Adam Schiff

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my congressional district. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Noemi Torres of West Hollywood, California. Noemi Torres immigrated to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico at the age of 13. After some time in Seattle, Washington, she came to Los Angeles and now calls West Hollywood home. Ms. Torres came to California, as many do, to pursue her dreams. While she has a passion for photography and acting, she found herself working with a successful startup telecommunications company, and it was while at that company, that she was exposed to the real estate industry. Now Noemi is on the Modern Living LA team of the John Aaroe Group Sunset, where she uses her considerable talents to help her clients with their real estate needs. Along with her incredible professional accomplishments, Ms. Torres has also shown herself to be an astoundingly capable community leader. She volunteers for Project Angel Food, AIDS Walk Los Angeles, the Revlon Run/Walk, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Heal the Bay, and the Downtown Women's Center. Noemi especially shines in her advocacy in her two terms on the City of West Hollywood Women's Advisory Board, which she currently chairs. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Noemi Torres.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Camille Lombardo of Pasadena, California. Camille has a Bachelor of Arts in Theology degree from Pitzer College and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. For twenty-five years, Camille has admirably served as Executive Director of the Friends of the Observatory (FOTO), the non-profit organization that supports the world-renowned Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. During this time, Ms. Lombardo has not only raised tens of millions of dollars for the Observatory, but has also been a leader in assisting with the development, planning and execution of key Observatory initiatives. During her tenure, she spearheaded the funding effort of the public-private partnership with the City of Los Angeles for the observatory's ninety-three million dollar expansion and renovation project, raising over twenty-five million dollars of that in private funding and working with local, state and federal agencies to secure public funding. Ms. Lombardo has continued to raise millions of dollars for upgrades in the ten years to the observatory. These include the planetarium show production capability, theater projection and sound systems, and the ability to record and broadcast live astronomical observations and special events, thus greatly expanding its audience both world-wide and at the observatory itself. In addition, Camille raises funds for the observatory's school program for fifth-graders which serves 25,000 mostly public school students annually, and Bus Scholarship program for disadvantaged schools, resulting in free school programs. A consummate professional, Ms. Lombardo capably guides FOTO with its thousands of members and many activities, and works effortlessly with the City of Los Angeles and the observatory staff on policy issues, building improvements, and major events organization and implementation. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Camille Lombardo.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Christine Rodriguez, of Elysian Valley, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Christine has spent many years of her life serving her community through her work as a librarian and through volunteering. She was the Children's Librarian at the East Los Angeles County Library, and then became a volunteer at that library, leading the Summer Reading Program. Since 1994, Ms. Rodriguez has worked for the City of Burbank's libraries, and is currently Supervising Librarian at the Buena Vista Branch Library. A consummate volunteer, Christine has been active at Dorris Place Elementary School, running school book fairs, fundraising and participating in the parent support organization. She is a graduate of the Leadership Burbank program, where she assisted with fundraising for Monterey High School in Burbank, and was active in the John Burroughs High School Boosters, where she raised money for the water polo team. Ms. Rodriguez served as Secretary and Treasurer of the Elysian Valley Neighborhood Council, chairing the Neighborhood Purposes Grants Committee, utilizing her longtime city employment knowledge. Her current volunteer organizations include serving as a member of the Elysian Valley Fruit Share, where excess fruit from neighborhood gardens is given to residents without gardens, attending a variety of neighborhood community meetings, and as a member of the Elysian Valley Art Collective where she raised funds for two of the annual Frogtown Artwalks. In addition, Christine is an art quilter whose artwork has been displayed at the Cactus Gallery in Elysian Valley. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Christine Rodriguez.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Marlene Hitt of Sunland, California. A lifelong Sunland resident and consummate volunteer, Marlene has been active in many organizations in the Sunland-Tujunga community. She has been a member of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council for many years, serving in various leadership roles and on many committees. Marlene has been a dedicated and devoted member of the Little Landers Historical Society (LLHS), a non-profit organization founded in 1959 to preserve Bolton Hall, a 1913 historic stone building in Tujunga that was the Tujunga City Hall and the hub for many community activities up until the late 1950's when it was saved from destruction. The LLHS subsequently collects, preserves and displays records, artifacts and landmarks of the history of the Sunland-Tujunga area and people active in that history in the Bolton Hall Museum. For nearly three decades, Ms. Hitt has capably and enthusiastically served the LLHS and Bolton Hall Museum as Museum Director, Docent Director, Boardmember, Archivist and Docent. In addition, Marlene and her husband Lloyd, were very involved in the successful effort to obtain historic designation for a portion of the Verdugo Hills Golf Course, where a World War II detention center for Japanese-Americans was located. A well-regarded writer, Ms. Hitt is a longtime member of the Chupa Rosa Writers of Sunland-Tujunga and the Foothills, and has authored anthologies, readings, poetry chapbooks, a non-fiction book: ``Sunland- Tujunga, from Village to City,'' and has written articles for many newspapers. Along with other community members, Marlene co-founded the Sunland-Tujunga Poet Laureate program, where she was honored to serve as its first Poet Laureate. Married for sixty-one years, Marlene and Lloyd have two children, two grandchildren and one great grandchild. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional, well- respected woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Marlene Hitt.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleague, Representative Judy Chu, rise today to honor A Noise Within, a classic theater company of Pasadena, California upon its twenty-fifth anniversary. A Noise Within (ANW) was established in 1991 by Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott with the goal of performing classic theater as a vital means of enriching the community by embracing universal human experiences, expanding personal awareness, and challenging individual perspectives. At a period when classical theater was seldom performed in the area, ANW's first production was Hamlet. Initially performing in a small theater in a former Masonic Temple in Glendale and funded by the founders, ANW flourished for nearly twenty years, garnering praise for its artistic excellence. After an effective capital campaign, ANW built a permanent home in east Pasadena, California in 2011. A Noise Within performs in a rotating repertory manner to general and student audiences, reaching an audience of around thirty-five thousand people each season with one hundred-fifty shows of seven timeless classic plays, and has the distinction of being the only year- round classical repertory theater in Southern California. Dedicated to making great classic literature come to life for our youth, with its Our Classics Live! Education Program, ANW serves 16,000 students every season, with some level of subsidy for each student participant. I ask all Members to join Congresswoman Chu and me in recognizing A Noise Within upon their twenty-fifth anniversary, and for their outstanding service and significant contributions to the arts in the greater Pasadena area.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Lois Williams, of Burbank, California, who passed away on March 21, 2017. Lois Tuttle was born on February 25, 1921 in Kansas City, Missouri where she was raised with her brother Karl. In 1947, Lois married Bill Williams and they moved to California in 1951, settling in the Burbank area of southern California. With a passion for social justice, Lois was an ardent advocate for the rights of workers to organize and join in the democratic political process. A staunch defender of the union movement, she assisted in writing curriculum for teaching union history in schools, worked on labor law negotiations, and was a founding member of Citizens for Utility Rate Balance. Ms. Williams was Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the Council of the Engineers and Scientists Organization and an officer at the Engineers and Scientists Guild-Lockheed Section, where she helped advance many progressive programs, and was an early proponent of portable pensions, health care for all, conversion policy in the defense industry and child care in the workplace. Affiliated with the Democratic Party since she first voted for Harry Truman, Lois was active in many democratic organizations and clubs where she held leadership positions. She served as President of the Verdugo Hills Democratic Club, President of the MidValley Democratic Club, Regional Vice President and Chair of the Endorsements Committee of the California Democratic Council, a Steering Committee member of the Stonewall Democratic Club, Secretary and Treasurer of the 43rd Assembly District Committee, and a member of Democrats for Neighborhood Action. In addition, Lois was a long-serving member of the California Democratic Party State Central Committee and the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee, and was a founding member of the 27th Congressional District Democratic Club. In 2012, Lois was honored with the Action Democrats of the San Fernando Valley's Mimi and Lou Robins Distinguished Achievement Award. Preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Bill Williams, Lois is survived by her daughter, Lyn Shaw and son-in-law, Jim Hilfenhaus. Lois was an irreplaceable part of the local community, and she will be greatly missed. I ask all members to join me in remembering Lois Williams.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special recognition to the Burbank Unified School District as it celebrates its Ninetieth Anniversary. In 1927, the Burbank Union High School District (BUSD) and the Elementary City School District unified to become the Burbank City School District, which served approximately 1,000 students. The name later changed to Burbank Unified School District to reflect state educational standards. Today, BUSD's total enrollment is approximately 15,000 students, who attend grades K-12 at three high schools, three middle schools, and eleven elementary schools. The District also has an Alternative Education Program, an Adult Education Program which serves more than 5,000 students, and numerous district child care centers serving preschool or school age children. The Burbank Unified School District's mission statement reflects its purpose by building partnerships with parents, families, students, and the community and promises the effective use of all available resources to create, provide, and support quality instructional programs, services, and environments. The District strives to ensure that every student develops the skills, knowledge, attitude, and behavior in order to be a responsible, productive citizen and lifelong learner in a diverse and changing global society. BUSD is proud to have had seven of its elementary schools named as 2016 Gold Ribbon recipients as well as all three of its middle schools and its comprehensive high schools recognized as California Distinguished Schools. Five elementary schools have earned the distinction of being named 2016 Academic Achievement Award winning schools and four are designated as having Exemplary Arts programs. In addition, the District's continuation high school, Monterey High, has been selected as a state model school, and the Burbank Adult School has been honored as a Program of Excellence by the State of California. I ask all Members to join me today in honoring the Burbank Unified School District upon the celebration of its Ninetieth Anniversary. The entire community joins me in thanking the past and current School Board Members, Superintendents, Teachers, Administrators and Support Staff of Burbank Unified School District for the outstanding educational opportunities they have provided for the youth of California's 28th Congressional District.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 29th Anniversary of the pogrom against the Armenian residents of the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. Twenty-nine years ago, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed their Armenian neighbors. When the violence finally subsided, hundreds of Armenian civilians had been brutally murdered and injured, women and young girls were raped, and victims were tortured and burned alive. Those that survived the carnage fled their homes and businesses, leaving behind everything they had in their desperation. The pogroms were the culmination of years of vicious anti-Armenian propaganda, spread by the Azerbaijani authorities. The Azerbaijani authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Sumgait to this day, as well as denying the role of senior government officials in instigating the violence. Unsurprisingly, it was not the end of the violence, and was followed by additional attacks, including the 1990 pogrom in Baku. The Sumgait massacre and the subsequent attacks on ethnic Armenians, resulted in the virtual disappearance of a once thriving population of 450,000 Armenians living in Azerbaijan, and culminating in the war launched against the people of Nagorno Karabakh. That war resulted in thousands dead on both sides and created over one million refugees in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Time has not healed the wounds of those murdered in the pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku. To the contrary, hatred of Armenians is celebrated in Azerbaijan, a situation most vividly exemplified by the case of Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army captain who savagely murdered an Armenian army lieutenant, Gurgen Margaryan with an axe while he slept. The two were participating in a NATO Partnership for Peace exercise at the time in Hungary. In 2012, Safarov was sent home to Azerbaijan, purportedly to serve out the remainder of his sentence. Instead, he was pardoned, promoted, and paraded through the streets of Baku as a returning hero. The assault on ethnic Armenian civilians in Sumgait helped touch off what would become a direct conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh. And today, Azerbaijan's dangerous behavior on the Line of Contact threatens peace and stability in the region. Artillery and sniper fire across the Line of Contact has become a fact of daily life for civilians in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, causing numerous casualties. In April of last year, Azerbaijan launched its most aggressive attack in many years, resulting in the loss of many lives over the course of three days of intense fighting. Along with other Members of Congress, I have consistently called for a direct international response to Azerbaijan's aggressive behavior through deployment of international monitors and technology to monitor ceasefire violations. Azerbaijan's continued rejection of these simple steps speaks volumes, but I believe they should not prevent the installation of these technologies within Nagorno Karabakh. The anniversary of Sumgait is a reminder of the consequences when aggression and hatred is allowed to grow unchecked. Mr. Speaker, this April we will mark the 102nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, an event the Turkish government, Azerbaijan's closest ally, goes to great lengths to deny. We must not let such crimes against humanity go unrecognized, whether they occurred yesterday or 28 years ago or 100 years ago. Today, let us pause to remember the victims of the atrocities of the Sumgait pogroms. Mr. Speaker, it is our moral obligation to condemn crimes of hatred and to remember the victims, in hope that history will not be repeated.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago next month, on April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson stood in this Chamber and asked Congress to declare war on Germany. While the proximate cause for America's entry into World War I was Germany's campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare, Wilson and his supporters were also motivated by the belief that they, and the force of American arms, could deliver Europe from its intractable squabbles and, in so doing, make the world safe for democracy. It was not until the following spring that the American doughboys were committed to the Western Front in large numbers, but they provided not only the additional combat power needed to break the exhausted Germans within months, but also imbued a sense of moral purpose into what had been nearly 4 years of futile slaughter. A generation later, millions of American GIs returned to help free Europe from Adolf Hitler, while millions more pushed Japan back from its imperial conquests in Asia. This time we stayed--the living to keep the peace and prevent one form of tyranny being replaced by another and the dead as silent witnesses to the cost of liberation. The United States worked to create the United Nations and a host of other international organizations designed to bind together humanity and avoid another catastrophic world war. We extended aid and friendship to our former enemies through the Marshall Plan and rebuilt Western Europe into an alliance of democracies, a shining contrast to the Soviet Union's eastern satellites. America's commitment to peace was matched by an equally resolute willingness to defend freedom. When the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin in 1948, in an attempt to force the Western allies out of their half of the city, American pilots flew missions around the clock for 11 months to keep the city supplied until the Soviets relented. Walls, barbed wire, and stifling oppression characterized the Soviet bloc and Communist Asia. Against this, the United States marshaled its greatest weapons--individual liberty, democratic governance, and a market economy to discredit and defeat communism. When the Cold War ended four decades after it had begun, it was the fall of the Berlin Wall that symbolized the triumph of freedom and seemingly heralded a new era of peace and prosperity. Nearly three decades have passed since communism's collapse and the global harmony that many hoped for has been replaced by an international order more challenging to American leadership and American ideals than any we have seen in my lifetime. Intolerance, ultra-nationalism, and crude populism are rising across the developed world and threaten to undo the work of decades. After a century of American leadership of the international community, there was a sense among many here at home and around the world that we have lost our will to lead, that we will no longer honor President Kennedy's commitment to ``pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.'' The world sees President Trump's executive orders on immigration and asks: Where is the America that welcomed millions to its shores? Well, I am happy to say that America is alive and well in communities across this great Nation, where people from every continent live together, eat each other's food, celebrate each other's holidays, and it also lives on in the hundreds of State Department officials who signed a Dissent Channel memorandum opposing that policy. The world sees President Trump's threats to withdraw from Europe and Asia unless our allies ``pay up,'' and asks whether America will still defend its friends. That America, the one that stands shoulder-to- shoulder with NATO and South Korea, can be found in our troops stationed in the Baltics, Poland, and along the DMZ; and it can be found here in Congress, where there is broad support for our alliances and our allies. The world sees President Trump threatening to drastically cut our foreign assistance budget, the literal difference between life and death for millions of the world's most vulnerable people, and asks: Where is America's legendary generosity? That America, Mr. Speaker, is alive and well, too. Our USAID professionals, our Peace Corps volunteers, and the thousands of individual Americans working as medical missionaries or with NGOs are still making a difference around the globe every day. The world sees President Trump's embrace of Vladimir Putin and his seeming disdain for key allies like Germany and Australia and wonders whether we will remain committed to democracy and the rule of law, or we will abandon principle in favor of expedience and flattery. That America--the America that stood with Solidarity in Poland, with Nelson Mandela in South Africa, and with Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma--is still here, too. Millions of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, the old and young, still stand with those who seek freedom, and we will never allow this President to abandon our ideals. And finally, Mr. Speaker, the world has seen the rise of Donald Trump and wonders whether Americans will still fight for their own democracy--are we still worthy heirs to Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt? The answer to that is on display every day across this country. From the millions who clogged our nation's streets on January 21st, to the calls pouring into Congress every day to demand a full investigation of the Russia scandal, the American people are engaged and ready to fight for our democracy here at home and for freedom around the world. To those who doubt us, or wonder whether we remain true to our ideals, whether we will stand up for what we believe, and defend not only America but the beautiful idea it represents, let me borrow a phrase from John Paul Jones, the Revolutionary War hero. ``We have not yet begun to fight.''

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of celebrated artist Tyrus Wong, of Sunland, California, who passed away on December 30, 2016, at the age of 106. Tyrus Wong, best known for his beautiful, impressionistic renderings in the Walt Disney Studio's animated film ``Bambi,'' was born as Wong Gen Yeo in China on October 25, 1910. He and his father emigrated to the United States in 1920. Tyrus' father taught his son calligraphy, drawing and painting, encouraging Tyrus' artistic talents. Tyrus attended junior high school in Pasadena, but left that school to attend Otis Art Institute, now Otis College of Art and Design, on a full scholarship. At Otis, Mr. Wong studied great western artists and Chinese brush paintings, especially Song dynasty landscapes that expressed mountains, trees and fog with nominal brush strokes. He graduated from Otis and joined the Depression-era Federal Art Project, creating paintings for government buildings and other institutions. During this time period he was a featured artist at an Art Institute of Chicago exhibition that included artists such as Pablo Picasso, and was active in organizing local art exhibitions for Los Angeles' Asian artists. In 1937, Tyrus married Ruth Ng Kim, and after the birth of their first daughter, Kay in 1938, he began working for Disney as an ``inbetweener,'' where he worked on hundreds of Mickey Mouse sketches. After learning about Disney's film ``Bambi,'' which was in pre- production, he created watercolors and drawings of a deer in a forest, and those tiny, evocative renderings became the basis for the film's visual style and he became the film's lead artist. In 1941, after a Disney animators' strike, Mr. Wong went to work at Warner Brothers Studios as a film production illustrator and sketch artist, where he drew set designs and storyboards for movies such as ``Sands of Iwo Jima,'' ``Rebel Without a Cause'' and ``Auntie Mame.'' Tyrus retired from Warner Bros. in 1968, but continued to work as an artist, creating greeting cards for Hallmark Cards, working as a ceramicist, and building and designing exquisite hand-made kites. Mr. Wong's life and work has been featured in many significant exhibitions at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and The Museum of Chinese in America in New York City and his striking Chinese Dragon mural is prominently displayed in Chinatown. Tyrus is featured in several documentaries, including the award-winning documentary ``Tyrus,'' in which he shared his struggles with poverty, racism and adversity. Mr. Wong is survived by his daughters: Kay Fong, Tai-Ling Wong, Kim Wong and two grandsons. I would like to ask all Members to join me in remembering Tyrus Wong, a Disney Legend, whose innovative work inspired generations of animators, and who leaves a lasting legacy as one of the foremost artists in Los Angeles, California.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mr. Henry Morgenthau, III. Mr. Morgenthau was born at home in New York City on January 11, 1917, to Henry Morgenthau, Jr. and his beloved mother Elinor Fatman. A man of creativity, and vision, a parent, poet, author, film maker and producer, Mr. Morgenthau found his own success in a family known for its achievements in public service. In his 20s, Mr. Morgenthau graduated from Princeton University and served his country as a U.S. Army officer, rising to the rank of Captain, and receiving a Bronze Star. In his 30s, Mr. Morgenthau developed his distinguished career in public broadcasting which lasted into his 60's. He produced an impressive group of documentaries and series, including ``The Negro and the American Promise'' with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and James Baldwin; and ``Prospects of Mankind'' with Eleanor Roosevelt. His work won him and Boston's WGBH, national acclaim, including Emmy, Peabody, UPI, and other awards and nominations. In his 40s, Mr. Morgenthau married Professor Ruth Schachter, a refugee of the Holocaust who became an advisor to Presidents, a world renowned Africa expert, a champion of the underdeveloped world, and a trailblazer for women, among her many significant accomplishments. Together, Henry and Ruth have three children, Sarah, Henry (Ben), and Kramer; and six grandchildren Edward, Henry, Mizia, Henry, Mizia, and Osias. In his 70s, Mr. Morgenthau published ``Mostly Morgenthaus,'' a history of an American family known for its remarkable public service. At the outbreak of World War I, his grandfather, Henry Morgenthau, Sr., served as Woodrow Wilson's U.S. Ambassador to the Sublime Porte (the imperial government of the Ottoman Empire), distinguishing himself in part by his unblinking dispatches about what he described as ``a campaign of race extermination'' against the Armenians before the term ``genocide'' had been coined. His father, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., served as Treasury Secretary for eleven years under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. His brother, Robert Morgenthau, was named U.S. Attorney by President Kennedy, before entering politics as the 1962 Democratic nominee for Governor of NY, and then winning elections to be Manhattan's longest serving District Attorney. Other distinguished members of Mr. Morgenthau's family include his sister Joan Hirschhorn, his first cousin Barbara Tuchman, and his great uncles Governor Herbert Lehman and Chief Judge Irving Lehman of NY. Mr. Morgenthau, along with his father, grandfather, brother, and sister, has distinguished himself in his dedicated support for American and International Jewry. He and his wife Ruth were named as Harvard Hillel's 2004 Tribute to Excellence Honorees. His wife served on the board of the American Jewish World Service and his brother was a founder of Manhattan's Museum of Jewish Heritage. Henry Morgenthau, Sr. led a major relief effort for the Jews in Palestine before it was Israel. Mr. Morgenthau has also been a great supporter of Armenia and her people. At 95, Mr. Morgenthau took up poetry as ``a celebration of the evening of a long life.'' He writes: ``In these precious days I dress my private demons in these scribblings to come out from behind the shadows that have darkened my long and privileged life.'' At 96, Mr. Morgenthau published his first poem, and at 99 his first solo book of poetry was published, ``A Sunday in Purgatory.'' Pulitzer prize winning poet, Peter Balakian, wrote: ``Morgenthau's poems are crisp, elegant forays into memory both personal and cultural . . . His surgical examinations of self and his unflinching stare into mortality define the unique and honest voice of this remarkable first book of poems.'' A man of elegance, distinction, and sweetness, at 100 Mr. Morgenthau remains alive to the world, eager to create more.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about my friend and colleague, Steve Israel, who is retiring from Congress after 16 years. We came into Congress together and have been the best of friends and brothers ever since. Now, the last time I mentioned Steve Israel on the House floor was after making a bet with Steve over the Dodgers-Mets series, a bet that I lost, and I had to sing the ``Meet the Mets'' song on the House floor. I want to assure all my colleagues that is never going to happen again either on the playing field or on the House floor. When we came to Congress together, we were given a book, like all incoming freshmen, called ``Charting the Course.'' This is a book that basically says that there are three different models of being a Congressman. You can be the policy expert or you can be the political animal or you can be the pothole Congressman who is focused on district needs and excellent at meeting the needs of constituents, but the gist of the book is you can't be all three. You have to pick where you are going to make your specialization, and if you try to do all three, you will end up not doing any one of them very well. Steve Israel proved the premise of that book wrong because he proved to be superlative at each and every aspect of being a Member of Congress. On policy, Steve developed an expertise in energy policy and became a leading champion of the development of renewable sources of energy. He became an expert on defense issues; and as one of the members of the Appropriations Committee, he helped eliminate wasteful expenditures on systems we didn't need and investment in defenses that would really protect the country. He became an expert on Middle East policy and sorting out the difficulties of all the complicated relationships between the nations in the Middle East. He became an expert on the Syrian conflict. He also became an expert on issues affecting the middle class and has always been a champion for what needs to be done to make sure that people in this country can enjoy a secure retirement, can get a good job, can raise their family, and that their kids will enjoy a quality of life at least as great as that of their parents, and hopefully even better. He also founded and co-chairs the Center Aisle Caucus, doing something very difficult in this institution, and that is bringing people together of both parties--something we need to see a lot more of. In addition to those policy strengths, he was also and has been one of our greatest political leaders. He served for many years as the DCCC chair and had an encyclopedic knowledge of each and every district in the country belonging to friend or foe alike. He was an extraordinary chair, not only in terms of raising resources, but recruiting some of the finest candidates, and a great many Members of this institution owe their very presence here to his incredible work. He then became the chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and was a very effective Member at shaping our message and at helping us articulate what the Democratic Party was about and has been among the most effective surrogates the Democrats have. In addition to his political expertise and policy expertise, having visited his district and having met his constituents, I know he was also so attuned to the needs of his constituents, particularly the veterans and the homeless, but also in championing the economy and bringing improvements to Long Island Sound. His casework was renowned within New York, and his staff was among the most superb anywhere on the Hill or in any district office. In addition to all that--and that would be enough for any of us--he also wrote a fabulous novel on his iPhone, ``The Global War on Morris.'' Who can do that? Who can write a book at all, let alone one on his iPhone, let alone it gets published by a major publisher and does phenomenally well? When Steve retires, this Congress is going to lose another of its great Members, someone of genuine talent, intellect, and integrity, someone who has come to be relied upon by Presidents. We are also going to lose someone with a great sense of humor, who is a wonderful friend and a bit of a practical joker--like the time he convinced his chief of staff that one of his district staff had run over his dog. Yes, Steve is a cruel man, but funny. We are going to miss him tremendously. I want to wish him all the luck in the world in the exciting career that awaits him when he retires, and all his new endeavors. I look forward to finding him not in the center aisle necessarily, but in a different aisle in the bookstore near me with his latest work. I want to join my colleagues in thanking Steve Israel for his tremendous years of service and for his wonderful friendship. We will all miss him as, indeed, will this entire institution.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Earlier this afternoon, we debated H.R. 3929, honoring the heroes of the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner to our modern-day intelligence and special operations communities. We honor them today to express our deepest gratitude for the contributions they made during World War II and its aftermath and our appreciation for the example they set for the present intelligence community and special operations heroes. They were part of America's Greatest Generation, one we will continue to honor, remember, and emulate. They faced a complex and dangerous world. They met those grave challenges on the desolate fields of Europe, the torrid seas of the Pacific, and in the shadows. Espionage and intelligence were critical to winning the war and to preserving the peace. As we look forward to the future and to the dangerous world we inhabit today, we would do well to keep the examples set by that Greatest Generation in our minds. As they did, we should lead by example as much as by strength. Thankfully, our intelligence community is the most capable and committed in the world to our ideals and to the rule of law. Every day, they seek to ensure that we are given the information necessary to guard and defend ourselves, our allies, and our partners. We remain grateful always for their hard work and dedication. Again, my thanks to Chairman Nunes, to the members of HPSCI, particularly those who are leaving the committee, to the Senate for a remarkable bipartisan and bicameral effort, and to our excellent committee staff. I want to thank the many public servants who have led the IC with whom we have had the chance to work over the past several years. In particular, I want to extend my thanks to those retiring or leaving their roles at the IC at the end of this administration, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and his deputy, Stephanie O'Sullivan; CIA Director John Brennan and his deputy, David Cohen; Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Intelligence and Analysis Leslie Ireland, who today is retiring after 31 years of Federal service; and Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Marcel Lettre. Thank you as well to the incredibly capable leaders of the other elements of the IC who may remain beyond January 20th. Of course, most importantly, thank you to all the men and women of the intelligence community who silently and courageously protect our country day and night through their crucial work. We appreciate everything they do, and they have our continued support. I also want to thank not only the HPSCI members, but the entire staff, including Michael Bahar, Tim Bergreen, Carly Blake, Robert Minehart, Linda Cohen, Amanda Rogers Thorpe, Wells Bennett, Rheanne Wirkkala, Thomas Eager, Patrick Boland, Kristin Jepson, Brandon Smith, and Kimberlee Kerr for all their valuable service. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, let me just say on behalf of the chairman and myself, we were Raiders fans even when they were a losing team. This is not a newfound preoccupation with the team. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell), another fabulous member of our committee.

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today, we are voting on the fiscal year 2017 Intelligence Authorization Act, which is the fourth major piece of legislation I have had the privilege of working on with Chairman Nunes and the membership of our committee. I want to just return the compliment from the chairman. It is a great pleasure to work with him. One of the things I love about our committee is it is truly a refuge from a lot of the partisanship of this institution. To be able to grapple with some of the enormous challenges facing the country and to do so in a nonpartisan way is, I think, a real honor and privilege for all of us on the committee, and I thank the chairman for his leadership in making it so. He continues to be just an invaluable partner on the committee. Each bill we work on together proves anew what can be done when people work together constructively and in a nonpartisan manner to solve real problems. Mr. Speaker, in this iteration of the bill, which the House first passed in the spring by an overwhelming 371-35 votes, we also had the privilege of working closely with our colleagues in the Senate, particularly Chairman Burr and Vice Chairman Feinstein. As always, they have proven to be invaluable partners. Although we still have one or two issues unresolved, 98 percent of this bill represents agreements forged by bipartisan and bicameral behind-the-scenes efforts over the past few months. We should be very proud of this bill, and I believe it is an even better bill than the one we passed in the spring. It preserves--and, in some cases, furthers--all of the priorities of our Members, including the initiatives of our Democratic Members. In particular, I want to highlight some of their contributions: The bill includes Representative Himes' provision to improve the timeliness and fairness of prepublication review process throughout the IC. It includes Representative Sewell's language on investment in Centers of Academic Excellence programs, helping to guarantee that a diverse array of students can take part in IC internships. It also includes her requirement to collect data to evaluate the IC's federally funded academic programs. The bill includes Representative Carson's provision to assist public and private entities in their swiftly removing terrorist content online; his provision on the cooperation and deconfliction between the Departments of Homeland Security and State regarding countering violent extremism programs; and his requirement to have the committee receive information on the operational impacts of foreign investment in the United States. Representative Speier's four provisions are included, which would standardize declassification photocopying fees across the IC to promote the increased availability of information and enhance transparency; her provision to expand access to graduate education programs at the Defense Intelligence Agency; her language on obtaining information on the mental health resilience programs that are available to IC civilians returning from tours in combat zones; and her provision to study reprisals taken against IC contractors who make disclosures that would be legally protected if made by IC employees. The bill includes Representative Quigley's language to continue support to security services in Ukraine. It includes Representative Swalwell's three provisions, including one to track foreign fighters, another to analyze the status of loan forgiveness and debt counseling programs within the IC, and a provision to better understand how the Departments of Homeland Security and Energy take advantage of the expertise resident at our national labs. It includes Representative Murphy's three provisions to provide a report detailing cybersecurity threats to--or vulnerabilities in-- systems employed by seaports and transshipment hubs, including efforts to improve our preparedness and response to a cyber attack; it has language to improve intelligence reporting with respect to Iran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action; and it requires a report on security threats emanating from maritime smuggling routes and ways to better cooperate with other nations to mitigate these threats. Let me also say that Patrick will be dearly missed when he leaves our committee at the end of this session. He has been a tremendously valuable member of the committee. The IAA also furthers important privacy and transparency goals, including by fully authorizing the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. The bill does not contain any legislative restrictions on the scope of the PCLOB's authority to review the impact of IC programs on the privacy and civil liberties of Americans and non-U.S. persons. Thanks to Senate provisions that we have incorporated, it also advances declassification efforts, potentially getting much more information to the public. There are no GTMO transfer restrictions from the bill, and the legislative text adds important provisions that are aimed at countering Russia's destabilizing efforts, including those targeting elections. The legislation accommodates and resolves the vast majority of the administration's objections, which were laid out earlier this year. Critically, this IAA also continues to address the key strategic questions we must continue to ask now and in the next administration in Congress: First, are we focusing too much on the threats of the day at the expense of the threats of tomorrow? It is easy to get distracted by nonstop crises, and it is harder to remain focused on the long term, even when the future can be far more dangerous than the present. We have spent significant resources on counterterrorism priorities in the Middle East and South Asia. We have to continue to focus on CT and the threat posed by ISIS and its followers, but we must not disregard the growing threat posed by Russia, whose global efforts at disruption must be checked, particularly against our allies and our alliances. We must not turn away from threats posed by China, whose Naval adventurism, infiltration of the supply chain, and efforts to get around the CFIUS process in the United States--and to undermine data security more generally--challenge our security and business interests abroad and threaten our Asian partners. Second, are we sufficiently protecting what we currently have, whether in space, at sea, or in the cyber realm? Third, are we leveraging commercial products and services while at the same time making investments in revolutionary technologies that do not yet have commercial application? Fourth, are we recruiting, training, and developing the most effective and diverse workforce as well as leveraging foreign intelligence relationships and building foreign partner capacity? The U.S. has unquestionably the most advanced, capable, and reliable intelligence community in the world. This bill supports that workforce by identifying ways to promote travel, support language training, and increase diversity. It does this, in part, by expanding internship opportunities in the IC to students from diverse regions and backgrounds and allocates resources to building the capacity of our foreign partners. These are values we expect and demand from those partners, and they are central tenets of who we are as a country. There are many unknowns about the incoming administration, particularly how it will utilize and interact with the IC. It is now more important than ever that we give the IC the tools it needs to keep us safe and provide the necessary oversight required to ensure that they act in a manner consistent with our values and at all times. That is why I am pleased that this year's IAA provides such critical oversight of the IC, ensuring our Nation is secure, privacy and civil liberties are safeguarded, and transparency and accountability are paramount. I am proud to support the Intelligence Authorization Act, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I urge the Senate to pass this bill and send the fiscal year `17 IAA to the President's desk or to continue to work with us to resolve any last differences before the end of the Congress. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell), a very valuable member of our committee.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call No. 557, and Yea on Roll Call No. 558.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gary Yamauchi for his many years of dedicated public service to the City of Alhambra and the greater Los Angeles community. After twelve years serving as a city council member, which includes three-terms as mayor of Alhambra, Mr. Yamauchi has demonstrated unparalleled leadership and commitment to improving the lives of residents. Before Gary served on the Alhambra City Council, he founded Tri-Star Vending, a successful, full-service vending business, which operates more than 600 machines and proudly serves major San Gabriel Valley institutions such as the California Institute of Technology and East Los Angeles College. Mr. Yamauchi's business is admired for its high- quality service, and the opportunity it has afforded to individuals rebuilding their lives through employment. A quarter of Tri-Star Vending's employees are former gang members who received job training through Homeboy Industries. Mr. Yamauchi's strong desire to assist others and improve his community pushed him to run for public office and in 2004 he was elected to the Alhambra City Council. His success and loyalty to the Alhambra community assured his re-election and he served as mayor twice more in 2008 and in 2012. Besides his involvement on the city council, Gary has demonstrated his commitment to the Alhambra community serving as President and board member of the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, the Alhambra Rotary Club, and the West San Gabriel Valley YMCA. Mr. Yamauchi has also served as Vice President of the Alhambra Planning Commission, member of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Development Council, and board member of the Go For Broke National Education Center. It is with great pleasure and gratitude that I congratulate Mr. Gary Yamauchi today for his many years of service to the City of Alhambra. The time and energy Mr. Yamauchi has put into improving the lives of others is exemplary and greatly appreciated by Alhambra's residents. I now ask all Members to join me in congratulating Gary Yamauchi, successful businessman and devoted public servant.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, in just 7 weeks, as Members were in their districts this summer, at least 2,015 lives were lost to gun violence-- 2,015 men, women, and children. Add a few more weeks to that total and you have almost as many people as were murdered in the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States when two planes flew into the World Trade Center. That is the equivalent of 41 Orlando terror attacks in 7 weeks. This is appalling, and yet these killings are barely discussed, as if they are simply the new normal. In a town hall I hosted last month, I talked with constituents about gun safety and how we could attack the scourge of gun-related deaths in this country. The message from that meeting was clear: we need universal background checks. We need the ability to prevent terrorists and the seriously mentally ill from getting easy access to deadly weapons. If you can't fly, you can't buy. These are steps that the vast majority of constituents, gun owners, and Americans all across the country agree are necessary. In refusing to pass the most basic legislation, the Congress is complicit in this continued slaughter. The Speaker must do his job and let us vote so that we can do ours.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted: Roll Call Number 501 NAY Roll Call Number 502 NAY Roll Call Number 503 YEA Roll Call Number 504 YEA

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted: Roll Call Number 496: Yea. Roll Call Number 497: Yea. Roll Call Number 498: Nay. Roll Call Number 499: Nay. Roll Call Number 500: Nay.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the Republican majority to act immediately on the administration's request for emergency funds to combat the Zika virus epidemic. It is shameful that we have waited 7 months to act while the threat from Zika grows more and more apparent. This majority is failing the most basic function of government, to protect its people. In the United States and territories, as many as 14,000 locally acquired cases have already been reported, and at least 1,600 pregnant women have been infected, putting their babies at risk for microcephaly and other devastating birth defects. Every week we fail to act, more children and families will suffer the consequences. Let's heed the call of public health experts to launch an aggressive campaign against the Zika virus and pass a funding bill immediately.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deep concern with a pattern of foreign interference in U.S. elections and the need to confront Russian aggression and interference in all of its malicious forms. Over the past several months, we have seen a clear pattern of cyberattacks and leaks designed to target our electoral institutions, including the DNC, DCCC, and our State election agencies, and to discredit the example of our democracy around the world. Evidence collected by private security firms indicates that these attacks are part of a Russian intelligence operation, a campaign of propaganda and disinformation known as active measures. Sowing distrust and chaos in U.S. elections by a foreign adversary should concern Americans of all parties. Along with Senator Feinstein, I have written to the President to urge that he make a public attribution of these attacks. If a hostile foreign power is attempting to disrupt or influence our elections, the American people have a right to know it. I also urge the GOP to refrain from using hacked documents, which can be easily doctored or seeded with false information. An attack on our election system is an attack on our democracy, and all Americans must stand against it. It is time we acknowledge the hard truth that Russia poses a significant threat not only to the United States, but to freedom-loving people all over the world. It has invaded its neighbors and attempted to remake the map of Europe through the use of force. It has interfered in the elections of its neighbors. Now it is attempting to interfere in our own elections. The GOP nominee sees nothing wrong with Russian behavior. He admires Putin, belittles NATO, expresses recognition for the illegal annexation of Crimea, and also expresses a positive receptivity to the idea of repealing sanctions on Russia for its illegal annexation of part of the land of its neighbor. He invites Russia to illegally hack his opponent. This is dangerous. We are now engaged in a high stakes battle of ideas around the world. The United States, as always, is the beacon of democracy; and Russia, the champion of a creeping authoritarianism that is spreading its destructive influences in the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and the West. It is now an iron curtain descending across the continent by the slow smothering of freedoms the world holds dear: the right to choose one's own representatives, the right to speak as we choose, the right to associate with like mind and intent, and what has been described as the most precious right of all, the right to simply be left alone. All of these universal human rights are under assault by a newly aggressive and belligerent Kremlin. We need a Commander in Chief who will resist this assault, not endorse; who will affront Russian aggression, not ratify it; who has the experience, judgment, and fitness to meet this and other grave challenges facing the United States of America.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Los Feliz Improvement Association (LFIA) upon its one-hundredth anniversary. In 1916, the Vermont Canyon Improvement Club was founded by William Mead, a prominent Los Angeles businessman and one of the original landowners in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. His initial order of business at the first meeting was to define the club's land boundaries. In 1922, the club's name changed to the Los Feliz Improvement Association, and beautification of the Los Feliz area was named as one of the association's foremost goals. Over the past century, LFIA advocacy has taken many forms. Between the years of 1922 and 1930, the association was instrumental in realizing many precedent setting goals, including its support for the City of Los Angeles to accept a substantial bequest from Colonel Griffith J. Griffith for the construction of the Greek Theatre and Griffith Observatory. LFIA also was instrumental in the relocation of businesses on Los Feliz Boulevard to other areas throughout the city thus turning the boulevard into a residential street. Persistent in its advocacy for new schools, the association's efforts were reflected with the opening of two new schools, Franklin Avenue Elementary School and Thomas Starr King Junior High School, both of which serve Los Feliz residents to this day. The Los Feliz Improvement Association is heavily involved in cultural preservation, and many local historic landmarks were preserved and designated thanks to the successful advocacy of the LFIA, including the restoration of the Mulholland Memorial Fountain, Hollyhock House, and the Shakespeare Bridge. Today, the LFIA continues to support historic preservation efforts in Los Feliz by maintaining a historic photo archive and property survey of every residence in the area, including over 3,000 documented architecturally significant homes. The association is deeply committed to community beautification, and coordinates local clean-up efforts and cares for the celebrated Deodar Cedars that were originally planted in 1922 lining Los Feliz Boulevard. In addition, the LFIA steadfastly advocates for strict enforcement of zoning and community development ordinances that limit noise pollution and traffic congestion in the Los Feliz Area. With the straightforward goal of making the Los Feliz area in the City of Los Angeles a better place to live, this remarkable organization has made extraordinary contributions to the Los Angeles community for over 100 years. I ask all members to join me in commending the Los Feliz Improvement Association for their unparalleled dedication to service.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael K. Woo and to recognize his co-founding of the Hollywood Farmers' Market in Los Angeles, California, which is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. Born in 1951, Michael grew up with his four siblings in Monterey Park, California. His parents, Wilbur and Beth Woo, and his grandfather, David Kitman Woo, ran a produce business in Los Angeles until the 1960's, when his father joined Cathay Bank, the first Chinese- American bank in the Southern California area. While in high school, Michael attended a program for gifted students at California State University, Los Angeles, and then went on to receive his BA in Politics and Urban Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his Master of City Planning degree from the University of California, Berkeley. A leader in the Los Angeles area, Michael was a Los Angeles City Planning Commissioner and served on the Los Angeles City Council for eight years, becoming the first Asian American elected to the council. During his tenure on the city council, where he represented the Hollywood area, he was in the forefront of the Hollywood Redevelopment Plan, made decisions on numerous development proposals and neighborhood debates, and was a leader in the movement for a leadership change in the Los Angeles Police Department in the early 1990's. Since his parents and grandfather ran a produce business for many years, it is not surprising that one of Mr. Woo's major accomplishments while he served on the council was the co-founding of the Hollywood Farmers' Market twenty-five years ago. Various constituencies had worked together to improve the quality of neighborhood life for Hollywood residents and business owners, and out of those efforts, then-City Councilmember Woo proposed the idea of a farmers' market. The objectives were to create a secure, weekly community event, a sales venue for small local farmers, artisans, and food purveyors, and to benefit local neighborhood businesses; and in May of 1991, the Hollywood Farmers' Market opened and was an immediate success. Now in its twenty-fifth year, the market offers not only food products, but also live music, activities for children, and renowned authors' book- signings, and is a lively, fun community meeting place. The Hollywood Farmers' Market is under the umbrella of the Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles, better known as SEE-LA, which also produces other Certified Farmers' Markets, focusing on supplying fresh food to low-income neighborhoods. Along with chairing the Board of SEE-LA, Mr. Woo is Dean of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. I ask all Members to join me in recognizing Michael K. Woo, an invaluable asset to the greater Los Angeles community, and add our congratulations to the Hollywood Farmers' Market upon its twenty-fifth anniversary.