Jackie Speier

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Joe Burns, a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman from San Bruno who will celebrate his 20th birthday on March 5, 2011. This is an extraordinary birthday for Joe, not only because he is entering the second decade of his life, but because it's a miracle that he is alive. Joe's job was to provide medical care for Marines with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division in Afghanistan. On February 17, 2011 he and three Marines were in an armored vehicle in Helmand Province, when they struck an Improvised Explosive Device. The IED literally blew up underneath Joe's feet. The vehicle went up in the air and was propelled forward. Joe broke five bones in his heel and suffered a concussion. One Marine also suffered a heel injury, the other two were not hurt. It is absolutely miraculous that everyone survived the ambush. The vehicle was Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP. Joe's mother Lori Burns is convinced that it was that technology that saved her son's life. She recalls how she first learned about the incident. The hospital corpsman treating Joe handed him a phone and he said: ``Mom, I'm ok, I broke my heel, they blew me up. I got to fly in a helo and I think I'm getting a Purple Heart.'' Joe was treated in hospitals in Afghanistan, Germany and San Diego and received a cast on his foot in each place. This young man did not want to leave Afghanistan; he wanted to continue serving his country despite his injury. I want to thank Joe for his service. He represents the courage and bravery of our troops. Joe grew up in San Bruno, California and went to St. Roberts Elementary School. After he graduated from Burlingame High School in June 2009, he was enlisted in the Navy in October of the same year. On January 1, 2011, Joe was deployed on his first tour to Afghanistan--not exactly what he expected. When you enlist in the Navy, his mother quotes Joe as saying, you think you are going to be on water, not sand. It was on day 47 of his deployment that the IED blew up underneath him and sent him back home. Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to celebrate the life and 20th birthday of Joe Burns on this day, March 5, 2011.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. The gentleman from North Carolina.

Ms. SPEIER. Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I appreciate the opportunity this evening to talk about something that we're not talking much about right now. We talk about the loss of jobs, the unemployment. But what really caused it? You know, a few weeks ago the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission actually submitted its report to Congress. The good news is that it's on the best seller list. The bad news is that I am fearful that it's going to be gathering dust in the Chamber here and throughout this building because in this document it speaks volumes about why we are sitting where we are today; why our economy has tanked; why there are 15 million people unemployed in this country; and why there are 4 million people who now have been foreclosed on, and another 4 million who are underwater relative to their mortgages. So this evening I am joined by the distinguished member from the Financial Services Committee, my good friend from the State of North Carolina, who is a powerful voice on consumer protection and the financial crisis that we've endured. And we're going to spend the next half hour just talking about it. Well, first and foremost, what was this commission? This commission was a bipartisan, independent 10-member committee composed of private citizens with experience in economics, finance, housing, market regulation. They held 19 public hearings in affected communities across this country including Washington, New York, Miami, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Bakersfield; 115 witnesses appeared before the commission in sworn public hearings, including leading figures in the crisis. In addition, the commission interviewed over 300 people, virtually all of the key players in the financial collapse, including Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide, Richard Fuld of Lehman, and Joe Cassano of AIG Financial Products Division, and examined thousands of documents--all of which are posted on the Web. A totally transparent process. And the single most important statement they made was this crisis could have been avoided. Now, they gave just a few examples. The Securities and Exchange Commission could have required more capital and halted risky practices at the big investment banks, but they did not. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and other regulators could have clamped down on CitiGroup's excesses in the run-up to the crisis. They did not. Policymakers and regulators could have stopped the runaway mortgage securitization train. And they did not. So this document has line and verse of what went wrong. But one of the most telling parts deals with the mortgage fraud, and I would like to just put this up. How many executives have been held accountable for their actions in this financial crisis? As you can see, two have been criminally charged. There have been zero convictions, zero sent to prison. Well, what happened when the savings and loan crisis occurred in this country decades ago? The results there were much different: 1,188 were criminally charged, 915 were convicted, and 582 went to prison. Convictions included more than 260 thrift CEOs and senior executives including, of course, the famous Mr. Keating. So it is very important for us tonight and through the next year or two to not only study this document but to put it to paper. By ``put it to paper,'' I mean legislate around it. Now the Dodd bill is an incredible effort in that regard. The Dodd- Frank effort was one that we were successful in moving through; but as this report points out, there were powers that many of these regulators already had but chose not to use. Now, the second poster talks about mortgage fraud; and the compelling information in the report that I think is important to point out is that, again, there were people that were looking at the problem and saying, Wait a minute, we need to do something about this. One in particular was the Deputy Director of the FBI who began to look at this issue and thought something is wrong here. According to the FBI, 80 percent of the cases of fraud involves insiders. So if there was fraud being exercised in the mortgage industry, it was coming from the inside. FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker began noticing a rise in mortgage fraud back in 1999 and in 2002 led a successful criminal prosecution against the owner of Beneficial Mortgage in your State, my dear friend from North Carolina, for selling fraudulent loans to Fannie Mae. First Beneficial repurchased the fraudulent loans from Fannie but then proceeded to resell them to Ginnie Mae without any interference from Fannie. Fannie later paid $7.5 million in restitution to the government for allowing the sale. Assistant Director Swecker told a congressional committee in 2004 that if fraudulent mortgage practices became unrestrained and systematic, it would ultimately place financial institutions at risk and have adverse effects on the stock market. Boy, was he prescient or what? So here is an interesting chart that shows how we've seen an increase in fraud reports at financial institutions. Now, these are really undervalued. They're probably five times higher because many institutions do not actually report like they should. But what is even more disturbing is that while the number of mortgage frauds have increased, the number of actual prosecutions have slowed down. So as we are trying to kind of somehow come to some understanding of why this all happened and how do we make sure it doesn't happen again, if we don't have enforcement tools, if we don't have those who have the enforcement tools seeking to go after the mortgage fraud, then in all likelihood it will continue to happen. So I know that my good friend from North Carolina is interested in weighing in on this issue. I think that as we discuss this issue, it's important to know, one, that there are enforcement tools, but they have to be used. I yield to my good friend.

Ms. SPEIER. I thank the gentleman. Reclaiming my time, you know, you had said earlier that our friends on the other side of the aisle were bemoaning the big government; and yet if any of the records that have been established by this commission are really studied, without the kind of government to do the kind of investigation and enforcement, then we are setting ourselves up for another financial crisis.

Ms. SPEIER. You know, you are absolutely right, and so is Will Rogers. I think that it's important for us to communicate to the American people that while we don't want bloated government, we want to make sure that there is a government that has the cop on the street. Look at the savings and loan crisis and those who were criminally charged and those who were convicted and those who went to prison. The FBI deputy director at the time, John Pistole, testified before Congress and said that there were a thousand people working on the S&L crisis at its height within the FBI, a thousand people. That compares to about 240 agents working on the mortgage fraud cases last year. So, you see, no numbers in terms of convictions, and you can see that if you don't have cops on the beat, then you are going to have people that are going to take advantage, that are not going to follow the rules, and that, frankly, will not be charged nor convicted for their crimes. I am reminded, too, that during much of this review by the commission they talked about the action that some regulators did take in 2005 where they weren't willing to actually take action against the banks, but they did issue what they called was a nonbinding guidance. The guidance was to recommend the banks consider a borrower's ability to make the loan payment when the rate adjusted. What a lightbulb going off. I mean, why wouldn't that be naturally part of the process when you were going to assess whether someone could carry the loan, to see whether or not they could carry the loan after the rate adjusted? But as you pointed out, they were all interested in the yield spread. They were all interested in churning. They were all interested in securitizing these loans and making more and more money. So it wasn't about making sure people could actually pay for the loans moving forward. I see we have been joined by another colleague. Welcome. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Ms. SPEIER. It offends me as well. As we conclude this half hour, I just want to say to our colleagues that this commission report must not gather dust. This commission report has got to be read by everyone, particularly our colleagues on the other side, and that we have got to take it to heart. One of the points they make in this report was that $2.7 billion was spent by the financial services industry over 10 years to lobby all of us, and another $1 billion was given out in contributions to Members of Congress. So, it's no surprise that the enforcement hasn't been as strong as it should be. Thank you for sharing this half hour with me, and let's hope that we can continue to shed light on this issue.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Rosenberg Foundation on the occasion of its 75th Anniversary. For three quarters of a century, the Rosenberg Foundation has committed itself to achieving social and economic justice for the people of California. The Rosenberg Foundation was established in 1935 by a group of relatives and business associates who were designated as trustees in the will of Max L. Rosenberg, a San Francisco businessman and philanthropist. Throughout its history, the Foundation has set forth on a mission of expanding opportunity to all Californians. It has distributed more than 2,800 grants totaling nearly $80 million to regional, statewide and national organizations advocating for social, economic and civic justice in the state. These grants have focused on California's most vulnerable communities, from those in rural areas to women to minorities to children. Today, the Foundation is spearheading innovative solutions for tackling issues such as immigrant rights, justice for farm workers, sentencing reform and economic disparity. For these efforts, the Rosenberg Foundation has been recognized with many prestigious awards. In 1997, it won the Outstanding Foundation Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2003, it was one of three foundations to receive the Paul Ylvisaker Award for Public Policy Engagement by the Council on Foundations. As our nation emerges from this historic recession and inequality continues to rise, groups like the Rosenberg Foundation will play a critical role in helping all Californians realize their share of the American Dream. The Foundation understands that people aren't looking for a handout, but a hand up. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Rosenberg Foundation and its dedicated staff for their extraordinary contributions to the people of California during the last 75 years. I have no doubt we will be celebrating many more anniversaries in the future.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the 23rd anniversary of the vicious attacks against Armenians in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. Dozens of Armenians were killed. Hundreds were injured. Women, including young girls, were raped. Apartments were robbed, cars were burned, and local businesses were destroyed. According to testimony reviewed by the Supreme Court of the USSR: ``Tenants were dragged from their apartments. If they tried to run and escape, the mob attacked them. The mob used metal rods, knives and hatchets, after which bodies were thrown into the fire.'' But shockingly most of the Azeris who committed these horrific acts and their accomplices in government were not brought to justice. The Sumgait Massacres are part of a long and disgraceful history of violence against the Armenian people. It is long past time for the United States to officially recognize the Armenian genocide. This anniversary should serve as a reminder that we can stay silent no more. Let's take this moment to remember all those who lost their lives at Sumgait and pledge to prevent ethnic cleansing from occurring anywhere in the future.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I recently surveyed my constituents and asked them what they thought I should spend my time on in 2011. No surprise, they said jobs; create jobs. Fifteen million Americans without work today, and what does the Republican continuing resolution do? It is going to add another 700,000 jobs lost in America, by Mark Zandi, the fine economist who was the adviser to John McCain when he was running for President, 700,000 jobs. So why would they do this? You've got to scratch your head. The reason why they want to do this is because they only win if the economy is down, if there are more jobs lost. So their whole approach is not to be Americans but to be Republicans. I say: Republicans, join us in being Americans first. Let's create a job-seeking engine. Let's create jobs in this country, not take them away.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, our budget is a serious document and a statement of our values as a Union. Americans are depending on us to reduce the deficit in a responsible manner while growing our economy and putting people back to work. But as their ``so be it, let them eat cake'' approach to jobs and the economy shows, our Republican colleagues have chosen to abandon the responsibility for recklessness. Now the Republicans are proposing to wipe out the California salmon industry and the thousands of jobs that depend on it. California's fishermen just made it through 3 years of unprecedented slowdown in the salmon industry. An estimated 23,000 jobs and $2.8 billion have been lost in just the last 3 years. These latest proposals threaten water supplies for millions, including both fishermen and farmers. Mr. Speaker, salmon means jobs. I have met the people who make their living with salmon, and they are proud of their jobs. According to recent studies, restoring the California bay-delta could provide 94,000 new jobs and $5.7 billion in economic activity.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. I move to strike the last word.

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Chairman, I had really planned to speak about something else, but the gentleman from New Jersey has just put my stomach in knots, because I'm one of those women he spoke about just now. I had a procedure at 17 weeks, pregnant with a child that had moved from the vagina into the cervix, and that procedure that you just talked about was a procedure that I endured. I lost the baby. But for you to stand on this floor and to suggest as you have that somehow this is a procedure that is either welcomed or done cavalierly or done without any thought is preposterous. To think that we are here tonight debating this issue, when the American people if they are listening are scratching their heads and wondering: What does this have to do with me getting a job? What does this have to do with reducing the deficit? And the answer is: Nothing at all. There is a vendetta against Planned Parenthood and it was played out in this room tonight. Planned Parenthood has a right to operate. Planned Parenthood has a right to provide services for family planning. Planned Parenthood has a right to offer abortions. The last time I checked, abortions were legal in this country. Now, you may not like Planned Parenthood. So be it. There are many on our side of the aisle that don't like Halliburton, and Halliburton is responsible for extortion, for bribery, for 10 cases of misconduct in the Federal database for a $7 billion sole source contract. But do you see us over here filing amendments to wipe out funding for Halliburton? No. Because, frankly, that would be irresponsible. I would suggest to you that it would serve us all very well if we moved on with this process and started focusing on creating jobs for the Americans who desperately want them. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this continuing resolution, a continuing resolution that I call the silly, the dangerous and the hypocritical. Budgets are more than just numbers. They are a statement of our values as a Nation. As a Congress, we are faced with several serious challenges: growing our economy, putting people back to work, investing in the future, reducing the deficit, and ensuring the most vulnerable in our society are protected. Judging on that criteria alone, this CR doesn't pass the laugh test. It would cut 300,000 private sector transportation jobs, ensuring our construction workers are receiving unemployment checks instead of paychecks. It would stifle our competition. It would stifle competitiveness by making Pell Grants less accessible to students and families. And it would run roughshod over women, children and the environment. With such an extreme proposal, I assume my good friends on the Republican side would be coming forward with ideas to improve it. But what we've gotten this week is a combination of the silly, the dangerous, and the hypocritical. In the silly department, we have an amendment preventing funds from being used to repair the White House. Now ironically right now, going on in the Rayburn Building, are remodeling of hearing rooms that I guess the chairmen of these committees have found no need to halt. How much money is being spent there? Or how about the amendment preventing funds from being used for President Obama's teleprompter. Oh, right. We're going to cut $3,000 from the budget. That's really going to help us. I would expect this sort of hyperpartisanship on cable TV, but not in a budget debate. Under dangerous, we have: several provisions gutting environmental protection, rolling back EPA regulations on clean air and clean water, and reducing our investment in clean energy, making America even more dependent on foreign oil. How many more solar panels do we want manufactured in China? How about the amendment undermining a third party testing requirement at the Consumer Product Safety Commission? Great. So let's have Chinese companies pour in more tainted toys, more lead- and cadmium-filled toys for our kids. How about the reduction in funding for our first responders, meaning there will be less cops and less firefighters in every single neighborhood in this country? Or how about the amendment preventing funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, meaning big banks can call the shots again? Have we learned nothing from the financial meltdown over the last 3 years? Or how about the unprecedented attack on women's reproductive health which will result in more unplanned pregnancies and more abortions; not less. And finally, the category my colleagues on the Republican side seem to relish the most--hypocritical. The party that ran on jobs has authored a budget that would increase the unemployment rolls. Asked about likely job losses in the CR, Speaker Boehner said, ``Well, so be it.'' It's like Marie Antoinette saying, ``Let them eat cake.'' The party that ran on cutting spending didn't take a scalpel to the defense budget; they took a toothpick. In fact, there's another $2.2 billion in the budget for the V-22 Osprey, which is basically obsolete; $495 million for nine Joint Strike Fighters; and $450 for a second engine that the military defense budget doesn't want. And the party that ran on fiscal responsibility has offered a budget that will balloon the deficit by continuing tax cuts for the millionaires and billionaires that don't need them. I agree with President Obama, that we must out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world. While not perfect, the budget he released this week will take an important step in that direction. As for the silly, the dangerous and the hypocritical CR we are considering today, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' Budgeting is a serious process, and what we're doing this week is unserious at least.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, less than 3 weeks ago, a horrible tragedy in Arizona gave our Nation pause. All Americans were horrified at the news that Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, her staff, and constituents were shot in an appalling act of violence. Six people lost their lives that day. Even more were hurt. And our friend Gabby now faces a long road to recovery. But some good came out of all of that horror. Ordinary Americans risked their lives to help those in need. Violence was denounced from the left and from the right. And Members of Congress pledged to not let this tragedy keep them from meeting with their constituents. To honor Gabby, the other Tucson victims, and our great democracy, I have introduced a resolution today that designates the first Saturday in January as ``National Congress on Your Corner Day.'' We cannot allow one single gunman to alter our representative form of government. In that spirit, I will be holding a Congress on Your Corner in my district this weekend. And I know that when Gabby is fully recovered, she will do the same. To honor all those affected by the Tucson tragedy, I urge support of this resolution.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Michele Jackson, Executive Director of Shelter Network for the last 10 years. Michele is a true professional and has been an exceptional leader of this wonderful agency. Shelter Network, a godsend to our country, has helped thousands of homeless families and individuals in San Mateo County find homes and become self-sufficient since 1987. As a member of the advisory board I have witnessed how Michele and Shelter Network have turned lives around and reintegrated homeless families into our community. She initiated the designing, opening and maintaining of shelters that meet the needs of homeless families. In 2000, she oversaw the rebuilding and reopening of Haven Family House in Menlo Park. She led campaigns to rebuild First Step for Families in San Mateo in 2004 and to renovate Redwood Family House in Redwood City in 2006. Michele has turned Shelter Network into a model organization for our community, our county and the world. Under her guidance, services for homeless families and individuals have expanded and new ones created, among them the Motel Voucher and Homeless Outreach programs, The Vendome which houses chronically homeless adults, rapid re-housing and prevention initiatives like Housing First and HPRP, mental health services for children and the Shelter Network's Alumni Association. In addition to running Shelter Network, Michele has dedicated her time and energy to volunteer for many worthy causes. She is a board member of HEART, the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust, and of Local Emergency Food and Shelter FEMA/EHAP. Michele is the Chair of the Executive Committee for the San Mateo County Continuum of Care, a member of the Interagency Council for HOPE: San Mateo County's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. She also is a member of CHRAC, the Community Health Reform Advocacy Committee, and San Mateo County's Housing Operations and Policy Committee. Michele serves as the secretary and board member of Riley's Place, a non-profit organization dedicated to enrich the lives of low-income or chronically ill children through interaction with animals. Michele's altruism and dedication to those in need have earned her many friends and fans--including myself--and well deserved awards. In 2003, she received the Heart of Social Work Award from the National Council on Social Work Education for excellence in field instruction. In 2010, she was presented with the Housing Leadership Day Award by San Mateo County's Housing Leadership Council. Michele earned both her Bachelor and Masters of Social Work from San Francisco State University. She lives in Belmont with her husband Bill Jackson. I have no doubt she will stay engaged in the community during her retirement and find more time to enjoy her family, ride her horse Tywy, spend time with her new puppy, travel and read. Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to join me in honoring Michele Jackson for her decade as Executive Director of Shelter Network and for her three decades in social work on this day of her retirement, January 26, 2011.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor William Boldenweck, who leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as a journalist and teacher. Mr. Boldenweck passed away January 11, 2011, at the age of 79 and is survived by his wife Lynn Boldenweck and two sons William C. Boldenweck III and Stephen Boldenweck. Mr. Boldenweck spent over three decades as a reporter for the San Francisco Examiner and two decades as a journalism teacher at San Francisco State University. He started his journalism career after his military career with the U.S. Marine Corps reserve. Mr. Boldeweck, a Portland, Oregon native, was called up in the Korean War in 1950. He was in combat in the Inchon invasion, a battle that recaptured Seoul. He was also at the legendary battle at Chosin Few, the decisive battle of the Korean War. He never missed a reunion of that veterans group. After the war, Mr. Boldenweck enrolled in San Francisco City College and San Francisco State University. He became a reporter at the Marin Independent Journal and was quickly snatched by the Examiner in 1960. Mr. Boldenweck was a classic newspaper reporter, the kind that are far and few between today. His colleagues admired his ability as a journalist saying he could cover any story and was the best barroom story teller of his generation. He was also loved by his friends for his affable personality. On the first day of class every semester at San Francisco State University, he shocked his beginning journalism students by making them write their own obituaries. His justification for that was that it would help them impart the reality of journalism and make them focus on the facts that matter. At the end of his own life, though, he left the writing of his obituary to his fellow reporters. Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to join me in honoring an extraordinary man of letters, William Boldenweck, who I was blessed to call a friend, for his service to our country and for his dedication and contributions to the profession of journalism.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor James P. Fox for his public service as district attorney of San Mateo County for 27 years. Jim was first elected in 1982 and then re-elected every four years since without opposition. I first worked with Jim when I served on the Board of Supervisors. Even then, he was known as the ``Silver Fox'' for the luxurious topping of silver on his head. During my time in the California Legislature, I received many calls from Jim who often offered suggestions regarding legislation. We worked closely together on strengthening California's laws so that non-paying obligor parents would pay up what was owed. He once told me he saw a local realtor depicted as a family man in an advertisement with his new wife and their children on a beach, all the while failing to support his former wife and their children. Jim wasn't afraid to name names. The realtor paid up. Jim courageously opposed the Three Strikes Initiative. He is a district attorney who has the courage to favor punishment when appropriate and who also favors treatment and deterrence through crime prevention. Jim is tough as nails but also thoughtful--a true public servant. He decided at an early age to dedicate his career to the law. In third grade, home sick with pneumonia, he watched the McCarthy hearings on television and declared he would be an attorney. Jim received his Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of San Francisco in 1966 and his law degree from the University of San Francisco in 1969. In 1970 he started as a deputy district attorney for the San Mateo County District Attorney's office for four years before entering private practice for seven years in addition to serving as the city attorney of Half Moon Bay. His dedication to public service has been outstanding. He has found time and energy to be a member of a number of commissions and committees, including the California Bar Association's Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluations, the Criminal Law Advisory Committee, the Court Profiles Committee and the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Cameras in the Courtroom. He is a past president of the California District Attorneys' Association and a past vice president of the National District Attorneys' Association. Jim has been appointed twice to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Additionally, Jim has been very active in civic affairs. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of Mercy High School in Burlingame, the Board of Directors of Notre Dame High School in Belmont and Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo and as a member of the San Mateo County Children and Family First Commission, now named First Five. With all of these volunteer positions, Jim still finds time to pursue his culinary passion. His chocolate fudge is legendary. If you have attended county events with Jim, you may have encountered these delicious confections labeled with his signature golden sticker depicting a fox and proclaiming: ``County of San Mateo, FOX FUDGE (not produced at government expense).'' Jim's wonderful sense of humor and easy smile endear him to his colleagues, friends and his family. He and his wife Bonnie of 42 years are the proud parents of three and grandparents of seven. Mr. Speaker, it is right to honor James P. Fox for his tireless dedication to the public upon the occasion of his retirement on December 31, 2010, after seven terms as the District Attorney of San Mateo County.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Battalion Chief Joseph E. Telles for his 25 years of service with the San Bruno Fire Department. He was a past president of the San Mateo County Operations Committee and a member of the San Mateo County Communications/Technology Committee. Joe also served as the Fire Departments Liaison to the Bay Area Rapid Transit. Joe started his career as a Firefighter in 1985 at the age of 25. He was promoted to Fire Captain in 2002 and to Battalion Chief in 2004. During the 2009 Shu-Lightening wildland fire incident in the Shasta Trinity Forest, Joe was the Strike Team Leader, demonstrating--as he has throughout his career--his extraordinary leadership and organizational skills. Joe has been successful in securing many grants to help the fire department obtain vital equipment, such as self-contained breathing apparati, EMS jackets, wildland shelters, truck rescue equipment, and portable radios. The biggest accomplishment for a fire fighter is to not have anyone killed or seriously injured. Joe has a proud record of that accomplishment, even though he has fought a large number of big fires. Among them was a church fire in San Bruno that almost cost him his own life and the Salami fire in South San Francisco. In that fire Joe made what he calls ``the best decision of his life.'' He ordered 20 fire fighters out of the building right before its roof collapsed. By far the biggest fire Joe and numerous fire fighters ever had to face was the ``Glenview Incident,'' the horrendous PG&E natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno on September 9, 2010 that killed 8 people and destroyed 37 homes. Due to the outstanding heroism of Joe and his colleagues, countless lives were saved. He was part of a world class emergency response team that prevented the disaster from reaching unimaginable proportions. Joe has been married to his wife Cindy for as long as he has been Battalion Chief. They are the proud parents of three children, Jacquelyn, Joey and Wesley. Mr. Speaker, I ask the members of this body to join me in honoring Joe Telles upon his retirement for his dedication to public service at the City of San Bruno Fire Department.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. You know, the real question is who is supporting this repeal of health reform. Are the doctors of America supporting the repeal? No; the American Medical Association opposes it. Is AARP supporting a repeal? No; they are opposed to it. Are the hospitals supporting a repeal? No; they are opposed to it as well. Who supports a repeal of health care reform? The National Chamber of Commerce, period. So what do our constituents really want? They want the costs to be brought down. There is not one of us who hasn't heard a complaint from a constituent saying, I can't afford it anymore. Well, health care reform requires that 80 percent of the premium go to providing health care. It is starting to put a governor on the costs of health insurance. The second thing that people are concerned about is access for their kids and for themselves. Well, let's talk about these children. In my district there are 30,000 children with preexisting conditions, and I know you have gotten the same phone calls I have gotten; a parent calling, crying on the phone, talking about the leukemia their child has or the asthma their child has and their fear if their spouse loses their job they won't have health insurance and they will go to the individual market and there will be no health insurance. Let me tell you about Sophie O'Riley, who, at 5 years of age, had very serious asthma. Her parents went to every insurer in the individual market and could not get insurance. So what did they do? They went bare for a year in order to be able to access insurance. H.R. 2 is bad medicine. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. The Sixth Amendment: ``In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law.''

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for calling me young and for your able leadership on this issue. A special recognition must be offered to Congresswoman Maloney for her effort in bringing this to our attention. And I'm very proud to be associated with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have come together in a true bipartisan effort here, because I think we recognize that this is a travesty. To speak about 300,000 youngsters in this country, girls and boys-- mostly girls, but girls and boys--who are caught up in sex slavery is an abomination. And while this is a great first step--and I applaud it and embrace it and support it--it is a mere $45 million and six projects throughout the country. And we've all admitted that we're talking about hundreds of thousands of young people impacted. So I hope as part of this effort today we are going to redouble our efforts and expand this program. Because I, like so many of you, have spoken to local DAs, have spoken to local U.S. Attorneys, have spoken to the FBI, have gone on ride-alongs in Oakland, and have witnessed firsthand what is going on. I've gone to Courtney's House. I've gone to many of the shelters and I've talked to the victims. And I want to share just one story about one victim here in Washington, D.C., age of 16, who got caught up in this sex trafficking because she wanted to leave home and saw this as a way to make a new life because this young man took her to McDonald's and bought her lunch and then wanted to be her boyfriend. And then they needed money so, of course, she needed to sell herself. And I asked her, How many times a day were you forced to have sex? And she said between 10 and 15 times a day before she finally was able to run away. This is horrific. And it's time for us to do much more than fund six projects across this country for $45 million. A good step--and I embrace it. But, Members, we have to do much more.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Julie Lancelle for her outstanding community service in Pacifica, California, since 1986. Julie moved to Pacifica in 1986 with her husband and daughter and was quickly drawn into the public activism intrinsic to this coastal town. One of her first causes was the opposition to extending the Highway 1 freeway south of Rockaway Beach. The following year she was appointed to the Pacifica Open Space Task Force. In 1992, Julie was first elected to the Pacifica City Council. After serving a two-year term, she left to spend more time with her children. In 1997, she recommitted herself to community service and became a member of the Pacifica Land Trust Board where she used her years of experience to preserve open space. She was again elected to the city council in 2002 and during her eight years of service was instrumental in the completion of the Pacifica Strategic Plan, the Palmetto Streetscape Plan and the expansion of the Community Emergency Response Team Program. She advocated for the preservation of the habitat at Sharp Park, balancing environmental concerns with the recreational pursuits of golf and archery. Julie also represented her community on the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the City/County Association of Governments. Throughout her life, Julie has been passionate about the outdoors and the preservation of open space. One of the highlights in her career was the purchase of Mori Point and its inclusion into the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. She launched a campaign for that purchase and organized the community to raise money to partner with the Trust for Public Land, the Park Service and the Coastal Conservancy. Thanks to Julie, Mori Point is now a spectacular hiking area open to everyone. Madam Speaker, it is right to honor my friend and colleague Julie Lancelle for her outstanding advocacy and dedication to her community, particularly on December 15, 2010, the day she retires from the Pacifica City Council.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Paul Regan for his remarkable 25 years of public service to the town of Hillsborough, California. Throughout every step of his career, Paul has provided strong leadership, insightful financial guidance, and an unwavering commitment to his community and his country. Through 35 years of thoughtful, diligent work in the field of forensic accounting, Paul has become a world-renowned expert who is widely acclaimed for his skill in researching complex financial scandals and disputes. Most would agree that he is the leading forensic accountant in the United States. He has lent his expertise to the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and has testified as an expert witness before the United States Congress as well as the World Court. Alongside this remarkable work in the private sector, Paul has an equally impressive record of public service to the town of Hillsborough. His expertise in financial matters during his years of service has been critical to the town's success. He joined the Hillsborough City School District Board of Trustees in 1985, and served as that body's President from 1986 to 1987 and then again from 1993 to 1994. Paul has also been a member of the Town of Hillsborough City Council since 1998, and served as mayor from 2002 to 2004. In addition, he chaired the Sustainable Hillsborough Task Force, served on the Recreation Commission, the Central County Fire Board, and is currently our Finance Commissioner. In addition to all of this, Paul is a loving husband to his equally involved and gifted wife, Barbara, and a devoted father to their three children. Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor the dedication and leadership of Paul Regan, and I encourage other members to join me in wishing him the very best in all of his future endeavors.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Dr. Mitch Katz for his 13 years of remarkable service as director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Mitch has worn many hats since he joined the public health department in 1991. He has served as the director and chief of research for San Francisco's AIDS office, director of the Emergency Medical Services Agency, and director of the department's health and safety branch. In 1997, he took the helm of the department as its director, and has been building a stunning record of achievements ever since. In each of these capacities, he has been a champion for progressive, forward-thinking policies and programs designed to improve the health of all of San Francisco's citizens. As director of the Department of Public Health, he fought tirelessly alongside Mayor Gavin Newsom to create Healthy San Francisco, a groundbreaking, first-in-the-nation effort that provides a universal health care program to the city's uninsured. He has advocated labeling menus with calorie counts, banning the sale of cigarettes in pharmacies, and compelling employers in San Francisco to provide sick leave and health care to their workers. He has also overseen the mammoth reconstruction of the Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center and started the process of rebuilding San Francisco General Hospital. In addition to this tremendous record, Mitch still finds time to teach and care for patients as Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF, and to be a loving and devoted father to his two sons. Dr. Katz practices what he preaches, commuting everywhere by bicycle or by transit. The access to health care that all San Franciscans enjoy is because Mitch Katz was at the helm. He leaves a lasting impact on the City by the Bay. Madam Speaker, you and I share representation of the city and I know we share great admiration for one of San Francisco's greatest health care leaders. I ask that the members join me in saluting Dr. Katz for his years of service to San Francisco, and extend our best wishes to him and his family as he assumes the directorship of Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health next year. He will be greatly missed.

Ms. SPEIER

Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor John Fannon for his remarkable service to the town of Hillsborough, California. John was--and is--never afraid to speak his mind, and that trait has proven invaluable to the various causes and constituencies for which he has fought. First as a councilmember and then as Mayor of Hillsborough, he has prided himself on promoting precision and efficiency--as all proud Marines do--and always ran city council meetings in a strict and timely fashion. John began his tenure on the board of directors of the Bay Area Water Users Association in 2004, and was elected that body's chairman in 2009. His creativity, leadership, and determination proved vital during negotiations with the City and County of San Francisco on an agreement that dealt with the future of the Peninsula's water supply. He also served as the town's Building and Planning Commissioner during a time in which the municipal code was successfully improved. It should also be noted that, in spite of his hundreds of hours on the clock working for the people of Hillsborough, John remains a dedicated family man to his charming and spirited wife, Georgeann, his seven children, and his many grandchildren. Madam Speaker, John Fannon is a fearless and determined public servant, and it is only fitting that this House give him special recognition for his unique contributions to the town of Hillsborough and his 12 years of service on the Town of Hillsborough City Council.