Louise Slaughter

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), a member of the Rules Committee.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 seconds to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. I have no further requests for time, Mr. Speaker, and I wondered if my colleague is prepared to close.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. I thank the gentleman from Texas. Mr. Speaker, we should be doing one thing today, and that's passing the continuation of tax cuts for the middle class. The American people couldn't be more united in their support for a tax cut, and there's no reason for delay. The Senate has already passed the bill that we could take up now. It's here at the desk. Members across our aisle agree, quite intelligently, that we must not let middle class taxes go up. With such common ground, why would the majority waste another minute before ensuring that the taxes will not go up on the middle class? The answer isn't clear to me. I simply cannot fathom it. But if the majority won't take action, we will. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I'm going to offer an amendment to the rule that says two things. One is first that we will pass a bill to extend the middle class tax cut, and second that we will pass legislation that will avoid the fiscal cliff and the chaos that would ensue. I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment to the rule in the Record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' to defeat the previous question so that we may put our rule on the floor. I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule if we are unsuccessful, and yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. SLAUGHTER

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

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor to congratulate Dr. Todd Pagano, an associate professor and director of the Laboratory Science Technology program at Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), for being named the 2012 U.S. Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The U.S. Professors of the Year Awards Program, created in 1981, is the only national initiative specifically designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. Todd was selected from more than 300 applicants for this award. He is the first RIT faculty member to receive this award. The world's first technological college for deaf students, NTID provides a world-class college education leading to jobs and career advancement for deaf and hard-of hearing students from all 50 states. Though not deaf or hard-of hearing, Professor Pagano's conviction to learn American Sign Language (ASL) in record time after receiving his Doctorate in Chemistry from Tufts University was already a feat in itself. His ability to effectively communicate with and inspire his students--who have a near 100 percent employment rate after graduation--is unparalleled. While serving as Director of the Laboratory Science Technology Program and teaching a full-time class load, Professor Pagano has made it his personal mission to provide mentorship and opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students to excel in the study of chemistry. He has championed the advancement of deaf and hard-of-hearing students attending NTID and witnessed the betterment and employment of countless students. As Dr. Pagano has said, ``Knowing my students have acquired knowledge that can make a difference in their lives by helping them obtain a job is truly rewarding.'' I am so proud of Professor Pagano and NTID and am grateful to have had the privilege to congratulate Todd and his wife--also an educator at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)--personally for this prestigious recognition when they came to Washington, DC last month to accept the award. Today, on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, I congratulate Professor Todd Pagano of the Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for winning the highly celebrated 2012 U.S. Professor of the Year Award. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebration of this momentous honor.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor to recognize Mr. Wade Norwood of the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency (FLHSA) in Rochester, New York, who was today awarded the ``Rock in the Pond'' Unsung Heroes of Public Health Award by the Campaign for Public Health. I am immensely proud of Wade and the work that he and the FLHSA do for the citizens of Rochester. Wade has dedicated his life to ensuring long-term community change for today's families and future generations. When it comes to public health, he is a true ``rock in the pond''--advocating for the betterment of our community, with a keen interest for the underserved and the most vulnerable. He gives a voice to those who do not have one, and advocates health care equity for all, whether in his role as Director of Community Engagement at the FLHSA, as Pastor of the Holy Jerusalem Spiritual Church in Rochester, NY, or as a member of the New York State Board of Regents. At FLHSA, Wade plays a crucial role in convening programs that improve public health, such as the local Partnership for the Uninsured, the Rochester Area Task Force on AIDS, the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, the African-American Health Coalition and the Latino Health Coalition, and Healthi Kids, among others. He has been the face and voice of statewide health care improvement as he has led the FLHSA's effort to reduce health disparities, helping to shape the Agency's community engagement efforts and providing leadership to issues that have a tremendous impact on the health of the city of Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. He heads up a program called Healthi Kids, which advocates for policy changes that prevent childhood obesity, and which has resulted in returning recess into Rochester City School District (RCSD) elementary schools and working with the RCSD to provide healthier, more nutritional and culturally relevant meals during the school year and summer camps. As a result, approximately 30,000 children and youth receive healthier school meals daily. Wade also convenes the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning in Rochester, an education and advocacy organization composed of nearly 100 individuals and community organizations dedicated to eliminating childhood lead poisoning in Monroe County. The program received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Justice Achievement Award for its leadership in community-based efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning. It has influenced major lead-related public policy changes, including a local lead ordinance requiring inspections for lead paint hazards. Under Wade's leadership, the High Blood Pressure Collaborative aims to reduce the incidence of hypertension and its devastating effects (heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke) through a collaborative approach and community engagement. The program includes working with employers to establish worksite wellness initiatives, collaborating with faith and community based organizations in inner city neighborhoods where residents find barriers in accessing care, and working with health providers to improve their practices' control rate of high blood pressure. In 2012 alone, the Collaborative provided over 7,000 face-to-face blood pressure readings and consultations, and another 6,000 with kiosks strategically located in public facilities, such as libraries. Wade has expanded the roles of the Health Disparities/African American and Latino Health Coalitions to ensure there is a community table that is truly representative, and that all voices are heard. Wade and the members of the coalitions address diseases of deep impact to minorities, which include metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. This effort included engaging 19 churches--including his own--with a membership in excess of 5,000 minority congregants, to engage in screening and health literacy programs. Wade also led the Partnership on the Uninsured in its evaluation of insurance coverage barriers, defining community-wide strategies to address these barriers, and implementing a strategic approach to diminishing the number of those without health insurance. Whether it is through his extensive work with FLHSA, on volunteer boards, in his parish, or in the many civic roles he holds, Wade embodies the ``Rock in the Pond'' award he has received. He makes a difference in the health and well-being of all in our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Wade Norwood for his commitment, his selflessness, and his passion to improve the health and lives of all those around him.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 612 and 613. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 612 and ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 613.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor to recognize Mr. Ralph Spezio of Rochester, New York for his continuous advocacy and leadership to prevent and test for childhood blood lead poisoning. It is a pleasure to acknowledge Ralph as an educator, community servant, and leader in the fight to protect children's health. Ralph Neil Spezio served for 33 years in the Rochester City School District as a teacher, curriculum specialist, vice principal and principal. As principal of Enrico Fermi School No. 17, he excelled at engaging students, faculty, families and the surrounding neighborhood. Ralph addressed the needs of the school both inside and outside its walls in order to restore School No. 17 back to a safe place for learning. He connected with Rochester's leading medical centers to build the Community Health and Family Center on school grounds, established a music program with help from the renowned Eastman School of Music, and promoted an active parent-teacher association. Despite these improvements, a large portion of Ralph's students continued to struggle with learning and behavioral problems. He felt that his school had more than the average number of students who had trouble with focus, memory, language, and impulsive behavior. It turned out that while Ralph was working to level the playing field for students to have a fair chance at success--even in a school plagued with a 98% poverty rate and located in Rochester's poverty crescent--an unforeseen and slient monster was working against him: lead poisoning. Lead is a highly toxic metal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes that in young children, lead poisoning can result in lowered intelligence, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity, and antisocial behavior. In 1999 Ralph overheard school nurses speaking about students who had been poisoned. Eventually it was discovered that school health records showed 41 percent of the children at School No. 17 had a history of elevated levels of lead in their blood. Worst yet, those were only the results of those children who were tested directly for lead. Through the Community Health and Family Center he had established, Ralph began testing preschool students for lead. That first year, 100% of the preschoolers tested were positive for lead. Ralph immediately initiated a grass-roots effort to educate the community about the dangers of lead and to advocate for blood tests and home inspections. Mr. Spezio became a founding member of the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, a group of Rochester doctors, nurses, lawyers, educators, child advocates, health insurers, property owners and community leaders committed to ending childhood lead poisoning. The work of this coalition has earned the EPA's Environmental Justice Achievement Award. In conjunction with local government and with the support of federal resources through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Coalition reports an 84 percent decline in childhood lead poisoning in Monroe County over the past decade. With this success, Rochester has become a model for other cities combating lead problems. I am so proud of the excellent, life-changing work that Ralph has done and his commitment to putting children first in Rochester. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and thanking Mr. Ralph Spezio for his leadership, compassion and dedication to the healthy development of our nation's most precious resources, our children.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 604, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the Stokoe Family of Scottsville, New York. For 200 years, Stokoe Farms has thrived as a family farm, and grown to become an icon of Western New York. Thomas Stokoe founded Stokoe Farms in 1812, after immigrating to the United States from Nafferton, England. Thomas originally purchased 100 acres on Bowerman Road in Scottsville. A year later, Thomas married Maria Romeyn and by 1859 Thomas and Maria had passed the growing family farm onto the next generation. Today, the 7th generation of Stokoe family members continues to operate Stokoe Farms. It has continued to grow over the years thanks to the hard work, commitment and dedication of the Stokoe family, and is now home to crops, livestock and agri-entertainment that draw 60,000 visitors a year. Today's farm is sustained by the hard work and dedication of Dick, Greg, Kim, Jeff, Scott, Debra, Larry, Martha and Suzanne. Over the years, these family members have maintained the farming practices pioneered by Thomas 200 years ago. In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the farm, the Stokoe family uses practices such as conservation tillage, integrated crop management, and minimal use of pesticides to ensure the farm grows for generations to come. Perhaps most notably, the Stokoe family brings the same dedication and devotion to their work in our Western New York community. When not on the farm, the Stokoe family has selflessly served on both school and town boards, and devoted themselves in service of their faith. Mr. Speaker, like our families, our nation is the product of work that has spanned generations. As the Stokoe family celebrates 200 years of family farming, they show our nation that it is the time-honored values of hard work, integrity and dedication to community and family that will sustain our nation, and Stokoe Farms, for another 200 years to come.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove Representative McNerney of California as a cosponsor of H.R. 5864, the Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

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

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. This week marks the last time the Chamber will meet until the middle of November. As we depart, the majority walks away with the dubious distinction of having presided over a session of Congress that is widely called the least productive in history. This Congress has achieved that distinction because, although bipartisan consensus is needed to pass any bill into law, the majority has spent the last 2 years pursuing an extreme and partisan agenda. In fact, they have repeatedly spurned potential bipartisanship in order to vote on ideological legislation that will never become law. In week after week, the majority has refused to help our Nation's drought-stricken farmers. With the Senate-approved farm bill sitting on the table and a bipartisan outcry to pass a 5-year farm bill growing, the majority has decided to neglect our Nation's farmers and allow the farm bill to expire without even attempting to pass a bill at any time in the House. An expiration of the farm bill means that dairy farmers in my part of the country, western New York, and throughout the United States will lose what little safety net they have. Yet, when faced with the choice of passing a compromised farm bill or pursuing an all-or-nothing partisan agenda or, as we're doing today, passing bills that have already passed the House just because they liked them so much they wanted to see them again, the majority chose the latter. In western New York, farmers don't need the majority to play partisan games. They need a 5-year farm bill, and they need it now. Unfortunately, the bills we consider today offer more of the same. Both the bills before us today are little more than extreme and partisan messaging documents designed to benefit politicians running for office, not the American citizen struggling to get by. Take, for example, H.R. 3409, the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act. That's a fine title there. Four out of the five titles in this bill, as I had said a minute ago, four out of the five bills in this measure have already been voted on by the House, but they were too partisan and extreme to pass the Senate. They will not yet again pass the Senate; therefore, it is simply a waste of time today. It costs a lot of money to bring all the Members of Congress back to Washington from the four corners of the United States, and to come back to repass bills that have already passed that will never go beyond this House cannot be called anything else but a colossal, disastrous waste of time. Among other things, the bill would roll back decades of environmental protections, endanger the public's health, and prevent our country from addressing the growing threat of climate change. The majority knows that such extreme proposals will not pass into law, but they are moving forward anyway in order to serve political campaigns. Similar sentiments appear to be driving the consideration of the second proposal, the TANF disapproval resolution. This bill is based upon a premise that has been proven false by multiple fact-checking organizations, including The Washington Post Fact Checker. Indeed PolitiFact, an nonpartisan project of the Tampa Bay Times, has concluded that ``by granting waivers to States, the Obama administration is seeking to make welfare-to-work efforts more successful, not end them.'' Despite that, we're going to bring up the bill today to cure something that does not exist. It is astounding that at a time when we could be voting on a jobs bill, Republicans have instead chosen to block an Obama administration proposal that would help States put more people back to work and, indeed, has been requested by those States' Governors. Perhaps most telling is the fact that even as we consider these bills, the majority also refuses to consider legislation to address serious national crises. Yesterday at a meeting of the Rules Committee, they blocked five amendments that would address those issues. First they brought an amendment by Representative Boswell to vote on the bipartisan Senate farm bill. They had another chance yesterday to bring the farm bill up before we all go home. Then they brought an amendment by Representative Moore to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which expires in days and a bipartisan bill, if ever there was one, because I was one of the coauthors of the bill. That has been routinely authorized by both parties until this year. Finally, they blocked amendments by my colleagues, Representatives Levin, Connolly, and Blumenauer to pass tax cuts for the middle class, to extend a production tax credit for renewable energy producers, wind energy, and to consider legislation to address the financial crisis facing the postal service. The majority was given a chance to bring all of its proposals to the floor, but they walked away and went forward with the messaging before us today. So we will pass today four bills that have been passed previously. I asked my colleagues in the majority: Which is more important, to provide relief to the drought-stricken farmers or voting to deny climate change? Which is more important, passing a symbolic resolution based upon a false premise or providing tax cuts to the middle class? Which is more important, passing self-proclaimed messaging documents, or working together to provide for the millions of Americans in need? If you would ask a farmer in Monroe County, New York, if they would rather have Congress pass a dead-on-arrival messaging bill or act on a bipartisan farm bill, I know and you know what they would choose. In closing, what we are considering today are choices made by the majority, a choice to pursue an extreme and bipartisan agenda that they knew would never become law. In so doing, they have failed to provide results for the American people that lead to the least productive Congress in the history of our Nation. I urge my colleagues to reconsider the choices that have been brought here today and the legislation that we are about to consider. In the process, I hope we can finally end the political games and return to the responsibility of governing. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire through my colleague if he has any other requests for time?

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. It happens.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I'm glad to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, except one more. And we want to defeat the previous question. I'm going to offer an amendment which proposes that Congress will not adjourn until the President passes the middle class tax cut into law. Additionally, I want to make in order the amendment that will extend the renewable energy tax credit. These tax credits are directly responsible for creating more American jobs. Allowing them to expire will mean fewer manufacturing jobs at home and more jobs sent overseas to China. We cannot afford to leave town without extending them. To discuss our proposal, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell). (Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)