3210--Pay Our Military Act, ``yea;'' and Rollcall vote No. 500: H.R. 2848--Department of State Operations and Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2014, ``yea.''

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of September 16, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following. Tuesday, September 17, 2013: rollcall No. 460: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3092, ``yea''; rollcall No. 461: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2449, ``yea''; rollcall No. 462: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 793, ``yea''. Wednesday, September 18, 2013: rollcall No. 463: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question providing for consideration of H.R. 761, ``nay''; rollcall No. 464: On Agreeing to the Resolution providing for consideration of H.R. 761, ``no''; rollcall No. 465: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 301, ``yea''; rollcall No. 466: Lowenthal of California Amendment No. 1, ``aye''; rollcall No. 467: Veasey of Texas Amendment No. 2, ``aye''; of rollcall No. 468: Connolly of Virginia Amendment No. 3, ``aye''; rollcall No. 469: Hastings of Florida Amendment No. 4, ``aye''; rollcall No. 470: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 761, ``aye''; rollcall No. 471: Final Passage of H.R. 761, ``no''. Thursday, September 19, 2013: rollcall No. 472: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.J. Res. 59, ``nay''; rollcall No. 473: On Agreeing to the Resolution providing for consideration of H.J.Res. 59, ``nay''; rollcall No. 474: On Agreeing to the Resolution providing for consideration of H.R. 687, ``nay''; rollcall No. 475: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 3102, ``yea''; rollcall No. 476: On Passage of H.R. 3102, ``nay''. Friday, September 20, 2013: rollcall No. 477: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.J. Res. 59, ``yea''; rollcall No. 478: On Passage of H.J. Res. 59, ``no''; rollcall No. 479: Daines of Montana Part C Amendment No. 1, ``no''; rollcall No. 480: McClintock of California Part C Amendment No. 3, ``no''; rollcall No. 481: McClintock of California Part C Amendment No. 5, ``no''; rollcall No. 482: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 1526, ``aye''; rollcall No. 483: On Passage of H.R. 1526, ``no''.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of September 9, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following. Monday, September 9, 2013: Rollcall No. 448: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2052, ``yea''; rollcall No. 449: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2844, ``yea.'' Tuesday, September 10, 2013: Rollcall No. 450: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1155, ``yea''; rollcall No. 451: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2747, ``yea''; rollcall No. 452: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 130, ``yea''; rollcall No. 453: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 304, ``yea''; rollcall No. 454: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 256, ``yea''; rollcall No. 455: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 459, ``yea''. Wednesday, September 11, 2013: Rollcall No. 456: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 2775, ``nay''; rollcall No. 457: On Agreeing to the Resolution providing the Rule on H.R. 2775, ``nay''. Thursday, September 12, 2013: Rollcall No. 458: On Passage of H.R. 2775, ``nay''; rollcall No. 459: On passage of the Journal, ``aye'' 621.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker: I was unavoidably absent during the week of July 29, 2013. If! were present, I would have voted on the following: Rollcall No. 419: Gallego of Texas Amendment, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 420: Young of Alaska Amendment, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 421: Grayson of Florida Amendment, ``no''; Rollcall No. 422: McClintock of California Amendment No. 4, ``no''; Rollcall No. 423: First Hastings of Florida Amendment, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 424: Second Hastings of Florida Amendment, ``no''; Rollcall No. 425: Third Hastings of Florida Amendment, ``no''; Rollcall No. 426: Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1911--Smarter Solutions for Students Act, ``yea''; Rollcall No. 427: H.R. 850 Nuclear Iran Prevention Act, ``yea''; Rollcall No. 428: Waxman of California Amendment No. 1, ``yea''; Rollcall No. 429: Connolly of Virginia Amendment No. 3, ``yea''; Rollcall No. 430: Murphy of Pennsylvania Amendment No. 6, ``nay''; Rollcall No. 431: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 1582, ``yea''; Rollcall No. 432: Final Passage H.R. 1582--Energy Consumers Relief Act, ``nay''; Rollcall No. 433: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2879, H.R. 367, and H.R. 2009, ``nay''; Rollcall No. 434: H. Res. 322--Rule Providing for consideration of H.R. 367, H.R. 2009, and H.R. 2879, ``nay''; Rollcall No. 435: H.R. 1897--Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013, ``yea''; Rollcall No. 436: H.R. 2879--Stop Government Abuse Act, ``nay''; Rollcall No. 437: Scalise of Louisiana Amendment, ``no''; Rollcall No. 438: Smith of Missouri Amendment, ``no''; Rollcall No. 439: Latham of Iowa Amendment, ``no''; Rollcall No. 440: Nadler of New York Amendment, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 441: Johnson of Georgia Amendment, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 442: Jackson-Lee of Texas Amendment, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 443: Moore of Wisconsin Amendment, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 444: Motion to Recommit With Instructions for HR 367, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 445: Final Passage of HR 367, ``no''; Rollcall No. 446: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for HR 2009, ``aye''; Rollcall No. 447: Final Passage of HR 2009, ``no'';

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of July 22, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following: Rollcall No. 375: H.R. 1542--WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2013 (Rep. Meehan--Homeland Security), ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 376: H. Con. Res. 44--Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 377: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 2397 and H.R. 2610, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 378: H. Res. 312--Rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 2397 and H.R. 2610, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 379: Gabbard of Hawaii Amendment No. 3, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 380: Blumenauer of Oregon Amendment No. 10, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 381: Polis of Colorado Amendment No. 14, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 382: Blumenauer of Oregon Amendment No. 15, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 383: Nugent of Florida Amendment No. 17, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 384: Nadler of New York Amendment No. 20, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 385: Moran of Virginia Amendment No. 23, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 386: Poe of Texas Amendment No. 25, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 387: Walberg of Michigan Amendment No. 27, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 388: Cicilline of Rhode Island Amendment No. 28, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 389: Cohen of Tennessee Amendment No. 29, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 390: Coffman of Colorado Amendment No. 30, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 391: Garamendi of California Amendment No. 33, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 392: Fleming of Louisiana Amendment No. 35, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 393: Rigell of Virginia Amendment No. 36, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 394: Flores of Texas Amendment No. 41, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 395: DeLauro of Connecticut Amendment No. 44,``aye.'' Rollcall No. 396: Lee of California Amendment No. 45, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 397: Quigley of Illinois Amendment No. 46, ``no'' (check past). Rollcall No. 398: Denham of California Amendment No. 47, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 399: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question of H.R. 2218 and H.R. 1582, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 400: H. Res. 315, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 401: Jones of North Carolina Amendment No. 48, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 402: LaMalfa of California Amendment No. 51, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 403: Mulvaney of South Carolina Amendment No. 55, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 404: Stockman of Texas Amendment No. 60, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 405: Walorski of Indiana Amendment No. 62, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 406: Bonamici of Oregon Amendment No. 65, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 407: Kilmer of Washington Amendment No. 67, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 408: Nadler of New York Amendment No. 69, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 409: Nadler of New York Amendment No. 70, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 410: Schiff of California Amendment No. 73, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 411: Pompeo of Kansas Amendment No. 99, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 412: Amash of Michigan Amendment No. 100, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 413: Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 2397, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 414: Final Passage of H.R. 2397--Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 415: Waxman of California Part A Amendment No. 2, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 416: Tonko of New York Part A Amendment No. 3, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 417: Motion to Recommit with Instructions H.R. 2218, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 418: Final Passage of H.R. 2218--Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013, ``no.''

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, as you may know, on July 1st the rate for subsidized Stafford student loans doubled from 3.4% to 6.8%. Today, students already face over $1 trillion in student loan debt nationally and any effort to further indebt hardworking students and families would be disgraceful. This Congress needs to act in a responsible fashion in order to help alleviate the cost prohibitive status of higher education in this country. Today, I am pleased to say that this Congress has acted to help students and families by putting forward H.R. 1911, the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013, legislation that I am proud to support. Unlike the proposals floated earlier this Congress by the House majority, this bill offers students and families a reasonable way to finance higher education. As opposed to rates that fluctuate throughout the life of the loan, H.R. 1911 allows for a variable rate for new borrowers that adjusts yearly but is fixed for the life of the loan once borrowed. Further, the bill offers lower interest rates for undergraduate borrowers of subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans by pairing them to the 10 yr Treasury (T) bill + 2.05% as opposed to the 10 yr T bill + 2.5% in the original House majority proposal. Lastly, the bill offers interest rate caps for borrowers to ensure that interest rates do not soar to undesirable levels in the years to come. If this bill is signed into law, rates on new subsidized Stafford and PLUS loans will go down this year. Undergraduates would borrow at 3.86%, a cut from 6.8%, graduate students would borrow Stafford loans at 5.4%, a cut from 6.8% and parents and graduates borrowing PLUS loans would borrow at 6.4%, a cut from 7.9%. For a freshman undergraduate beginning school this year and taking out the maximum amount of loans, he/she will save $3,300 in interest payments over their college career as compared to current law and undergraduate students would save $25 billion in debt relief, according to CBO projections, over the next five years as compared to current law. While this bill represents a significant improvement for students, I do have reservations that the undergraduate interest rate cap, currently set at 8.25%, is too high. While it is widely believed that students will enjoy low rates in the short-term, there is a strong possibility that rates will skyrocket as our national economy improves. I believe that, for undergraduates, a lower cap should be considered and I would welcome its continued review by this Congress in the years to come. Overall, Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill that will give students and families alike significant financial relief and stability in the years to come.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of July 15, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following. Tuesday, July 16, 2013: rollcall No. 354: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 355: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 356: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, ``yea.'' Wednesday, July 17, 2013: rollcall No. 357: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 2667, ``nay;'' rollcall No. 358: Motion on Agreeing to the Resolution providing the Rule on H.R. 2667 and H.R. 2668, ``nay;'' rollcall No. 359: Motion to Adjourn, ``nay;'' rollcall No. 360: On Motion to Recommit with Instructions H.R. 2667, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 361: On passage of H.R. 2667, ``nay;'' rollcall No. 362: On Motion to Recommit with Instruction H.R. 2668, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 363: On Passage of H.R. 2668, ``nay.'' Thursday, July 18, 2013: rollcall No. 364: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 5, ``nay;'' rollcall No. 365: On Agreeing to the Resolution providing the Rule on H.R. 5, ``nay;'' rollcall No. 366: On passage of the Journal, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 367: On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 5 offered by Young of Alaska, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 368: On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 5 offered by Luetkemeyer of Missouri, ``nay;'' rollcall No. 369: On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 5 offered by Meehan of Pennsylvania, ``nay.'' Friday, July 19, 2013: rollcall No. 370: On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 5 offered by Culberson of Texas, ``nay;'' rollcall No. 371: On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 5 offered by Jackson Lee of Texas, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 372: On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 5 offered by Miller of California, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 373: On the Motion to Recommit with Instructions H.R. 5, ``yea;'' rollcall No. 374: On Passage of H.R. 5, ``nay.''

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of July 8, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following. Monday, July 8, 2013: rollcall No. 305: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1341, ``yea''; rollcall No. 306: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1564, ``yea''; rollcall No. 307: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1171, ``yea''. Tuesday, July 9, 2013: rollcall No. 308: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 2609, ``nay''; rollcall No. 309: Motion on Agreeing to the Resolution on the Rule H.R. 2609, ``nay''; rollcall No. 310: Motion on Approving the Journal, ``nay''; rollcall No. 311: Moran of Virginia Amendment No. 1, ``aye''; rollcall No. 312: Moran of Virginia Amendment No. 2, ``aye''; rollcall No. 313: Takano of California Amendment No. 2, ``aye''; rollcall No. 314: Perry of Pennsylvania Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 315: Broun of Georgia Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 316: Cohen of Tennessee Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 317: Broun of Georgia Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 318: Swalwell of California Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 319: McClintock of California Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 320: Peters of California Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 321: Perlmutter of Colorado Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 322: Connolly of Virginia Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 323: First Takano of California Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 324: Second Takano of California Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 325: Heck of Nevada Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 326: Butterfield of North Carolina Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 327: Foster of Illinois Amendment, ``aye''. Wednesday, July 10, 2013: rollcall No. 328: Hastings of Florida Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 329: Garamendi of California Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 330: Broun of Georgia Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 331: Jackson Lee of Texas Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 332: Quigley of Illinois Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 333: Heck of Nevada Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 334: Polis of Colorado Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 335: First Burgess of Texas Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 336: Second Burgess of Texas Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 337: Titus of Nevada Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 338: Lynch of Massachusetts Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 339: Whitfield of Kentucky Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 340: Fleming of Louisiana Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 341: Garamendi of California Amendment No. 28, ``aye''; rollcall No. 342: Speier of California Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 343: Chabot of Ohio Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 344: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 2609, ``aye''; rollcall No. 345: Final Passage of H.R. 2609--Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014, ``nay''. Thursday, July 11, 2013: rollcall No. 346: Motion to Adjourn, ``yea''; rollcall No. 347: Table Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair for H. Res. 295, ``no''; rollcall No. 348: Motion to Adjourn, ``yea''; rollcall No. 349: Motion on Agreeing to the Resolution for H. Res. 295, ``no''; rollcall No. 350: Table Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair for H.R. 2642, ``nay''; rollcall No. 351: Table Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair for H.R. 2642, ``no''; rollcall No. 352: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 2642, ``aye''; rollcall No. 353: Final Passage of H.R. 2642--Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act, ``nay''.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of June 24, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following. Tuesday, June 25, 2013: Rollcall No. 287: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2383, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 288: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1092, ``yea.'' Wednesday, June 26, 2013: Rollcall No. 289: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 1613, H.R. 2231, and H.R. 2410, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 290: Motion on Agreeing to the Resolution on the Rule H.R. 1613, H.R. 2231, and H.R. 2410, ``nay.'' Thursday, June 27, 2013: Rollcall No. 291: Grayson of Florida Part A Amendment No. 1, as Modified, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 292: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 1613, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 293: Final Passage of H.R. 1613--Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization Act, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 294: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1864, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 295: Hastings of Florida Part B Amendment No. 2, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 296: Flores of Texas Part B Amendment No. 4, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 297: Cassidy of Louisiana Part B Amendment No. 5, as Modified, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 298: Rigell of Virginia Part B Amendment No. 7, ``no.'' Friday, June 28, 2013: Rollcall No. 299: DeFazio of Oregon Part B Amendment No. 8, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 300: Broun of Georgia Part B Amendment No. 9, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 301: Grayson of Florida Part B Amendment No. 10, as Modified, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 302: Capps of California Part B Amendment No. 11, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 303: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 2231, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 304: Final Passage of H.R. 2231--Offshore Energy and Jobs Act, ``no.''

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of June 17, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following. Monday, June 17, 2013: Rollcall No. 245: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 876, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 246: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 253, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 247: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 862, ``yea.'' Tuesday, June 18, 2013: Rollcall No. 248: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 1947 and 1797, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 249: Motion on Agreeing to the Resolution on the Rule for H.R. 1947 and 1797, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 250: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1151, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 251: Final Passage of H.R. 1797--Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 252: H.R. 1896--To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to ensure that the United States can comply fully with the obligations of the Hague Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, ``nay.'' Wednesday June 19, 2013: Rollcall No. 253: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 1947, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 254: Motion on Agreeing to the Resolution on the Rule for H.R. 1947, ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 255: Motion on Approving the Journal, ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 256: McGovern of Massachusetts Part B Amendment No. 1, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 257: Foxx of North Carolina Part B Amendment No. 3, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 258: Broun of Georgia Part B Amendment No. 5, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 259: Blumenauer of Oregon Part B Amendment No. 8, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 260: Blumenauer of Oregon Part B Amendment No. 9, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 261: Kaptur of Ohio Part B Amendment No. 14, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 262: Royce of California Part B Amendment No. 15, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 263: Chabot of Ohio Part B Amendment No. 16, ``no.'' Thursday June 20, 2013: Rollcall No. 264: Brooks of Alabama Part B Amendment No. 18, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 265: Butterfield of North Carolina Part B Amendment No. 25, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 266: Marino of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 26, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 267: Schweikert of Arizona Part B Amendment No. 30, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 268: Tierney of Massachusetts Part B Amendment No. 32, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 269: Polis of Colorado Part B Amendment No. 37, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 270: Garamendi of California Part B Amendment No. 38, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 271: Marino of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 41, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 272: McClintock of California Part B Amendment No. 43, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 273: Gibson of New York Part B Amendment No. 44, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 274: Walorski of Indiana Part B Amendment No. 45, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 275: Courtney of Connecticut Part B Amendment No. 46, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 276: Kind of Wisconsin Part B Amendment No. 47, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 277: Carney of Delaware Part B Amendment No. 48, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 278: Goodlatte of Virginia Part B Amendment No. 99, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 279: Radel of Florida Part B Amendment No. 49, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 280: Walberg of Michigan Part B Amendment No. 50, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 281: Pitts of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 98, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 282: Fortenberry of Nebraska Part B Amendment No. 100, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 283: Huelskamp of Kansas Part B Amendment No. 101, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 284: Southerland of Florida Part B Amendment No. 102, ``no.'' Rollcall No. 285: Motion to Recommit with Instructions for H.R. 1947, ``aye.'' Rollcall No. 286: Final Passage of H.R. 1947--Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act, ``no.''

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of June 10, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following. Tuesday, June 11, 2013: rollcall No. 212: H.R. 251, South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act, ``yea''; rollcall No. 213: H.R. 1157, Rattlesnake Mountain Public Access Act, ``yea ''. Wednesday June 12, 2013: rollcall No. 214: H. Res. 256--Rule Providing for consideration of H.R. 1256 and H.R. 1960, ``nay''; rollcall No. 215: H.R. 634--Business Risk Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act of 2013, ``yea''; rollcall No. 216: H.R. 742--Swap Data Repository and Clearing House Indemnification Correction Act of 2013, ``yea''; rollcall No. 217: Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 1256, ``yea''; rollcall No. 218: Final Passage of H.R. 1256--Swap Jurisdiction Certainty Act, ``yea''; rollcall No. 219: H.R. 1038-- Public Power Risk Management Act of 2013, ``yea''. Thursday June 13, 2013: rollcall No. 220: Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 1960, ``nay''; rollcall No. 221: H. Res. 260--Rule providing for further consideration of H.R. 1960, ``no''; rollcall No. 222: Blumenauer of Oregon Part B, ``no''; rollcall No. 223: Lummis of Wyoming Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 224: Coffman of Colorado, ``no''; 'rollcall No. 225: Rigell of Virginia Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 226: McGovern of Massachusetts Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 227: Goodlatte of Virginia Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 228: Smith of Washington Amendment, ``aye''. Friday, June 14, 2013: rollcall No. 229: Turner of Ohio Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 230: Holt of New Jersey Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 231: McCollum of Minnesota Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 232: Nolan of Minnesota Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 233: Larsen of Washington Amendment, ``aye'' rollcall No. 234: Gibson of New York Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 235: Coffman of Colorado Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 236: Walorski of Indiana Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 237: Smith of Washington Amendment, ``aye'' rollcall No. 238: Polis/Andrews Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 239: Polis Amendment, ``no''; rollcall No. 240: Van Hollen of Maryland Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 241: Blumenauer of Oregon Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 242: DeLauro of Connecticut Amendment, ``aye''; rollcall No. 243: Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 1960, ``aye''; rollcall No. 244: H.R. 1960--National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014, ``aye''.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent the week of June 3, 2013. If I were present, I would have voted on the following: Rollcall No. 184: ``Yea,'' H.R. 1206--Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013; Rollcall No. 185: ``Yea,'' S. 622--Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Reauthorization Act of 2013; Rollcall No. 186: ``Nay,'' Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule to H. Res. 243; Rollcall No. 187: ``Nay,'' H. Res. 243--Rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 2216 and H.R. 2217; Rollcall No. 188: ``No,'' Broun of Georgia Amendment; Rollcall No. 189: ``Aye,'' Amodei of Nevada Amendment; Rollcall No. 190: ``Aye,'' Moran of Virginia Amendment; Rollcall No. 191: ``No,'' King of Iowa Amendment; Rollcall No. 192: ``Aye,'' On Motion to Recommit with Instructions H.R. 2216; Rollcall No. 193: ``Yea,'' H.R. 2216--Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2014; Rollcall No. 194: ``Aye,'' Moore of Wisconsin Amendment; Rollcall No. 195: ``Aye,'' Polis of Colorado Amendment; Rollcall No. 196: ``No,'' Heck of Nevada Amendment; Rollcall No. 197: ``Aye,'' Garcia of Florida Amendment; Rollcall No. 198: ``Aye,'' Deutch of Florida Amendment; Rollcall No. 199: ``Aye,'' Bishop of New York Amendment; Rollcall No. 200: ``Aye,'' Moran of Virginia Amendment; Rollcall No. 201: ``No,'' Garrett of New Jersey Amendment; Rollcall No. 202: ``No,'' Ryan of Ohio Amendment; Rollcall No. 203: ``Aye,'' Cassidy of Louisiana Amendment; Rollcall No. 204: ``No,'' Meadows of ``No''rth Carolina Amendment; Rollcall No. 205: ``No,'' Thompson of Mississippi Amendment; Rollcall No. 206: ``Aye,'' Runyan of New Jersey Amendment; Rollcall No. 207: ``Aye,'' Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico Amendment; Rollcall No. 208: ``No,'' King of Iowa Amendment; Rollcall No. 209: ``No,'' Blackburn (R) of Tennessee Amendment; Rollcall No. 210: ``Aye,'' On Motion to Recommit with Instructions H.R. 2217; and Roll Call No. 211: ``Nay,'' H.R. 2217--Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that. Mr. Speaker, I stand today against the Making College More Expensive Act. Let me tell you why. I represent a pretty large minority area, and over the last several years, we've seen those scores in those students going up and up. For the first time, we're seeing a higher rate of young people going to college. This is not the time to be looking at making college more expensive. They are first-time-generation students going to college. This is wrong. This is supposed to be a family-friendly bill. For whom? It's certainly not for my constituents. I'm sorry also to say that what we're going to be seeing is that after this bill passes--and it will probably pass today--it dies. The Senate is not going to pick this up. So, again, we have wasted all our time instead of working together to come to a solution. Again, as you heard, according to the CBO, if Congress did nothing and let student loan rates double on July 1, students would be better off. This is not a good bill. I ask my colleagues to vote against it.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Carol Burris on being named New York State's 2013 High School Principal of the Year. Principal Burris has proudly served as Rockville Centre's South Side High School's Principal for 13 years. She was chosen as Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State because of her exceptional contributions to the educational process and her commitment to her students and the community. It was because of her tireless efforts that so many were moved to submit letters of nomination for this award. Praised for her bold ideas to improve the education system, Ms. Burris is well known for her opposition to using standardized test scores as an evaluation tool for teachers and the use of tracking at the high school level. She believes that tracking, which separates students by achievement level for all classroom subjects, limits a student's academic potential. This belief led her to establish paths of more rigorous study and increased opportunity for every student at South Side High School. She established a mandate that all 11th graders complete the very challenging English class, International Baccalaureate Language and Literature. Her high standards for all students--regardless of social, economic, or racial background-- resulted in 99% of her students, including 95% of minority students, graduating with a Regents diploma last year. These extraordinary results have led to U.S. News and World Report to select South Side High School as the top-ranked high school on Long Island. Ms. Burris is known as a leader amongst her coworkers and students. She works with teachers to regularly to collaborate, develop new ideas for lesson plans, improve instruction tools, align curriculum to be highly effective. The impact of her leadership on her school and her students is evident. Please join me in honoring Carol Burris for the momentous achievement of becoming New York State's Principal of the Year.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that we acknowledge the significant contributions nurses make to our society on a daily basis. This year, the week of May 6th is National Nurses Week. During this week, we are asked to pause and recognize the courageous men and women who serve our communities as nurses. The American Nurses Association has designated this week to honor nurses and incorporate one of the most famous nurses, Florence Nightingale, in the ceremony as well. I would like to draw special attention to the nurses at South Nassau Communities Hospital. The men and women of South Nassau Communities Hospital show a consistent dedication to ensuring and improving the health of their community. For over 80 years, these men and women have worked diligently to improve the lives of Long Islanders. The tradition passed down throughout the years was exemplified by the selfless efforts of the nurses at the hospital during Superstorm Sandy. I was inspired by their efforts in assisting people of Long Island gravely affected by Sandy. They rose to the occasion without hesitation or complaint providing care to people in their time of great need. And they did so without expecting any expectation of glory. These men and women exemplify the great values of America on a daily basis. They set an excellent standard for each of us to live up to. I wanted to take this moment to honor them and thank them. We do not say it often enough to our public servants, but without the men and women of the nursing profession, America would be a much different place. The care provided by the nurses at Nassau South Communities hospital is vital to the life of Long Island. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for everything they do for our neighbors and communities.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that we acknowledge the significant contributions of a great public servant and loyal family man, Richard A. Hill, Jr., who was taken away too soon from us, and from his beloved wife Anne and their two fine children Regina and John. Richard Hill joined the Department of Health and Human Services in 1989, and later the Social Security Administration in 1995, following successful completion of Fordham School of Law where he earned honors, demonstrating the same dedication and drive that was to characterize his successful performance of duty in later years. Richard Hill was always mindful of the vital role that the Social Security Administration's program played in the lives of the American people. He received numerous awards recognizing his service, including Vice President Albert Gore's Government Reinvention ``Hammer'' Award, Commissioner of Social Security Citations, and most recently the Louis J. Lefkowitz Public Service Award from his alma mater, Fordham School of Law. As attorney, supervisor, Deputy Regional Chief Counsel, and Director of Learning Initiatives at the Social Security Administration's Office of the General Counsel, Richard Hill had inexhaustible passion, a natural intellectual curiosity, and a never- ending wealth of information regarding the work he did at the Social Security Administration. As Director of Learning Initiatives, Richard Hill developed, shaped, and implemented the Office of the General Counsel's national training program for its new attorneys, and he was most proud of his part in training young attorneys en route to careers dedicated to helping others. Richard Hill's warm and kind spirit, collaborative nature, and unparalleled dedication to federal service and the American people will truly be missed.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend and former classmate, Chief Louis Santosus, on the occasion of the celebration of 50 years of service to the Mineola Volunteer Fire Department. A life-long Mineola resident, Chief Santosus and I were classmates at Mineola Public Schools. After graduation, Chief Santosus joined the Mineola Junior Fire Department in 1963. In the 50 years since, he has remained an active firefighter committed to serving his neighbors with great selflessness and dedication. Chief Santosus has served in many capacities including Vice President and President of Company No. 1 of the Mineola Volunteer Fire Department. Throughout his service, he rose through the ranks to serve as Captain, and then as Chief, of the Mineola Fire Department. He was an integral part of building up the Mineola Junior Fire Department into the Junior Fire Department, as it is known today throughout the region. He has been honored as Company No. 1 Firefighter of the Year, Town of North Hempstead Firefighter of the Year, and Firefighter of the Year of the Mineola Fire Department. These great distinctions are just some of the examples of the value Chief Louis Santosus brought to his community and his peers. In addition to his commitment to the fire department, Chief Louis Santosus has held positions on the Village of Mineola Board for 17 years as Trustee and Deputy Mayor. Presently, he serves as a member of the Fire Council and the Nassau County Critical Incidence Stress Management Team. Chief Santosus and his wife, Patricia, have four children--Patti, Bonnie, Gary, and Brian--and nine grandchildren. Both Brian and Gary currently are Lieutenants in the FDNY, and Brian is an Ex-Captain of Company No. 1. Today I join the officers and members of Company No. 1 of the Mineola Volunteer Fire Department in celebrating and honoring my long-time friend Chief Louis Santosus' 50 years of dedication and service to the people and communities of Nassau County, Long Island.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. I want to thank my colleagues for having this hour to talk about, really, the real issues and certainly hopefully break up some of the myths that are out there on what we're hearing, not only in the papers but certainly from some NRA members. I've been battling this, and many of us have been battling this issue for many, many years. I think that what happened just about 2 months ago today, that Newtown shooting happened. And that went through everybody's heart to think in this day and age that we could have a shooting that totally rips apart 20 children is unacceptable to the American people--unacceptable to the American people. Since that, being that we're trying to give as much information as possible to the American people what's happened since that day, over 2,000 people have been killed. Two thousand Americans have been murdered in episodes of gun violence. There are a number of us here, Members of Congress, that have gone through this kind of violence, either with a loved one, our colleague from California, Jackie Speier, we know what this can mean to a family. Last night, we had 25, 30, unfortunately, victims. And yet here we are debating, hoping, even after what the President said, give us a vote. Give us a vote. This isn't about us. This is about what our job is. We can have people disagree, and I know it's a lot of tough votes for some Democrats and certainly some Republicans. I believe that when we came here and got elected and we swore to uphold the Constitution, we knew we'd be facing tough votes. Who said this was going to be an easy job? It's never been an easy job. But it is a job that the majority of us here want to do. When the President spoke last night, and listening to the aftermath late last night on what some of the pundits were saying about what the President was actually trying to do, we heard the NRA say that the reason they're against some of the things that we want to do as far as Members of Congress and our task force that we want to really take everybody's gun away. Do you know that program that we were talking about, the buy-back? What they were saying was it's not really just a buy-back. It's confiscating every single one of the guns. Well, I don't think that would hold up constitutionally. And I think that we have put together, in my opinion, a reasonable, very practical way of reducing gun violence in this country. I also heard last night that assault weapons, long guns, and it only adds up to 8 percent of the people that are killed every year--8 percent. Can we stop putting numbers on everything and remember the faces that were here? Can we remember the people and the families that have lost their loved ones? They are not a number. Then they had another chart out that talked about handguns. Well, let me tell you something about handguns that affects almost everybody in our communities. Legislation that we are putting forward, the background checks, preventing straw purchasers, which basically is someone else is buying a gun for someone that is legally barred from buying a gun, think about how many handguns would not be sold to criminals. Think about how many lives will be saved. But, also, let's think about those who have survived gun violence. But many of them, if you think about a lot of the young people in Aurora that had no health care insurance--and I can talk about my own son who was 26 when he was shot with five others, and, unfortunately, his father was murdered that day. I can tell you his medical bills to this day--to this day--they have cost this country millions of dollars. Now I will say to you that we were very, very lucky; and I have been very, very blessed that he survived. But even back then, the doctors said that we would see changes in him as he got older because of the brain injury. And Kevin--God, I can't tell you how proud I was of my son. Two years of intensive therapy and they said he would never walk. He learned how to walk. Yes, he is still partially paralyzed, but he learned how to walk. They said he would never talk. And when I talk about those days and somebody asks how is Kevin doing, I say, ``Well, you know, he just said.'' I spent my life as a nurse before I came here. And a lot of times when we think of patients who have had strokes and we're teaching them how to speak again, when we say they were talking, trying to get the words out is so hard. Every word becomes so difficult, but he had the power to do that. Our friend Gabby Giffords, who was here last night, to watch, in my opinion, her long struggle reminded me so much of what Kevin had to go through. I will say that Kevin went back to work, and he worked for many years. Unfortunately, he has reached the point now where he can't work, and he had to go on to Social Security disability. That has hurt his pride so much because of the work that he has done. All they want to be is looked upon and seen as just a regular person. There are thousands and thousands and thousands of Kevin McCarthys across this country. We are trying to prevent those kinds of injuries. Background checks, why should anybody be afraid of a background check? Why? Why should anybody--again, as was brought up in an earlier poster--when you go to a gun show--I remember when we closed the gun show loopholes in New York. Gosh, we had the NRA all over us basically saying it's going to ruin the business. I say to you, go to New York and see the gun shows that are held on weekends. There's a big difference, though. Nobody can go into that gun show without buying a gun from a licensed Federal dealer. By the way, the Federal licensed dealers, the gun shop owners in this country, they want everybody to go through a background check because you do have less than 2 percent of gun stores that are selling these illegal guns or guns disappear. It's ruining their reputations. These are honest businessowners. We're actually protecting them. There is so much that we can go on about. When it was talked about the people that are on the terrorist list, do people know that they can actually buy a gun without a problem? God forbid we should put them on background check. I mean, they're on the terrorist list, but they can go and buy a gun. I want to thank my colleagues, and I want to give them an opportunity to speak because I know we all care passionately about this. And I certainly will sit here and listen to my colleagues. If we have time, hopefully, we can all speak again. It's exactly two months since the shooting in Newtown and since then up to 2,000 Americans have been murdered in episodes of gun violence in our country. I know that ours is a country that believes in safety and in protecting innocent people. That's why we've instituted some of the most thorough auto safety laws in the world, and why we regulate access to medicine, and why we inspect food. It's also why we should be looking at the most dangerous consumer products in the world and seeing how we can make their use safer for Americans. When it comes to reducing gun violence, the president has already said everything he could possibly say. There can't be any more excuses--the ball is in our court here in Congress. The president was right in his State of the Union Address that gun violence victims ``Deserve a Vote.'' There's no shortage of options--I'm the sponsor of a bill to ban assault weapons, a bill to ban high-capacity magazines, a bill for universal background checks and a bill to limit online ammunition sales. Another bipartisan bill by my colleagues cracks down on illegal gun trafficking. Here in the House of Representatives, too many members of the Majority have been completely silent on these bills. They haven't even held a simple hearing to discuss the topic, and that's shameful. I would ask my friends on the other side of the aisle--what are you afraid of? I would tell them--you don't have to be afraid. Poll after poll after poll since Newtown--national polls--show that the majority of Americans want their lawmakers to take action to reduce gun violence. The majority of Americans support banning assault weapons. The majority of Americans support banning high-capacity magazines. And over 90 percent of Americans support universal background checks. Even three-quarters of all NRA members support universal background checks. So I would tell my friends across the aisle--I know this is a tough issue, but you were elected to make tough decisions. Tell us where you stand on these measures to reduce gun violence--the American people deserve to know where you stand. And then, have the courage to hold votes on the measures that are out there. This is a democracy--it's our job to represent the American people. If we don't hold votes on this issue that the American people are screaming out about every single day since that awful shooting in Connecticut, then this body will have failed in its duties and in its purpose. I will say to my friends across the aisle--let the people speak, and let their voices be heard. Over 30 Americans are being killed by gun violence every single day and it would be shameful to turn a blind eye to that fact. Thank you for doing this.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. I appreciate the time. Mr. Speaker, I also want to say thank you to Tom Cole for bringing this forward. And I want to say also to Congressman Sessions I appreciate his words. We always fight down here; but I always knew that, in my heart, we would come together to help our constituents. We've heard from Republicans and Democrats Hurricane Sandy was not discriminating against whether you were a Republican or a Democrat. And we as New Yorkers, and people in Jersey and Connecticut, we've always been there for other parts of the country. I think people have to understand; and by the way, a number of Republicans came into the district and they saw the disaster. One of your Members came and looked at Long Beach Hospital, which was underwater and will not be able to open for months. You have to understand, Long Beach was one of the areas that was hit the hardest. Thousands of people there are without their homes. I can't even tell you what these homes looked like. I know we always hear at times that New Yorkers are rich. Let me tell you, these are little cottages. These are regular homes, blue-collar workers, hard workers, and because of this storm, their lives have been torn apart. I have seen the pain within my constituents and my small businesses, and, by the way, my health care workers, because not only were they taking care of everybody during and after the storm, they're taking care of people today because they're coming in with upper respiratory illnesses because of the mold that's in this area. We need to do everything we can. We don't ask for much--we're pretty tough people--but we do need the help of the American people right now. We here in this body, we are representing the American people. I just want to say thank you to everybody. I truly, truly do mean that. I always knew that we would come together. But I'm saying thank you from my constituents, because the pain that they are all suffering is unbearable for us as Members of Congress.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr, Speaker, I rise today to express my absolute shock that the House Republican leadership has adjourned the 112th Congress without addressing the needs of the victims of Superstorm Sandy. Like most Members whose constituents were affected by Sandy, we expected, and were all but assured, that there would be consideration of a supplemental appropriations bill before this House adjourned. It is utterly unacceptable to leave millions of Americans across the most densely populated part of the nation, including my Long Island district, on the hook for the unexpected costs of a natural disaster. The House Republican leadership had plenty of time to act--let's review the timeline. In November, Governors from affected states acted to give preliminary assessments of the damage caused to their cities and towns. In early December, the President submitted to Speaker Boehner a detailed supplemental package. By the end of December, the Senate passed a bipartisan supplemental providing sixty billion dollars in federal resources to Sandy victims. And yesterday, House Republican leadership chose to give Members an extra day of vacation rather than take up the Senate-passed bill or, at the very least, even attempt to address the needs of millions because of this natural disaster. All the House leadership did was tell storm victims to wait until the next Congress. Excuse me for being cynical, but I don't have much faith that this House leadership can keep its word and deliver for the people in a timely manner. Midnight hour deals on fiscal cliffs, pending dysfunction with the debt ceiling situation in two months--I just don't believe it. Ladies and gentlemen, this represents an unprecedented action in the Congress. Never before has the United States Congress turned its back on its citizens after a natural disaster. Members of this Congress whose constituents were affected by Sandy have time and time again supported supplemental appropriations bills for other areas of the country affected by natural disaster. We were there with funding after Katrina, and we were there after the floods in the Midwest. Nowwe need to be there for millions in the Northeast. How come when it is our constituents' unfortunate circumstance to be in need of similar funding we are told to wait? It's shameful. I am pleased that both my Republican and Democratic colleagues have expressed their shock and disappointment in House leadership for not allowing a vote on a Sandy aid package. I will not rest until I can deliver this funding to my constituents on Long Island and to the millions who live throughout the Northeast. The Senate passed a good bill, a bipartisan bill, a bill that includes much needed mitigation funding as well. Nine weeks is already far too long for folks to wait to be helped by our federal government after a disaster of this magnitude. FEMA alone cannot provide all the necessary funding until this House acts. The Small Business Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers, other vital federal agencies and our state and local governments NEED the additional resources to help stem the hurt Sandy caused. I am ashamed of the actions of this House Republican leadership and I remain committed to getting Long Islanders and those across the Northeast the federal assistance they deserve.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. I want to thank my colleague. I know what you're going through. I know what your district is going through. And I want you to know that the people of the United States of America are saying their prayers for all of your constituents and certainly for the children. I rise in support of H. Res. 833. As someone whose family has been a victim of gun violence, my heart goes out to the victims and the families of this horrific tragedy. I know what it's like to lose someone you love, and I offer my deepest sympathies and our prayers for those who have been affected. To be very honest with you, I know that victims across this country that have been affected by gun violence, they are with you and they will be with you. It breaks my heart to think of the holidays coming up, and Christmas, and the children not going to be there to open up their gifts, the parents going to their bedrooms and not seeing anybody there. I know there are an awful lot of unanswered questions right now, and those answers will come soon. But I have to say, as some of my colleagues have said: Enough. Enough. More people have died in the last several years than the whole Vietnam war. More people are injured. I will just say the first responders, the police officers, our prayers will be there. And I swear to God I will do everything in my power to make this a safer country for our children.