Laura Richardson

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague on the other side of the aisle in great support of this bill, S. 996. As has been stated by the original author, Ms. Harman, and the coauthor, Ms. Waters, this is about children having the ability to hear in the classroom and to learn, which I think is what all Americans are looking for. We urge all of our colleagues to support S. 996.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Meek, thank you for yielding at this time. It is interesting, from Florida, you brought up that we as members of the Congressional Black Caucus have lost three great women in this session. And as I came in as a new Member really learning from Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald who I had worked for, when I came into this body, I came into a family. And that was something that Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones taught us; that coming to Congress wasn't about a group, it wasn't just about legislation, it was about people who were committed to working together to make our communities better. That is why we came here. And I'll never forget when I stood in this very spot to share my comments of what it was that I hoped to do on behalf of my community, and I knew that Ms. Tubbs Jones was really hurting because she missed her colleague, Ms. Juanita Millender-McDonald. But in that same hand, she knew enough to know that, as I stood there, she was willing to embrace me. She was willing to help me. And she wanted to make sure that I had everything that Ms. McDonald had and then some. So I will never forget as I spoke and I turned, and, yes, she was one of those first big smiles that I saw, and she said, ``Hey, girl. How are you?'' As she would always tell us. And Ms. Tubbs Jones, what I wanted to share with her family and with all of us today is just a couple things. One, what I know of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones is that she was always ready. And I think that is a good lesson, not only for us as colleagues, but as young people coming forward, being ready to seize the opportunity, being ready to speak up and to stand up, and not to hesitate at all. Another thing that always stood out for me with her was just her knowledge. You heard a lot of people tonight talk about the fact of her law background and all of that. But it was so much that was in her head, so much of what she wanted to take of what she had learned to really change America as we see it today. And that brings me to my third point about sports, and people have talked about that. Yes, I think we are going to have a big basketball team next year, and I am sure we will work hard to win in her honor. But I want to talk about two other sports that were so special to her. One, taking her son to the Super Bowl. That was something that she valued and she treasured. And I would challenge all of us CBC members that we need to make sure that he goes next year and the years forward with us and our families. Number two, her love for golf. We had in honor of her husband, who had also served our caucus so well, we had named the spouse's program after him, and I am sure next year we are going to have to add her name to it. But also, I want to talk about another sport, and that is just being in the gym. You know, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, they were gym partners, and I just happened to be the beneficiary of being the third person there. And when you hear people talk about the fervor and how vigorously she approached everything, it wasn't just here at work. It was her on the treadmill, it was her on the Stepmaster. It was her getting ready to come in here and do work. She was always about working hard and really benefiting in any way that she could to help somebody else. And the last two things I want to talk about is, one, her commitment to youth. If you would come on this floor, it was not uncommon that Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones would pull you aside and say, ``Girl, I've got somebody I want to you to meet.'' And if it wasn't a page from her local area, if it wasn't a young intern who she was in the process of hiring, her commitment to young people was second to none. And I have got to tell you, as being a relatively young Member of Congress, it is critical that we take on that mantle. It was something that she knew and she understood more than most, and that was, the development that we do for our future young people is really showing wisdom for the future. And, lastly, I want to say our travels that we had on behalf of Senator Clinton. I had an opportunity to go; Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was her cochair for her national campaign, and we had an opportunity to travel to South Carolina, to Ohio, to Nevada. I didn't go to Puerto Rico as some did, but she went all over the place. But in honor of the sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits, I want to say that Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, when I had an opportunity to go to Ohio, because she was also working in so many other States, her folks loved her. Her folks still love her. And it was out of that respect that they had for her that anyone who came as her guest, they were so well- treated. And my time that I had a chance to spend in Ohio, and to all the young elected officials that she mentored and she helped, being a part of those 8-12 months that we had an opportunity to work, there was no one who ever wearied in her drive. There was no one who ever hesitated. There was no one who worked harder to make sure that Americans really understood the value of what we have in our elected officials. And so, as I close, I just want to say, my time that I had with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was to know her love, was to know how sincere she was, and lastly, she was unwavering when she committed herself to you. We love you and we love the family. Thank you very much.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1338, the Paycheck Fairness Act. I would like to acknowledge our colleague, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), for her leadership on this issue and for bringing this bill to the Floor. Kofi Anan once said ``When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life.'' In a period of tough economic times, this bill and this quote could not be timelier or more relevant. Despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963 women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar that men earn. In a society where women are increasingly the heads of households, pay inequity harms not only the individual woman but her children and other family members as well. H.R. 1338 increases the penalties for gender discrimination, and puts gender discrimination sanctions on equal footing with other forms of wage discrimination, including those based on race, disability, or age. The bill prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with their co-workers. The fact of the matter is that, for every woman who comes forward and speaks out against pay discrimination, there are scores of other woman who remain silent for fear of retaliation. This legislation sends a strong message to women that their elected officials recognize the discrepancy in pay and are doing everything in their power to remedy pay discrimination. In closing, I would like to quote Betty Friedan, world renowned feminist and author of the book The Feminine Mystique: ``A girl should not expect special privileges because of her sex but neither should she adjust to prejudice and discrimination.'' There is no room in this society for gender discrimination, which harms the greater community because when we uplift one segment of society, we uplift our entire society. For all the single mothers, working mothers, and young women entering the workforce, I lend my full support to H.R. 1338, the Paycheck Fairness Act. This is a sound piece of legislation, a critical piece of legislation, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1338, the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1315, commemorating the 50th anniversary of NASA. With the exception of apple pie and baseball, few reflections resonate across America of how proud we are of all of the work that NASA has done. Since its inception in 1958, NASA has been the leading agency for American and global innovation. Indeed, the creation of NASA was responsible for introducing a whole new generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians here in the United States. Likewise, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of NASA, it is important to adhere to the continuing commitment we should make as a Nation to embrace innovation, and reach the unachievable, but we, as Members of Congress, must back that up with funding. As a member of the Science and Technology Committee, I was fortunate to view in person the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor on March 10, 2008, where I witnessed at night the best and the brightest orchestrated through its operations and through its making history. From making commercial aviation safer, to studying climate change, and strengthening international partnerships, which we desperately need at this time, the scientists at NASA continue to do advanced research on the issues that affect our daily lives. I would like to applaud my colleague on the Science and Technology Committee, Representative McCaul, for bringing this thoughtful resolution to the floor and also to Mr. Lampson for his commitment to this issue. I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 1315, commemorating the 50th anniversary, and we hope that there will be many to come.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Miller for putting this important legislation together, and I applaud his resourcefulness for including my provision within this amendment that solidifies the eligibility for grants to be used in the construction of green roofs at public schools. Throughout the past decade, green roofs have proven to be a cost- effective and an environmentally conscious way of lowering utility costs by insulating buildings from extreme temperatures and reducing the sewer system and wastewater treatment costs. In addition, green roofs diminish air pollution by using plants to collect airborne particles and produce oxygen through photosynthesis. Green roofs also decrease costs associated with roofing maintenance by lengthening the lifespan and durability of the roofs. And, also, more importantly, it gives young people an opportunity to see real learning experiences work. I ask my colleagues to seriously evaluate this legislation and pass this amendment and pass H.R. 3021.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, who exercised their first amendment right to voice opposition to the ongoing war in Iraq by stopping work at 29 West Coast ports on Thursday, May 1, 2008. Although the union leadership was not involved in this action, a Longshore Caucus resolution called on all locals to honor May 1 by taking action to end the war and bring troops home safely from Iraq. I add my voice to those of the workers who attended rallies along the coast, demanding that the American presence in Iraq could come to an end. It is my understanding that the ILWU employers, the Pacific Maritime Association, were able to easily schedule changes with little or no disruption and therefore, these voluntary actions did not pose any hardship to the industry. Yet, the action sent a strong and important message to Washington, DC, indicating the ILWU members' opposition to the war. The ILWU has a long history of activism in the pursuit of social and international justice, including the refusal to load vessels bound for apartheid-era South Africa and El Salvador in the midst of a civil war. On May 1, ILWU members used their voices at work to express their frustration--shared by the overwhelming majority of Americans--that politicians have failed to bring troops home.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, there is no question that America entrusts the Coast Guard to secure and properly maintain and administer America's waterways and port facilities. The task before this Chamber today is not about oil prices. In fact, it's about the Coast Guard and their ability to quickly and effectively respond to intense demands. Americans live along the coast, and they depend upon the Coast Guard to provide that layer of protection and security. In California, where the 11th District resides, 2,600 active and 3,500 volunteer auxiliaries have saved over 500 lives. Properly funding the Coast Guard's programs through this legislation of H.R. 2830 will not only enhance marine safety but reduce the risk of maritime terrorism on some of our Nation's most sensitive ports.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in engrossment of H.R. 2537, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, cross-references and to make other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to accurately reflect the actions of this House.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, when Congress passed the BEACH Act in 2000, it took an important step towards keeping Americans, of which a large majority are ill-prepared children, away from polluted beaches. As a proud Californian, I understand how critical clean and safe beaches are to our State's health, identity and economy. As with airplanes or even drinking water, Americans trust our government to alert them in the event of a safety concern. I thank Chairman Oberstar, and also our great subcommittee chairwoman, Ms. Johnson from Texas, for shepherding this important public health and safety bill to the House floor. This is a vital reauthorization that includes an expansion of the BEACH program by increasing the authorization level by $10 million. This program is most effective when properly administered if the program maintains adequate funding levels and a product result that demonstrates that the resources are well utilized. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that States significantly increased the number of beaches they monitored from approximately 1,000 in 1997 to more than 3,500 in 2004. There are over 6,099 beaches nationwide. When the EPA became lenient in the beach monitoring back in 2006, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit against the EPA to protect our public health concerns. Ongoing or periodic monitoring is crucial to maintaining a safe environment. In my area alone, in Los Angeles County, beach closings due to hazardous bacterial contamination dramatically jumped 15 percent in 2005. During the course of that year, beaches nationwide were closed or posted with health advisories 20,000 times. Providing sufficient funding to the EPA for testing is only one part of this equation, however. To ensure the American public receives this beach quality information, Congress must compel the EPA to publish comprehensive results that are easily accessible on-line. This amendment will reinstitute the requirement from the original BEACH Act that would enable the EPA to publish a complete list of every public beach, whether or not it is monitored or not. The EPA's 2004 ``National List of Beaches'' was an important resource for beachgoers, and this amendment will ensure that the EPA updates and maintains the list every 2 years for the safety of all Americans and visitors alike. Families, fishermen and sports enthusiasts deserve to know whether the EPA is fulfilling its obligation to protect our community beaches. The Richardson amendment will make sure that this happens. I urge all of my colleagues to support this nonpartisan amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. RICHARDSON. I rise in support of this amendment. Mr. Inslee's amendment calls for the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on the long-term impact of climate change on pollution of coastal recreational waters. The study would include information on the potential contaminant impacts on ground and surface water resources, as well as the impacts on ecosystems and public health in coastal communities like mine. The amendment also requires the report to highlight necessary Federal actions to help advance the availability of information and tools to assess and mitigate effects in order to protect our public and the ecosystem's health. Our coastal waters are hubs of recreation and commerce for all of our Nation's individuals. It is with this in mind that the original BEACH Act was passed. We can expect many changes to occur in a warming world. Amongst these there will be, and it should be no surprise, that changes to our temperature and chemistry of our beaches in coastal waters have already gone into effect. Especially because so many children recreate in these waters, it is imperative to determine whether the contamination that already exists will become more hazardous to the health of our beach users. I encourage my fellow Members to join with me in support of Mr. Inslee's amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Chairman, I understand that the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) will be withdrawing this amendment, but I commend her consideration of this very pressing matter. And it is one that I look forward to working with her on in the future. Since at least 2002, we've known that a wide variety of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and others such as fire retardants, are ending up in our Nation's water as you just expressed. More recently, the Associated Press found that the drinking water supplies of 24 of 28 municipalities tested had pharmaceuticals present. While the levels of these largely unregulated chemicals are low, their presence raises a number of troubling issues such as the long-term human health impacts on adults and any different impacts on children. It is fair to ask how do these pollutants get into our streams and drinking water supplies in the first place. I understand that the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment may further this issue over the upcoming months and examine it in great detail with you. I look forward to working with the gentlewoman from New York and other Members who have raised concerns about these reports on pharmaceuticals and other chemicals in our Nation's water.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support today of H.R. 4847, which is the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act. This reauthorization of this vital legislation demonstrates Congress' commitment to enhance the protection of our citizens throughout this great Nation to prevent any harm that might come to loss of life or property due to devastation caused by fires. Included in this legislation is an amendment that I offered at a full committee markup that I'd like to reiterate and clarify at this time. Inclusive in H.R. 4847 is an amendment that does not create a new stand-alone course regarding port and marine firefighting. In fact, much effort was taken by my staff, the Republican side, committee staff, as well as the various agencies, to ensure that we would take conscious action in not creating additional costs for the agencies and/ or programs that are right now really not funded to the levels we would like to see. The intent of the amendment is to take the unique content of port and marine firefighting activity and to incorporate that information into existing classes. Why, you might ask? This Congress' goal of using, in an efficient manner, resources that we have, we also want to integrate information to best prepare our firefighters to respond to disasters. And you might ask the question, why? In the United States alone, we have over 126 shipping ports, all of which are critical to the movement of goods and the general health of our economy. The volatility of the products that are being shipped and the new increased size of these shipping vessels causes problems to our firefighters in terms of responding. So, when you consider a district such as mine that borders along the Port of Long Beach and also the Port of Los Angeles, one of the things that we learned in the wake of Katrina, we learned in the San Diego fires, and we also learned with September 11th is that firefighters are brothers and sisters. You might have rural firefighters who respond to an urban disaster; likewise, urban firefighters might be called to respond to a rural disaster. And so, one of the things that we've learned in these incredible complex disasters that we've had over the last couple of years is that inoperability, the ability for rural and urban firefighters to have the same information and to be prepared in the midst of a disaster because it's one thing to play Monday night quarterback when everything can be planned in advance, but when we have a disaster, it is too late at that point for our firefighters to be trained on how do you respond to an extended vessel, or how do you respond to an LNG disaster, or how do you respond to anything else that might be occurring. And so, with that, it is my pleasure to work with, we had great leadership by Mr. Mitchell here in this effort of the reauthorization bill. Because we never know what our firefighters might be facing, I, unfortunately, lost a firefighter in California just last week. So, I would be remiss at this moment not to thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, Representative Bartlett and Representative Rohrabacher, for their support of this amendment. I intend, through conference with staff and the appropriate members of the Department of Homeland Security, USFA, and the Superintendent of the Fire Academy to ensure that we have the right curriculum that can be incorporated that can benefit all firefighters to ultimately protect our citizens in a better way. In closing, I want to again commend our colleague, Representative Mitchell, for his leadership on this issue, and also Chairman Gordon for his commitment on the Science and Technology Committee to move beyond all of the limits and the challenges that we have, and to make sure that Americans are protected every day. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the newly elected Speaker of the California State Assembly, the Honorable Karen Bass. It is with great pleasure that I applaud her accomplishments and wish her future much success. At the end of this legislative year, Karen Bass will break historic glass ceilings in California and across this Nation by becoming the first African American woman Speaker of the State legislative body. Speaker-elect Karen Bass, who is respected on both sides of the aisle, received unanimous support. Throughout her career, her public service and social justice has been something that she commonly really used not only in her community but now in her service. In 1990, Speaker-elect Bass founded the Community Coalition for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment. She served as its executive director for 14 years. After the 1992 civil unrest, her organization played a pivotal role in the success of South Los Angeles. Speaker-elect Bass turned to politics when she concluded that the best way to implement change would be to be an elected official herself. At the time of her election, there were no other African American women serving in the California Legislature. She was immediately appointed majority whip, and now she serves as majority leader. Please join me in congratulating her as we wish her tremendous success.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the newly elected speaker of the California State Assembly, the Honorable Karen Bass. It is with great pride and pleasure that I applaud her accomplishments and wish her much future success. At the end of this legislative year, Karen Bass will break glass ceilings in California and across the Nation by becoming the first African-American woman speaker of a State legislative body. Speaker- elect Karen Bass, who is respected on both sides of the aisle, received unanimous vote of the members to become the first Democratic woman elected to this position in California's history. Throughout her career, public service and social justice have been the common threads around which her life revolved. Understanding the importance of education, Speaker-elect Bass taught as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater, California State University, Dominguez Hills. She also served as the clinical instructor at the Southern California School of Medicine and as the project director for the health careers opportunity program. A graduate of the University of Southern California's, USC, School of Medicine-Physician Assistant Program, Speaker-elect Bass worked in our country's largest trauma center, Los Angeles/USC Medical Center. It was here that she witnessed firsthand the havoc wreaked upon the community by the crack cocaine epidemic. In 1990, Speaker-elect Bass took action by leaving the medical profession and founding the Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment. She served as its executive director for 14 years. After the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles, the coalition united and succeeded in transforming the social and economic conditions in south Los Angeles. Speaker-elect Bass turned to politics when she concluded that the best way to implement change was to become an elected official herself. At the time of her election, there were no other African-American women in the California legislature, but her leadership potential was recognized immediately. During her first term, she was appointed majority whip during the 2005-2006 legislative session. During her second term, she became the first woman and first African-American appointed to the position of majority leader. As vice chair of California's Legislative Black Caucus, Speaker-elect Bass pressed for the creation of the State of Black California Report, which measured economic and social conditions of California's African- American population. The Speaker-elect also created the People's Council to engage citizens in the debate on public policy and the political process. The Council was composed of four commissions, which examined education, environment, small business, and health issues in the State. Always reaching for the highest goals, I am certain that Speaker- elect Bass will lead the California State Assembly with the same commitment and dedication that she has demonstrated throughout her entire career. In closing, Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the achievements of Speaker-elect Karen Bass and wishing her continuing success.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 4040, The Consumer Protection Safety Modernization Act, not just as a strong believer in consumer safety protections but also as a proud co-sponsor of this legislation. This important piece of legislation helps protect Americans from harmful and potentially deadly substances found in our consumer products. Far too often, Americans are unknowingly confronted with tainted products putting their health and lives in danger. Last week alone, the Consumer Protection Agency had to recall 300,000 Baby Bead and Race Car Toys due to toxic levels of lead paint, 12,000 girls' hooded sweatshirts due to a strangulation hazard, and 12,000 Christmas candle sets that posed a serious fire hazard. These are only a fraction of the products recalled last week due to serious safety violations, and many of the products we Americans use are not even adequately screened. H.R. 4040 fixes many of the failures in our product safety system by requiring that all children's products marketed to children under the age of 12 must undergo third party testing and certification, reducing the lead standard acceptable in children's toys, raising the penalty for breaking consumer product safety laws, prohibiting the sale and export of recalled products, and drastically speeding up the Consumer Product Safety Commission's ability of recalling hazardous products. In addition, not only does H.R. 4040 address the current crisis of consumer product safety, but significantly increases the financial resources of the Consumer Product Safety Commission to protect us from hazardous products in the coming years. As we enjoy this holiday season with our loved ones, the American people should know that we as members of Congress are continuously working to ensure the safety of the products on America's shelves and wrapped presents shared during the holiday season.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I am proud to introduce the ``Equal Rights for Health Care Act--Title 42.'' Our Founding Fathers wisely wrote that all Americans should have the equal rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In order to have life one must be healthy and have adequate healthcare. Ensuring those rights of my constituents and the American people is our primary responsibility as Members of Congress. H.R. 4849 will prohibition discrimination of health care services and research programs that receive Federal funding based on sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability status. The civil rights laws have historically been a powerful mechanism for effecting necessary change in the United States. Each law represents a national commitment to end discrimination and establish a mandate to bring the excluded into the mainstream. These equal rights laws ensure that the Federal government delivers on the Constitution's promise of equal opportunity so that every individual has the right to develop his or her talents. Healthcare should not be an exception to this precedent. In 1971, only 18 percent of all women, compared to 26 percent of all men, had completed 4 or more years of college. In 1972, Title IX was introduced by Representative Edith Green of Oregon. In 2007, celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Title IX, which assured woman's right to education equality, the U.S. Department of Education showed 56 percent of all women compared to 44 percent of all men in four or more years of college. This mandate created a sea of change in our expectations of what equal funding could achieve. Federal law prohibits discrimination across a wide array of public policy arenas, none more so than in relation to voting and public education rights. The ``Equal Rights for Health Care Act--Title 42'' H.R. 4849 seeks to have the same effect in the health care community. With the introduction of H.R. 4849, we as a Congress, are taking another step toward equal rights and I look forward to working with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to accomplish this goal.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I wish to recognize for 2 minutes my good friend and representative who covers the Port of San Diego, our sister port, the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I wish to recognize for 3 minutes a strong ally of the Port of Los Angeles and my friend from Los Angeles County, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman).

Ms. RICHARDSON. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, actually as the manager of this bill, I was prepared to give the honor of closing this bill to the dear chairman. So since he is our last speaker, I am prepared to close at that point once you have yielded the remaining time.