Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, our farms and ranches produce food products in amounts that greatly exceed our nutritional needs. There is no reason for anyone in this country to go hungry. And yet, that is a daily reality faced by many poor families. The food stamp program provides a small but essential safety net to meet the nutritional needs of children, the elderly, the disabled, and those who fall on hard times when our economy sheds jobs. The proposed cuts to the food stamp program included in the House farm bill are unacceptable and cruel. Poor nutrition leads to poor health outcomes and long-term developmental problems in children. It does not save money. It simply transfers costs to those who cannot pay those costs and needlessly increases suffering. We can afford to feed all of our citizens. A farm and food policy that cannot deliver nutritious meals to all Americans is indeed failed policy. We can and must do better.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 144, I was absent because of travel delays. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chairman, I thank Representative Holt. I want to thank Chairman Hastings and Representative Markey and Representative Holt and other members of the Natural Resources Committee for working steadfastly together to bring this important bill to the floor. The Federal Helium Reserve was created in 1925, long before today's many uses of helium were envisioned. Now this element has become an essential ingredient to our Nation's research, medical, technology, manufacturing, space, and defense activities. Helium is used in welding and in the manufacturing of fiber optic cable and semiconductors. Medical imaging has become a vital tool in the health care system, and every MRI requires helium. The list of applications for this element is long and touches many important industries. When the current law passed in 1996, the situation with respect to helium's value and usage was quite different, and there was an expectation that additional private sources of helium would be developed and then of course enter the market. For a variety of reasons, that has not yet happened on a sufficient enough scale to ensure a stable supply of helium to meet our national demand for this basic element. The Federal Government, through the Bureau of Land Management, needs to remain engaged in this market for an additional period of time. The United States reserve is about 40 percent of the worldwide supply of helium. The many industries and research institutions that rely on helium cannot afford a disruption in its supply. The national storage facility is unique, and there are many characteristics of the helium market that are distinctly different from the markets of most commodities. These factors are likely the reasons a more robust private supply of helium has not yet emerged to replace our Federal Government's role. H.R. 527 provides additional time to phase down the Federal Government's role in the helium market and to allow a private market to develop. There is no substitute for helium in many of its crucial applications. Passage of this legislation is critical to maintaining high-wage, high-skilled jobs in my district, the 20th Congressional District of New York, throughout New York State for that matter, and in many other States across our great country. It is essential that we work with the Senate to get a law signed this year to provide certainty to helium suppliers and users. I recognize there are some who are uncomfortable with certain aspects of this legislation. It is not a perfect bill, and if the expected development of private supplies of helium does not occur, we need to revisit this issue in the future. For the present, though, this bill offers a reasonable compromise that keeps helium flowing onto the market, and that is what we need now. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 527 and maintain a reliable supply of this vital ingredient for the sake of research and industry.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. It is time for a real debate on climate change--right here on the House floor. The members of the Safe Climate Caucus come to the floor to talk about this critical issue every day that the House is in session, but where are our Republican colleagues? Last week, we challenged the Republican members of the Energy and Commerce Committee to a debate, a debate about the appropriate policy response to the threat of climate change, but we've heard nothing from the Republicans. The House Republican leadership should schedule that debate right away. This problem is not going away. The longer we delay, the greater the risks. The Energy and Commerce Committee has refused to act or to even hear the latest science. Congressman Waxman and Congressman Rush have sent over 20 letters requesting hearings with scientists and other experts about important developments in climate science, but the Republicans have refused to hold any hearings on climate change. The American public is entitled to an explanation for this disappointing record of inaction. Madam Speaker, we need to get serious about tackling climate change. That means having a debate about what actions should be taken. That debate is long overdue, and my friends, time is running out.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Francis ``Dutch'' Howlan, who had resided in Amsterdam, New York, and who was posthumously inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame last month. From 1953 to 1987, Dutch amassed 468 wins coaching at St. Mary's Institute and Bishop Scully High School, both in Amsterdam, New York. But he meant so much more than that impressive win total to our community and to the hundreds of student athletes he taught and mentored. His friends and former players remember him as a dedicated coach, an inspiring mentor, and a determined winner. As a fierce competitor, he preached a never-give-up attitude. Twenty-four years after his passing, I am so pleased that Dutch has finally received this distinction. It is truly a testament to his character that his friends and players never gave up on their former coach's legacy, making this long overdue honor possible.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Representative, if I might just add to that statement, the many discussions I have had with constituents who say where is the wisdom in sending hundreds of billions of dollars to foreign nations-- oftentimes enemies of this country--who are using American energy consumer dollars to train troops to fight our son and daughters on the battlefield. This is a no-brainer. This gluttonous dependency on fossil-based fuels, imported to keep our energy agenda alive, has got to stop. We need to move forward--again, with the progressive thinking that I know we can embrace in this House. Get it done. So I thank you again for your leadership in this dimension.

Mr. TONKO. You're a great leader also, so thank you for leading us in this discussion and leading us routinely on sound transportation quarters, including those bicycles that don't pollute.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Blumenauer, for leading us in this discussion. I appreciate the fact that you've brought together this thoughtful discussion, this dialogue on how we need to embrace a stronger sense of stewardship with our environment that ties to our energy policy, that ties to our economic recovery opportunities. I have to first and foremost mention that you're right; I headed the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority in the State of New York, my last workstation before serving here in the House. I was totally surrounded by consummate professionals who make it their role, their job, their advocacy, their vocation to make a difference with energy policy that allows us to be stronger stewards of our environment and to advance this effort for renewables, for innovation that allows us to reduce that mountain of electrons that we require for the workplace, the home place, for quality of life, and allows us to use that in much more useful, measured terms so that energy efficiency is seen as our fuel of choice and that that comes before any of our energy thinking. And that provides for a greener outcome that allows us to address this phenomenon of climate change. Now, whether or not you believe in climate change--and to me, the scientific evidence is insurmountable--but see it as an opportunity for good-paying jobs, jobs that advance research and innovation and intellect and ideas as an economy that can then transition us into a very powerful economic recovery. But I want to make certain that I introduce onto this floor the discussion about Mother Nature and its grip on the 20th Congressional District and, before redistricting, when I represented the 21st, as major storms Irene and Lee impacted my region. People had lost, Representative Blumenauer, everything for which they ever worked-- houses swept into the river through storms that just, through the force of Mother Nature, overpowered communities. Many houses were destroyed. Heritage crown jewel items in the region that were visitation centers and destinations, destroyed. Covered bridge, historic in nature, wiped away through the ravages of water. This was a profound impact. Lives lost, many injured. Communities are still rebuilding, businesses are coming back, households are still abandoned. The efforts have been powerful. We've witnessed volunteerism to the Nth degree, a tremendous statement about the human heart to respond to the needs of neighbors and at times total strangers. And then this year, seeing what had happened with the ravages of Sandy, Superstorm Sandy, that impacted New England, impacted metro New York, New Jersey and beyond, Pennsylvania. These are atypical situations. Tornadoes, tropical storms, hurricanes as far north as upstate New York had been unheard of. So there is a statement that Mother Nature is making. We are faced with this climate change phenomenon, a concept that we need to address in scientific measure, in ways that allow us to constructively build a plan that allows us to move forward, again, by enhancing the opportunities for job creation. What I had seen through the advocacy at NYSERDA, the State Energy Research and Development Authority, was this effort for us to be the keepers of the funds that would go towards innovating and transitioning into a better reliance on renewables, using in a benign way the environment qualities that surround us--the winds, the sun, the soil, the water--in a way that allows us to respond to the needs that we have as a society for energy and to do it through intellect. The intellectual capacity of our Nation is something we constantly cultivate through education, training, higher ed, apprenticeship programs. These are forces that can then bear good news of invention, of innovation. I have the renewable center for GE, the international center in the heart of my district. We have the R&D lab in Niskayuna. All of these places are working in a way to allow for us to look at new battery design, the linchpin to innovation that allows us to embrace, perhaps, storage of intermittence power, that it makes it more predictable and of more useful capacity. Investment in cable that allows for less line loss in the delivery, in the transporting of electrons to the source. There are many, many ways that we can be significantly sensitive to the demands on our society for energy and not to be wasteful, to be innovative in our approach, and to green up our thinking. I'll say this--and I know we have others that want to speak. When I first arrived here in 2009, after the 2008 election for my first term to serve in the House, I was able to sit at the table when we formed, as Democrats, SEEC, the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. It's a group of like-minded thinkers who want to take us in a green direction, with progressive politics, and enable us to think outside the barrel, to be able to be clever in our approach to provide for new ways to meet society's needs, to open the door to job creation, to provide for soundness of outcomes in a sustainable way that allows us to make a very bold and noble statement, and that is typically this: that we inherit this environment for the moment, and it is our task, I believe, morally to hand it over to the next generations in even better stead. That is a daunting challenge these days. It's a daunting challenge. But in my heart I believe that we can accomplish what we need to accomplish. We can respond to the challenge by opening up to new thinking, and to not be restrained and restricted by status quo or by the disbelief that these things are happening right before our very eyes, right in the heart of our communities. I wanted to make certain that I shared the impact on my district of Mother Nature and the clarion call to respond with urgency and with in- depth knowledge, driven by the passion to make a difference because there is always that pioneer spirit in America, and we're at our best when we embrace that inspiration and move forward as a Nation.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a distinguished New Yorker and former Member of this body, who will be honored in a special ceremony in New York's 20th Congressional District on April 8. Hugh L. Carey was born in Brooklyn in 1919, enlisted in the Army in World War II, served in Europe where he helped liberate prisoners at a concentration camp, and eventually reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. Upon returning home, Mr. Carey received a law degree from St. John's University. In 1960, he was elected to this Chamber and went on to serve seven terms before being elected Governor of New York in 1974, a position he held until 1981. Governor Carey is widely remembered for his steady hand during New York City's economic crisis, during which he brought many competing interests together to forge compromise on difficult issues. He also instituted improvements for the mental health community of New York State. A born storyteller with a quick wit and boundless charm, Hugh Carey was a New Yorker to the core. I am honored to have this opportunity to remember a former Member of this body, as well as New York's 51st Governor, who throughout his career led with distinction and compassion. I look forward to next month's ceremony recognizing his service in World War II.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. I rise today to recognize four towns in the 20th District of New York that will celebrate their 225th anniversary tomorrow. They're the towns of Stillwater, Saratoga, Halfmoon and Ballston. The place of the Still Waters had French settlers as early as the 1600s, and they were known to have a mill. Originally part of Albany County, the districts of Saraghtoga, and Halfmoon were divided on March 24 of 1772. In 1775, BallsTown was taken from Saraghtoga, making three districts within Albany County. Eventually, in February of 1791, the New York State Legislature created the county of Saratoga. Early Ballston residents were deeply involved in the Revolutionary War. And in Halfmoon, some of the original minutes from the first town meeting in April of 1788 still exist. Mr. Speaker, these towns are replete with history and rich in heritage. We do well to remember the foundation on which we are built and to continue to add to the mosaic that is the Capital Region, the State of New York, and indeed our Nation. Congratulations on the celebration of the four towns' 225 years. May our future and theirs be even brighter than our rich past.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, with pride I rise today to congratulate Jack's Oyster House of Albany, New York, on the celebration of its 100th anniversary recently held on January 24. Founded by Jack Rosenstein, the restaurant is currently owned by his grandson, Brad. As a sampling of its entree depth, Jack's has served liver and onions since the first day it opened. One menu, dating back to 1939, lists the price of this signature dish as 75 cents. Sadly, however, many restaurants do not make it past their first few years of operation; but Jack's has endured because it remembers and honors its past, including well-dressed wait staff and boutique tables and place settings, while striving to serve its current customers in a top-notch manner with quality, classic fare. The only day, interestingly, Jack's ever closed in the past 100 years was in 1986 for Jack Rosenstein's funeral. May he rest in peace. And may Jack's Oyster House continue to thrive for centuries to come. We wish all involved a happy 100th birthday.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. You speak to the innovation, you speak to research, and to me that speaks to the DNA of our Nation, which has always been this pioneer spirit. It's what's paid tribute to on this floor when policies such as that which you just describe are promoted. It's embracing that pioneer spirit, knowing that there are better ways, better opportunities out there and better avenues to travel. Let's pursue that with this utmost bit of pioneer spirit. I represent a district that was the donor area to the Erie Canal-- you've heard me talk about this--that provided for the Westward Movement and the Industrial Revolution. It was America at her best, believing in herself, listening to the needs of workers, listening to the ideas of workers and moving forward, embracing that sort of pioneer spirit and building the research opportunities. I'm thinking of line- loss along our electric grid system. Think about what we can save in terms of energy supplies and in dollars if we moved forward with the superconductive cable research project.

Mr. TONKO. There are so many of us that are fans of education, higher education investment. Think about it, we cultivate all of this talent, we draw forth the abilities of people through education, and we allow them to discover who they are. What are the gifts that I bear that can be utilized to strengthen society? Well, we make that investment and then don't gain on it. We don't stretch those opportunities to the max. It's so important, I believe, to continually think beyond the status quo. And when we're dealing with the energy arena, it's a line-loss for one that allows for huge savings, and great opportunities for jobs to research that potential; but it's also issues like waste heat which can be recaptured and make our energy system more efficient. So as we create and generate these energy supplies, if there's waste there, and we can captivate, or capture, that waste and stretch the amount of energy supply that we can create, here yet is another opportunity. So it's endless. And for us to just continue to do the same old kind of responses to everyday issues isn't the sort of challenging outcome that I think allows us to best function as an American society. So there are policies and there are tax reforms that encourage and inspire this sort of investment, research tax credits, opportunities within the renewable energy area with production tax credits. All of this, being promoted in advance, we need to expand upon those opportunities. Because you're right, Representative Garamendi, it is an investment, it requires dollars, but those investments provide for lucrative dividends. And there are many more dollars earned than those invested into the progress that we need to strike.

Mr. TONKO. Well, absolutely. The manufacturing element in our society is strong. It still is very much--a bit of statistical evidence that we rank high in the international economy with manufacturing jobs, but there was a huge loss in the decade before this administration; 4.6 million jobs lost in that manufacturing element. Well, in order for us to stop that bleeding, it's important, I believe, to promote advanced manufacturing. Retrofitting our manufacturing centers in a way that allows us to be cutting edge and doing it smarter--not necessarily cheaper, but doing it smarter--allows us to maintain that world leading status for manufacturing. Also, as we talk about infrastructure, beyond the bonds effort and the American Jobs Act, an infrastructure bank bill that will allow us to utilize that concept to leverage public and private funds that expand the opportunities to invest in our infrastructure takes us well beyond the traditional roads and bridges and levees that we talked about, the waterfront opportunities and dam repair, but it also brings us into the infrastructure for telecommunications and for electric utilities so that we then are cutting edge. We can provide for an upgrade, if you will, in the grid system. Now, we saw what that collapse was about in the year 2003, when branches rubbing on some power lines in Ohio put out the lights on Broadway in New York City. Now, that is unacceptable weakness. If there was ever a vulnerable, gaping situation that would have those looking at us for a weakness, it was there, that this grid system was so weak, designed for a monopoly setting and now being utilized to where electrons, not only region to region within States, but State to State if not nation to nation, with Canada wheeling in electrons into the U.S. So we need to vastly improve that sense of weakness in our system and allow us to speak to the needs of manufacturing because many are an energy-intensive operation. We need to be energy efficient so that they're utilizing their manufacturing process in a way that reduces cost, and to build into the equation all sorts of innovation so that they're doing things in a smarter fashion and able to compete at that international level for jobs; because as they land those contracts with improved operations, that means more American manufacturing jobs. That is that kind of approach, that cutting-edge thinking that enables us to maintain our sense of productivity, that embraces our intellectual capacity as a Nation, and that takes the research that we should invest into and allows us to translate that research opportunity into jobs. So there are these dynamics of change and reform that can be brought into the discussions here as we go forward. That will speak, I think, to the vitality, the economic vitality of this Nation and the growth of jobs in a way that is significant, that is long lasting and that brings us into a sophisticated thinking, which this American society is very capable of doing.

Mr. TONKO. Representative Garamendi, what I hear you say is probably a definition of the American Dream. The American Dream was designed and brought to us by the boldness of generation upon generation of immigrants who added to the peoplescape of this great Nation, added to the native American population by stages of journeys that traveled to these shores. We as a compilation of those journeys are a stronger people. The foundation upon which we stand and function and dream was developed by people who dared to dream nobly, dared to invest in their community, in their people. That, I think, is the challenge to us in this very moment in time. Will history see us as a people that dreamt beyond the ordinary, or will we be those who were frightened by the thoughts of the challenges of our times? I think that our greatest days lie ahead of us. The American Dream that burns boldly and nobly in our hearts speaks to us as that beacon of inspiration. Move forward, invest in America's people, invest in ingenuity, innovation, in the intellectual capacity of this Nation, and tread boldly into the future. And know that you will leave that next generation with an even stronger foundation that was granted us for our time in this Nation. It has been an honor to join you this evening.

Mr. TONKO. Right. You know, I think over and over again people are measuring with exit polling the sentiments of the electorate out there; and people have said that there is a need for government. They want effective government, efficient government. Well, I think when we look at some of the data that are collected, Representative Garamendi, it is important for us to acknowledge that as we rebuild in our areas that have been damaged by Mother Nature, you don't just replace; you need to improve upon the situation. For instance, if there are data that are telling us that more and more water volume is expected in certain watershed areas, as in my district, it would be foolish to spend tax dollars, the hard-earned taxpayer dollars and simply replace an infrastructure, a bridge, at the same height, at the same span, if, in fact, we know that the water and the force of that water is growing with time. And so these are the ways to, I think, incorporate the soundness of academics and analysis that go into how we respond to this. And if much of it is driven by climate change, global warming, some of the impacts of Mother Nature that are causing these disruptive scenarios, then ought we not look at sound policy that then stretches our thinking and really puts a laser sharp focus on these situations? So this is a call for a big-picture view. It's a call for effective replacement and repair so that we're responding to data that are collected that speak to the demographics that we should expect to have happen as we go forward and as we rebuild, making certain that there are those opportunities for waterfront communities to embrace their sense of geography. I represent a district that is not only donor area to natural resources, but also historic resources in those waterways. And people want to have waterfront opportunities. They want to rebuild their communities so as to utilize these natural resources as a marketing agent to draw people to the area. Well, we can steward those resources so as to tame the Mother Nature impact in a way that allows us to go forward with this re-marketing strategy, that allows us to utilize our sense of location, our place destination, and do it in a way that is possible because of preventative measures, because of retrofitting that can take hold; and it's a way to utilize the engineering services out there, civil engineering, architectural opportunities to build communities and build them in a way that allows us to have that sense of place only deepened, rather than denied because we've walked away from what might have been damage from Mother Nature and have abandoned those opportunities.

Mr. TONKO. Right. The efforts that we have with so much of manufacturing, with the incubator programs that enable us to provide for an innovation of sorts in any of these assembly operations is key, I think it's key to our future. I think of those situations in my district, or even in my former district, where they worked with a local college that was very technically sophisticated. In this case, RPI, in the Greater Capital Region of New York, worked through its incubator program to develop these new opportunities within the plastics manufacturing that Kintz Plastics in Schoharie County utilized. I think it's worth mentioning on this floor that that really brought about a new phase of activity for this company. By innovation, by readjusting its procedure, its process, they were able to compete more effectively. That required, however, that they move to training their workforce because it required a new skill set. As they did that, they reached out to a local community college, in this case, Hudson Valley Community College in the Capital Region of New York. That partnership created the human infrastructure, the incubator provided the innovation, and they lived happily thereafter, because what they did was secure contracts in that international competitive sweepstakes because they provided for innovation. The improvements that they made to their assembly operation enabled them to maintain that sense of competitiveness. It's that sort of thinking that takes us to a new level of job creation and job retention. Compounding that, or creating in the complement the Buy American concept, then inspires reaching to those local firms. It can all be done in that holistic sort of format, with a big picture sort of view that enables us to go forward and build upon sound policy, sound investment, with guarantees of much better outcomes for America's working families. The middle class is taking it on the chin. The working families have paid the price, and it's time for us now to be high geared in terms of making certain that the American worker comes first in our thinking.

Mr. TONKO. Well, when you speak, Representative Garamendi, about the cost of these repairs or improvements we're talking about a design team, we're talking about a construction team, we're talking about a maintenance team. And all of that translates into jobs. So these efforts are, yes, an expenditure, but it's putting people to work and addressing not only public safety but commerce. Again, my home county, which is split by a historic river, was the scene of a devastation just over 25 years ago where a New York State Thruway bridge collapsed because of the flooding that was occurring beneath that bridge. A creek that you could walk across, walk through in the middle of summer, was equal to in CFS, cubic feet per second, the flow of Niagara Falls. We lost 10 lives in that incidence, and also saw the impact locally to commerce. It just disrupted the flow of activity to ship goods to whatever section of our area. It totally disrupted that situation. That is just a microcosm of impact of what happens. But you're very right. With the levees that might be at risk that could be a challenge to public safety, the poor ratings of our many, many bridges across this country, the need to begin aggressively to address these situations, means that you can bend that cost curve simply by moving projects forward, because the longer we go in time the more expensive it will be and the more risky it becomes with these deficient bridges. So programs like The American Jobs Act or Build America Bonds, all of these efforts are a progressive bit of policy that then takes us to a new realm of thinking, a commitment to the safety of the people of this great country, a commitment to commerce and the doable qualities of having infrastructure vastly improved that enables us then to talk serious business about growing our Nation's economy. So I think that the efforts here by the Democratic Caucus to bring to the attention of the full House the sort of positive thinking, the sort of planned opportunities that speak to the very nature of our infrastructure--and both of us represent States that rely heavily on well-developed and very well-maintained infrastructure--is indeed imperative. We need to move forward with a very strong supportive statement about this Nation's infrastructure.

Mr. TONKO. Sure. Thank you, Representative Garamendi. Thank you for bringing us together for this hour on the floor, where I think it's important to pay attention to the needs out there as they relate to the damages that were brought upon certain areas of the country by Mother Nature. Yes, there's been a lot of focus with this on Superstorm Sandy. That really had its presence felt just to the south of my given congressional district. However, there was some damages in the northern reaches of upstate New York, the more northern sections as we traveled north of the metro area. But suffice it to say, the need here for assistance by not only New York, but New Jersey and Connecticut, where the proper of New York, the metro area of New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, were impacted severely by this storm. As I said, on the fringe elements in my area, not as much. But certainly, New Jersey and Connecticut were hard hit. But just over a year before that storm, you're absolutely right, we were impacted by Irene and Lee, a double dose of damage that really impacted my given congressional district severely. It looked like a war-torn area, as was the case here with Superstorm Sandy. And this Nation, whenever impacted by natural or manmade disasters, found a response from Congress, that the President, whoever that person might be at the time, working with Congress, expedited the assistance, wanted to get that aid there with a high degree of urgency. What we saw here was uncalled-for delays as people languished. I mean, we have to look at the human element here, the human cost of 88 Americans that were impacted, lives lost because of this tremendous devastation, the impact that befell so many communities with infrastructure being damaged severely, if not destroyed totally. It was also about the impact on the business community, the loss to commerce, and certainly property damage that people are going to have to respond to over a long course of comeback that I have witnessed in my district with the storm, as you indicated, being more than a year ago. And so it is important for us, as a Nation, to be responsive and responsible. That has always been the measure coming forth from this Nation, understanding, with sensitivity, what needed to be done and getting aid to people. That's what it's all about. And so today, when finally a vote was taken, some 70 days after Superstorm Sandy hit, 70-plus days after the storm hit, finally we get a response, when so much pain and anguish was allowed to continue, unnecessarily so. The infrastructure issues in this country, storms aside, need to be addressed. The American Society of Civil Engineers has graded many of our bridges into a D classification, a poor grade, deficiencies that are out there brought to our attention. So not only do we need to respond to these tragedies and respond to our given infrastructure, but I think what happens here is an opportunity to come forward with job creation, providing for the trades and skilled tradespeople to be put to work. That is so important for our economy. It's so important for our public safety; it's so important for emergency response, as we've witnessed here in the northeast of the country. And so while the fight was long and at times unnecessary, at least the vote was taken today and we moved forward.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Just yesterday, Americans celebrated New Year's Day. They ushered in 2013. As we rang in the new year, the usual message of hope that accompanies the new year--any new year--rang hollow for millions of Americans because of actions taken at the close of that New Year's Day here late last night. People were met with the devastating news that we were not going to take up a measure that would respond to Superstorm Sandy. And so I rise today to ask the leadership of this House, the people's House, to respond accordingly to the needs of people. I make this request not through some political calculus but rather through the lens of caring and concern and compassion, which ought to be the hallmark of this great institution. We ought not forget that the role that we play here calls upon our moral responsibility to engage our actions and our compassion and empathy for the people we represent or perhaps do not represent directly. Because we, I believe, need to relate to that measurement of compassion to family, friends, neighbors and yes, at times, total strangers. I make this request sensitized by a situation in my district, the 21st Congressional District at the time, in upstate New York, just about a year-plus before the devastation of Sandy. The torturous treatment of Mother Nature through Irene and Lee on that congressional district, my congressional district, stole lives, wiped away livestock, flooded homes, tore away the hopes and dreams of individuals, and found people abandoned, having lost everything for which they ever worked. And I witnessed how people responded to that tragedy. They picked up and mustered the strength. But they required government to be their partner at that very dark moment in their lives. Having witnessed that pain, having visited communities and having talked with the people, shared tears with the people, I understand that now this situation, in a much more densely populated area of our State, and in neighboring States, requires our assistance, immediate assistance, to respond with compassion. Mr. Speaker, and leadership of this House, I implore you to respond with compassion and empathy and bring us to the floor to acknowledge and support the funding for Superstorm Sandy.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, well, here we are on the last day of calendar year 2012 with an impending fiscal cliff challenging all of us. The women and men who serve in this great body assemble and express great differences, but those differences ought not divide us; they should build us with the best consensus. We need a bold and balanced approach to this fiscal cliff. We need to make certain that the 33 consecutive months of private sector job growth are not disrupted. We need to make certain that the unemployment rate does not rise as the CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, suggests, to 9.1 percent. We need to avoid taxes growing by $2,200 for an average family of four in 2013. That's what's impending here. It is important for us to go forward and take the initiative and avoid the consequences of that fiscal cliff. I'm concerned because FEMA, as an example, would be cut by some $878 million. Having witnessed the destruction in my district, we can ill- afford that. Cuts to nutrition programs, cuts to Medicare. I implore our leadership in this House, bring a bold and balanced approach to solve our fiscal cliff crisis here today.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Sure. Absolutely. And you know the impact of Sandy, Representative Garamendi, comes on the heels of last year's storms with Irene and Lee, a double whammy that impacted several counties that I represent. And upstate New York was devastated. There was a loss of lives, there was destruction to the public infrastructure. Many businesses, farms and housing were destroyed, tremendously so; and the need to rebuild became very apparent. This year, with Sandy, the same sort of impact, this time in a very densely populated region of New York City, Long Island, and the southern portions of New York State. And so I think it's a stark reminder, a very real example, a very painful outcome that speaks to the need of investing, investing in our infrastructure. As we go forward, there's also an opportunity to improve upon what existed at the time of these storms. For instance, in the energy networks, the utility networks, we can do state-of-the-art. We have taught other nations how to build those systems. It's time to do nation-building at home. I think the beauty here is that, while we invest in transportation and other infrastructure, energy infrastructure and water systems and treatment systems and public schools, what we're doing is rippling into the benefits of efficiency, of public safety, of employment and economic development. That is a positive series of dynamics that then lifts the economy and provides for work. Ninety percent of the jobs, it's projected, that come from this sort of infrastructure investment are speaking to middle-income households--jobs that, again, provide for the strengthening of our economy, the reduction of our deficit, the confidence-building in our economy that is so powerfully felt as we walk this distance from the recession, as we continue to do the steady climb upward as we grow private sector jobs. This is an important part of it. It enhances our productivity. It provides for efficiencies. That's what infrastructure investment is about. And it's calculated that for every $1 billion of investment, 18,000 jobs are created and a sound public service is designed and structured and built so that we can go forward with rightful anticipation of a stronger tomorrow for our economy. And so I think these are important elements, rebuilding after Mother Nature has impacted us with very profound damages to our communities-- and building in a way that allows for the creation of jobs and an improved outcome, to top it off. When the Representative from Pennsylvania, Representative Altmire, talked about the Minnesota situation, I served in the State Assembly in New York when the collapse of a thruway bridge in upstate New York took 10 lives. We recently commemorated the 25th anniversary of that event back in 1987 and the painful consequences that came to bear upon that upstate region, where commerce was affected, where jobs were affected, where public safety was compounded. They took the major artery of the State of New York with the thruway and had to reroute that through a community by establishing a makeshift system. And just the presence of that moment onto the economic consequences of the State spoke painfully well of how important infrastructure is. And so we look at the needs in this Nation from coast-to-coast, from your west coast to our east coast, and we understand that there are needs for those water treatment facilities, for our energy infrastructure. We're wheeling electrons along a system that was designed for regional service, and now we're wheeling not only from region to region but State to State. We're wheeling electronics from nation to nation. Canada into the United States. We need an upgrade. We need the sort of R&D component that translates into jobs that provide the best investment possible. And that's what we're calling for here--the sound stewardship of resources and Federal tax dollars being utilized in a way that provides the strongest outcome. Sometimes it's in the saga of urgency, as is the case with Sandy in New York State, as it's been with Irene and Lee, as we continue to recover over a year later from those storms that damaged upstate New York just over a year ago, and now the most recent element of consequence that came with Hurricane Sandy. So I thank you for bringing us together to shed light, to acknowledge that we can create jobs as we address public safety, as we address efficiency, as we address productivity, as we address economic boost, so that we can walk from this arena here in this House of Representatives knowing that we're doing the sound, academically driven, analytically provided results that will speak to a favorable impact across the board. Thank you for bringing us together.

Mr. TONKO. Yes, just rather briefly, the opportunity to invest in infrastructure--for an example, our water treatment facilities. When I was at my last work station prior to entering the House, it was with NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. There I witnessed these consummate professionals working away at retrofitting systems or designing new that dealt with water treatments. The savings that were anticipated--that were measured in some cases-- were significant so that the energy cost for local governments doing their role, performing their role for treatment of water became much cheaper. Those are savings that are recurring. So that while we invest in this opportunity, we're also chipping away at those budget costs into the future. The same is true of some of the research investment that found us, for example, capturing waste heat and getting more bang for the buck, so to speak, for the investments made in energy systems. The American intellect, which has always served as our DNA for discovery--you know, we are proud of our pioneer spirit of this Nation. It drove an industrial revolution, it inspired a westward movement, and it created from mill town capacity these epicenters of invention and innovation. Well, we still have that within our core spirit. If we can come up with the innovative ideas, the concepts that allow us to serve the taxpayer with more useful outcomes of their investments, it is beholden upon us to provide the climate by which to do that. Earlier, our colleague, Representative Higgins from New York, spoke of the mitigation opportunities now facing New York with its repair of its infrastructure. If we can do the preventative measures that provide for longer life expectancy for these investments, isn't that not only the wise thing to do, isn't that the responsible thing to do? So there are ways that we can move forward in a transitional sort of format where it's ever impacting to a favorable outcome of operating costs into the future, of research investments that's translating into job creation, and then the infrastructure build that takes to mind the concepts, the intellectual capacity of this Nation. It also speaks to the wisdom of responding to infrastructure repair, replacement, new construction that looks statistically at the data that are collected that speak to the impacts of global warming and climate change. If we were to, for instance, rebuild exactly as the infrastructure in my upstate district after the impact of these storms, it would be foolish. We need to adjust the span length. We need to adjust the height of this infrastructure so that it is accounting for the dynamics of change that are real, that are recorded, that are statistically valid. We need to do that in a way that brings this investment into the job-creation zone that it is. As we stated earlier, as I made mention earlier, for every $1 billion of investment in infrastructure, we can anticipate, rightfully, 18,000 jobs being created, 90 percent of which are finding their way into the middle-income community. This is what it's about. It's not about this cost-cutting frenzy that denies opportunity, denies our responsibility that we all bear here, but, rather, inspires us to belt-tighten, where we get rid of outmoded programs and where we most effectively invest in the improvements, the repairs, the replacements that are under our stewardship.

Mr. TONKO. Yes, it did. Sandy.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Representative Garamendi, again, thank you for bringing us together again. You talked about that austerity budget that some would advance. I have to tell you another disaster last year, Irene and Lee, that hit as a hurricane and tropical storm, impacted the several counties I represent, from Schoharie in upstate New York, to Montgomery, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Albany. These counties were severely impacted. To talk to the people directly devastated--I mean devastated, lost their homes, everything for which they ever worked--and to tell them we're going to change the rules in the middle of the game on disaster aid, it took fights galore to win that argument on this floor. That austerity approach didn't cut it with folks who might have believed it before the disaster, but certainly not in the midst of. So we need to be there for situations, not only disastrous situations, but the investment that occurs so that we can effectively compete. We know in our heart, we know in our minds that there are ways to do this. I know, just listening to the magnanimous description of the situation in the auto industry that Representative Kaptur defined for us, on a much smaller scale, but equally significant, I watched some of the businesses in my district retrofit and do that through research in incubator programs and providing for our advanced manufacturing which allows them to add that competitive muscle that enables them to compete in that global marketplace. That made a total difference. Folks like Kintz Plastics in Schoharie County, New York, where they were engaged in an incubator program with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Some very smart science and tech minds came up with ways to automate what they were doing and trained through the community college their workers to pick up on this new phase of activity within their assembly line process. Today they are successful, but it took investment, investment of capital infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and human structure, training the worker and providing for those relationships to prosper. Everyone wins in that situation. So we know we have it within us to make this all possible. It talks to investment. It speaks to investment. It speaks to the opportunity that we can provide so that people can have that American Dream tethered in reality, so that it can be within their grasp, so that they can continue to build upon this Nation's significance. A great nation stays great if it continues to stretch itself. It's about the churning and the turning and becoming more mighty through investment of research, development, retrofitting our manufacturing base. We can win this by doing it smarter. We don't necessarily have to do it cheaper. Do it smarter and you win those contracts that then equate to jobs. Research equals jobs. I see it all the time. It gives birth to new ideas, new product lines, better efficiencies. It drives an economy. You can't walk away from this tough moment and talk about austere responses. You need creative responses--not just throwing money at a situation, but thinking it through, thoughtful, analytical, economic approaches that then provide for the best policy formats. The President has offered several ideas that were not taken up in this House. We could grow that economic recovery, which has been slow and steady with 32 consecutive months of private sector job growth. We can expand upon that, and we can create much stronger numbers if we do it wisely. So I think the American people have spoken. They've spoken to an investment in the middle class, the investment in the American Dream, the investment in ideas and research. We know--we've all talked about it on this floor--where research occurs, that's where manufacturing will network. It will migrate toward that research element. So we are wise to invest in research and to invest in the human infrastructure, the worker. The important significant part of the equation: having that trained, skilled, educated workforce that can make it all happen.