Mike Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank the gentleman for being here tonight and for his leadership. Madam Speaker, I'll end where I started. As I said, we have to come together to work on these issues. These are the issues that the American people want us to find solutions for. Let's close these loopholes, make sure that illegal gun activity doesn't take place, and protect the Second Amendment. You know I'm four-square on that, and we'll do everything we can to make sure that that happens. These are commonsense issues, and we should find cooperation across the aisle. As I said, I'll end where I started. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join together and to pass these bills that both protect our Second Amendment rights and help make our communities safer places in which to live, work, play, and raise our families. Madam Speaker, thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank the gentleman. I appreciate the fact that you provide clarity on the one issue, and that is that the critics of anything we try and do to prevent gun violence repeatedly state, Just enforce the laws that are on the books. Here, this gun trafficking proposal that you and Mrs. Maloney have introduced is, I think, illustrative of the fact that sometimes you actually need other laws. Because there are no laws on the books to prevent against something that leads to the tragedies that we heard about in your hearing yesterday and that, sadly, the folks in this New York area and the families of these slain individuals will have to live with for the rest of their life. I can't emphasize enough: there is no dedicated law on the book that prohibits trafficking of guns. People are trafficking in guns, and they are used to kill people. We have an opportunity, and I commend you and Mrs. Maloney for not only your dedication and your effort to bring this to an end, but the fact that you've reached out across party lines. You have a bipartisan coalition; you have bipartisan authorship of this bill recognizing that we've got to bring this to a stop. The only sad commentary that I have is one of our brave colleagues who was willing to stand up and take a position on this bill to prevent criminals from getting guns, has been under attack by some who have just mischaracterized his position, mischaracterized his dedication, mischaracterized his motives, and mischaracterized the bill that all of you are working so hard on. So thank you for being here tonight, And thank you very much for your tireless effort in bringing closure to this issue.

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join with us and pass the bipartisan legislation to strengthen Federal penalties for straw purchasing of firearms. I'm a hunter and a gun owner, and I believe strongly in the Second Amendment. I support law-abiding Americans' right to own firearms, and nothing in this legislation infringes upon that right. This bill simply helps keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals who cannot legally buy guns on their own. I chair the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Our task force has developed a comprehensive set of policy principles that will help reduce gun violence. To develop these principles, we met with virtually everyone who had an interest on this issue: Republicans, Democrats, the NRA, gun owners and gun safety groups, mental health experts, educational leaders, people from the video game and movie industries, hunting and sportsman's groups, law enforcement leaders, and the Vice President of the United States. Out of these meetings, one of the principles we developed dealt specifically with strengthening penalties for gun trafficking and for straw purchasing. This is something we should all be able to agree on. At a hearing yesterday held by my colleague and friend, Mr. Cummings from Maryland, and one of his cosponsors, Mrs. Maloney from New York, we heard testimony from New York City fireman Ted Scardino. Mr. Scardino was wounded and two of his fellow firemen were killed when a gunman lured them to a house that that gunman had set on fire and then started shooting at them. The shooter had his neighbor buy the gun for him because he could not pass a background check. Mr. Scardino said yesterday: Putting a gun in someone's hand that isn't supposed to have one must be stopped. So let's pass this bipartisan bill and let's stop it. I now yield to my colleague and good friend from Maryland, the author of this legislation and a leader on this issue, Mr. Cummings.

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Thank you, Congresswoman Esty, and thank you for your work on the task force and for your work every day to make sure that we all come together to make our communities safer places to live, to work, to recreate, and to raise our families. One of the things, one of the beautiful benefits of doing this work for me has been the honor I've had in not only working with great dedicated people, yourself included, but meeting some of your wonderful constituents. Their passion is on fire in Connecticut. I've met with them many times with you, sometimes alone. We got another glimpse of it yesterday, as you mentioned, when Team 26 rode into Washington, D.C., rode all the way from your district to Washington, D.C., to call on all of us to work together to pass these bills to make our communities safer. They're wonderful folks, they're dedicated, they're hardworking, and I can understand why after watching you and experiencing your leadership on this issue. So thank you very much for all that you are doing. And I just want to remind folks that the American people want us to make our communities safer; they want us to pass sensible laws that will do this. And everyone will tell you we shouldn't allow criminals and the dangerously mentally ill to get firearms. Well, how in the world can you do that if you don't do some just real commonsense steps to make sure that doesn't happen? We're talking about a couple of them today--straw purchases and gun trafficking. Who in the world could be opposed to stopping straw purchases? And that means just what it says. That means somebody buys a gun and gives it to somebody who's not allowed by law to own a gun, who is trafficking in guns, making a living, making a profit, making a business out of buying guns and then shipping them someplace, taking them someplace, introducing them to a community where they're going to be used for unlawful purposes. No one could possibly be against that. Background checks is another one. As you know, our task force will be holding a hearing this Friday on background checks. Ninety-four percent of the American people believe we should pass background checks. Eighty-four percent of the NRA members think we should pass a background check bill. We're going to have an opportunity next week when I introduce legislation to put in place background checks for the American people to call their Representatives and let them know. This is important stuff. We need to have that check in place so people who are dangerously mentally ill, people who are criminals, if they try and buy a gun from someone selling that gun, it will be flagged if they're not allowed to have them and they'll be stopped, at least in that case. They may try and find other ways to do it, but it's incumbent upon us to do everything we can to make sure that that doesn't happen again. I'm now going to yield to my friend and colleague, the vice chair of the task force, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of this Special Order.

Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank the gentlelady for her dedication, for her hard work on this, and for her taking time to be here tonight to talk about this. You raised the issue and praised those on the other side of the aisle, many of whom have experience--one Member from Virginia, who is an NRA member, one from Pennsylvania, who is, I believe, a district attorney; extensive law enforcement background. It's important that we have this type of across-the-aisle cooperation. As a matter of fact, the people of the United States of America, every one of us hears it every time we go home--we hear it in our townhall meetings, we can read it in our constituent mail, our friends tell us, our neighbors tell us: work together to solve the problems that we all face as Americans. The fact that we have folks on the other side of the aisle coming forward to work together and then they're demonized and they're criticized for doing this, all Americans need to speak out against this. When something like this happens, we need to let everyone know that, no, we want our Members of Congress to work together to solve these problems that threaten our communities, threaten our children, threaten our grandchildren, and threaten our neighborhoods. It's very, very important to do that. As the gentlewoman pointed out, I am a gun owner and I hunt, and I believe strongly in the Second Amendment. I'm not interested in giving my guns up, and I'm not going to ask any other law-abiding citizen to give their guns up. At the same time, I'm a father and I'm a grandfather, and my kids and my children deserve to live in a safe community. Two of my sons are first responders. One is a firefighter; another one is a deputy sheriff. When I sat through your hearing yesterday and listened to the testimony of the wounded firefighter talk about his colleagues who were killed--called to respond to a community catastrophe, a house on fire-- doing their job, doing what we ask these first responders to do--and they get there and they're ambushed by a sick deranged murderer who has a gun because somebody bought it for him, because it was illegal for him to buy it himself, he couldn't buy it himself. It was just terrible to relive this for the witnesses who were there and certainly eye opening for anyone who paid attention to what the possibilities are out there in any of our communities. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield time to a new Member of our House--someone who has been doing outstanding work, vice-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, someone who brought with her not only an interest and a passion for this, but also an incredible constituency, because it was in her district that Sandy Hook took place--the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty).

Mr. THOMPSON of California. I would now like to yield to my friend and colleague from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Levin. I rise in opposition to this bill today. The underlying premise of this bill has been roundly and routinely denounced by fact checkers. This bill is at best a solution looking for a problem. In 1997, I carried legislation in California to implement the Federal Government's welfare reform. It was the California welfare reform measure. We took our work seriously, and we took the work requirements in the Federal legislation seriously in California, and we worked across the aisle to adopt practical welfare reform. My bill was signed by the Republican Governor at the time, Governor Pete Wilson, and it's still being followed by the Democratic Governor of California today, Governor Jerry Brown. Welfare reform in California has contributed to substantial increases in the employment of very low-income earners and markedly helped families in California move from welfare to work. Fifteen years later, the program caseload in California is roughly 60 percent of what it was in 1998, even in the face of this Great Recession that we're coming through. Waivers can be an important tool to allow States the flexibility to run Federal programs in the most efficient and effective way, a tool used to move people from welfare to work, and it shouldn't fall the victim of politics. Every State is different--we hear that on this floor all the time. States should have the flexibility to do what they need to do in order to effectively and efficiently move people from welfare to work, and that's what this provision does. And the idea that we're standing here today debating this, whether or not it should be expunged from the Federal tool chest, is purely politics, and it should not happen. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Miljenko ``Mike'' Grgich on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Born in Croatia, Mr. Grgich studied winemaking and viticulture at the University of Zagreb before he left communist Croatia for the Napa Valley in 1958. In 1976 the Chardonnay that Mike made won the famed Paris Tasting. This victory shattered the myth that only French soil can produce world-class wines, and the victory pumped new energy into the California wine industry, particularly in the Napa Valley. Following Mike's lead, California vintners redoubled their efforts to make better wines each year. In honor of his contributions to the industry, Mike was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame on March 7, 2008, the same year the California State Fair presented Mike Grgich with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1977 Mr. Grgich launched Grgich Hills Winery, a stunning illustration of innovation in winemalcing. The winery converted to solar power in 2006, and today farms all of its 366 acres organically. Each of the wines that the vineyard produces is estate grown. Today Mr. Grgich is active in Roots of Peace, the international campaign to rid the world of land mines by changing the mines to vines. In 2007, Roots of Peace presented Mike with its Global Citizen Award for his leadership and unique contributions in raising landmine awareness around the globe. Mr. Grgich's winery donates to a number of organizations and it is a longtime supporter of the Auction Napa Valley, which raises money for local nonprofit organizations. Mr. Grgich is a legend of the Napa Valley and a champion of our community. Mr. Speaker, it is only appropriate that we honor Miljenko Ggrich's profound contributions to Napa Valley and the art of American winemaking

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Niels Chew of Sonoma County, California, who passed away February 25, 2013 with his family at his side. Mr. Chew was a loving husband of 58 years to his wife, Susan Wetherby Chew. He was a devoted father to his four children and a doting grandfather to his nine grandchildren. He was a successful businessman, taking a small one-person operation and building it into a thriving small manufacturing company employing more than 40 people, including those with developmental disabilities. Mr. Chew was also active in civic affairs. He was a trustee of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board where he served as Board Chair. He was also on the boards of the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Operation Youth, the Sonoma Overnight Shelter, El Nido Teen Center, and Stand by Me, Sonoma Valley's flagship mentoring program. He and his wife generously supported Friends in Sonoma Helping, an organization providing assistance to residents down on their luck, with both their time and their financial resources. In recognition of his work in the community, Mr. Chew received Sonoma's top service award in 2010 when he was named Alcalde, or honorary mayor. Mr. Speaker, Niels Chew was proof that one man can make a difference. The legacy he leaves will be felt in the Sonoma Valley for decades to come. It is therefore appropriate that we pay tribute to him today and honor his memory.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank Pat Gilardi for her many years of visionary leadership on the Cotati City Council, as she is stepping down from her Council duties to accept a position in county government. Ms. Gilardi has been an outstanding leader for the City of Cotati during her 15 years of service, and her hard work and dedication is reflected in the many projects and improvements she nurtured and brought to fruition during that time. The city and people of Cotati have benefited immensely from Ms. Gilardi's contributions since the start of her career in public service in 1997, when she was appointed to the Cotati Planning Commission. Among the numerous projects Ms. Gilardi spearheaded was the Multi Modal Transit Village, now known as the Santero Way Specific Plan. Ms. Gilardi would go on to be selected from a large group of applicants to fill a vacancy on the Cotati City Council in October 2000. She was elected to her first full term in November 2002. She was reelected in 2006 and 2010, and she was selected as Mayor in both 2006 and 2008. Ms. Gilardi has worked to guide the City of Cotati to fiscal sustainability, strong environmental policy, transportation alternatives, and quality community services. In addition to her service on the city council, Ms. Gilardi served on a number of commissions and boards in Sonoma County, including her time as the Director of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) and Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA). While a member of the Board at SCTA, Ms. Gilardi represented the City of Cotati's interests for the Highway 101 widening project and other transportation related issues including securing funds, project oversight and long-term planning. In addition to her public service, Ms. Gilardi is also the co-founder of the 4-H Club of Cotati, a former two-term president of her local Parent Teacher Association, and sat on the Board of Directors for the Cotati According Festival. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we thank Ms. Gilardi for her invaluable service to the City of Cotati and for the numerous projects she has overseen and led to completion. Her exemplary leadership has left a legacy for our community that will extend far into the future as she moves on to her new role with the County of Sonoma.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Monsignor John Brenkle on the occasion of receiving the Jefferson Award for his work in the Napa Valley community. The Jefferson Award is a national award given to those serving the community at a national and local level, which Monsignor Brenkle has done for the past three decades. He is known throughout the Napa Valley as a mercenary who goes above and beyond to ensure the well-being of those in the community. Monsignor Brenkle attended St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California, and was ordained on June 14, 1958 through the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He received his Doctorate in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America in 1962. He served as Chancellor of the Diocese in Santa Rosa until 1971, followed by two years of teaching in Zambia. Monsignor Brenkle has worked tirelessly to help low-income families and farm workers. He played a pivotal role in creating housing for migrant farm workers, and assisted in the decision to build low income housing sites in the valley. He serves on numerous local boards, including Catholic Charities, the Board of Directors of Justin-Siena High School, Catholic Community Foundation, California Human Development Corporation, and the St. Helena Mayor's Multi-cultural Committee. It is because of all his hard work that he was recognized to receive this outstanding award. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, it is my distinct pleasure to congratulate Monsignor John Brenkle on this joyous occasion.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague Congressman Jared Huffman to recognize and honor the life and tremendous social contributions of my late friend, Mr. Robert ``Bob'' Abramson of Sonoma County, California. Mr. Abramson was an exemplary and upstanding member of his community and a longtime resident of the Northern California region. After his extraordinary, storied career as a B-29 bomber pilot during WWII, flying as many as 30 missions over the Pacific, he would be decommissioned from the military in 1945. He would go on to graduate from University of California, Berkeley with a Masters in Philosophy and Social Welfare. He then worked as a parole officer in Oakland before taking a job at the University of Southern California through which he was stationed in Pakistan for a program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. This led to larger diplomatic posts with the United Nations and the World Bank. Mr. Abramson cared deeply for his community and the people in it. He was an open book and loved talking to new people, always looking to learn new things and always going into every conversation with an open mind. He was especially active with the World War II Pilots Association, the Prostate Cancer Support Group and the Democratic Clubs of Petaluma and Santa Rosa. He was liked by all who knew him in the community. Mr. Abramson never lost his love for international public service. Despite retirement and an extremely active role in his local community, he accepted special consulting contracts in Maldives and Sri Lanka. He consistently represented the American people with grace and civility. His family however, always came first. Mr. Abramson is survived by his wife Barbara, his son Bruce, his daughter Julie Morrison, his brother Albert, his sister Carol, and his four grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, Robert Abramson served his country with distinction both as a member of the armed services and as a civilian. He was an active, vital member of his community and it is therefore appropriate that we celebrate and honor his life and committed service and extend our deepest condolences to his friends, family and community.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague Jared Huffman, to recognize Janice Atkinson, who is retiring as county clerk-recorder assessor and registrar of voters. Jancie Atkinson is a third generation Sonoma County native and comes from a long line of public servants. She began her public service career in election administration in 1972 with the Registrar of Voters Division of the County Clerk's Office. She worked her way up through the division, was appointed division chief in 1979 and assumed the position of assistant department head in 1995. She was elected to the position of County Clerk-Recorder Assessor of the County of Sonoma on June 6, 2006, and assumed office on January 8, 2007. Ms. Atkinson's primary area of expertise is in the field of election administration. As Assistant Registrar of Voters, she headed the division responsible for the conduct of all elections in Sonoma County including city, school and special district elections. The division maintains the files of approximately 600 elected officials, 249,554 registered voters and the boundaries of all political subdivisions in the County. Under Ms. Atkinson's leadership, Sonoma County removed barriers to participation in the democratic process by administering a highly successful vote-by-mail program. In November 2006, Sonoma County's voter turnout of 75.49 percent exceeded the statewide average turnout by almost 20 percent. Sonoma County's high voter turnout can be attributed to the high number of permanent absentee voters in the County (roughly 52 percent of the registered voters) and the efforts of the department to keep the voter files up-to-date. Ms. Atkinson implemented an accessible voting system for voters with disabilities, all while maintaining paper-based voting systems, assuring voter confidence in elections. Ms. Aktinson was an active member in the California Association of Clerks and Election Official from 1976-2012. She served on the board of directors from 2002-2012, as Correspondence Secretary from 1988-2011 and as a member of the County Recorder's Association of California from 2001-2012. She also was a member of the California Assessors' Association from 2007-2012 and the Bay Area Assessor's Association 2007-2012, serving as its president in 2010. She has been a member of the Sonoma County Historical Records Commission since 2000 and is recognized throughout the state for her knowledge of the California Elections Code and voting procedures. Ms. Atkinson is a longtime supporter of the Cloverdale Boys and Girls Club and served as the lead public information officer for Sonoma County during disasters, providing vital information to those impacted by floods, mudslides and fires. Mr. Speaker, Janice Atkinson has a long and distinguished career in service to Sonoma County and it is therefore appropriate that we acknowledge her today and wish her well in her retirement.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Sonoma Hispanic County Chamber of Commerce, of Santa Rosa, California on the occasion of their 25th anniversary celebration. The mission of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is to promote and support Sonoma County businesses with a commitment towards creating a healthy business environment through education, civic, and economic programs. They are an association of individuals, organizations, and business professionals working together to enhance our local economy and foster a positive cultural image. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County was founded in the spring of 1987, and has since greatly expanded its membership and endeavors. Originally known as the Latino Breakfast Club, it formalized into a network of professionals, entrepreneurs, business people, and community leaders--Hispanic and non-Hispanic--who recognize the importance of the Hispanic community and its impact on society. In the last 24 years, the Chamber has raised over $280,000 for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund, which has been distributed to over 300 students living in Sonoma County. These scholarships have helped many rising Latino students reach their goals by supporting their financial needs. Bilingual parent/student workshops were instituted in order to complement the scholarship program, and have since provided information on FAFSA, financial aid, and the college transition. In order to get further involved in the community, the Sonoma County Chamber of Commerce established the Leadership Academy, modeled after the well-respected program developed by the Press Democrat, The Press Democrat Leadership Forum. The Leadership Academy was created with the objectives of encouraging a new generation of leaders in Sonoma County and facilitating an ongoing dialogue that helps members of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce understand all the ways our hometowns are changing. Members of the Sonoma County Hispanic Network have an opportunity to create a difference in the community. Through the membership their voices are heard in the political, social, economic, and educational arenas. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we acknowledge The Sonoma County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for their extraordinary work.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize J. Matthew Mullan who is retiring after 23 years of public service with the Town of Windsor, California. Mr. Mullan began his career in Windsor in 1989 as Assistant General Manager of the Windsor Water District. He was named Assistant Town Manager upon the town's incorporation in 1992. As Assistant Town Manager, he served as a supervisor of community development activities, including planning and building inspection, engineering, street maintenance, and water reclamation. Mr. Mullan was also responsible for the franchise of solid waste and cable television. As head of Windsor's 5-year Capital Improvement Program, he various managed special projects including the design and construction of the corporation yard. Mr. Mullan was appointed Town Manager in 2005. In this position, he oversaw development of the new LEED certified fire station, construction of the SMART train station, and preparation of the Town's Economic Development Strategic Plan. He also managed the connection of the Town's recycled water system to the Geysers Recharge Project, facilitating the transport of treated waste water from Sonoma County to the Geysers steamfields in the Mayacmas Mountains that straddle Lake and Sonoma Counties. All of these projects have been tremendously beneficial to the Town of Windsor. As Town Manager, Mr. Mullan serves as Chair of the Sonoma Mendocino Area City Managers/County Administrators Association and is a member of the International City Management Association. Mr. Mullan plans to spend his retirement with his wife Rosanne and their three children, and is looking forward to expanding his role as doting grandfather and avid San Francisco Giants fan. Mr. Speaker, Matt Mullan has a long and distinguished record of public service. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him today and wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Liz Irwin, one of the Mendocino Coast's most outstanding community leaders, who passed away October 23, 2012, leaving an enduring legacy in the fields of rural health care and the needs of senior citizens. Born on September 5, 1919 in Fort Pierre, South Dakota, Liz grew up in South Dakota, went to Minnesota State College and then to Colorado State College of Education, where she met her husband of 70 years, Horace ``Ace'' Irwin. The couple moved to southern California where Ms. Irwin received a master's degree in speech at California State University Northridge. Liz was a teacher in Northridge and Long Beach before she and Ace retired to the Mendocino Coast in 1971. She immediately became an inspirational and dynamic force for change and social justice in this rural coastal community, always with a twinkle in her eyes. Over the years she tackled tough issues, serving as the director of the Bea Erikson Senior Center for seven years to ensure seniors received the services they needed. She was also on the Mendocino Coast District Hospital Board of Directors. One of her crowing achievements was the initiation of Health Watch, a group that persuaded the County Board of Supervisors to maintain health care on the coast by creating the Mendocino Coast Clinics, where she was the first Chair of the Board of Directors, continuing until 2004. Liz motivated others with her sense of humor and radical, feminist spirit as she participated in the Gray Panthers, the ``Do-Gooders'' annual holiday luncheon benefitting the local food banks and Old Broads for Peace. Many on the coast remember Liz for the many years she authored her inspirational ``Coasting'' column in the Mendocino Beacon and her childhood reminiscences in her book, ``Home of the Heart.'' Liz loved her small town upbringing in South Dakota and told her family she never felt entirely at home again until she moved to the Mendocino Coast. The Mendocino community showed its love and respect for Liz by honoring her as Grand Marshal in both the Mendocino Fourth of July and the Fort Bragg Paul Bunyan Days Parades. She is survived by Ace, whom she referred to as the ``joint tenant'' in her newspaper columns, by her children, Bill Irwin, an actor based in New York, his wife Martha Roth, Patrick Irwin in Montreal and Nan Irwin, also living in New York, as well as two grandsons. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing and paying tribute to a friend, outstanding community member and role model, Liz Irwin.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bette Boyd. Mrs. Boyd has exercised the most important duty of citizenship, voting in every election since she registered to vote at the age of 21 in 1947. She has devoted her time and efforts to community endeavors and good citizenship since being first employed in war work in 1943. When the demand for skilled workers was at a high in 1943, Mrs. Boyd went to work in the American Motors plant in Los Angeles. Shortly after, she was promoted to lead the work group of women engaged in essential war work. Bette embraced her responsibilities and welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the war effort. Her first job after WWII exposed her to the need for a union voice and she began an organizing effort for the United Electrical Workers. She advocated for better wages and working conditions for men and women engaged in assembly line work. Bette took fellow workers out on strike and experienced for the first time the power of owners and management when the strike was broken. After the Vietnam War, Bette met refugees from south-east Asia who needed help adjusting to American life. She assisted refugees in securing employment and was responsible for integrating 1500 refugee families into American culture. Through her work with Vietnamese refugees, Bette became aware of the onset of AIDS in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. She volunteered to work with AIDS patients at an early point in the epidemic that would become a global scourge. She met Mother Teresa and helped establish an AIDS clinic in India. Bette continues her work with AIDS patients today. Bette became involved with the poor in India. She proposed to provide funds to improve educational opportunities in a rural South India village and insisted that girls be offered the same educational opportunities as boys. She contributed to the construction of a school that would touch hundreds of children. Today that school in Madahalli, Karnataka State enrolls 850 children. Bette moved to Humboldt County in 1993 and has been involved in volunteer work ever since. Her work ranges from helping cancer patients get treatment to working with HIV patients, and helping the mentally ill. She is a stalwart at Democratic Headquarters and is regularly at booths and street fairs. She encourages all who are eligible to register and vote, thereby fulfilling the first duty of citizenship. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize Bette Boyd for her outstanding service to a global citizenry.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Steve Chaney, Superintendent of Redwood National Park, honoring his 40- year dedication to our nation's national parks. Mr. Chaney has dedicated his professional life to preserving our nation's abundant beauty. His career has included service in several different parks, from Arkansas to Colorado, Kentucky, Utah and Northern California. Mr. Chaney has served in many roles, ranging from park aid, to ranger, technician and superintendent. As superintendent of Redwood National Park, Mr. Chaney has worked to protect and preserve the health of the vast forests and watersheds of Del Norte and Humboldt counties. In his role as superintendant, Mr. Chaney has worked to support California State Parks to prevent the closure of one of three area state parks; he has prioritized relations with the Yurok and other local tribes; has improved the culture of safety at Redwood National Park; has addressed illegal and ecologically harmful marijuana cultivation on park lands; and has overseen the effort to improve the park's second-growth Douglas fir and redwood stands. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize Steve Chaney for his dedication to our national parks and for his long record of service to our national park's visitors.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, on September 19, 2012, I missed rollcall vote No. 585. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: Rollcall No. 585, ``aye.''

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in opposition to this political poppycock. I've got a real personal interest in this issue in this legislation. When I was in the State senate, I wrote California's welfare reform legislation, and the work requirement was a major part of that. It was a bipartisan effort in California. It was signed by a Republican Governor, Pete Wilson; and today it's still being followed by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown. Welfare reform has worked. Fifteen years later, the program caseload in California is roughly 60 percent of what it was in 1998--even in the face of this terrible recession that we're looking at today. Waivers were an important part of that, as they are in every State across the Nation. Those waivers allow flexibility to Governors to run Federal programs in the most effective and the most efficient way possible. One size does not fit all, and that's why we have these waivers. In this case, they work because they move more people from welfare to work, and that's what we want. This bill should be roundly defeated.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues, Representatives Farr, Garamendi, McNerney, and Woolsey, to recognize Lincoln ``Ed'' Burton, State Conservationist of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in California for the past 7 years, and a conservationist with that Agency in numerous western states for the past 48 years. Mr. Burton has dedicated his life to helping farmers and ranchers find conservation solutions to natural resource concerns in ways that respect both the economic and environmental contributions made by agricultural producers. Mr. Burton has become known for his inclusiveness, diplomacy, and transparent, leadership style in administering and strategically investing $840 million in federal conservation funding to protect natural resources on cropland, rangeland and non-industrial forestland. He has expanded and enhanced wildlife habitat for common and impaired species--notably the Greater Sage Grouse. Mr. Burton has contributed to the long-term preservation of farmland, essential to our Nation's ability to feed itself. Under his watch, farmers voluntarily enrolled historical wetlands for long-term protection so that today the Agency is responsible for the restoration of one fourth of California's current functioning wetlands. Mr. Burton's leadership provided water quality planning and implementation services on more than 1400 dairies in California, helping the industry address the regulatory requirements they faced amid difficult economic times to protect the quality of California's surface and groundwater while helping to maintain economic viability for one of the State's top agricultural industries. Mr. Burton oversaw a significant expansion in the air quality achievements of the Agency, helping farmers claim emissions reductions of over 1600 tons of nitrogen oxides each year. Mr. Burton has been a staunch advocate for conservation planning to make the best possible advancements in the management and health of cropland, rangeland and forests, protecting on-farm soil, water, air and habitat resources in a manner that is acceptable and consistent with economic sustainability. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize our public servant, Ed Burton, for his visionary leadership and contributions to California's natural resources and his dedication to our agricultural communities.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank the chairman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I'm one of those Democrats that the ranking member talked about that would prefer a 3-year extension of this measure, but I'm going to vote for H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012, also known as the FAA. I support this legislation because it protects our security, preserves our freedom, and has proven to respect our civil liberties in the process. In 2008, many of us were rightly concerned about this program being created and used as a back door for collecting information on law- abiding Americans. I voted against the FAA in 2008, in part because of these civil liberty concerns. However, as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I believe the abuses that we feared have just not materialized. But let me be clear, and this and future administrations are being given fair warning. My colleagues and I on the House Intelligence Committee will continue to receive reports on FISA information collection. These reports must continue to be detailed and specific. If there are any abuses or problems stemming from the application of this program, I'm certain that this Congress will move swiftly to correct them. So far, the application of the FAA has gained our trust, but we will continue to verify how the FAA is being used. Trust, but verify. Mr. Speaker, the FAA provides the tools we need to collect vital counterterrorism information in foreign intelligence. I will vote in favor of H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments Act.

Mr. THOMPSON of California

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I along with Representative Chu rise today in honor and celebration of American Olympian Kim Rhode, who became the first American to earn an individual medal in five straight Olympic Games following her gold-medal performance on July 29 in the women's skeet shooting event in London. A native of California, Rhode has been competing in trap and skeet shooting events since she was a child. She won a gold medal in her first Olympics as a teenager--in the 1996 Atlanta Games--and has since earned bronze in Sydney (2000) and gold in Athens (2004), all in the trap event. She also won a silver medal in the 2008 Beijing skeet competition. This accomplishment makes her just the 8th U.S. woman Olympian to have won at least five medals in individual competitions. With her near-perfect score, Rhode set an Olympic record last Sunday, hitting 99 of a possible 100 targets, tying the highest mark ever achieved in skeet-style competition. She scored perfect 25-of-25 figures in the first two rounds of competition, ending her streak at 65 made shots when she had her first and only miss in the third round. Rhode closed out the final round with another perfect 25, finishing eight shots ahead of the first runner-up. A model athlete and competitor, Rhode's consistency and persistence have defined her career and its success. Though she remains a tough competitor at age 33, Rhode has stayed family-oriented and remarkably balanced for an athlete of her caliber. She shoots for fun with her husband, Mike Harryman, and her principal coach and trainer is still her father, Richard; her mother, Sharon, helps to manage a schedule filled with sponsorship obligations and speaking engagements. Despite all her successes, those closest to Rhode say she remains passionate about the sport for the best of reasons--her own personal enjoyment. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we congratulate and praise Kim Rhode's accomplishments thus far, and wish her the best in future competitions. She is a role-model for young athletes in America and across the globe, and she is deserving of our most honorable recognition.