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, Kellye Nakahara Wallett of Pasadena, California. Born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii, Ms. Nakahara moved to San Francisco in the 1960's to establish herself as a professional artist, selling her watercolors of the San Francisco waterfront. In 1968, she married David Wallett and they moved to Los Angeles, where she began her career as an actress. Halfway through the first season of the popular television series ``M*A*S*H'', she landed the role of ``Nurse Kellye.'' A renowned and award-winning artist who generously donates her artwork to many charitable organizations, Kellye's artwork has been displayed in Pasadena City Hall, the California State Capitol, and in the White House, where at Congressman Schiff's invitation, she painted a Christmas ornament for the official White House Christmas Tree in 2008. Well-regarded as an enthusiastic and energetic community leader, Ms. Nakahara Wallett's past volunteer service includes eight years on Pasadena's Arts and Culture Commission, serving as an Ambassador for the Southern California Cherry Blossom Festival, and an Honorary Committee member and volunteer for the Latino Heritage Parade in Pasadena. She was also active in the American Diabetes Foundation, Neighborhood USA Conference, and the American Red Cross. Currently, she is a twenty-three year volunteer with The Sunshine Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to children with cancer, and a frequent guest speaker for various Japanese reparation organizations. Kellye is the Artistic Director and Artist- in-Residence for the Towne Singers, sings with the California Philharmonic, and has been a long-time volunteer judge for Representative Schiff's 28th Congressional District Art Competition Forum & Exhibit. Long-time Pasadena residents, Kellye and her husband David, have two children, daughter Nalani, son William, and four grandchildren, David, William, Max and Grayson. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Kellye Nakahara Wallett.

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, Nadia Sutton of West Hollywood, California. Born in Brussels, Belgium, Nadia has led an interesting life both as an actress and an activist. She has traveled extensively and lived all over the world, including residing in Israel, France, Spain, England and the United States, where she moved in 1979. As an actress, Ms. Sutton has worked in theater, radio, television and film. Passionate about civil rights, she began her activism career by supporting the Algerian independence cause while in France, and in England by helping create an alternative radio station and working against the censure of a Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender (LGBT) magazine. Ms. Sutton has been involved in numerous organizations in the Los Angeles area with a primary focus on LGBT, women's rights, and animal issues. For many years, she has organized protests, lobbied legislatively and fought against LGBT discrimination, and for marriage equality. Nadia served on the West Hollywood Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board for twelve years, and is a Founding Board member of The Lavender Effect, a virtual museum dedicated to educating the public about the historical contributions of LGBT people, especially those from the Southern California area. She sits on the West Hollywood Women's Advisory Board, on the Board of Directors of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and is active with C.I.T.Y. x1 (Community Intervention Through Youth), an organization dedicated to organizing free social events for LGBT youth. A devoted animal lover, she co-founded PAWS LA (Pets Are Wonderful Support), an organization dedicated to helping people living with AIDS keep their beloved animal companions, where she is currently serving as a Board member, and is a volunteer with Catnippers, an association that helps spay and neuter feral cats and kittens. Nadia resides in West Hollywood with her cat, Barnaby. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Nadia Sutton.

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, Ann Neilson of La Canada Flintridge, California. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Manhattan Beach, Ms. Neilson and her husband, Bob, have lived in La Canada Flintridge for over fifty years. Well-regarded as a straightforward, tireless community leader, Ann is involved in numerous charitable organizations in La Canada Flintridge. She has been a Docent at the Lanterman House for over two decades, and is a past and present Board member. She is active in the Assistance League of Flintridge (ALF), a nonprofit service organization of volunteers committed to serving the needs of the community through philanthropic programs developed and administered by its members. Ms. Neilson was Chair of the College Application Essay Committee, Chair of the Retired Service Volunteer Committee, a volunteer at the Bargain Box Thrift Shop, and a member of the Budget Committee. Ann's current project with ALF is Chair of their impressive Summer School program for La Canada Flintridge children grades one through eight, a project that the league subsidizes. Another organization that is near and dear to her heart, Ann has been active in the Girl Scouts of America for nearly forty-six years. She served as a Leader, was President of the Mt. Wilson/Vista Girl Scout Council for six years, Director and Co-Director of two Girl Scout Day Camps in La Canada Flintridge, and Co-Organizer of the 100th Anniversary Girl Scout Float for the 2012 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. Ms. Neilson is also very involved in the La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, established in 1979, where she is a Founding Member. The association has produced volunteer-made floats for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parades for nearly four decades, winning awards in the majority of the parades. She served as President for three years and now serves as Past President. Married for nearly sixty years, Ann and Bob have four children, Beth, Karen, Nancy and Jim, and one grandchild, Emily. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Ann Neilson.

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, Renae Plant of Los Feliz, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Born in Eumundi, Queensland, Australia, Renae moved to the United States in 1994 with dreams of becoming an actor. After living in New York for six years, where she was a model and actor, she moved to Los Angeles in 2000, and established a management company, Nebula Management. Shortly after, she began a second business, a maternity tee shirt line. In 2007, Renae and her husband, Livinio, rescued the local preschool their daughter attended, Camelot Kids, located in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, which had been on the verge of permanent closure. After three months of meetings, the preschool was able to re- open its doors. Now eight years later, with Ms. Plant as the Director, the preschool is known for its warm, nurturing environment that encourages a natural love of learning, and is an award-winning school with a long waiting list. An accomplished organizer, Renae has recently given her time and talent to the Thomas Starr King Middle School, where her daughter, Ilan attends the Environmental Magnet program. In 2014, she joined the Executive Board as Treasurer of Friends of King, a parent support and fundraising group for the school, and that same year, was instrumental in raising substantial funds that will be used to paint the entire school. She launched the ``I Keep King Clean'' project with a group of parents who clean the school and carry out other beautification tasks, and was ultimately successful in obtaining a professional cleaning service for the school. In addition, Ms. Plant has been a key force with upcoming efforts to decorate the perimeter fences at the school, the ``Chain Link Art Gallery'' project, and the upcoming renovation of the library and the gym. Married for eleven years, Renae and her husband, Livinio, have three children, Ilan, Mateo and Deklan. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Renae Plant.

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, Cheryl Ortega of Echo Park, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Born in Los Feliz and raised in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles, California, Ms. Ortega's father's family arrived in Echo Park from Massachusetts in 1917, hoping to be part of the early movie industry. Ms. Ortega attended Los Feliz Elementary School, Our Mother of Good Counsel School, Immaculate Heart High School and Immaculate Heart College. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Bilingual Teaching Credential in Spanish. Cheryl has been passionate about education from a very young age. She has been a teacher for nearly half a century, and has been teaching in Echo Park at Logan Span School for over two decades. Ms. Ortega's close association with the immigrant community has led her to actively advocate for people whose children she has taught in bilingual early education programs for almost 50 years. Along with her professional career, Cheryl is active and engaged in volunteering for the community and its schools. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of United Teachers Los Angeles, representing English Learner students and their teachers. She also serves as the Co-Chair of the Schools, Libraries, and Community Organizations of the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council, and has been a member of the Council through several different administrations. Cheryl and her husband, John, have three children, John, Kristina and Sara, and five grandchildren, Danny, Jake, Amanda, Ben and Caleb. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Cheryl Ortega.

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, Jean Maluccio of La Crescenta, California. Jean is a savvy businesswoman who helps oversee the Maluccio Company, a local investment firm, but is best known for her unparalleled volunteerism that benefits the entire Crescenta Valley. Jean served as the Executive Director of the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce for more than 18 years, without pay, and continues to have an active role with the chamber as an advisor, and helps ensure the smooth operation of chamber events that include the Taste of the Foothills and Hometown Country Fair. She served as President of the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1994, 1995, 2009 and 2010. Jean was also one of the founders of the Crescenta Valley Fireworks Association, a nonprofit which organizes an annual 4th of July fireworks display, and works countless hours each year arranging for the carnival entertainment, handling site permits, working with security for the event and selling tickets. Ms. Maluccio has also been actively involved with Prom Plus, where she was on hand to secure donations of food and serve food to guests at the organization's 20th anniversary gala. She also gives of her time with Relay For Life, an annual 24-hour event held at Clark Magnet High School, where hundreds of people walk on the school field to raise funds to fight cancer. Jean not only obtains the donated food to feed the participants, but also stays for most of the 24 hours to ensure that the food is ready when needed. In addition, Jean also volunteers for the Glendale Police Department, working at the Montrose COPPS substation representing the department in many capacities and answering questions from the public. A strong supporter of our nation's military, Jean was a driving force in raising awareness and helped organize fundraisers for the refurbishment of the war memorial at Two Strike Park in La Crescenta. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Jean Maluccio.

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, Lynn White- Shelby of Burbank, California. Lynn graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a major in physical education and science, and began her teaching career at Franklin High School in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles, California. Ms. White-Shelby's business career began in the Public Relations Department at the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, where she was promptly promoted to Secretary to the President, and later as Assistant to the President and Assistant Director of the Postgraduate Department, developing the first Chiropractic Assistants program. Lynn then went on to work at ACCO Engineered Systems in Glendale, California, as Secretary to the President, which soon led to a management position as their Corporate Insurance and Safety Administrator. Ms. White-Shelby is a dedicated volunteer. Upon retirement, she jumped right into volunteering at the learning center at the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley, tutoring at the Main Club, and co-teaching a storytelling/acting class at Burbank's Roosevelt Elementary School. She is also a devoted and giving member of the La Providencia Guild of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, serving on numerous committees, working at the Thrift Shop and is currently the First Vice President/President Elect. Lynn also served five terms as President of the Verdugo-Glen Chapter of the American Business Women's Association (ABWA), where she has been a member for over three decades, and currently serves as the Education Chair, which awards scholarships to women students. In addition, Lynn serves as Vice Chairman on the City of Burbank's Senior Citizen Board, and as Secretary on the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley's Board of Directors. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Lynn White-Shelby.

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, Seda Khojayan of Glendale, California. Seda Khojayan immigrated to the United States from Iraq in 1976. Currently, she is a member of the Soroptimist International of Glendale, serves as a Commissioner on the City of Glendale Commission on the Status of Women, and on the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Glendale. Mrs. Khojayan has been a dedicated member of the Armenian Relief Society of Western U.S.A., Inc. (ARS) for over three decades, serving on its Regional Executive Board for two terms and in the capacities of Chair, Treasurer and Advisor for the ARS Sepan Chapter in Glendale. Seda uses her professional experience as a Programmer/Data Security Analyst for a major car manufacturer and education in Economics and Public Administration, to help plan and implement fundraising efforts, including grant writing, to help Armenian organizations such as the ARS secure funding for various philanthropic, educational and social projects for low income families and for the needy. She also served as a fundraising committee member of Homenetmen Glendale ``Ararat'' Chapter, Homenetmen Navasartian Games & Festival, Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF), and for the City of Glendale, including the Unity Fest, Man's Inhumanity to Man, and Relay For Life. Throughout the years, Seda has received numerous awards, including the City of Glendale Commission on the Status of Women's Jewels of Glendale Women of Courage Award in 2008, the ACF's Community Service Award in 2013, and the Armenian American Chamber of Commerce's Woman in Community Service Award in 2014. Mrs. Khojayan and her husband, Shirak, have two sons, Shaun, a federal criminal defense attorney, and Dikran, an industrial engineer, and one granddaughter, Lillian. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Seda Khojayan.

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, Susan B. Stewart of Sunland, California. Born and raised in Vermont, Susan Bishop moved to the Sunland- Tujunga area in the late 1990's, and in 2010, she married Richard Stewart. Well-regarded in her community, Susan is involved in numerous organizations where she puts her superior organizing skills to good use. Ms. Stewart is on the Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the chamber's Spring Carnival Committee, and has served on the Nomination Committee, By-Laws Committee and Marketing and Membership Committee. Susan is a Founding Board member and current Board member of the Sunland-Tujunga-Shadow Hills Community Fund whose mission is to support student programs at Verdugo Hills High School and the local newspaper, Voice of the Village, and is on the fund's Fireworks Festival Committee. In addition, she is an active member of the Sunland-Tujunga Rotary Club, has served as President and Secretary, and continues to help with many of their annual events, including Winterfest and the Fourth of July Parade. Past President and Past Secretary of Renaissance Speakers Toastmasters Club, Past Secretary of District 52 of Toastmasters International, she is currently an Ambassador for the organization. With a long career as a management consultant, specializing in the areas of ethics, expansion and establishment, Susan assists with the management of her husband's painting contracting business in Sunland. Ms. Stewart is an avid horsewoman, and has taught horseback riding for many years, and one of her greatest joys is riding on the trails in the beautiful Sunland-Tujunga foothills. Between Susan and Richard, they have four children: Moriah, Thoreau, Jake and Justin, and two grandchildren: River Jane and Elliot. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Susan B. Stewart.

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, Tracy Stone, of Elysian Valley, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Tracy Stone received a Bachelor's Degree in Art History from Cornell University in New York, a Master's Degree in Architecture from The University of Texas at Austin, and in 1989, was licensed as an Architect by the State of California. In 1991, Ms. Stone opened her own firm, Tracy A. Stone Architect. The office has completed a variety of projects, including a `green' teahouse, an animal shelter and a children's dance studio. Ms. Stone and members of her firm created and organized the annual ``Frogtown Artwalk'' in Elysian Valley, which started in 2006, as a small event showcasing the artists and artisans inhabiting the small commercial/industrial buildings along the Los Angeles River in Elysian Valley. It has grown into a full-scale community event that engages musicians from the surrounding areas, community organizations, local residents, as well as artists and artisans. The event has also featured various activities geared to parents and youth. The Frogtown Artwalk has traditionally celebrated the relationship between the Elysian Valley and the adjacent Los Angeles River, helping to bring interest as well as attention to a long forgotten resource. In 2008, Tracy Stone and Allen Anderson established a non-profit organization, the Elysian Valley Arts Collective, which manages and funds the annual artwalk, and which has allowed the event to grow in complexity and size. I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Tracy A. Stone.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Leonard Nimoy of Los Angeles, California, who passed away on the morning of February 27, 2015, at the age of 83. Leonard Nimoy, best known for his iconic role as Mr. Spock in the popular science fiction television series and motion picture franchise Star Trek, was born on March 26, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dora and Max Nimoy, Orthodox Jews and Ukrainian immigrants. Leonard began his acting career at 8 years old performing in local plays and continued acting through his high school years. After coming to Hollywood, he landed small parts in the movies Zombies of the Stratosphere, Queen for a Day and Rhubarb and in 1952, had his first starring movie role with Kid Monk Baroni. During the early 1950's, Mr. Nimoy enlisted in the United States Army Reserves where he spent nearly two years, writing, narrating, and emceeing shows for the Army Special Services branch. After leaving the military, he returned to California, and achieved wide visibility appearing on television shows such as Rawhide, Perry Mason and Wagon Train, until he landed the role in 1966 of the half- Vulcan Mr. Spock in Star Trek, for which he garnered three Emmy nominations. It was in this role that he became a folk hero, helping create Vulcan culture such as the Vulcan salute and Vulcan neck pinch. The incredibly popular original series spawned an animated television show, various new television series, movies and sparked a devoted following of Star Trek that exists to this day. After the original Star Trek series ended in 1969, Leonard continued acting in movies and television, performed voice-over work and acted in stage plays. In 1979, he returned as Mr. Spock in the movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture and in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, directed the movies Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and appeared in the 2009 and 2013 Star Trek movies. In addition to being an actor, producer and director, Mr. Nimoy was also a prolific poet, writer, photographer and singer, who often lent his talents to charitable organizations. He and his wife, Susan Bay- Nimoy were generous supporters of the arts, educational programs and public astronomy. They provided substantial assistance to the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles through their Leonard and Susan Bay-Nimoy Family Foundation, the esteemed The Thalia Theater in New York was renamed the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, and they were major supporters of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles' historic 2002-2006 expansion, where the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater shows the Leonard Nimoy- narrated documentary film The Once and Future Griffith Observatory about the history, recent renovation, and future of the Observatory. Leonard is survived by his wife, actress and director Susan Bay- Nimoy, his children, Adam and Julie Nimoy, stepson Aaron Bay Schuck, six grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and his brother Melvin. I would like to convey my deepest sympathies to Leonard's family and friends, as well as extend my heartfelt thanks for his many contributions to the arts and science. The entire global community will greatly miss Mr. Spock, who indeed lived long and prospered.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the pogrom against the Armenian residents of the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. On this day in 1988, and for three days following, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians. When the violence finally subsided, hundreds of Armenian civilians had been brutally murdered and injured, women and young girls were raped, and some victims were tortured and burned to death. Those that survived the carnage fled their homes and businesses, leaving behind all but the clothes on their backs. The Sumgait Pogroms came in the wake of a pattern of anti-Armenian rallies throughout Azerbaijan, aided and encouraged by high ranking officials in the Azeri government, and touched off a wave of violence culminating in the 1990 Pogroms in Baku. In a pattern all too familiar to the Armenian people, 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. The Sumgait massacres led to wider reprisals against Azerbaijan's Armenian ethnic minority, resulting 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 killed and hurt in the pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku. To the contrary, hatred of Armenians is celebrated in Azeri society, 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 in a sickening welcome home. And as we speak, Azerbaijan continues its dangerous and provocative behavior along its border with Armenia and in Karabakh. Mr. Speaker, this April we will mark the 100th 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 27 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, I rise today to offer a tribute to Ms. Phyllis Currie. On April 30, 2015 Ms. Currie will retire from Pasadena Water and Power after a 30 year career with the City of Los Angeles. Ms. Currie's commitment to the city of Pasadena, coupled with her business sense, people skills and personal integrity have added to Pasadena's Water and Power achievements during a transformative time in the energy industry. Many Californians have greatly benefited from her leadership and vision while at the helm of the utility. Ms. Currie has served for 14 years as General Manager of a highly- regarded public power utility providing reliable and affordable electricity and water to 81,500 consumers in southern California. Under Currie's leadership, Pasadena's Water and Power has been a leader in meeting its aggressive goal of 40% by 2020 of renewable energy and water conservation. Prior to joining Pasadena Water and Power, Ms. Currie served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Assistant City Administrative Officer overseeing development of the city's annual operating and capital budgets. She was Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Public Power Association (2012- 2013), President of the California Municipal Utilities Association (2014), and President to the Southern California Public Power Authority (2005-2006) where she was a trusted advisor, ally and decision maker on numerous capital projects and polices that come before the organization. In her many leadership positions in the public power community, Ms. Currie testified often before Congress, and helped inform legislators of public power's positions on issues ranging from reallocation of power from Hoover Dam to electric reliability. Ms. Currie's credibility and vast knowledge helped guide federal policymakers on many important energy issues. In the 111th and 112th Congresses, Ms. Currie testified in the House of Representatives and in the Senate in support of the ``Hoover Power Allocation Act''--a bill to re-allocate hydroelectric power generated at Hoover Dam, to Pasadena and numerous other cities, Indian Tribes, agencies, and others in California, Arizona and Nevada. The legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in December, 2011. Through this effort, Currie and her colleagues, assisted consumers in Pasadena and other southern California cities, in securing a low-cost and emissions-free hydropower supply for another 50 years. My personal and professional respect and admiration for Ms. Currie run deep, and as her friend, colleague and a fellow Californian, I wish her happiness and good health in her future endeavors. Thank you for your service, Phyllis.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in urging the GOP leadership to advance legislation that will keep the American people safe by continuing to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Just yesterday, with the arrest of three suspects in New York City planning to assist terror groups or join ISIS, we see the continuing imperative of a vibrant homeland security effort. In a matter of hours, funding for the Department will expire, thereby forcing thousands of essential employees to put their lives on the line without pay. State and local law enforcement operations will be among the hardest hit if we allow funding to lapse. By bringing a clean spending bill to the floor, we have the power to prevent the dangerous partial shutdown of the government. Our Nation's security is at stake here, and another day of inaction by this Congress is unacceptable. Let's vote on a clean spending bill today. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up H.R. 861, the clean Department of Homeland Security funding bill that would keep the Department open so it can carry out the mission of keeping the American people safe.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in urging the Republican leadership to advance bipartisan legislation that will keep the American people safe by continuing to fund the Department of Homeland Security. On behalf of the dedicated men and women at the Department of Homeland Security--those who screen passengers traveling into and out of the country, those who ensure that our borders and shores are protected, and those who enforce the deportation of dangerous criminals--let's put aside partisan politics and come together on one thing we can all agree on: to prioritize the safety and security of the American people. As the tragedies of recent events abroad have demonstrated, we can ill-afford another day of inaction by this Congress. The clock is running out. Sixteen days. Let's do our job. The American people expect better and they deserve better. Let's vote on a clean spending bill today.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to recognize the passing of my friend Larry Silverton. How do I describe Larry? A lot of words apply: businessman, lawyer, father, friend, Democrat, and mensch. He was generous, funny, endearing, and a little zany. He met me for breakfast one morning in Burbank and looked a bit disheveled. I said: What happened? He said: Well, I rode here. I said: On your bicycle? He said: Don't be ridiculous--on my motorcycle. He was well in his eighties at the time. My fondest memories, though, were riding horses with Larry and talking politics. He was equally at home on horseback or in the middle of a discussion of the Keystone pipeline. He was a wonderfully good man, and if he were watching us here today, he would probably say: A tribute on the floor of the House, not too shabby. Good-bye, Larry. You were my very good friend, and you will be missed.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Armenian Sisters' Academy of Los Angeles upon its thirtieth anniversary. The Armenian Sisters' Academy of Los Angeles (ASA), nestled in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains in Montrose, offers a Day Care Program, Preschool, Kindergarten and grades 1st through 8th. Established in 1985, the ASA is one of three schools in the United States operated and governed by the only existing Catholic Order of the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, which was founded in 1847. The other two schools are located in Radnor, Pennsylvania and Lexington, Massachusetts, established in 1967 and 1979, respectively. Since its inception, the ASA has been committed to providing an exemplary and well-rounded education to its students. The ASA offers a bilingual curriculum, art, music and computer instruction to all students, and has been successful in preserving the identity and culture of the Armenian people by teaching the Armenian language, Armenian cultural courses and religion. The ASA also offers after school extracurricular activities such as Armenian dance classes, basketball and volleyball. The Armenian Sisters' Academy of Los Angeles is dedicated to the development of the child spiritually, personally, emotionally, intellectually and socially. Among the many goals and objectives the ASA strives to achieve include providing each student with a respectful and optimistic environment in which each student feels encouraged, creating an atmosphere where the Armenian language, heritage and culture may be taught and experienced, emphasizing the heritage, privileges and responsibilities of American citizenship, and encouraging small group work and the increased use of independent study. I commend the ASA for being an integral part of the community, and applaud the school's unwavering commitment to our youth. The ASA plays a central role in shaping our children into responsible citizens and thriving members of society. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the Armenian Sisters' Academy of Los Angeles for thirty years of dedicated service to the community.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Eleanor Ownbey and to honor the work of her two daughters, Maggie and Sue Ownbey, for their many years of advocacy on behalf of their mother and the Alzheimer's disease community. Eleanor battled Alzheimer's disease for more than ten years, passing away from this tragic disease on February 18, 2014. Maggie and Sue watched as their mother not only forgot that they were her daughters, but also how to talk, to walk, and to feed herself. Eleanor spent the last three years of her life in hospice care and most of that time confined to a bed. Her daughters describe her as a brave woman with a strong spirit and an infectious sense of humor. Inspired by their mother's courage, Maggie and Sue have spent the last eight years telling their mother's story and how much this ravenous disease costs families, what caregivers need, and how desperately a cure needs to be found. In fact, someone develops Alzheimer's disease every 67 seconds and more than five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease. It is also the only cause of death in the top 10 in America without a way to prevent it, treat it, or slow its progression. This devastating disease is also taking a toll on our economy and health care infrastructure. Caring for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias cost the United States an estimated $214 billion in 2014, and unless something changes, costs are estimated to rise to a total of $1.2 trillion in 2050. I call on my colleagues to recognize the growing Alzheimer's crisis and to support a strong increase in funding for Alzheimer's disease research for Fiscal Year 2015 that will enable the National Institutes of Health to arrive one step closer to finding a cure for this tragic disease. Eleanor Ownbey is survived by her children Maggie, Sue, Steven, and Mark and her grandchildren Jason, Summit, Netanya, Allie, and William ``Finn.'' I wish the Ownbey family all the best in their future endeavors and express my deepest gratitude for their advocacy on behalf of the millions of families whose loved ones suffer from Alzheimer's disease.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want to join my colleagues in urging the House to support the 2015 Intelligence Authorization Act which has now returned to us from the Senate, but before I address the substance of the bill, I would like to congratulate Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger for their extraordinary efforts to get this bill passed and to the President. As a member of the Intelligence Committee, I know how hard they and the staff have worked to make this happen, and I would especially like to congratulate Chairman Rogers and wish him well as he prepares to leave the House at the end of the year. It has been a great pleasure working with you, and I wish you all the very best. These are challenging days for America's intelligence officers and analysts. As ISIS continues to threaten the Middle East; as Russia's ``little green men'' continue to coordinate attacks on the Ukrainian Government; as North Korea's young, isolated, and often dangerously erratic leader continues his behavior; and as the international community continues its efforts to secure Iran's agreement to dismantle its nuclear weapons program and infrastructure, our intelligence professionals play a vital role in keeping us safe and secure. Developing and maintaining actionable intelligence on ISIS is of particular urgency. While the intelligence community has been following ISIS' growth for some time, the group's takeover of a large swath of Syria and Iraq has made it a top intelligence priority. If we are to be effective in partnering with regional allies to degrade and destroy ISIS, we need to be able to develop the very best intelligence and accurate ground truth. That takes time, and it takes assets--on the ground, in the air, in space--to collect information. It also takes the world class analysts of our intelligence community to turn that information into recommendations for policymakers. We must also remain focused on Russian efforts to destabilize its neighbors, particularly Ukraine, but also the Baltic States. Our intelligence community has given us insight into Russian involvement in these efforts and into the events that led to the tragic downing of the Malaysian airliner last summer. The bill also prioritizes vital efforts at nonproliferation and will help give us the tools that we need to assess events on the ground in North Korea and Iran and wherever there is a threat of WMD. These are but a few of the important matters covered in the Intelligence Authorization bill. As a member of the committee who has been proud to work closely with both the chair and ranking member, I am confident it supports our intelligence professionals while providing oversight that is so critical to the proper functioning of our intelligence agencies.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two giants of this House: George Miller and Henry Waxman, who will be leaving this institution at the end of this Congress. They will be missed, but their legacies live on the myriad ways that they have made America better. Henry and George have made their marks on this nation through an unwavering commitment to their ideals, dogged hard work and a pragmatism that is too often lacking in this hyper-partisan era. One, or the other--or both, have been instrumental in almost every major piece of domestic policy legislation in the last few decades and have improved the lives of countless Americans and millions overseas. As long as George and Henry have been in Congress, those who had long been ignored by Washington have been heard. Poor people, the sick, persecuted minorities around the world, and our nation's children have all been lifted up by the work of these two men. During his 40 years in Congress, George chaired three committees--the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Committee on Education and the Workforce--and through them fought for high quality education not just for a select few students but for all. He has worked to strengthen environmental protections even in the face of aggressive opposition from entrenched interests, and for safe conditions and a living wage for workers in America and overseas. George is blessed with boundless energy and has never been satisfied to rest on his laurels--staying engaged to ensure that the bills he has passed are implemented and improved upon. He wrote the legislation that successfully raised the minimum wage in 2007 and has written the bill to increase it again. He worked across the aisle to write and pass No Child Left Behind and has not wavered from his efforts to improve and fund it. Beyond his extensive legislative achievements, George has touched so many lives, including mine when I interned in his office as a college student. At the time, I never imagined I would one day serve alongside him, but it has been a great honor. Henry Waxman has similarly focused a wide array of causes, focusing on investigating companies whose products had harmed consumers, and questioning and holding accountable corporate executives on behalf of those who otherwise had no opportunity to seek justice. As Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Committee, Henry investigated waste, fraud and abuse in the tobacco, finance and energy industries to name only a few. Conducting investigations and oversight was not enough for him, once he exposed wrongdoing, he would work, sometimes for decades, to translate his findings into legislation. As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce he helped write and oversaw the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the culmination of lifelong work on behalf of uninsured Americans. Henry's commitment to human rights, especially the persecution of religious minorities in the former Soviet Union and Iran has given hope to those without hope. His steadfast support of Israel has ensured that our two nations will remain allies and partners. As dean of the Los Angeles delegation, Henry has been both a leader on issues facing Angelenos, and a mentor. I consider myself privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him. Our state and the nation have been lucky to have the decades of service that George and Henry have given us. They will be missed from the halls of Congress, but their legacy will continue to shape this institution and nation for decades to come.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, equal justice under the law--impartial and uniformly applied--has been, for more than two centuries, the ideological underpinning of American democracy. But from the very beginning, this noblest aspiration has been intertwined with our struggle with race, a battle that has sometimes come to define our Nation and to divide it in ways that too often cleave us still today. Mr. Speaker, 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation and half a century after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 formally ended Jim Crow, our President, his Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the National Security Adviser are all African American. Blacks are now prominent in every facet of American life. But much of this has occurred during my lifetime because people marched and sat and voted and demanded greater equality. Yet despite the progress, equal justice under law is not the reality for too many of our fellow citizens, and injustice continues to limit their lives and their livelihoods in ways that are difficult for many White Americans to comprehend. Inequality manifests itself at every rung of the criminal justice system, but its most deadly consequences are to be found in the encounters of young men of color with the police. I have seen the video of Eric Garner in New York and watched the tragedy in Ferguson in the aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown. The agony of those families and the anger of their communities have rightfully moved the Nation. Sadly, they are not alone. The deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown grabbed national headlines, but decades of strife between police and many poor and minority neighborhoods have resulted in an endemic mistrust of law enforcement there. One need only consider a phenomenon almost completely foreign to much of America, ``the talk.'' It is a ritual that plays out in Black and Brown households across our Nation every day as parents teach their young children about the special dangers they face from law enforcement. As a father, to hear that is heartbreaking. As someone who has long worked with and on behalf of law enforcement and who has deep respect for the bravery and integrity of so many who wear the uniform, it is a call to action. First, in the months since the Michael Brown shooting, I have pressed for greater deployment of body-worn cameras to police departments across the country, an idea that the President has now endorsed. Cameras are not a panacea, but they are a first step on a path to greater accountability and transparency. Second, since cameras alone will not bridge the chasm of mistrust between many communities of color and the police there to protect them, we must invest in 21st century police departments. Effective policing requires mutual respect between the public and the police and a renewed emphasis on community policing strategies. Diversifying police forces so that they are more reflective of the communities they patrol and improving the training of officers to reduce the likelihood of violent confrontations are essential. This cannot be accomplished overnight, however, and generations of injustice have left deep scars. So the third leg of any law enforcement reform agenda must be enhanced oversight by the Department of Justice, which has a long record of working with State and local police agencies to modernize and improve practices and behavior. Justice Department intervention, as in the recent release of a report detailing excessive use of force by Cleveland Police, can be instrumental in overcoming opposition to reform. And I know that Attorney General Holder's successor will make this a priority. We ask a lot from our police, who have a difficult and often dangerous job, and we grant them enormous power, including the right to take a life under certain circumstances. It is not only proper that we insist this power is used impartially and as a last resort. It is fundamental to a just society. In a 1951 speech to the New York Legal Aid Society, the great jurist Learned Hand challenged his audience: ``It is the daily, it is the small, it is the cumulative injuries of little people that we are here to protect. If we are able to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: Thou shalt not ration justice.'' Mr. Speaker, 63 years later, on a street corner in the same city, Eric Garner hauntingly invoked Hand when he pleaded in vain: ``Every time you see me, you want to mess with me. I'm tired of it. It stops today. I'm minding my business, officer. I'm minding my business. Please just leave me alone.'' Mr. Speaker, it must stop today. Mr. Speaker, equal justice under law--impartial and uniformly applied--has been for more than two centuries the ideological underlining of American democracy. But, from the beginning, this noblest aspiration has been intertwined with our struggle with race--a battle that has sometimes come to define our nation, and to divide it in ways that too often cleave us still today. One hundred fifty years since the Emancipation Proclamation and half a century after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 formally ended Jim Crow, our President, his Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security and National Security Advisor are all African-American. Blacks are now prominent in every facet of American life. And much of this has occurred during my lifetime, because people marched and sat, and voted and demanded greater equality. But, despite the progress, equal justice under law is not the reality for too many of our fellow citizens and injustice continues to limit their lives and their livelihoods in ways that are difficult for white Americans to comprehend. Inequality manifests itself at every rung of the criminal justice system, but its most deadly consequences are to be found in the encounters of young men of color with the police. I have seen the video of the Eric Garner incident in New York and watched the tragedy in Ferguson in the aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown. The agony of their families and the anger of their communities have rightfully moved the nation. Sadly, they are not alone. The deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown grabbed national headlines, but decades of strife between police and many poor and minority neighborhoods have resulted in an endemic mistrust of law enforcement there. One need only consider a phenomenon almost completely foreign to much of America--``the talk.'' It is a ritual that plays out in black and brown households across our nation every day--as parents teach their young children about the special dangers they face from law enforcement. Even the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, said last week that he and his wife had to prepare their son--``as families have all over this city for decades--how to take special care in any encounter he has with police officers.'' As a father, to hear that is heartbreaking. As someone who has long worked with and on behalf of law enforcement, and who has deep respect for the bravery and integrity of so many who wear the uniform, it's a call to action. First, in the months since the Michael Brown shooting, I have pressed for greater deployment of body-worn cameras to police departments across the country, an idea that the President has now endorsed. Cameras are not a panacea, but they are a first step on a path to greater accountability and transparency. Second, since cameras alone will not bridge the chasm of mistrust between many communities of color and the police there to protect them; we must invest in 21st Century police departments. Effective policing requires mutual respect between the public and the police, and a renewed emphasis on community policing strategies. Diversifying police forces so that they are more reflective of the communities they patrol and improving the training of officers to reduce the likelihood of violent confrontations are essential. This cannot be accomplished overnight, however, and generations of injustice have left deep scars. So the third leg of any law enforcement reform agenda must be enhanced oversight by the Department of Justice, which has a long record of working with state and local police agencies to modernize and improve practices and behavior. Justice Department intervention, as in the recent release of a report detailing excessive use of force by Cleveland police, can be instrumental in overcoming opposition to reform, and I know that Attorney General Holder's successor will make this a priority. We ask a lot from our police who have a difficult and often dangerous job, and we grant them enormous power, including the right to take a life under certain circumstances. It is not only proper that we insist this power is used impartially and as a last resort, it is fundamental to a just society. In a 1951 speech to the New York Legal Aid Society, the great jurist Learned Hand challenged his audience, ``It is the daily; it is the small; it is the cumulative injuries of little people that we are here to protect. . . . If we are able to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: Thou shalt not ration justice.'' Sixty-three years later, on a street corner in the same city, Eric Garner hauntingly invoked Hand when he pleaded in vain: ``Every time you see me, you want to mess with me. I'm tired of it. It stops today. . . . I'm minding my business, officer. I'm minding my business. Please just leave me alone.'' Mr. Speaker, it must stop today.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Marvin Schachter of Pasadena, California, upon receiving the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California Bill of Rights Award. Born on May 17, 1924, Marvin grew up in Brooklyn during the Great Depression as the youngest of four children. The hard-hitting Great Depression years had enormous influence in determining Marvin's life direction. At the young age of 15, he became involved in student activism and joined the national board of the American Student Union, a progressive organization of college students known for its protests against militarism. In 1943, Marvin was drafted into the Army and served in military intelligence until February, 1946 when he was discharged. Shortly after his discharge, he received his bachelor's degree at Brooklyn College, married Doris Donnally and began his graduate work in economics at Columbia University. During this time, he was actively involved in the civil rights movement organizing marches and establishing statewide student organizations against segregationist laws. He completed his master's degree in economics at the University of Colorado, and in 1951, he was admitted as a graduate student at Cambridge University, England. When Marvin returned to the United States as a trained economist, he wanted to pursue a career in academia, but was prevented from doing so due to unwarranted concern over his history of student activism. He became a market researcher for Hallicrafters, a company that specialized in constructing electronic equipment for the Air Force, but was let go when an executive learned of his activism in leftist organizations. This turn of events led Marvin to go into retail and merchandising. In 1954, tragically, his wife Doris passed away. In 1956, Marvin met and married Esther Adler. The Schachters moved to Los Angeles for Marvin to take a job offer by the Mays Department Stores Company. At that time, Marvin joined the American Friends Service Committee in Pasadena and the ACLU's board of directors. He became president of the ACLU of Southern California, and served on the national board for 17 years. In the 1980s, Mr. Schachter hosted a weekly radio program on domestic and foreign policy issues on KPFK, and became one of the founders of the Pasadena Weekly, for which he continues to write an occasional column. Marvin left a successful retail career to establish a real estate business, but continued his social and political work. He was the Vice Chair of the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race, a leader in the California nuclear freeze movement, and chaired a steering committee that organized and united California's disabled communities. In the 1990s, Marvin expanded his volunteer service to include the senior community, serving as a Governor's appointee to the California Commission on Aging, chair of the Senior Advocacy Council of Pasadena, and President of the L.A. County Agency on Aging Advisory Council. Recently, he has worked with the International Criminal Court Alliance, the United Nations Association, the California Commission on Aging, and the Center for Healthcare Rights, among many other organizations. He is also documenting his life through the Pasadena Historical Society's Oral History Project. Marvin and Esther have two daughters, Pamela and Amanda, and two grandchildren, Emma and Max. I ask that all Members of Congress please join me in recognizing the extraordinary lifetime contributions of Marvin Schachter, a true guardian of our civil liberties.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lewis MacAdams, Jr. whose life's work and 70th birthday are being celebrated at the Friends of Los Angeles River's (FoLAR) Fandango on October 12th, 2014. The project that would most define Lewis's extraordinary life, and ultimately redefine the landscape of Los Angeles, began in 1985 when he co-founded the Friends of Los Angeles River. Lewis says that he asked the Los Angeles River if he could speak for it, and the river, in his words, ``didn't say no.'' Lewis has described the revitalization of the Los Angeles River as his ``forty-year artwork.'' He began this work with a series of community clean-ups, performances and protests. His early efforts blossomed into a social movement that has given Los Angeles a renewed sense of its own possibility for ecological transformation. Using poetry as well as politics, Lewis fought back against projects that would have extinguished the last glimmer of life out of the river, organizing broad community coalitions and winning the support of officials at every level of government. Over the past three decades, Lewis's leadership of FoLAR has given Angelenos a vision of the river as a 51-mile greenway from the mountains to the sea. FoLAR's annual ``La Gran Limpieza'' has drawn thousands of volunteers to clean up the river, has trained dozens of educators, and has introduced thousands of students to the river's existence and ecology. He has led countless ecological studies, vastly enriching the region's understanding of the river's abundant and diverse habitats. In 2014, FoLAR's vast library of environmental work was acquired by the special collections of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) archive. Most recently, Lewis MacAdams, Jr. helped win the Army Corps of Engineers' support for the habitat restoration and redevelopment of the Los Angeles River to return it to its pristine state generations ago. Without Lewis MacAdams' passion, commitment and drive, the cultural and ecological health of the Los Angeles River would be unimaginably diminished. In celebration of the FoLAR Fandango, I ask all Members of Congress to join me in commending Lewis MacAdams, Jr. for his great accomplishments and contributions.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Los Angeles City College (LACC) upon its eighty-fifth anniversary. LACC's site is one of the most significant locations in Los Angeles' education history, as it was not just the first community college in Los Angeles, but also served as the initial campus for both the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Cal State University Los Angeles. Its storied history began with the Normal School in Los Angeles, which provided graduates with credentials to teach kindergarten through twelfth grade. In 1919, to address the city's request for a local university, the Normal School transitioned into serving as the southern branch of the University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley) for classes only; and in 1925, UC Berkeley permitted the southern branch, now UCLA, to award degrees. In 1929, after UCLA purchased their own land and moved west, the Los Angeles Board of Education bought the campus and turned it into the Los Angeles Junior College, now called Los Angeles City College. On September 4, 1929, LACC welcomed 1,350 students to its first fall semester, at the time the fourth largest academic institution in the country. Under new president Dr. William Henry Snyder, LACC's mission was twofold: to provide two years of transfer education, and to provide career training with general education via vocational programs such as civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, civic health, aeronautical engineering, secretarial science, social arts, and general business. The Depression era saw enrollment grow in 1933 from over 4,000 students to nearly 7,000 students in 1940. Enrollment dropped significantly during World War II, and during this time, the college assisted the war effort by conducting courses for the Aviation Ground School, Civilian Pilot Training Program, the Army Specialized Training, and the Naval Reserve. After the war's end, many students attended LACC under the G.I. Bill, when enrollment went from 3,000 to 8,000 and half of the students were veterans. In 1947, an experimental four-year school was formed on the campus, called the Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Science, which while an admirable idea, proved to be impractical; so in 1955, the four-year school moved east to become California State University Los Angeles. During the 1950's, LACC received its first accreditation as a junior college, classes covering remedial instruction and new occupational programs including computer technology, human services, dental assisting, and nuclear medicine technology were offered, and an American Cultures Department was formed. The 1960's saw increased diversity among the student body, and new programs such as community service and non-credited classes in recreational areas, and the 1970's brought its first woman president, Dr. Stelle Feuers and an enrollment of 22,000 students. Today, some of LACC's programs and developments include the addition of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Academy, a Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) for current and former foster youth, and the LACC Alumni Association Foundation which includes a database of over 500,000 alumni. Famous LACC alumni include composer John Williams, musicians Leonard Slatkin, Les McCann, and Odetta, actors Donna Reed, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Esther Williams and Robert Vaughn, and producer Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. The college is currently thriving under the guidance of President Renee D. Martinez. I ask all Members to join with me in commending Los Angeles City College for eighty-five years of educating the greater Los Angeles community.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I will cast my vote to approve the President's funding request to support the training and equipping of moderate Syrian opposition forces. I do so after long consideration, and mindful of the difficulties of vetting such a force during the middle of a brutal civil war. Any decision to supply arms to combatants must be weighed carefully; indeed, for the last several years I have opposed arming the Syrian rebels out of a concern for our ability to properly vet such troops and the fear that weapons we provide may end up in the wrong hands. Those concerns persist, but they have been overcome by the growing menace of ISIL and the willingness of our regional allies to play a greater--and open--role in the support of these forces. ISIL now controls about a third of Iraq and a like portion of Syria. It has been unsurpassed in its brutality, committing mass executions, forced conversions, trafficking in women and beheading its hostages-- including Americans James Foley and Steven Sotlof. If ISIL is allowed to consolidate its territorial gains, or expand them, it will be able to act on its stated intention of serving as the platform for attacks on the United States. The thousands of foreign fighters, including Americans, who have flocked to join its ranks will one day attempt to return to the west and attack us on the homeland. The longer ISIL can draw new recruits, the longer the United States will have to confront the threat that these fighters will return home, many with visa-free travel to our shores. Our response must be proportionate to the threat. It does not justify American occupation of Iraq or Syria, or the introduction of American ground forces--all of which are likely to be counterproductive. It does justify the use of American air power, intelligence, financial, diplomatic and military support. And since air power alone will not be sufficient on the battlefield, it will necessitate the assistance of local ground forces. In the case of Iraq, those ground forces will be provided by the Iraqi military and Kurdish Peshmerga. In Syria, with rigorous vetting, training and support, the rebel opposition may provide the raw material for a credible military force. There is no guarantee that the Syrian opposition can form a cohesive fighting force, something that has thus far eluded them, but the open support of Gulf nations in housing and funding this opposition holds the promise of consolidating regional support behind them. The threat posed by ISIL is an outgrowth of the disastrously sectarian policies of the Nouri al-Maliki regime in Baghdad and the ruthless dictatorship of the Bashar al-Asad in Damascus. Our military efforts and those of our allies alone cannot succeed without addressing the political fractures created by both. I applaud the Administration for its role in urging the Iraqis to form a new and more inclusive government and look forward to the day when a representative government can take shape in neighboring Syria and this carnage can come to an end.