Michael McNulty

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me time. Madam Speaker, as he pointed out earlier, this is not the first time a bill has been introduced to accomplish this purpose. On August 3, 1998, I introduced H.R. 4385 to name the Saratoga National Cemetery in honor of my friend and late colleague, Jerry Solomon. We quickly rounded up 88 cosponsors to that bill, very enthusiastically supporting it. We were moving forward with the bill and then some very small-minded people, bureaucrats in the Department of Veterans Affairs, raised an objection. Their objection, Madam Speaker, was simply this: Something like this has never been done before. Imagine the kind of world we would live in if we all had that attitude. We cannot do it because it was never done before. I said, well, it ought to be done now. The next day Jerry Solomon called me over to his side of the aisle, and we sat in that seat right over there, and he asked me to withdraw my bill. Jerry Solomon and I were a team for 10 years, and he was always the one that was a little bit more, let us say, excitable. But on that day I was the one who was agitated, and I said, Jerry, I want to fight this. And he very calmly said to me, very characteristically because of his love for veterans, I do not want any controversy associated with that cemetery, and if one person in the bureaucracy objects, I want you to withdraw the bill. I have conceded to the request of my friend and colleague. But today I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert). I thank the Speaker of the House for using the power and influence of his office to do the right thing and to name this cemetery for this soldier and patriot. I am just so happy that Jerry lived to see the day when Communism fell apart in Eastern Europe; to see Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement succeed; to see the downfall of Eric Honneker and Egon Krenz; to see the people out there tearing down the Berlin Wall piece by piece; to subsequently see the dismantling of the Soviet Union, dissolving into 15 individual democratic republics; to see the people of Armenia, one of those former republics, standing up in September of 1991 and voting 98 percent for independence and shouting the next day, ``Ketze azat ankakh hayastan,'' long live free and independent Armenia; and then pointing to the United States of America as their example of what they wanted to be as a democracy. Yes, we live in the freest and most open democracy on the face of the Earth, but Jerry Solomon understood that freedom is not free. We have paid a tremendous price for it. And he did not let a day go by without remembering with gratitude all of those who made the supreme sacrifice and all of those who served, put their lives on the line, came back home, rendered outstanding service to our country, the veterans of our country, and raised beautiful families to carry on in their fine traditions. That was Jerry Solomon, and he spent 15 years of his life to make sure that that cemetery came to Saratoga. And I can say without any fear of anybody positing anything to the contrary, that cemetery would not be in Saratoga if it were not for Jerry Solomon. That is just a fact. So today I ask my colleagues to support this bill, to support the Speaker, and to pay tribute to the memory of Jerry Solomon and, in doing that, to say thank you to Freda and Jerry's children and, yes, to all veterans.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from Texas for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, this afternoon we honor the ``Father of American Science,'' Joseph Henry, a true pioneer in the field of electricity and electromagnetics, the man responsible for laying the foundation for government-sponsored scientific research in this country, and a native, I am proud to say, of the capital region of the State of New York. Joseph Henry was born in Albany, New York, in 1797. He attended local schools and quickly distinguished himself as a superior student with a curious mind. Despite having no formal college education, Mr. Henry earned an honorary master's degree from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and, in 1826, a professorship in mathematics and natural philosophy at the Albany Academy. It was in this position that Mr. Henry found his interest and his gift and promptly revolutionized the field of electromagnetics. The most powerful electromagnet at the time sustained a weight of just a few pounds. After just 7 years of research and experimentation, Henry devised Big Ben, at that time the most powerful electromagnet ever built, sustaining 3,500 pounds. Henry invented the first electromagnetic motor. His research is credited for laying the foundation for the development of the electromagnetic telegraph and the modern day transformer; and, in fact, the practical unit of inductance, the generation of force within a circuit, is called, quite simply, the Henry. He distinguished himself not just as a preeminent scientific investigator but also as a man possessing good judgment, leadership ability and superior character. He reluctantly surrendered his pursuits in pure science to answer what he believed to be a call of duty. In December of 1846, Mr. Henry was selected as the first Secretary and Director of the Smithsonian Institution. He proclaimed that the purpose of the Smithsonian Institution, the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men, was best achieved by supporting original research and providing for the wide distribution of the most recent findings in the various natural sciences. We all know that this is precisely the mission and the accomplishment of the Smithsonian Institution as we know it today. In his later years, Mr. Henry continued to achieve and lead. At his recommendation, Congress established the National Weather Bureau in 1869. He served as a member of the Light House Board for 26 years, the final seven as its chairman; and he was named an original member of the National Academy of Sciences and served as its president for the last 10 years of his life. Joseph Henry died here in Washington in May of 1878. On January 16, 1879, a memorial service was held in his honor in the Hall of the House of Representatives. It was attended by the President, the Vice President, members of the Cabinet, Justices of the Supreme Court and Members of Congress, a rare and very well-deserved honor. At the opening of the Library of Congress in 1890, Mr. Henry was featured among the 16 bronze portrait statues chosen to represent the whole of human development and civilization. It is my hope that in recognizing Joseph Henry's numerous accomplishments and his distinguished role in the history of our Nation, we will encourage today's young people to pursue careers in science and technology. Madam Speaker, I ask all Members to join with me in supporting the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 157 honoring the Father of American Science, Joseph Henry, a native, I am proud to say, of my Congressional District.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I condemn the horrible injustice that befell the Ukrainian people 68 years ago. Approximately seven million Ukrainians fell victim to the famine inflicted by the Soviet government to extinguish the Ukrainian struggle for freedom. The 1932-1933 famine was a premeditated effort to exterminate the national consciousness of the Ukrainian peasantry in order to stop their continuous resistance to Leninist/Stalinist ideals. The causes of the famine had nothing to do with the harvest. Production of grain during those years remained at the usual levels. The government confiscated the grain in order to export it to gain money for industrialization in the former Soviet Union. Such was Stalin's undeclared war against the Ukrainians' right to independence and freedom. Many Ukrainians died heroically to preserve their right to live in a free and independent state. But their deaths were not in vain--the fight for Ukrainian freedom continued on and on August 24, 1991 Ukraine finally declared its independence from the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian people have been fighting for their independence since the 16th century. With the arrival of the Marxist/Leninist ideas at the end of World War 1, their struggle continued and intensified because of the farm collectivization efforts. Stalin's government could not frighten or punish Ukrainians enough to make them give up their land and desert their ideal of freedom and nation-statehood. Instead, his government made a decision to exterminate the sense of nation among the Ukrainian people and as a result, Stalin''s government murdered a large portion of the population. Almost a quarter of all Ukrainians died in those dreadful years. These abhorrent events were hidden from the public for the duration of the Soviet rule. Now it is our duty to bring them to the attention of the world in order to remind us all of the benefits of democracy and horrors that an oppressive government can perpetrate on its people. At this time of war, when the United States and the world battle terrorism, we once again were reminded that it is impossible for us to tolerate any oppressive regime. In the end, America came under fire because America is the beacon of democracy and freedom. We, together with the Ukrainian American community, will commemorate the abhorrent acts of Stalin against the Ukrainian nation on November 17, 2001 in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. We will remember the victims of the cowardly terrorist attacks that took place in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington on September 11, 2001. We will mourn together the losses of our two countries and come together to celebrate the spirit of freedom that will undoubtedly persevere.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday you led a delegation to upstate New York to attend the funeral services of Congressman Jerry Solomon; and today our hearts go out to his wonderful wife, Freda, and their children and grandchildren on this tremendous loss for their family and for our country. Jerry Solomon was a friend of mine for 30 years, and I served with him in this House for the past 10 years. He will be most remembered as a friend to veterans everywhere, and I am so happy that he lived to see the day when the United States won the Cold War, to be around to witness the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union into individual democratic republics. He is someone who always remembered that freedom is not free, we paid a tremendous price for it; and he tried to always express his gratitude to all of the men and woman who wore the uniform of the United States military, because he understood had it not been for them, their efforts and their sacrifice, we would not have the privilege of going around bragging about how we live in the freest and most open democracy on the face of the Earth. It is so fitting that he was buried in Saratoga National Cemetery, which he worked 15 years to produce for the people of upstate New York. Mr. Speaker, Jerry Solomon was famous for constantly saying ``God bless America''; and today, I say may God bless Jerry Solomon.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. McNULTY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McNULTY. I also point out, Mr. Speaker, that the cosponsor of this legislation is the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means. We do hope that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) will be here before the end of the day; but until he gets here, I have the honor of representing him on the Democratic side of the aisle. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, I spoke on the House floor about the innocent victims of these terrorist acts. Today, my heart goes out to those left behind, especially to my New York City colleagues who spoke so eloquently on the floor earlier today: Jerry Nadler and Peter King, Anthony Weiner, Steve Israel, all of the New York City members, and especially Joe Crowley, whose cousin, a brave firefighter, lost his life in the line of duty. And so today we think about all of those who have been left behind, all of those who have lost friends and loved ones as a result of this violation of the fundamental principle that life is to give, not to take. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 2884, the Victims of Terrorism Relief Act of 2001. Mr. Speaker, every American remains horrified by the terrorist events which occurred this week. While there is nothing we can do to bring our loved ones and friends back, there are some tax law changes that the Congress can approve today which will help the surviving families. As the chairman pointed out, this will provide the families of those who died this week with substantially the same tax benefits as apply when a member of our Armed Forces dies as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty during periods of combat. The President has recognized that this was a terrorist act and was also an act of war; and, therefore, the families of the victims should receive these benefits. The bill will provide an income tax exemption and will substantially reduce the potential of estate taxes. I would also point out parenthetically that the affected airlines are making cash payments to the families of victims, and those payments are tax free under current law. Finally, we are encouraged to know that the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service are in the process of notifying survivors of the terrorist attacks and victims' families of various interest and penalty waivers and other tax payment and filing relief. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill with the hope that our action can minimize the distraction of tax issues during this very difficult time for those who are left behind. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minute to my very distinguished friend, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kleczka), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I certainly shall not object, I rise just simply to thank the chairman for providing this procedure which will provide us with some additional time on this particular bill. I thank the chairman for that. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I have no further requests for time at this point, Mr. Speaker, and I do want to point out that most of my colleagues from New York are engaged right now in a meeting about the emergency supplemental appropriations bill and that is why they are not on the floor. I would ask the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means if he has any further requests for time.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to recognize a colleague from my home State of New York now. I spoke in my opening remarks about the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley.) He knows firsthand what is going on. He just returned to Washington today, and he knows of the tremendous loss that we have suffered. The gentleman's cousin, a firefighter hero, John Moran, is missing in action; we do not know his fate yet. But I am sure my colleagues remember the visions that we all saw on television over the last couple of days, when people were running from those buildings, John Moran and the other firefighters were running toward the buildings, into the buildings, up the stairs, putting their lives on the line for their fellow citizens. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again, I thank the chairman, and as the chairman pointed out, this is one small gesture of support for the survivors of the victims of this terrible, terrible tragedy, and our hearts continue to go out to all the victims, their families, all of those affected, and I especially draw attention again to the public safety personnel, the firefighters, the police officers, the doctors, the nurses, the ambulance attendants and drivers and everyone who is helping out in this situation. We should always remember when we get up in the morning to be grateful for them because they are willing to put their lives on the line 365 days a year for us and for our families. In New York and in Washington this week we saw the tremendous price that many of them paid. We hope and pray that the gentleman from New York's (Mr. Crowley) cousin, Jack Moran, can be found alive. I also would reiterate what the President has said over the past couple of days, that we are united in this country in our resolve to track down the cowards who committed these acts. I remind people again that terrorists by definition are cowards. They cannot get what they want by the power of persuasion, and therefore, they resort to attacking and killing innocent men, women and children. I am particularly grateful for the part of the President's statement the other night where he indicated that we will make no distinction between the terrorists and those who harbor them. So on behalf of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), who could not be here because he is still up in New York helping his constituents, and on behalf of all of the victims in New York and in Washington and Virginia and Pennsylvania, I say on his behalf, this is a united country and the forces of evil shall not prevail. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I paraphrase a great President: Tuesday, September 11, 2001, is a day which will live in infamy, because on that day we suffered the worst attack against the United States since Pearl Harbor. Words fail us at this time. So I suggest to the American people that we do exactly what the President suggested last night, that we pray for all of the innocent victims of this terrorist act, that we express our gratitude to all of the firefighters, police officers and other emergency personnel who lost their lives and who are putting their lives on the line today to rescue those left in the rubble. Finally, that we resolve, along with the President, to bring these cowards to justice. And, remember my friends, a terrorist by definition is a coward. It is a person who cannot get what he wants by the power of persuasion, and therefore resorts to killing innocent men, women, and children. What happened yesterday, Mr. Speaker, is a basic violation of the fundamental principle that life is to give, not to take. Let us let the world know today that the forces of evil shall not prevail.

Mr. McNULTY

Mr. McNULTY. Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the joint resolution.