Patrick Murphy

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American, a great coach, a leader among men, who is an icon of college football and is one of Penn State's greatest treasures. Joe has just recently won his 400th college victory. More importantly, Joe's greatest accomplishments are not found on the football field, but in the young men that he has prepared for the game of life. I ask that this tribute penned in honor of him by Albert Caswell be placed in the Record. Pa . . . Terno Instincts Upon, these fields of green . . . Have but come, year after year . . . such young men who dare to dream . . . Specimens, of such great strength and speed . . . of might, almost like supermen who lead . . . Who one day must walk off this great stage, with what now to carry them through their days? And what do they now have so left, when their days of glory are gone to them to bless? For sixty so odd years, as have so here . . . As have such young men, so appeared . . . From boys to men, at Penn State to be so endeared . . . To be blessed, by Joe Pa to be near . . . Upon, these fields of green so here . . . For one man, one coach . . . has stood on principle, oh so very clear . . . To help build lives, build futures . . . as has he so strived each year . . . While, watching over them . . . from boys to men . . . Like a Shepherd, watching over his flock . . . time, and time again . . . Giving them hopes and dreams, discipline and honor to each and every one it seems . . . Like a Father . . . Like a Son . . . as ``with each student, this new family has run . . . Leading, guiding, coaching, teaching, loving each and every one! With but his Pa Terno Instincts and dreams . . . As Joe Pa, has guided them from their teens . . . Showing them all how life is won! Molding them all, into such fine men . . . all upon these fields of green . . . His gift to all, a future . . . way beyond these fields of dreams . . . Education first! As now we see Joe Pa's fine worth . . . As this great love affair, brings such tears to eyes . . . as Joe Pa's Terno instincts, give rise! For Joe, is a giver not a taker . . . bringing boys to men, to new heights as they awake here . . . For few will run in NFL's sun, so what do they so have left when all is done? A future! Over four hundred career wins are great . . . But, Joe Pa spells victory . . . with one word, ``Graduate!'' With but his heart of lion, for all of them, Joe Pa will never stop trying! Oh, upon these fields of green . . . to mold boys to men, to live their dreams . . . But to have thousands and thousands, of loving sons . . . No greater blessing, or victory to be won . . . With but Joe's Pa... terno Instincts . . . he has willed, all on these fields of green . . . For upon these fields of green, Joe . . . Pa is a winner who has won . . . But, In The Game of Life . . . Joe Pa is but a Champion this one!

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. This is also about the integrity of this institution. This vote is about whether we're going to continue telling people willing to die for our freedoms that they need to lie in order to do so. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on repeal.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today we have a chance to do what is right, not just for gay and lesbian troops serving in our military, but what is right for national security. When I deployed to Iraq as a captain with the 82nd Airborne Division, my team and I didn't care about someone else's sexual orientation. We cared whether everyone could do their job so we could all come home alive. Already, dozens of other nations allow their troops to serve openly, including our greatest military allies, Great Britain and Israel, with no detrimental impact on their units' cohesion. It's an insult to the troops I served with and to all our servicemembers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to say that they are somehow less professional or as mission capable as the members of these foreign militaries. Now, we have heard every excuse under the sun. First it was, well, we need to study the issue. Well, the Pentagon finished their study and learned what we've known all along: repeal will not harm our military's operation. Then it was we need to hear from our military leaders and our troops. They have spoken. The Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander in Chief, and the majority of our troops believe this policy should go. Enough. Enough of the games. Enough of the politics. Our troops are the best of the best, and they deserve a Congress that puts their safety and our collective national security over rigid partisan interests and a closed-minded ideology. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen testified that this issue comes down to integrity, the integrity of our troops and the military as an institution. Well, this is also about the integrity of this institution.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor members of the New Hope Eagle Volunteer Fire Company: President/ Fire Fighter Jim Finn; Chief Craig Forbes; Deputy Chief Frank Cosner, Jr.; Fire Fighter Keith McMullen; Fire Marshal Daryl Jurbala; Company Secretary Linda Rowe, and Fire Fighter/Safety Officer Frank Cosner, Sr. On September 31, 2010, a giant construction barge broke free of its anchoring mechanisms and began drifting down the Delaware River toward the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge. This barge was meant to be a work platform and was equipped with a lifter and small crane, which could have caused major damage to the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge. Without the crucial decisionmaking and help of the New Hope Fire Company and its volunteers, this could have ended in disaster. They displayed incredible skill and bravery in their actions and for that they are honored. Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize and honor the individuals for their bravery and quick thinking in a time of great distress. I am honored to serve as their Congressman.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to provide tangible evidence of the need to rethink the failed trade policies of the past. Bad trade deals result in job losses here at home, as companies decide to outsource to countries that pay their workers mere dollars a day and force them to work in factories with little or no labor or environmental standards. Bad trade deals are a disaster for the American way of life. As a result of bad trade deals, companies that keep jobs in America get penalized for paying their workers a fair wage and showing concern for their workers' health. Most importantly, bad trade deals hurt the American worker, depriving him of much-needed jobs in an already tough economy. You need to see nothing more than the list of successful TAA petitions in my district alone to know that these trade policies aren't working. I submit for the record a list compiled by CRS of approved TAA petitions from October 1, 2001, through March 3, 2009. Madam Speaker, we must rethink the trade policies of the past and do everything we can to protect the American manufacturer and encourage investment in American industry.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Mollohan. I appreciate your leadership on this issue and allowing me to partner with you on this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, we need to continue to get our economy back on the right track, and this bill is about boosting American technology and innovation. It's about making things in America again. Right now, at an office building outside of Washington, D.C., over 1 million patent applications sit gathering dust. Hundreds of thousands have yet to be looked at for the first time. Those applications could be the next iPhone, the next Netbook, or the next Google. But the agency tasked with reviewing those applications just can't keep up. So they sit and they sit, often for years. In fact, the average time that it takes a patent to be approved is about 30 months, but when you consider that today technologies often become obsolete within 18 months or less, it is clear that a process that takes 2\1/2\ years is simply too long, and it hurts our competitiveness. Those applications at the U.S. Patent and Trade Office, or USPTO, represent the greatest this country has to offer in terms of new ideas and new technologies. They contain any number of breakthroughs that could help to propel our economy out of the recession, expand small businesses, and create new jobs. And they could be the key to helping our Nation maintain its technological edge globally. Patent activity among our biggest competitors like China, India, and South Korea have shown exponential growth, but this bill is one step in providing the USPTO the resources necessary to keep pace with the flow of innovation and ensure American businesses and workers can compete globally. And it is fully offset with a reduction in spending for the U.S. Census Bureau. We need to make sure that the USPTO can hire the necessary patent examiners, install up-to-date information technology, and make other operational changes necessary to get at this backlog. This is an issue that's of critical importance for our economy and the job market. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense and paid-for legislation. I know the manufacturers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and across our country care about it. I want to thank, again, the leadership of Chairman Mollohan.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor George B. Vashon, a 19th century Pennsylvanian who distinguished himself as an African-American educator, abolitionist, poet, and activist, and who earlier this year was posthumously admitted to the bar 163 years after he first tried to break this barrier. Vashon was born in Carlisle, PA in 1824 and raised in Pittsburgh, the son of John B. Vashon, a leading anti-slavery crusader, businessman, and veteran of the War of 1812. Both John and George Vashon were active in the western Pennsylvania abolitionist efforts of the time, helping escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad and organizing Pittsburgh's black community in several anti-slavery gatherings. Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Martin Delany were among the Vashons' closest associates and family friends. Growing up as a student of the abolitionist crusade, George B. Vashon became the first black American to graduate from Oberlin College and soon turned his focus toward the law as the means by which he would effect change. In 1847, after studying under the Honorable Judge Walter Forward, later a U.S. Treasury Secretary, George Vashon applied for admission to the Pennsylvania bar but was denied because of his race. In 1838, a revision of Pennsylvania's constitution restricted the practice of law to white men. Shortly after he was turned down in Pennsylvania, Vashon applied for and passed the New York bar and became the first black lawyer in that state, where he later went on to become the first black person to run for office in New York. Vashon would later also be admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. After he gained this achievement, he again sought admission to the Pennsylvania bar, but was denied for a second time. George B. Vashon's career was mostly spent in education: as one of the first black college professors in this country, an official in Pittsburgh's public school system, a founder and the first black professor at Howard University, and the President of Avery College in Pennsylvania. He helped lead many anti-slavery conventions, was active in the lobbying efforts to pass the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution, and was a contributor to Frederick Douglass' newspaper, The North Star. Madam Speaker, George Vashon's life was dedicated to bringing equality to African Americans and he broke many barriers in trying to do so. Not surprisingly, however, he also faced significant discrimination and his being denied admission to the Pennsylvania bar thwarted his hopes of practicing law in his home state. His many accomplishments and lifework are inspiring and continue to stand as impressive for a person of any color. In an attempt to remedy what was denied George B. Vashon in his lifetime, his great grandson Nolan Atkinson, a prominent Philadelphia attorney and constituent of mine, was joined by his nephew and Vashon's great, great grandson, Paul Thornell, in petitioning the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on behalf of their ancestor. On May 4, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court righted a wrong in the history books when it posthumously admitted Vashon to the Pennsylvania bar. In doing so, the Court issued the following order: ``In acknowledgement of Mr. Vashon's credentials and achievements, this Court hereby admits George B. Vashon to the practice of law in the Courts of this Commonwealth posthumously.'' Madam Speaker, I am pleased to share this notable achievement of an outstanding, if lesser-known American--George B. Vashon. It is also a privilege to recognize the important efforts that resulted in his becoming the first African American to gain admission to legal practice in Pennsylvania.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for the time. Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank my colleague from the other side of the aisle, Republican Representative Brian Bilbray from California, for partnering with me on this bipartisan bill for commitment to fiscal responsibility. I also want to thank the other Chamber over in the Senate, specifically Senator Tom Carper, for his tireless efforts in advancing this legislation over in the other body, and his Republican colleague on this bill, Senator John McCain. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is proof that good things can happen when Democrats and Republicans are willing to work together and put their differences aside for commonsense measures to get things done for the American taxpayer. Now, I am so proud that after 2 years of hard work on this piece of legislation, Mr. Bilbray and I, after we vote on this today in this House because it just passed in the Senate, will be sending this bill to the President of the United States for signature and it will become law. In this time of tightened belts and strained budgets, it is more important than ever to get our fiscal house in order and to eliminate waste from our system and make sure that we earn the trust of the American taxpayer. Mr. Speaker, my bill, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act, is a bipartisan, commonsense solution to cut waste from the Federal budget and streamline the payment systems of Federal agencies. Mr. Speaker, I know the American people would be horrified to learn that every day the Federal Government either overpays or pays twice the amount for products and services than they need to. In fiscal year 2009 alone, Federal agencies made nearly $98 billion in improper payments. These improper payments occur as a result of fraud or from poor financial management systems that do not detect or prevent mistakes before Federal dollars are already out the door. This bill, our bill, will help identify, reduce, and eliminate these improper payments. It will cut fraud and abuse by requiring agencies to develop action plans to avoid improper payments. Mr. Speaker, I think now is the time that we must demand higher levels of fiscal management and accountability from each Federal agency. There needs to be repercussions of money misspent and wasted. That is why this legislation contains strong measures to hold those in power accountable for failing the American taxpayer. And perhaps most importantly, this legislation would force the Federal Government to reclaim more money that was improperly sent out. My bill ensures that the Federal Government holds itself to the same standard of fiscal responsibility as any hardworking household or any business would across America and in my home district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It will save the American taxpayers billions of dollars that would otherwise be lost. You know, Mr. Speaker, we already know that this legislation will work by setting stricter targets for reducing and recovering improper payments. The Office of Management and Budget was able to reduce errors in the food stamp program by a little more than half of a percentage point. But those stamps and a fraction of a percent saved the American taxpayer $330 million just last year. That's one little program and one little agency, a half of a percentage point. That's $330 million. That's $330 million that can go to pay off our national debt, to provide tax relief to middle class families, or make critical investments in our future. With this bill, we can replicate that success in every single Federal agency and every program within the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, after 2 hard years to get this to this point today, we all know that this legislation is long overdue. The American people are demanding that this kind of action from our government today will happen, and it's about time. So I want to thank Mr. Bilbray. I want to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Darrell Issa. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and finally, after years of hard work, that we pass this legislation on behalf of the American taxpayer.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am happy that we are addressing campaign finance reform in this session of Congress by taking up the DISCLOSE Act today. This bill goes a long way toward increasing transparency in campaign spending by forcing individuals and organizations to stand by their television and radio ads that they fund. I would like to thank my colleagues Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Castle, Mr. Jones, and especially Chairman Bob Brady for their hard work on this important and critical piece of legislation. By making funders identify themselves in ads, the DISCLOSE Act takes a significant step in giving people the information they need to understand who is funding the ad. Mr. Chairman, shouldn't people know where these ads and the money to fund them are coming from? Let me give you an example: If Halliburton pays for an ad endorsing a politician, shouldn't the voters know that not only is the company paying for the ad but also that it is based in Houston, Texas? People have a right to know if people or companies outside their States are trying to influence their elections. My amendment, Mr. Chairman, is a commonsense addition that both Republicans and Democrats should support. Whether they are living in Bristol, Pennsylvania, or in Bristol, Tennessee, people should know who is trying to impact their votes. This amendment is very simple. It enhances the ad disclaimers by including the location of the funder. Specifically, this amendment requires that the city and the State of the funder's residence or principal place of business be included in the disclaimers. It also requires this location information be added to the Top Funders list that will appear on screen, at the end of the ad, under the bill. These simple additions will give people valuable information about the people and organizations funding the ads they are seeing and hearing. By knowing where the money is coming from, people will have a better understanding of who the funder is and the motivations behind an ad. This is not a Democratic or a Republican idea. All citizens deserve to know if a special interest completely unrelated to their districts and to the issues that affect their daily lives is trying to influence their elections. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, first, your location in your campaign ad takes less than 2 seconds. In that time, voters get valuable information about any special interests which are trying to influence their votes. Second, if the ad is short and if timing is an issue, funders may be able to get a hardship exemption which makes sure that there is always time for the substantive message in their ads. Mr. Chairman, quite simply, a vote to oppose the Murphy amendment will be a vote to keep your constituents in the dark about the sources of their campaign spending. Campaign ads can now be funded from unlimited corporate sources. At the very least, we must give people the facts that they need about these ads and about the special interests that are sometimes behind them. This amendment is a critical edition to the DISCLOSE Act because it does exactly that--it provides people with a key piece of information about the source of the ad. Knowing whether the ads are promoting an interest in the voter's own district or State will allow voters to better evaluate those ads and make informed decisions when they go to the polling place. The more information that's available, the more transparent and fair all elections will be, and I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Neshaminy Manor Long Term Care Facility for achieving My InnerView's National Excellence in Action Award. This award, which recognizes nursing homes that have received the highest satisfaction ratings from residents, families and employees, was bestowed upon Neshaminy Manor for its excellence in providing outstanding continuing care and setting a positive example for other long term care facilities to follow. Established on April 30, 2000, Neshaminy Manor has offered the community an invaluable service by contributing significantly to the lives of our most vulnerable citizens. This award illustrates the leadership and dedication exhibited by the facility's staff and underscores the remarkable impact they have had on the lives of Neshaminy Manor's residents and their families. Neshaminy Manor has demonstrated its commitment to providing exceptional care and service to ensure that residents enjoy the quality of life they deserve as well as providing employees with a great place to work. Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize and congratulate Neshaminy Manor for achieving this award, and I would like to thank the staff for their tremendous work and contribution to our community.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Pennswood Village and its residents on their 30th Anniversary. What began as a desire among friends to turn unused farm land into something useful has since blossomed into a community that his contributed significantly to the lives of our senior citizens. Since it's opening on June 10, 1980, Pennswood Village has excelled at delivering a senior program that is truly representative of the needs of our seniors. With 435 residents and 420 employees, Pennswood Village stands as one of the outstanding continuing care retirement communities in Bucks County. Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize and congratulate Pennswood Village on its 30th Anniversary and I am sure that as Pennswood Village moves forward, it will continue to exemplify the meaning of senior care.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and commemorate the National Museum of American Jewish History. Originally established in 1976, the National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in our great Nation which has devoted itself fully to the preservation and exploration of the American Jewish experience. This important museum was founded by the Congregation Mikveh Israel, one of the oldest synagogues in the United States. Established in 1740 as the ``Synagogue of the American Revolution,'' the Congregation Mikveh Israel stands for values and ideals which all Americans share. The National Museum of American Jewish History is a vibrant component in the cultural life of Philadelphia. Through its lectures, panel discussions, authors' talks, films, children's activities, theater, and music, this museum educates us all about the rich cultural heritage of Judaism in America. It has an impressive record of preservation, conservation and collections management and is the largest repository of Jewish Americana in the world, with more than 25,000 objects. Honoring and remembering the American Jewish experience is crucial to a deeper understanding of our values as Americans. Located at the birthplace of American liberty, this institution represents our freedoms, the same freedoms that have made it possible for Jewish Americans to flourish. Madam Speaker, I am proud to offer my ongoing support for the National Museum of American Jewish History and for its project of preserving the material culture of Jewish Americans. It is my belief that we must recognize the great efforts of this institution to educate Americans about this important piece of our shared history.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, when I served in Baghdad, my team did not care whether a fellow soldier was straight or gay. We cared if they could fire their M-4 assault rifle or run a convoy down Ambush Alley; could they do their job so that everybody in our unit would come home safely. With our military fighting two wars, why on Earth would we tell over 13,500 able-bodied Americans that their services are not needed? This policy hurts our national security, and it has cost the American taxpayers over $1.3 billion already on this unjust policy. Our troops deserve a Congress that puts their safety and our collective national security over rigid partisan interests and a close- minded ideology. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and support the brave men and women willing to take a bullet for our families. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. I object.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to my fellow Blue Dog and strong leader on this issue, Mr. Matheson of Utah.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. I object.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the chairwoman of the Personnel Subcommittee on the House Armed Services Committee, Mrs. Davis from California.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Michigan, a freshman Congressman, a former lieutenant commander of the United States Navy Reserve, Mr. Peters.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Minnesota, the highest ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in the United States Congress, Command Sergeant Major Tim Walz.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, it is my great privilege to yield 30 seconds to my mentor on civil rights, the Freedom Rider and great civil rights leader, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. John Lewis.