Donald Norcross

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two letters from organizations that have long led the fight for workers' rights: the AFL-CIO and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, before entering public office, I was an electrician. I used to work on top of bridges doing very dangerous work. Imagine climbing 150 feet up over water. But over the course of that career, three times, there were gentlemen I worked with who never went home, never clocked out, never went home to see their wife or their children. Every day, 13 Americans are killed on the job; they didn't go home to see their wife, their children, their husband. Sometimes accidents are unavoidable, but many, many times they aren't, and that is what we are talking about here. The rule doesn't talk about hurting companies. We are talking about basic information, the same information that everybody in this room would ask if they were building an addition on their house. You would want to know, if you were spending $10,000, whether or not that contractor had any violations, did he finish the job, were people killed on the job. But when we are spending $81 billion of the American taxpayer, somehow we don't want to know that. If you go for a loan, they want to know what your background is, even if you had given it ten times before. If you are going to college, they certainly want to know your background. So what we are talking about here is simple transparency. It is not just about workplace safety. It is about giving a free pass for something that they did wrong. Let me repeat that. Something that contractors did wrong. If they did nothing wrong, they have nothing to fear. That is why I stand in opposition to this rule. When I vote against this legislation, I want everybody in this room to think about 13 men and women who aren't going home tonight, who wouldn't have to tell anybody that they were killed on their jobs.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of Army Specialist 4 Anthony Joseph Dixon of Lindenwold, New Jersey who died at the young age of twenty on August 1, 2004 in Samarra, Iraq in a roadside bombing. Mr. Dixon is remembered by his family and friends as an adventurous young man who loved to race his car around town, once climbed a tall cell phone tower on a dare and went to Florida after his high school graduation with no firm plans and only $20 in his pocket. As a student, Mr. Dixon was involved in athletics, including soccer, baseball and wrestling. After his high school graduation, and bouncing around from job to job for a while, he enlisted in the United States Army and was proud to serve his country. His family recalls him being excited to share his battle stories with them. He enjoyed his time defending our country because it was adventurous and the right thing to do. Mr. Dixon was the youngest of five children. He left behind his parents, Alexander and Jacquelyn, his brother Alexander, Jr., sisters Kim (Derek), Celesta (Gerald), Mary (Michael), his grandmother Sara, his fiancee Elis Deniz and countless nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. Joining the United States Army provided the focus and drive that Mr. Dixon needed to move forward with his life. We appreciate his service and commitment to our country and honor him for the ultimate sacrifice he made to keep us safe. I also am honored to thank his family for their sacrifices as well.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Anna Marie Smith, a woman of strength, character and commitment to her community. Ms. Smith has been a friend, mentor and volunteer to many individuals and for organizations throughout the City of Gloucester City and the surrounding community in southern New Jersey, including myself, and it only seems fitting that we honor someone on the floor of the House of Representatives who has dedicated herself to helping others. Ms. Smith has lived in the City of Gloucester City since 1963. Throughout the time since then, she has proven to be a tireless advocate for veterans, children, those less fortunate and animals. For the past twenty-eight years, Ms. Smith has been the Secretary to the Gloucester City Board of Health. She worked for a decade at the Camden County, New Jersey Clerk's Office until she retired at the age of 82. She formed the Heroes to Hero Run and Memorial Scholarship Event in honor of our fallen soldiers, and remains actively involved in that yearly event. She is an active member of the local Democratic Committee's Executive Board and attends monthly meetings and volunteer activities. Ms. Smith works actively with the City of Gloucester City's Rabies Clinic, and volunteers to help staff the events in the City and she regularly volunteers her time for the City's Red Cross Blood Drive. She volunteers at the local Ronald McDonald House, at the Larc School for disabled children, and helps to collect school supplies and winter clothing items for local school children. With all of her volunteer efforts, Ms. Smith remains a proud Grandmother to Velann Tomlin and is fixture in the lives of her Great Grandchildren, Luke and Mersadie. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Smith continues to encourage and inspire everyone who knows her and those she continues to meet. I hope that you will all join me in thanking her for all she has done and will continue to do for her friends, family and neighbors.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Abdul Karim Kabia, Sr., who was born in August of 1952 in Bo Sierra Leone, West Africa to the late Mohamed Ishmin and Fatmata Yailey Kabia. Mr. Kabia graduated from Saint Andrews secondary school in Bo Sierra Leone and at 18, his parents sent him to Europe to learn different languages and have new, exciting life experiences. Mr. Kabia studied under a Master Chef while in Spain and became a wonderful cook. He could speak Italian, German, Spanish and several African dialects. After moving to the United States of America, he received a degree in Human Services through Camden County College and began a thirty-four year career as a social worker at the Camden County Board of Social Services before he retired in 2014. During his time with the Board of Social Services, he was an active member of the Communication Workers of America Local 1084 and became a passionate political campaigner. Upon moving to the United States of America in 1975, Mr. Kabia met Dorleen Chism and they were married on Valentine's Day in 1976. Throughout their forty-year marriage, they had two children, Fatinata Yailey Kabia and Abdul Karim Kabia, II. He was a proud grandfather to Fyar Ishmirr Kabia. In addition to his family, he was a mentor, surrogate father and uncle to many individuals who he encountered throughout his life's journey, providing them advice and support and showing them kindness and love. Mr. Kabia was a devoted family man who will be remembered fondly and deeply missed by all who had the pleasure to have known him. His always present smile and his soulful laughter will be impossible to forget. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kabia was an inspiration to his family and truly exemplifies the American Dream. I hope that you will all join me in honoring his memory here today.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Riletta L. Cream, a woman of strength, character and commitment, on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Mrs. Cream has been a friend, mentor and educator to many individuals in southern New Jersey, including myself, and it only seems fitting that we honor someone who has dedicated herself to public service on the floor of the House of Representatives. Mrs. Cream was born and raised in Camden City, and after graduating from Glassboro State College, now Rowan University, she was a teacher, supervisor and principal at an elementary school before the Mayor of Camden City recruited her to be the principal at Camden High School. Mrs. Cream led Camden High through the tumultuous seventies all the way through 1987--serving proudly as a role model to students, teachers and administrators alike. After retiring from Camden High School, she became an administrator for BPUM, Inc. Day Care Centers and later an Adjunct Professor and Supervisor of Student Teachers at both Rowan and Rutgers Universities. In 1994, she was appointed to the Board of Chosen Freeholders in the County of Camden, New Jersey. She was reelected to that position four times, shepherding many projects like the Tech 2000 program, which put computers in every classroom and supplied distance learning equipment for students and teachers and expanding the County's Library System. She retired in 2011. Mrs. Cream created a scholarship program to ensure students in Camden were given the opportunity to continue their education. She is always focused on giving back to her community and her students, even now, long after she retired as an educator. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Cream continues to encourage and inspire everyone who knows her and those she continues to meet. I hope that you will all join me in wishing this incredible woman, Mrs. Riletta L. Cream, a wonderful birthday

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor United States Army Veteran Ron DiCarlo for his achievements, contributions, and service in the United States Army whilst overseas in Korea. Ron DiCarlo was drafted into the United States Army on August 4, 1967 and volunteered for Vietnam, but since he was highly skilled with generators he was transferred to Korea. After serving overseas for eighteen months Ron was honorably discharged as an SPA 4 from the Signal Battalion in Seoul, Korea, in February of 1969. After his service, Ron worked for 30 years as a machinist in Westmont, New Jersey. Ron served as Senior Vice-Commander of Barrington VFW Post 7247 for several years. Along with this, he is also a steady contributor to the Wounded Warrior program. Ron has been married for the past forty-seven years to his wife Nancy and together they have 2 daughters, 4 granddaughters, and a great grandson. Mr. Speaker, Ron DiCarlo is a great American and family man whose service to our country in the United States Army is invaluable, and serves as an inspiration to his community. I join with his family, friends, and all of New Jersey in honoring the selfless service of this extraordinary man.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of 1st Lieutenant Salvatore ``Sal'' Corma II of Deptford, New Jersey, who gave his life saving his fellow service members during his time protecting the United States of America. Sal was a committed believer in helping his country and his community; he joined the U.S. Army after graduating the West Point Military Academy. In 2010 while serving in Zabul Province in Afghanistan, Sal was killed in action as he attempted to safely mark the location of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Sal knew the risks inherent in marking the IED and bravely ordered the other members of his platoon to keep a safe distance and let him take the risk alone. This decision unquestionably saved the lives of numerous of his fellow service members but cost him his. He was 24. Sal is remembered by the Gloucester County community as a helpful, generous young man. After his passing, his mother Gertrude Corma and his father Salvatore S. Corma, who passed in 2011, found out truly how much their son meant to so many others. For his acts of valor Sal was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, is featured on the Gloucester County Wall of Heroes, and is buried in the West Point Cemetery. In this year, following the accent of Congress and the signature of President Obama, Sal's hometown U.S. Post Office in Deptford was renamed the ``First Lieutenant Salvatore S. Corma II Post Office Building.'' I believe that this is a fitting memorial for such a courageous and beloved young man. Mr. Speaker, Sal Corma gave his life putting others before himself: he served his country with honor and encourages pride in a grateful nation. I join with his mother, his family, friends, and all of South Jersey in honoring the life of this truly selfless and exceptional man.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers on its 125th Anniversary. I appreciate the IBEW for the career they gave me and for their work supporting working men and women all across our nation. The IBEW is as old as the commercial use of electricity itself. It is the oldest, as well as the largest, electrical union in the world and its history dates back to the 1890s. With Edison's invention of the first commercially successful incandescent lamp in 1879 there was a great need for linemen to establish and maintain the cables that would soon crisscross and power the nation. At first only a few intrepid electricians handled electricity, but soon many came forward, seeking a life's work. The men and women of IBEW have been working on electrical and telecommunication wires ever since. While the IBEW grew alongside other unions protecting the rights of workers seeking a living wage, the IBEW also needed to protect workers from the dangers of the job. Today, under the leadership of President Lonnie Stephenson, the IBEW represents hundreds of thousands of workers in a variety of areas of expertise all over the world. I am eternally grateful to the IBEW for giving me a career that has supported me and my family for decades. I became an apprentice with the IBEW as a young man and have worked for the men and women of the IBEW all my life, before coming to Congress. Mr. Speaker, for me the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers represents the greatest aspirations of labor unions and I am proud as the only member of their organization to serve in Congress, to join with the IBEW in celebrating their 125th Anniversary

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor United States Navy Veteran Martin Ellis for his achievements, contributions, and service in the United States Navy onboard the USS Green. Martin Ellis resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey where he remains committed to his community. His selfless and brave actions in World War II are reason enough to honor him, yet Mr. Ellis has demonstrated a lifetime of love for his nation. He is very passionate about The United States and his patriotic duty to this country. He takes his past service in the Navy very seriously, along with being a serious Phillies fan. Those who decide to serve in our nation's Armed Forces are amongst the most heroic in our nation and serve as an example as leaders, in not only securing our safety but putting their life on the line for our freedom. Mister Speaker, Martin Ellis, is a great American whose dedication to serving our country in the United States Navy is an inspiration to his community. I join with his family, friends, and all of New Jersey in honoring the selfless service of this extraordinary man.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Joseph P. Miles Sr. for his achievements, contributions, and service in the U.S. Navy and as a community leader. In 1944, Joseph was hired by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), a crucial employer in South Jersey at the time. Mr. Miles continued his employment with RCA until 1988. However in 1945, heeding the call to service Joseph joined the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the heavy cruiser USS Helena. He was honorably discharged in 1946. He joined the U.S. Naval Seabees' organized reserves in 1951 and served until 1955. Joseph has been an important leader in the community throughout his life. He served on the Borough Council of Magnolia for six years, including as its president. He was elected the mayor of Magnolia from 1978 to 1984. He joined the Magnolia Fire Company in 1989 and is a past president of the Camden County Fire Police. Throughout his life, Joseph has remained committed to community service. In 1974, he and volunteers helped to erect concrete forms for walkways and areas for benches and lighting for Albertson Park. He helped construct a replica of the Magnolia train station. When it was docked at the shipyard, he worked on the Battleship New Jersey for eight months. Mr. Speaker, Joseph P. Miles Sr., is a great American whose dedication to serving our country and our community is an inspiration to us all. I join with his family, friends, and all of New Jersey in honoring the selfless service of this extraordinary man.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman for his advocacy on behalf of all working families in this country--not just today, but throughout his entire career. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill and in support of the updated overtime rule that will combat the exploitation of workers across America and put more money in their pockets. In 1938, Congress came together to pass the Fair Labor Standards Act, a bill that revolutionized opportunity for Americans by ensuring they were fairly compensated for their work and they would work in safe working conditions. One of the provisions in that piece of legislation was the creation of a 40-hour workweek. In addition, this legislation required employers to compensate employees at time and a half for hours worked beyond a 40-hour workweek. It was a compromise. They went on to say that there is an exemption for protection of those workers who were considered white-collar employees. As a result of their salary, their benefits, and their high level of work within an organization, they were exempt. Unfortunately, the wage level which determines who is exempt from these worker protections has been updated only once--only once--in the last 40 years. That is where the problem lies. The last time it was updated was in 2004, under Republican President Bush--a Republican President. Today, the threshold wherein an employee is exempt is $23,660. What this means is somebody making $24,000 a year is routinely required to work 45, 55, 65 hours a week with not just compensation for the overtime, but they are not needed to be paid at all because they are considered exempt employees. In other words, a family of four could be living under the poverty line and still be considered to earn too much money to be considered for overtime protections. Mr. Speaker, I support these rules because I know, when American families succeed, our country as a whole succeeds, including the entire business community. This is a partnership working together. This rule simply means updating our laws surrounding worker exploitation by simply adjusting that floor to keep up with inflation. This is not a Democratic or a Republican bill. This is a worker and business bill. Twelve years before the success of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Henry Ford created the 40-hour workweek. Mr. Speaker, 117 years ago, Peter J. Maguire, the founder of Labor Day, went on to talk about just creating a 6-day workweek. This is very simple. The experiment with a $5 minimum wage, which today would be $15 an hour with inflation realized, Ford realized that, when his workers could afford to buy the cars they were making and to drive them, his business, his employees, and the economy would do better. Mr. Speaker, American workers have waited long enough to get a fair day's day for a fair day's work that they certainly deserve. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose this bill.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I rise in support of H.R. 5587. First, I want to thank the Members for coming together and certainly their staffs for recognizing the important piece of this legislation where we are going. As we heard before, a 4-year college is a great pathway for some, but it certainly isn't for everyone. I, myself, am a product of the other 4-year school, an apprenticeship out of the IBEW that allowed me for many, many years to support my family being an electrician. In New Jersey, my home State, 7 out of 10 jobs that are coming up in the next few years will require less than that 4-year degree, and that reemphasizes why we are here today. This important bill will go a long way to provide students with alternative pathways to earn a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. I, along with Representative McKinley, formed the Congressional Building Trades Caucus to work on these issues, and we will be meeting later this week to discuss these important items. Apprenticeships are a partnership between employers and employees. They come together and will increase the outcomes. Once again, I want to thank all those involved for their hard work. I urge the Senate to take this up quickly.

Mr. NORCROSS

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

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would designate an additional $50 million within the Superfund accounts specifically for the enforcement division. This amendment does not take money from other programs. Rather, it designates a portion of already allocated monies for enforcement. It is revenue neutral and would equal the amount the EPA said it needs to hold accountable those companies which have polluted the lakes, streams, and even the homes of my constituents and our constituents. As I mentioned yesterday, there are still well over 1,000 active Superfund sites across this great Nation. In my district alone and home to the author of the Superfund bill, there are over 13 sites that are still contaminated today. I want to tell you about just three of those sites, in particular, named for the company responsible for dumping lead and arsenic into the ground, streams, and the lakes. It is called the Sherwin-Williams Sites. These sites include Sherwin-Williams/Hilliard's Creek Site located in both Gibbsboro and Voorhees, the Route 561 Dump Site in Gibbsboro, and the United States Avenue Burn Site, which is in Gibbsboro. Early in the 1930s, Sherwin-Williams purchased a former paint and varnish manufacturing plant in Gibbsboro and expanded their operation throughout that facility. For 20 years, the company allowed these chemicals from their synthetic varnish to be disposed of in that area. The contamination happened not only at the manufacturing plant, but in two separate disposal sites, dump sites that they created. Just one of the Sherwin-Williams disposal methods included pumping sludge into holes in the ground around the property. These chemicals from the varnish seeped into the groundwater, contaminating not only that property, but properties and streams around the entire area. The facility was closed in 1977, and Sherwin-Williams tried to pass the bag by selling the property to a developer in 1981. The soil in the groundwater beneath these sites is contaminated with chemicals, including lead and arsenic, which have devastating effects on both human health and children's development. After the devastating events in Flint, Michigan, I know we understand so many of the horrific effects of lead exposure, but I think it bears repeating what my constituents and Americans across the country are facing. Lead exposure can have serious long-term health consequences in adults and children. Even at low levels lead in children can cause IQ deficiencies, learning disabilities, impaired hearing, many of those things that we have heard about over the past few months. It also leads to problems in pregnant women and also harms fetuses. According to EPA, long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic can lead to skin lesions and a variety of cancers, including skin, bladder, and lung cancer. We must hold companies like Sherwin-Williams accountable for the havoc that they have caused in both Gibbsboro and Voorhees. For almost 40 years, this ground has laid there. For the author of the Superfund bill, Jim Florio, this was one of the driving forces for writing this, and yet 40 years later it stays there, still not being addressed by the company that caused it. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate that. Jim Florio's vision, unfortunately, caused by this site, just being one of many in New Jersey and in this site, but the fact of the matter is we have to hold accountable those companies that are still active, that are still making profits today while the cause that they had in these two particular sites still go unaddressed. Forty years, the company is still making money, still not being held accountable. This is one way we can start holding them accountable. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Wang Cheng-Han, for his contributions and service in assisting U.S. soldiers in the liberation of the Weihsien Internment camp in August 1945. Mr. Wang was a sophomore at Sichuan University when he joined the military service in December 1944. He was recruited into a telecommunications group where he learned Morse code and completed interpreter training classes. At the age of 20, the American Office of Strategic Services assigned Wang as translator to a team of U.S. soldiers who were preparing to liberate the Weihsien Internment camp. Weihsien Internment Camp was created by the Japanese in 1943 to hold westerners and other enemy nationals in North China. Once an American Presbyterian Compound, the Japanese transformed the location into a prison by adding electrified fencing, a moat, and armed security towers. Conditions in the camp were poor. Sanitary conditions were terrible, winters were harsh, and there was little food. On August 17, 1945 Wang parachuted from a B-24 plane and helped liberate 1,500 Allied civilian prisoners from the camp. The mission was dangerous. Though the Japanese had officially surrendered, it was unknown whether Japanese soldiers in the area had received the order to surrender or would continue to fight. The soldiers took over the Japanese headquarters building and received warm welcomes from the newly liberated prisoners. Among these prisoners was former New Jersey Assemblywoman Mary Previte. Wang's arrival at Weihsien provided much needed relief to the camp's malnourished prisoners. Mr. Speaker, Wang Cheng-Han is a great individual who risked his life to save American lives. I join with all of New Jersey in honoring the selfless actions and service of this extraordinary man.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Edward H. Gant, for his contributions and service in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 351 and throughout southern New Jersey. Mr. Gant has been a member of IBEW Local 351 since he began his apprenticeship in the Spring of 1974. Mr. Gant served as an apprentice for five years before he became a full-fledged electrician in 1979. Ten years later, at the age of 36, he joined the local union executive board. From there, he moved swiftly up the ranks and was appointed IBEW Local Union 351 President in 1994. Until his recent retirement he served as the Business Manager and Financial Secretary of the local. As an example of his commitment to not only improving his immediate community but the state as a whole, Mr. Gant has served as President of the New Jersey State Electrical Workers Association since 2002. Mr. Gant has served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the IBEW Local 351 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee to advance opportunities for young people to join the workforce with gainful employment. Ed Gant is a man who knows what it is to put in a hard day's work with your hands. Building trades jobs are some of the best jobs around but they are not always the safest. Mr. Gant understood that and donated his time to serve as the Director of the IBEW New Jersey State Lineman Safety Fund. I had the distinct honor and privilege to work with Ed at IBEW Local 351 until my retirement to join this body, and I wish him all the best in his retirement after over 40 years. Mr. Speaker, Edward H. Gant is a great man whose contributions toward the working men and women of this country will not be forgotten. I join with all of New Jersey in honoring the investment that he has made in his community.

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Chairman, my simple amendment would add $13 million to the Hazardous Substance Superfund to equal the level requested by the EPA. Superfund cleanup is the right thing for the environment, right for the economy, and certainly right for public health. I am from the Garden State. We are known across the country for having the best tomatoes, corn, blueberries, and cranberries we grow. But in south Jersey, we have a history as a cornerstone of heavy industry. New Jersey found out the hard way what you can and what you can't dump into the lakes, backyards, and other facilities. Then companies left, leaving our constituents holding the bag. Representative Jim Florio, who held my seat from 1975 to 1990, saw these very issues in south Jersey and across the country. That is why he authored the Superfund legislation back in 1980. Almost four decades later, the list of Superfund sites is still overflowing. There are well over 1,000 contaminated sites across the country, and I have 13 in my district alone. In 2015, the GAO studied the progress of the Superfund program. The report found that, in real dollars, appropriations to the EPA Superfund program declined almost $1 billion from 1999 to 2013. Congress has funded less than 40 percent of shovel-ready cleanup projects. The EPA is often forced to prioritize one seriously contaminated site over another, leaving those other sites to be contaminated, in some cases, up to 50 years. This amendment would help the EPA clean up more contaminated materials in their parks, backyards, and commercial properties sooner rather than later. Mr. Chairman, later the House will consider another amendment of mine that would designate an additional $15 million within the Superfund account, specifically for the enforcement division. Not only do we consistently underfund Superfund cleanup activities, we have even underfunded the EPA office that is supposed to go after those polluters who have been found guilty of dumping and polluting our environment. As I mentioned earlier, in my district alone, I have over 13 sites that lay contaminated today. I just briefly want to tell you about three of them. The sites are named after the company that was accused and has been found liable, that is the Sherwin-Williams site. These sites include the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliard's Creek site located in Gibbsboro, the Route 561 Dump Site in Gibbsboro, and United States Avenue Burn Site in Gibbsboro. Those other sites include part of Voorhees also. Back in the 1930s, Sherwin-Williams opened a paint factory. For 20 years, they dangerously dumped these chemicals that were related to their synthetic varnish to be produced and dumped in around the Gibbsboro and Voorhees area. These toxic chemicals from the varnish seeped into the groundwater, contaminating not only the commercial properties, but the streams, lakes, and homes for miles around. After the devastating events of Flint, Michigan, I know I don't have to tell you about the horrific effects of lead exposure on children's developmental issues and pregnant women. According to the EPA, long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic can lead to cancers like skin cancer, bladder cancer, and lung cancer. This is why my constituents and, quite frankly, all Americans across the country are faced with this decision. They need relief today--not in a few years from now. We must hold companies like Sherwin-Williams accountable for the havoc that they have wreaked in communities like Gibbsboro and Voorhees. We owe it to our constituents to do everything in our power to protect their health. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Chairman, this is about protecting public health from designated sites that have been contaminated for literally decades. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. NORCROSS

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Davon Barrett, a victim of gun violence who never received his moment of silence here on the House floor.

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Andres Camacho, III, the son of a dear friend of mine and a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.