José Serrano

Mr. SERRANO

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

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. I join you, Mr. Chairman, in opposition to this amendment. With all due respect to the gentlewoman, I think she hasn't read this particular committee's bill over the last few years. It has been cut and cut and cut and cut. If I was going to give cutting budgets high marks, I would have to say the Republicans have done a great job because they have cut and they have cut and they have cut. So I don't see the purpose of across- the-board cuts being more effective than the cuts that are taking place now--if cuts are, indeed, effective. I think they are not. I think they hurt agencies. I think they hurt programs. I think they hurt the ability to propose changes and to make our economy grow. But if you think that they are good, then just look at the percentage cuts that this committee has taken. Where else could we cut from? We have got agencies where we have practically destroyed their ability to do their work, and now we want an across-the-board cut. Across-the- board cuts simply sound good, but they don't propose anything. What we need to do is really try to get back to regular order, to try to make the Appropriations Committee what it used to be, a committee that appropriated and not a committee that cuts. That is all we do now: we cut and we cut and we cut. Somewhere along the line, it is going to hurt us because somewhere in this country, right now, in another time zone, there is a young man or young woman, or both, working with lab coats on, trying to find a cure for some disease, trying to deal with the Zika virus, and yet we keep cutting and cutting and cutting. So across the board sounds good. Across the board is a big mistake. It should be defeated.

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

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. It would cut the pay of the IRS Commissioner down to zero. I thought that this was what the Republicans wanted to do to the whole Federal budget, but I guess this is a start. This is nothing more than a political cheap shot. I am sure there are those out there who think that Members of Congress should be paid nothing or next to nothing, and so this could start a trend. Mr. Chairman, I urge opposition to this amendment. I think people should realize that this is really the worst kind of statement possible. How much time do I have remaining, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci).

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, I want to apologize to Mr. Renacci for wrecking his name. It has happened to me a lot of times. Secondly, I am not a lawyer, but what the gentleman said made a lot of sense to me. I wonder--I wonder--if what applies to us could, in front of some judge with some good lawyers around, also apply to this agency. We can't raise or reduce our salary during one period or during one congressional period. We have to do it for the next Congress. We can't do it for ourselves. I wonder if someone could rule that you can't just lower the salary of the commissioner to zero during the term of that commissioner. Now, here is the other thing. We know that the argument is being made that it is a reduction to the agency, to bring the director of the agency, whoever he is, to zero. But there is nobody silly enough here to think that it is not directed at one person, and that is really very silly to just direct at one person and to start this trend of having zero as a salary. There is only one person in this country right now that is running for something that can afford not to get paid, and he will probably get paid. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, this may come to be known as the ``just in case bill'' because it takes out something that doesn't exist anywhere in a House bill. That is why I am opposed to this amendment. First, this is a policy issue that should be left to the Armed Services Committees. As you know, the Senate version of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act included a change to military policy that would, for the first time, require young women to register for the draft. Defense Department leaders have already backed the idea of adding women to the draft, while emphasizing they do not see any scenario where a draft will actually happen. For the Record, no Americans have been pressed into involuntary service since the last draft ended in 1973. Furthermore, lawmakers have also included in the legislative language requiring a full review of the Selective Service System and possible ``alternatives'' to the current system. I believe, since the Department of Defense lifted the ban on women in combat roles, every American who is physically qualified should register for the draft or we should do away with it. I urge all Members to vote their beliefs on this issue. That is the proper way. Republican leadership did not allow this to be a vote on the defense bill. Now Members have a chance to deal with this issue and be on the record if they support Selective Service allowing women to be part of the draft. Now, we know that this is a touchy issue. We know that there are differing thoughts and this is very emotional, but some of us would say that this is a very fair issue. If we are going to register people, knowing there is no draft in place at this point, then let everyone be registered. And to suggest that there are young ladies who are out there afraid of what is going to happen to them, they are in the same situation as young men, and young men know that there is no draft. I think this is something that is sort of a what-if situation. Just in case you are thinking of doing this, don't do it. I don't think we should legislate that way. If it reaches a point at which everybody has to sign up, then everybody will be doing his part for the country. I don't see a problem right now, and we shouldn't create a problem where a problem does not exist. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, when we started these negotiations, with both sides wanting to do something, with both leaderships in the House wanting to do something, I knew that at the end of the day I would be voting for a bill. I knew I had to do that for a very simple reason. Inactivity, inaction was not an option. The only option was to do a bill. What that bill would look like was my question. What that bill would look like was my challenge and my dilemma. The bill changed. The original bill had some provisions that no one could really defend on either side. We have made a bill now that does have some hard pills to swallow, but then over $70 billion in debt with no signs of being able to pay is even more of a bitter pill to swallow. The territory is hurting. The people are hurting. In fact, if anything comes out of this that is positive, it is the fact that the U.S. Congress is paying attention to Puerto Rico in a way that it hasn't in a long, long time, if at all. We are paying attention, and we want to do something about the situation at hand. We are not supposed to direct our comments to the gallery or to the TV cameras, so I won't do that. But there are people watching this, and they need to have faith in the fact that both parties have come together to come together with a plan that will help us, a plan that will bring Puerto Rico back out of this debt situation. And, most importantly, I believe there is a commitment on both sides to work on economic development projects for the future to help Puerto Rico and its economy. But I couldn't get off this podium today without addressing my most important issue, and that is that the problem with Puerto Rico continues to be the status. As long as Puerto Rico is a colony, a territory of the United States, these issues will come back and other issues will come back. I once, some months ago, either sarcastically or very profoundly, said that all we were doing if we didn't deal with the status was putting a Band-Aid on a bigger problem. Well, there is a bigger problem, and I think it is time Congress came together with the people of Puerto Rico and decided to end the colonial status. But ending the colonial status does not mean tweaking the colony to make it a little better or washing the face of the colony to make it a little more presentable. It means getting rid of the colony and either becoming the 51st State or an independent nation. There is no other solution. And for us, as the people who promote--and rightfully so--democracy throughout the world, to have a colony for 118 years is wrong. And remember, Puerto Rico didn't do this by itself. The indifference and inequality created this problem, as much as everything else.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chair, I was not planning to speak, but when I heard Bishop Gonzalez' name mentioned, I had to say something because he was my parish priest at two different parishes in the Bronx. I know of his work, and if he wants this discussed, then it is something I should rise to and support. He always cared about child poverty in the Bronx when he was my parish priest. Now, as I tell him he is a big shot in Puerto Rico, he is still doing the right thing by God's work.

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

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, this amendment offered by Ms. Velazquez and myself would help clarify that this legislation would not impact the work being done by the Puerto Rico Commission for the Comprehensive Audit of the Public Credit. This entity, set up by Puerto Rico's Government, is in the process of examining the massive debt that has been accrued by the territory. In a preliminary report, the commission recently found that a small portion of the debt may have been illegally issued by the government of Puerto Rico, and they need to further examine the issue and its implications. This amendment simply preserves the ability of this commission to continue their work and for either the government or the oversight board to review and consider any findings that the commission might have. The work being done by the commission could significantly assist both the oversight board and the Puerto Rican Government as the island tries to get back on its feet. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), my sister from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chair, I urge everyone to vote for the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call Vote number 181 on H.R. 5052, I mistakenly recorded my vote as Nay when I should have voted Yea.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, this month we take time to commemorate the innumerable contributions that African Americans have--and continue to make--to our Nation. Today, I would like to rise and honor a resident of my district who is a pioneer and trailblazer for the Civil Rights Movement--Ms. Claudette Colvin--for her many years of advocacy and impact that she's had throughout the United States. Ms. Colvin was born on September 5, 1939 in Birmingham, Alabama to C.P. Austin and Mary Jane Austin (Gadson). She is the oldest of eight sisters. During her early childhood her adopted parents, Q.P. and Mary Ann Colvin lived in the rural community of Pine Level, Alabama. Ms. Colvin attended the Springhill Baptist Elementary School but later she moved to Montgomery and lived in an area called King Hill. She attended Booker T. Washington School from 1949 to 1956. While she didn't finish her senior year, she later received her G.E.D. and attended the Alabama State Teachers College in Montgomery for one year. Ms. Colvin is one of the unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. At the age of fifteen, she played a critical role in desegregating the buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Many people don't know that nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested for her act of courage in favor of equal treatment, Ms. Colvin was arrested on March 2, 1955 for a similar act of peaceful resistance. She subsequently became one of the four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle. The plaintiffs sought equal rights in Montgomery's busing system, and to have the racially segregated seating policies declared unconstitutional. Represented by famed attorney Fred D. Gray, the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which declared in favor of Ms. Colvin and her co-plaintiffs. It was a jubilant day in the history of the city of Montgomery, and an important victory in the Civil Rights Movement. Many people don't know that Ms. Colvin subsequently relocated to my district in the Bronx, and has been a New Yorker for more than 50 years. She worked for more than 30 years at a Catholic Nursing Home as a nursing assistant. She is the mother of two boys, and she has six adorable grandchildren. She has reaped the fruits of her labor through them. Ms. Colvin's bravery that day in 1955, and in the subsequent months and years as the case moved through the federal court system, has not gone unnoticed. Ms. Colvin's name started surfacing during Black History Month as early as 1979. The Birmingham News did a feature story in 1980. New York Governor Mario M. Cuomo awarded her with the MLK, Jr. Medal of Freedom in 1990. The Selma Times Journal featured her in 1991, The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute added a picture display of Ms. Colvin in 1994. She was featured in the cover story of USA Today Newspaper on November 25, 1995, the Montgomery Advertiser in 1996 and the Washington Post on April 12, 1990. She has been mentioned in several books such as ``Freedom's Children'' by Ellen Levine, ``Parting the Waters'' by Taylor Bunch, ``Bus Ride to Justice'' by Fred D. Gray, ``The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It'', and the memoirs of JoAnn Gibson Robinson, to name a few. I am proud to add to that recognition today. Ms. Colvin has been a pillar of the Bronx for so long, and her story is one that all Bronxites, and Americans, should know. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Ms. Claudette Colvin, a civil rights pioneer, for her legacy and devotion to fighting against injustice.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month this year, I am honored to reflect on the contributions African-Americans have made within my district in Bronx County. That is why I am proud to have this opportunity to recognize Ms. Etta F. Ritter for her many years of tireless work to improve the lives of our community residents. Etta F. Ritter is a native of Bronx County, spending her early years as a resident of Butler Houses, where she attended PS 132, CES 55 and IS 148. She later attended secondary school at Murry Bergtraum High School for Business Careers in Manhattan and majored in Secretarial Studies, graduating in 1982. Ms. Ritter then attended Manhattan Community College for one year, received an offer to work that started her on her career path. She has continued her education throughout the years in different venues. Ms. Ritter was hired at the New York City Office of Management and Budget as a back-up secretary in 1984. She was later promoted as a statistical typist within the Community Development Unit and was subsequently promoted and transferred to the Computer Services Unit as a help desk coordinator. Ms. Ritter worked at the NYC Office of Management and Budget up until October 1996, when she was hired as a Community Coordinator at Bronx Community Board Three, which covers parts of the Melrose, Claremont, Morrisania, and Crotona Park neighborhoods in my district. She recognized that working at Bronx Community Board Three plays an important role in improving the quality of life for residents within Community District Three. As community coordinator at Bronx Community Board Three, Ms. Ritter ensures that agendas and minutes are distributed on a monthly basis to area residents, elected officials, community based organizations and media contacts. She plays a vital role in ensuring that complaints/concerns relating to the delivery of municipal city services are addressed in a timely fashion. In June of 2013, Ms. Ritter was promoted to Administrative Manager based on her extensive relevant work experience. Under direction of the district manager and with wide latitude for independent initiative and judgment, she manages the daily operations of the office and performs difficult analytical work in the preparation and administration of the operating budget for Bronx Community Board Three. As the Fiscal Officer/Preparer for all budget documents, Ms. Ritter analyzes, prepares and modifies the Other than Personal Services Budget (OTPS) each year. Ms. Ritter is pleased to work at a community board that has been ``first'' in the approval process involving the creation of numerous affordable housing and economic development projects, including a Sect. 197-A Neighborhood Development Plan, the Presbyterian Senior Services Grandparents Apartment building with support services for grandparents raising their grandchildren, the development of Boricua Village, which includes a major college campus in Boricua College that serves approximately 2,000 students and provides approximately 700 units of new housing and retail development, the Cross Bronx Plaza at East 174th Street, veterans housing and subsidized, affordable, green LEEDS rated homes. Ms. Ritter's long-term devotion to the Bronx is truly noteworthy, and we can also see the progress our borough has made thanks as a result. I am so pleased to be able to recognize her efforts here in Congress. She will be celebrating 32 years of City service come April 2, 2016 and celebrates her life with her son Bashiek Dorsey, 31, who served in the Army protecting our country and now resides in Irving, Texas. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Ms. Etta F. Ritter for her consistently remarkable dedication to public service and longstanding commitment to improving our community.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise during this month, dedicated to the celebration of African Americans who have made great contributions to the world, to pay tribute to Reverend Frederick Crawford for his many years of compassionate service and tireless work to improve the lives of our community residents. Reverend Frederick Crawford is the Senior Pastor of Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church and the founder of Faithbook, which is a public group on Facebook designed to inspire and encourage via the internet. Established in 2014, Faithbook has more than 3,000 members and counting. This group was designed by Rev. Crawford to encourage, strengthen, and pray for believers in Christ. Members are welcomed to post prayers, words of encouragement, scriptures, testimonies, prayer requests, sermons, pictures, videos, and advertisements of church events. Reverend Crawford is a native of the Bronx. He is the oldest of four children born to Reverend Dr. Fletcher and Mother Arnetta Crawford. He graduated from Eastern Mennonite College and Seminary where he earned a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration and Minor in Religious Studies. He continued his studies at Alliance Theological Seminary, Unification Theological Seminary and later obtained a Bachelor's of Theology from American International Theological Seminary. He was ordained to be the Assistant Pastor of Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church by Dr. Fletcher Crawford in August 1988. Reverend Crawford is the third generation of his family to serve as pastors of Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church. His father, Dr. Fletcher Crawford served for fifty years and his grandfather, Rev. Jeremiah Crawford, organized this community institution in 1946. Prior to his leadership at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Reverend Crawford was the pastor at the First Calvary Baptist Church in Harlem, NY for twenty years before being called back to Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church in 2006. Upon Dr. Fletcher Crawford's retirement, Rev. Frederick Crawford was installed as Pastor at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church on August 20, 2006. Pastor Crawford is happily married to Lady Antoinette Crawford, and they have four children; Lamont, Shapri, Hezekiah, and Chloe. Under his leadership, Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church has created numerous programs to assist families in the Bronx. Many of those programs focus on addressing a serious issue in the Bronx--hunger and food insecurity. Through Reverend Crawford's leadership, Union Grove feeds more than 1,000 families every year during Thanksgiving Week, providing them with enough food for a family of four for a week. The church also runs an important food pantry that offers needy Bronxites produce, meats, breads, dairy, juice, water, dry and can goods at no charge. Additionally, Reverend Crawford leads a daily Summer Food Program at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church, which provides more than 300 meals for breakfast and lunch for those in need. The church is also very involved in numerous other issues as well and has an annual Back To School Health and Community Awareness Fair that helps students prepare for school and includes free food, entertainment, clothes, books and book bags. Pastor Crawford has also created Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church's annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration to engage the community in honoring Dr. King. I have had the honor of speaking at this important community event several times. As Reverend Crawford has made Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church an integral member of the Bronx community, he has also been called to serve in leadership roles in numerous other organizations. He has served as the President of the Baptist Minister's Evening Conference of the Bronx, NY, and is also a member of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater New York and Vicinity, the United Missionary Baptist Association and The National Baptist Convention USA. Rev. Crawford has received numerous awards and accolades including the Religious Community Leader Award in 2007 from the NAACP. Reverend Crawford is a pillar of our community, and it is only fitting that he is honored for his work on behalf of others. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Rev. Frederick Crawford for his consistently remarkable dedication to service and longstanding commitment to improving our community.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of Black History Month and to recognize the important contributions made by African- Americans to our communities and to our nation. African-Americans have made countless contributions to and sacrifices for this great nation, and nowhere is this more visible than in New York City. That is why I want to stand before you today to honor my friend and colleague Congressman Charles B. Rangel for his many years of public service and tireless work to improve the lives of residents of our community and our nation. Charles Rangel, or Charlie as many of us know him, is a legend in New York City and in Congress. His story is well chronicled, growing up on Lenox Avenue in Harlem and then volunteering to serve in the Army during the Korean War. Charlie became a war hero during his service when he was wounded by the enemy during the conflict, and then leading his surviving comrades back from behind enemy lines to safety. For his leadership and bravery, Charlie was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Charlie returned from the war determined to make a difference. With the aid of the G.I. Bill, he graduated from New York University and St. John's University Law School, and became increasingly involved in his community. He also began a career of public service, serving for a time as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and involving himself in local politics and the civil rights movement. It was during this time that he met his mentor and friend, Percy Sutton, along with a number of other young leaders fighting to make a difference in Harlem. Four of those leaders, Percy Sutton, David Dinkins, Basil Paterson, and Charlie Rangel, became the legendary Gang of Four, and each of them went on to incredible success in city, state, and national politics. Charlie's political journey formally began soon thereafter, with his election in 1966 to the New York State Assembly. Charlie served in Albany for four years, and then in 1970, he took on the legendary Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. for the right to represent Harlem in Congress. He beat the incumbent in a tough battle, and began his service here in the House of Representatives. In 1971, during his first term, Charlie became a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He has broken barriers throughout his 23 terms in office, and has maintained a consistent set of political principles. He has sought to help the least among us, and has worked to ensure the American Dream for all Americans, regardless of income. And his record of accomplishment shows just how effective he has been. Congressman Rangel's accomplishments in Congress are truly too many to list, but let me name just a few. He has boosted the incomes of millions of working families through the Earned Income Tax Credit. He worked with my predecessor, Bob Garcia, to establish and pass the Empowerment Zone program, which has helped revitalize communities across the nation. He enabled the financing mechanisms to allow public school systems across the nation to construct new buildings and rehabilitate old ones. He helped isolate apartheid South Africa by passing the Rangel Amendment, which forced many investors in the 1980s to abandon the country. He has created trade and investment opportunities for countries across the Caribbean and Africa. Lastly, he mentored a then junior Congressman from the Bronx, who arrived in Congress in 1990. It was with his friendship, advice, and support that I won my seat on the Appropriations Committee. He has always been a source of knowledge and know-how, and I am proud to count him as a colleague and a dear friend. He has extended his generosity and friendship to my son, State Senator Jose M. Serrano, and we know we can always count on his friendship, personally and politically. Charlie still lives in the community where he was born with his wonderful wife Alma. They have two adult children and three grandchildren. Charlie still has 11 months left in Congress, so this might seem a little bit early to some. But as we celebrate Black History Month and reflect on the contributions African-Americans have made to our nation, I thought it was important to acknowledge just how important and influential Charlie Rangel, New York's own master legislator, has been to our nation. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Congressman Charles B. Rangel for his consistently remarkable dedication to public service and longstanding commitment to improving our nation.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. I thank the gentlewoman and our leader. This is a very bittersweet moment for me. On one hand, I am so proud of what my staff and I and other Members and your staff did to make the financial services portion of this bill much better, much, much better. We increased dollars to the IRS. We helped the Treasury Department. We helped the Small Business Administration. We did so much that would make anyone want to be the top yeller and screamer in favor of this bill. For that I am very grateful, and for that I am very thankful to the committee and to our leadership and to the staff. But then, as one who was born in an American territory called Puerto Rico, there is a glaring omission; and that is that, in Puerto Rico's worst financial crisis, we could not get our colleagues on the other side to agree to just some simple help, some simple opportunities to declare bankruptcy, for a simple opportunity to put their house in order, a simple opportunity to restructure their debt. I have said so many times here that I find myself always in this, not contradiction, but this double situation, where I am a Member of the United States Congress, proud of that, a New Yorker since the age of 6, a long time ago, very proud of that, but born in the territory. And if there were ever a sign of what colonialism is, it is what we have done in this bill. We totally ignore the needs of 4 million American citizens. We totally ignore the need for them to restructure their debt. We totally ignore the need for them to survive and, in the process, we may be creating a humanitarian crisis. We could have averted it simply by allowing some simple language in this bill, but we chose not to do so. So I think it is time that we do two things: that we address the issue, as Speaker Ryan has said that he will, before March 31, the issue, in general, of Puerto Rico's problem; but it is also time to address the issue of the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States. It can't continue to be what it is. It either needs to be an independent nation or a State of the Union, but it can't continue to be powerless and begging for everything it gets.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Plaskett for the time, and thank both Mr. Walker and Ms. Plaskett for that wonderful presentation of the life of one of my predecessors, Herman Badillo. And so rather than get into the details that have already been mentioned, let me just tell you personally what it means to me, what he meant to me, and what this loss of his passing means to all of us. Herman came along at a time when Puerto Ricans in New York were seen as good, hard-working people, but some people were not crazy about the idea of us being in public office or in government, and he showed the way. Having been valedictorian at law school, he came and he immediately got involved in local politics. It is said that by the age of 18, he was already running for local office in East Harlem. He became the first Bronx Borough president. That is equivalent to a county executive of Puerto Rican background. Then he ran for Congress, being the first voting Member of Congress. Let me just explain that for a second. There has been a Member of Congress from Puerto Rico since 1998, but none, to this day, has had full voting rights. He was the first one of Puerto Rican background with full voting rights in 1970. He left this place that he loved so much to become deputy mayor because he felt that he could make a difference in New York, and he served under the administration of Ed Koch. During the time he was here, he helped to found the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; he helped with issues of education and housing, and just economic development for our community. But for those of us who were starting out, he stood as a giant. He stood as this tall man, which he was, who was totally bilingual, who could speak well, who could think well, who was so calm yet so aggressive, and he inspired all of us. I know that on the House floor we don't mention political campaigns, but it can be said that when I first ran in 1974 for the State assembly, he was at my side. And that was part of who he was. He encouraged young people from the community, from all walks of life, to get involved in politics. I remember he always used to tell me, Make sure the same thing everywhere you go. Don't play to that audience and then play to that audience, because, first of all, that is wrong and, secondly, you will get caught up in making a mistake or telling a lie. So make sure you say what you feel from the heart, even if it upsets people. Now in New York, it is very fashionable, although it takes hard work, for Latinos of all different groups to be members of the city council and the State assembly and the State Senate and, yes, the Congress. But when Herman came along, that wasn't the case. He opened up those doors, and he inspired all of us to become who we are today. I could not be a Member of Congress now had he not shown the way that people like us could, in fact, be a Member of Congress. Part of most of the district I represent used to be in his district, so this was a great loss to us. By naming a post office, we can at least always have his name vivid and that respect vivid for this person who came from Puerto Rico and, as was said, who lost both his parents before the age of 5; who came to New York with an aunt not speaking English hardly at all, and yet who excelled in school and became this figure who was nationally known. So, Herman, we thank you for who you were. We thank you for your leadership. But most of all, we thank you for putting our community on the political map.