Patrick Meehan

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2012-13 Upper Darby High School Lunar Research Team on its second-place finish in the 2013 National Lunar Science Institute's national competition. The Upper Darby High School Lunar Research Team competed with colleges and universities from around the country. The student team members included Ranier Gran, Cuong Trihn, Joseph Dwyer, Mohammad Hossain, Kingson Lin, Omar Mukhtar, Evan Perotti, Evan Hunt, and Spiro Metaxas. The team received tremendous support from its mentors Rosanne Burns and John Taffel, both Upper Darby High School teachers. It was an incredible accomplishment to finish second in the competition as a high school team. The team researched the possibility of locating lava tubes (large underground tunnels) using temperature differences measured on the surface of the moon. It successfully confirmed the location of tubes at a number of suspected locations. These caves could someday be used as locations for lunar outposts. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the members of the Lunar Research Team, along with their parents and faculty mentors, for their hard work in the field of science and technology, and this well-deserved accomplishment.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the patients, families and caregivers in Pennsylvania's Seventh coping with frontotemporal degeneration, a disease process with devastating effect on the areas of the brain that give us our personality. One unique characteristic of FTD is that it is a young person's dementia--with the onset of symptoms typically beginning between the ages of 40 and 60. These symptoms include a complicated mix of language impairments, changes in personality and behavior, and the loss of muscle control and movement problems. National news outlets have covered this awful disease in recent years. The New York Times recently highlighted Michael French's experience with FTD. Michael was a good cook, but he suddenly started burning every pot he cooked with. He would throw away important tax documents make financial decisions that didn't make any sense. Michael's wife encouraged him to seek medical help, but it took over a year before Michael was properly diagnosed with FTD and could receive appropriate treatment to manage his behavioral symptoms. Michael now resides in a nursing home. FTD robs far too many Americans like Michael of the ability to work, care for himself, and be a loving family member. However, there is no known cure for FTD, and many clinicians miss the diagnosis, especially as FTD is rare and dementia is primarily considered a problem of the elderly. Consequently, patients, families, and caregivers may endure years of confusion and ineffective treatment. Michael's story was brought to my attention recently by a constituent who lost his father to FTD, and is now on the board of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, a nonprofit in Pennsylvania's Seventh District. This nonprofit is doing critically important work to raise public awareness and support medical research on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of FTD. I urge my colleagues to learn more about FTD and what they can do to help their constituents access quality medical care and services, and to support the medical research that is needed to cure FTD and related neurological diseases.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of Delaware County, Pennsylvania's finest educators. Dr. James Capolupo, the Superintendent of the Springfield School District, has dedicated his life to educating our youth. Jim began his career as a music teacher and band director at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Dr. Capolupo held positions as Acting Principal, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Elementary Education, and Director of Teaching and Learning. In 2005, Dr. Capolupo became Superintendent of Springfield Township's School District. Under his leadership, Springfield School District has become a model for successful and effective instruction. During his tenure, 100 percent of graduating seniors have gone on to college and 100 percent of students in the 4th grade that began in kindergarten are now reading at or above grade level. Jim has earned the respect of teachers, parents and administrators around the state. He has taken every opportunity to share his methods and thoughts with those who seek them. In just the last five years, representatives of more than 120 school districts have visited Springfield to learn about the district's successes. Jim's conversation with his fellow educators has ensured that their districts start to see some of the same stellar results that Springfield has enjoyed. Dr. Capolupo earned national recognition earlier this year when he was named a finalist for ``National Superintendent of the Year'' by the National Association of School Superintendents. Dr. Capolupo earned this distinction as one of just five superintendents across the country for his ``model of uncompromising dedication to literacy and academic achievement.'' Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Capolupo and the entire staff at Springfield School District for their hard work on our children's behalf, and I congratulate him on his well-deserved honor this year.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Speaker, my colleagues and I have returned to Washington after spending time back in our districts with our constituents, and it's clear we've got our work cut out for us. Already we've been hearing personal stories--and I know I did--of folks in our districts who are having trouble making ends meet in this new normal under the Obama economy. And last week, we found things were only getting worse with unemployment. This rate has been too high for too long. Millions of our fellow Americans are unemployed, with an average of 8.5 months out of work. The simple truth is they deserve better. House Republicans have a solid plan to put Americans back to work and secure our future. To do that, we believe the solution lies in expanding our freedom and opportunity, not restricting it.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the No Subsidies Without Verification Act, legislation of which I'm a proud cosponsor. October 1 is only days away, and almost every day we see a brand new headline about ObamaCare, demonstrating the ``train wreck,'' as one Senator put it. Those are their words, not mine. The thousands of rules, regulations, and mandates are only increasing the cost of health insurance and dramatically expanding the bureaucracy in our health care. And the implementation of ObamaCare has been one disaster after another. Buried in the hundreds of pages of regulations that have been released this summer was a rule change announcing that the government will no longer verify whether applicants for ObamaCare's insurance exchange are actually qualified for the aid. Instead, they will simply rely on the honor system. Madam Speaker, we're talking about billions of dollars here. How can we possibly be relying on an honor system? According to The Wall Street Journal, it's estimated that not verifying the eligibility could result in approximately $250 billion in fraudulent payments. The No Subsidies Without Verification Act will stop any taxpayer funding subsidies until an accurate real-time verification system is in place to ensure the applicants are indeed eligible. It seems like common sense to me. We need a trusted system in place to stop any waste, fraud, and abuse resulting from not verifying eligibility for ObamaCare insurance subsidies. This is being operated through a data hub, which will have millions of persons' personally identifying information. Of most concern, this is going to be a honeypot for identity theft and the very purpose for which it was put in place in the first place. This income verification is not capable of being accurately done because this administration has refused to allow the businesses who will give the information to apply. I am a proud cosponsor, and I urge passage of this bill.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chair, on rollcall vote No. 438, I voted ``nay.'' It was my intention to vote ``aye.'' Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Latham

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1542) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish weapons of mass destruction intelligence and information sharing functions of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security and to require dissemination of information analyzed by the Department to entities with responsibilities relating to homeland security, and for other purposes.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and former Chairman Peter King, as well as Ranking Member Higgins and Congresswoman Jackie Speier, for joining me in introducing this bipartisan legislation. I urge the support for H.R. 1542, the Weapons of Mass Destruction Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2013. The legislation provides important guidance for disseminating WMD-- that's weapons of mass destruction--intelligence information at the Department of Homeland Security. Weapons of mass destruction are considered for the purposes of this act to be chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. Mr. Speaker, in 2010, the Congress established the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. The Commission was chaired by former Senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent. A principal but, as of yet, unfilled recommendation from the Graham-Talent Commission was to assure that critical collaboration take place--collaboration among Homeland Security intelligence assets and other Federal, State and local partners--in protecting the homeland. It's time for Congress to do its part right now to ensure that the Nation is meeting its WMD detection and prevention responsibilities in a meaningful way. Mr. Speaker, when I stood before this body on this bill last year, I had recently returned from the Middle East, and one of the takeaways from the trip was the number of chemical weapons stockpiled in Syria. I raised the concern that during this extraordinary time of insecurity in the region, these weapons could wind up in the hands of al Qaeda or other terrorists. Since that time, we've tragically learned that Bashar al-Assad has indeed used chemical weapons on his own people, and we have the fear and concern of the threat of those who have expressed a desire in Iran to use weapons of mass destruction to assure that Israel does not exist. Chemical weapons have completely changed the way our military prepares for operations. Just last week, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the military is preparing for the possibility of encountering chemical weapons in Syria. The risk of these weapons getting into the hands of terrorists continues to grow, and our military continues to become more vigilant. These risks and the current nature of the threat makes this legislation all the more relevant. We must be doing more to assure that local and State law enforcement are privy to intelligence that could stop an attack. In fact, the potential for homegrown radicalization has increased, and therefore the need for law enforcement and Federal authorities to work together has increased all the more. I think we're all aware of the tragic circumstances of the attack in Boston that occurred all too recently. Although the FBI closed its case on Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a Treasury Enforcement Communications System, or TECS, alert was placed on him. It should have immediately pinged Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol. Therefore, when Tamerlan traveled to Russia in 2012 and subsequently returned to the U.S. only to set up a jihadist YouTube account, a red flag should have been raised, and Federal, State, and local officials should have been notified. One of the purposes of this bill is to enhance the communication and collaboration between our Federal intelligence assets, particularly those of Homeland Security, and our Federal, State, and local partners. Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials can be quite difficult to detect and to prevent. However, the danger they pose is unimaginable. My legislation is with recommendation from the Commission, and it will ensure sustained Department of Homeland Security commitment to facilitate the partnership across the intelligence community and the first responder community. I urge support for this bill, and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for his comments, and I also want to recognize, as he does, the great work that was done by Congressman Pascrell on this issue, as well, here in this House. And when I had the good fortune to begin to do work on the House Homeland Security Committee, it was Congressman Pascrell who was among those who brought this issue to our attention and the failure or the lack of the ability to see the issues that the Commission put forward be put into place. So I want to thank him for his good work on this issue, as well. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this point. So if the gentleman from Mississippi has no further speakers, I'm certainly prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Mississippi, and I want to thank my colleagues for their support of H.R. 1542. This is a vitally important piece of legislation, as has been identified in the earlier comments of the gentleman from Mississippi, and I echo them myself, particularly this concern, as we engage in a world in which the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly those which are chemical weapons, which we do not know whether they may have fallen into the hands of not only Syria, but Libya, as well, creates a heightened sense of need and awareness on the part of those in our intelligence committees to do all to assure there is collaboration on intelligence that they derive in these areas with the partners on the Federal, State, and local levels. So I urge Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Schock- Meehan amendment. In recent years, the Federal Government has taken more and more control over deciding what goals and curriculum best fit our kids' needs. However, as all Americans know, education policy should be set by those that know the community best--parents, teachers, and local school board members. That's exactly what this amendment does. Our amendment has three main objectives: It restores flexibility in crafting curriculum and education for our children. The Department of Education would be restricted in promulgating any rules and regulations that contradict or create costly burdens on local school districts without an act of Congress. Second, it strengthens the process for input by parents. And, last, it requires that the Department of Education provide an annual report to Congress on how any policies affect local school districts. This enables local school boards to have the ability to craft policies in coordination with the communities they serve. This amendment is vitally important to our communities. From Pennsylvania to Illinois and beyond, the parents, the students, and the school board members that they elect are truly the experts in education, not Washington bureaucrats. I urge my colleagues to support the Schock-Meehan amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chair, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chair, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schock).

Mr. MEEHAN. How much time do I have remaining, Mr. Chair?

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chair, at this point, I would like to yield 1 minute of that time to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford).

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chair, let me just close my time by once again articulating the point that has been so well made by my colleagues as well, that we do not have a Secretary of Education that is a national school board president. I have spoken to those who have dedicated their time and their professional commitment: school board leaders and local educators themselves who understand how to best create the kinds of curriculum that will most effectively serve the children in our communities. I ask our colleagues to strongly support the Schock-Meehan amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, we honor Dr. Joseph T. Cox, the 8th Headmaster of The Haverford School, who is retiring after 15 truly transformative years at Haverford School, an all boys Pre-K through 12 independent school located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Dr. Cox came to The Haverford School in the summer of 1998 as a decorated Vietnam War veteran who had risen to the rank of Colonel in the United States Army. Colonel Cox provided great service to our country as a Commander of the 101st Airborne Division Battalion. Not only was Dr. Cox a successful military officer, but he was also a gifted poet who graduated from Lafayette College and earned his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. Despite this somewhat unique combination of talents and skills, Dr. Cox came to The Haverford School as a largely unknown person with no experience in the world of independent schools in 1998. However, fifteen glorious years later, Dr. Cox leaves The Haverford School with his personal imprint imbedded throughout the entire community. Dr. Cox's strong servant leadership, his vision, his passion and his compassion had a lasting impact on the many boys and young men who attended Haverford during his fifteen year tenure. During his tenure, Haverford graduated 1,240 young men. Dr. Cox opened the doors of Haverford to a much broader and more diverse group of boys and young men and he pushed to meaningfully increase the financial assistance for the boys by five-fold in order to assure that Haverford attracted a truly remarkable group of talented boys and young men of character. Dr. Cox also implemented a nationally recognized and highly acclaimed faculty performance system coupled with a program of performance pay and he obtained a strong commitment from the Board of Trustees to pay Haverford's teachers at the top of the pay scale for local independent day schools. This program was critical to attracting and retaining a group of extraordinary teachers, coaches, and senior administrators to Haverford. Dr. Cox led and carefully oversaw a facilities renaissance at Haverford with the building of a new Field House, a new Lower School and a new and expanded Upper School during his tenure. He also lead a series of record-setting capital campaigns and he led fund raising efforts which resulted in contributions of more than $100 million to Haverford during his tenure. Most importantly, Dr. Cox installed and encouraged the development of a series of game changing programs designed to make Haverford a more holistic place. Included among his programmatic accomplishments were development of a novel and now much copied school-wide decision education program. He also put in place a student-run Honor Code, a school-wide servant leadership program, numerous character education programs and an important community guidepost with his Principles of Community. Dr. Cox encouraged excellence in academics, the arts and athletics. During his tenure, the arts programs flourished with new studios, new programs and the establishment of an annual Arts Week celebration. Athletics enjoyed a strong resurgence during Dr. Cox's tenure with Haverford teams winning 41 Inter-Ac championships. In short, Dr. Cox, a man of passion, compassion, and vision led a remarkable renaissance at The Haverford School and his servant leadership made a genuine difference in the lives of the entire Haverford School community.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an educator, leader, author, and role model for young men in Pennsylvania. This week, Dr. Joseph Cox will preside over his final commencement ceremony as headmaster of the Haverford School, a secondary school for boys in Haverford Township, Delaware County. Dr. Cox took office as Haverford's headmaster in 1998; and since then, he has led the school and its faculty with his firm belief that teachers and boys must be ``firm, fair, funny, focused, and friendly.'' These qualities were the backbone of Dr. Cox's philosophy of teaching. Dr. Cox has set a long example for men outside the classroom as well. He's a 30-year Army veteran, serving his country in Vietnam, commanding a battalion of the famous 101st Airborne Division and retiring as a colonel. A warrior, a poet, a cultivator of the minds of young men, and a sculptor of their character by his example, he leaves the institution not just better than he found it, but he leaves the lives he has touched so much richer for the experience of working with him and learning by his side. Dr. Cox, you are in every measure what it means to be a teacher. Your community thanks you.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of the Meehan- DeFazio-Miller amendment. This amendment deals with the Department of Homeland Security, which has entered into an agreement to establish a Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facility at the Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. There are currently other pre-clearance facilities in some countries around the world, and the purpose behind these is really to facilitate the travel for many who go through this at a facility away from the United States. We have huge backlogs at some of our critical airports, particularly in places like New York. However, the ranking member on the Homeland Security subcommittee, on which I serve, along with the other members and some 150 Members of Congress, have joined me in a letter because we are concerned about the intent of what is done with this. The effect of it is really going to be to dramatically disadvantage American airlines. You see, what's happening in Abu Dhabi is there is no American airline that flies from Abu Dhabi to the United States. This is solely being done for the benefit of an airline which is solely supported by the United Arab Emirates, and it is going to have a disparate impact on the ability for our American airlines to be competitive for the very simple reason that what will happen is many people will say, Well, I'm going to get to New York, and I've got a 3- or 4-hour wait in order to get through that line. I'm going to go to Abu Dhabi, and I'm going to fly through there on the foreign carrier. All the jobs associated with our American airlines begin to be influenced by supporting a foreign-based airline that will then increase its market share into the United States. It also starts to shift some of the favor of the placement of these facilities towards third parties' countries that will enter an agreement like is happening in Abu Dhabi where they are underwriting 80 percent of the cost. I don't want to see our Customs and Border Patrol to be for sale to the highest bidder, and that seems to be what one of the concerns is here. The reality as well is that, the extent to which we think we are having an impact on terrorism, anybody is going to know: don't go through Abu Dhabi. Go through any of the other places that will still get you into the country without a pre-clearance that would be a check on a foreign area. The last thing is that this is going to be partially funded with United States taxpayer dollars. Twenty percent of the cost is going to be associated with us, so why would American taxpayers be paying money to support what will actually be to the benefit of a foreign-based airline? So along with 150 of my other colleagues, I hope that our amendment will ensure that taxpayer dollars do not go to subsidize the pre- clearance facility and the foreign government-owned airlines, and I urge Members of both parties to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Arthritis Month. Arthritis is a disease that affects more than 50 million Americans of all ages including some residents of Pennsylvania's 7th District. Arthritis includes more than 100 joint diseases that can affect the entire body, causing severe pain for many. While questions still remain, I am encouraged by the cutting edge research being conducted on arthritis, particularly at the NIH. Early diagnosis and disease management can help prevent long term pain for individuals living with arthritis and their families. As May draws to a close, let us continue to raise awareness of arthritis, remembering the individuals living with the disease every day.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Valley Forge Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the 20-year anniversary of the Patriots of African Descent Monument. One hundred years ago, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority started with 22 women at Howard University. Since then, it has grown to more than 300,000 members in 1,000 chapters worldwide. Today, more than one hundred dedicated alumna from the Valley Forge chapter live in and serve the greater Philadelphia area. On May 18, 2013, the women of the Valley Forge Alumnae Chapter will pay tribute to the Patriots of African Descent with a wreath laying ceremony commemorating its 20th Anniversary. The Patriots of African Descent Monument, sponsored by the Valley Forge Alumnae chapter in 1993, pays tribute to the service and sacrifice African-American soldiers of the Continental Army provided to our young nation during the Valley Forge Encampment of 1777-1778 and throughout the Revolutionary War. Mr. Speaker, I commend the Valley Forge Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority for its continued efforts to honor African- American patriots who have served this country bravely and honorably.