Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, with H. Res. 1187, this Chamber expresses its commitment to the safety and security of our Nation's public servants. H. Res. 1187 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) on March 16, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported by unanimous consent on May 6, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of over 70 Members of the House. Mr. Speaker, the men and women of our Federal workforce deserve our appreciation and our support. Their efforts are often undervalued, but they provide our Nation with many forms of critical services. The Federal workforce includes firefighters, law enforcement officers, and military support personnel. Federal employees protect the public, help keep our food and water clean, defend our borders, and preserve our national parks. They deliver our mail, care for our veterans, and provide all manners of other services that keep our country going. While we in Congress may debate the details about the proper role that the Federal Government should play in our country, we can all agree that Federal employees should be able to expect to be able to carry out their duties with a degree of safety and security. The Department of Justice has filed over a thousand cases relating to attacks against Federal employees since 2006, including a suicide attack on the Internal Revenue Service office in Austin, Texas. On February 18 of this year, that attack claimed the life of a two-tour Vietnam veteran, Vernon Hunter. The shooting attack at the entrance of the Pentagon on March 4 injured two Pentagon guards and was the fourth attack or scare on a Federal building in 2010. These attacks sadden us all, and I am glad we are taking the time to condemn attacks against our Federal employees and to affirm our commitment to their safety and their security. I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) and also thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) and the staff for their work to bring this to where we are today. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I think it is so important that we protect and support our Federal employees. Let me again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1187) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to raising public awareness of and helping to prevent attacks against Federal employees while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties, as amended.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5051) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 23 Genesee Street in Hornell, New York, as the ``Zachary Smith Post Office Building''.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it is with a heavy heart that I present H.R. 5051 for consideration. This measure designates the United States postal building located at 23 Genesee Street in Hornell, New York, as the ``Zachary Smith Post Office Building.'' On January 24, 2010, while on patrol in southern Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Zachary Smith, a marine with the 2nd Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He had been awarded a Purple Heart by President Obama for his selfless service. Zachary Smith was born on April 2, 1990, to his parents, Christopher and Kim Smith, in Hornell, New York, where he lived along with his brother and sister, Nathaniel and Grace Smith. Zach attended Hornell High School and graduated in 2008. Fulfilling his lifelong dream, Zachary enlisted in the Marines while still in high school. After graduation, Zach left for basic training, but not before marrying his high school sweetheart, Anne Deebs. They were wed on July 25, 2009, and Zach completed boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, before going on to graduate from the Marine Corps School of Infantry. Described as a gifted athlete by friends, Zach was on the Hornell High School football and golf teams throughout his 4 years of high school. He was a member of Twin Hickory Golf Club and also Hornell Golf Club. He enjoyed watching sporting events and especially liked to root for the New York Giants, the New York Yankees, and the Syracuse Orangemen. He was also a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann's Church. Those who knew him say he was a genuine, humorous, and outgoing young man who enthusiastically embraced life. He always cared more for others than he did for himself and would go out of his way to help anyone who needed his help. The world would be a better place if it had more young men like Zach. His service to his country is an example we all should follow, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his service and his sacrifice. Please join me in honoring Zach's memory by supporting this bill. The people of Hornell will be reminded of Zach's courage and valor every day as they pass by the post office building named in his honor. H.R. 5051 was introduced by the gentleman from New York, Representative Joseph Crowley, on April 15, 2010. The measure was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported by unanimous consent on May 6, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of the entire New York State delegation. I thank the gentleman for introducing this bill, and I'm sure that it means a great deal to Lance Corporal Smith's family and his friends. I also thank the gentleman from California, Congressman Issa, and all the members of the committee, especially, that worked to make this a reality and, of course, Mr. Issa for his support in bringing this measure to the floor today as well. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this measure honoring a fallen soldier who gave his life for his country. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and to extend their remarks.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the resolution (H. Res. 1328) honoring the life and legacy of William Earnest ``Ernie'' Harwell.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of H. Res. 1328, a resolution honoring the life and legacy of William ``Ernie'' Harwell. Mr. Harwell, an iconic and beloved sportscaster for the Detroit Tigers, passed away on May 4, 2010, at the age of 92. During his 55-year career, he delivered the play-by-play for more than 8,500 Major League Baseball games, spending more than 40 of those years calling games for the Tigers. He became known as the ``voice of the Tigers'' due to his colorful style of commentary. A player called out on a third strike was, he would say, ``called out for excessive window shopping.'' A double play was ``two for the price of one.'' He finally retired from broadcasting in 2002 while he was still in good health, saying he discussed it with his wife and that ``it's better to leave too early than too late.'' Mr. Harwell's love of baseball was also expressed in writings and song. In 1955, he wrote, ``The Game for All America,'' an essay celebrating Americans' love affair with baseball. Mr. Harwell wrote dozens of songs, including one for Hank Aaron when he broke Babe Ruth's home run record in 1974. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and to extend their remarks.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. H. Con. Res. 268 was introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from New York, Representative Maurice Hinchey, on April 27, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which reported it favorably by unanimous consent on May 6, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of over 50. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) for introducing this measure, and I hope we can all stand behind it. I also would like to thank the gentleman from California, Congressman Issa, and all the staff who worked to make this a reality. I encourage my colleagues to vote for this measure.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pass on my condolences to the Knight family, Clarence Knight, whom I met in 1952, a very active member in the community, has worked hard with the tenant association, worked hard with the alumni association, a person who was always anxious and willing to help others. Mr. Knight passed away yesterday; and, of course, he's going to be missed. So let me say to the family, Pat, Renee, and of course Scrappy and to all the family members that you have my deepest sympathy and, of course, if there's anything that we can do, we will be delighted to be there for you.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and to extend their remarks.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to honor the brave men and women working as explosive ordnance disposal technicians by supporting this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H. Res. 1294, a resolution supporting the designation of a National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Day in honor of the selfless service and sacrifice of the men and women of the United States armed services who risk their lives every day as explosive ordnance disposal experts. Explosive ordnance removal has always been a profession fraught with exceptional danger and emotional stress. My colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa), knows this firsthand from his time as a bomb disposal technician in the United States Army. Now, as the United States Military is engaged in two unconventional wars, our explosive ordnance disposal teams are under pressure as never before. They must respond on a daily basis to roadside bombs and land mines that threaten our troops. It is their nerves of steel and high level of technical expertise that keep their comrades safe during ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. These brave men and women deserve a day of honor and remembrance for the difficult tasks we ask them to carry out in the service of their country. Wherever they may be--patrolling the ring road of Afghanistan or disarming an IED in the streets of Baghdad--they are in our thoughts and in our prayers. This resolution was introduced by our colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida, Representative Ginny Brown-Waite, on April 22, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which reported the measure by unanimous consent on May 6, 2010. This measure enjoys the support of 60 Members of the House. I thank the gentlewoman for introducing this bill, and I thank the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Mr. Issa, of course, and his staff, for their help in bringing this bill to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5148, the bill to further prohibit deceptive mailings using the word ``census.'' Only a few weeks ago, on March 10 to be exact, the House acted unanimously to deal with the misleading fundraising mail designed to look like it is from the Census Bureau. Congresswoman Maloney introduced H.R. 4621, the Prevent Deceptive Census Look Alike Mailing Act, which was originally cosponsored by me and Congressman Clay, chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the census. Congresswoman Maloney and Congressman Clay are longtime supporters of the census, and they have worked hard to make sure we have an accurate count in 2010. H.R. 4621 was also cosponsored by the ranking member of the committee, Congressman Issa of California, as well as the ranking member of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the postal service, Congressman Jason Chaffetz. I thank them for their support and for helping us to move it to the floor today. The goal of the bill was simple. The United States Census, currently under way, is a critical source of information for America's future. Regrettably, scammers and con artists are trying to hijack the word ``census'' to confuse citizens into opening and responding to mail that is unrelated to the actual U.S. Census. We must protect the U.S. Census from this kind of fraud. H.R. 4621 simply requires mailings which have the term ``census'' on the envelope or cover to also include an accurate return address and the name of the sender on the envelope. H.R. 4621 was drafted narrowly to avoid the First Amendment concerns and avoid interfering with the legitimate use of the mail by nonprofit organizations. The bill was intended to prevent the deceptive use of look-alike mailings by requiring transparency and disclosure. The House voted 416-0 to pass H.R. 4621. The Senate passed the same bill by unanimous consent. Not many bills pass this House unanimously, but this one did--both Houses. That's not something that happened real quick around here. You would think the message sent by that law was very clear. Unfortunately, days after H.R. 4621 was signed into law, the RNC sent a new mailing which includes the same deceptive practices. The new mailing is also labeled a census, and it does not include a return address or identify the sender as the RNC, as required by law, Mr. Speaker. One of these offensive mailings is dated April 12, only 5 days after the President signed H.R. 4621 into law. Apparently, the RNC cannot even let 1 week go by without deceiving the American public. Despite the unanimous action of Congress, the RNC continues to act in defiance of Congress and plain common sense and fairness. These mailings continue to mislead citizens, confuse voters, and annoy recipients. On that note, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York, Carolyn Maloney, who has been very involved in this issue, of course, and to say to my colleague from California, I really appreciate his involvement in this as well, the ranking member of the committee, Congressman Issa.

Mr. TOWNS. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by saying that we need to send the kind of message that will make certain this stops. However, I do believe the new RNC mailings are illegal under current law. That's number one. This bill will clarify that any use of the word ``census'' that is visible through the envelope would trigger a requirement to disclose the name and return address of the sender. Congress should not have to act twice to make it clear that it is wrong to imitate the census, which is mandated by our Constitution. Unfortunately, the foolishness of the RNC has forced us to act again. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of my colleagues, especially the ranking member of the committee, Congresswoman Maloney, and Mr. Chaffetz and others, especially their staffs, who understand and recognize how important the census is and that we should not get involved in any kind of trickery when it comes to the census because there are so many things that depend on the census. Therefore, to play around with it, to me, is so unfair when you're talking about, really, playing around with the lives of people, because so many things are based on the fact that the count, the count is so important. So it's my hope that the RNC will recognize this and stop this trickery, because there is no place, no time do we need that today. We need to make certain that everybody fills out their census form, and gets it back in as soon as possible. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act, H.R. 3393, provides the Federal Government with the tools needed to prevent mistakes and overpayments in the first place and recover funds that are paid in error. That's the reason why I'd like to salute Congressman Issa of California, Congressman Bilbray, and of course Congressman Platts and Congressman Murphy for the outstanding job that they have done on this legislation. The bill we are considering today takes the next step and makes Federal agencies more accountable for properly managing taxpayers' funds. The bill requires agencies to develop and report corrective action plans based on measured error rates and creates incentives for meeting their goals and penalties for failure to meet their goals. Importantly, the bill also gives the agencies the means to go after the funds that they have overpaid, which will make the taxpayers, agencies, programs, and activities which relied on those appropriations whole. We are living in a time, Mr. Speaker, when our government is under extreme fiscal demands, and we need to do everything possible to ensure that every tax dollar goes to where it is needed. To ensure this takes place, we need to provide our Federal agencies with the tools to properly manage their spending. We also need to give the agencies the ability to follow through with their oversight and provide them with the ability to recover erroneous payments. However, we cannot stop there. We must do everything that we can to ensure that Federal agencies who make improper payments fix the problem that allows the improper payments to take place. At the end of the day, this bill amends current law to require more accountability through reports, plans, definitions, clarification of responsibility, allocation of funds, and oversight. Again, I would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Murphy, Bilbray, Issa, and others, for working together in a truly, truly bipartisan manner to get this piece of important legislation to the House floor. H.R. 3393 is a commonsense, good government bill, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Patrick Murphy, who is really responsible for our being here today. He has worked so hard on this legislation, and, of course, as I have said to many staffers along the way, this makes a whole lot of sense, and I want to thank him, and, of course, Mr. Platts and people that have worked on this and kept it going.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Office of Management and Budget recently reported the Federal Government made $98 billion in improper and overpayments last year. This is a staggering amount and completely unacceptable. No family or business in this great country would tolerate being charged twice or even overbilled for anything and neither should the government. We need to do everything we can to ensure that the government spends every tax dollar in the most responsible way possible. In fact, we have an obligation to the taxpayers to fight waste, fraud, and abuse and to ensure that if the government overpays for something, it has the means to recover those precious tax dollars. The bill we are now considering, H.R. 3393, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2009, will provide the government with the means to fulfill this obligation to the taxpayers. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3393) to amend the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (31 U.S.C. 3321 note) in order to prevent the loss of billions in taxpayer dollars, as amended.