Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. And Representative Polis, if I might, as we choose to speak to this green energy thinking, our actions, the vision shared with this Nation will percolate into all sorts of layers, even reach our youngest population where in the classroom they may be inspired to move into these careers. We need to encourage that sort of outcome. We need to encourage our more technically sophisticated workers of the future. And it could start as early as the elementary years when they hear the discussion out there--when they don't hear the denial, when they don't have the deception, but when they get the facts brought to them. When they see the potential out there that exists today and that can grow into the future, that can't help but spark the interest. How many young people were watching the first step on the moon? How many young people then chose to be scientists and engineers to go along that path? Our community colleges that are there as the campus of choice in so many communities, where they can train and retrain a workforce to become those stewards of the environment, that will help us in this agenda to be most energy efficient and to grow R&D opportunities in the lab. This is a tremendous opportunity to inspire our Nation, to lift us from the doldrums of an energy environment and economic crisis that has really hampered a lot of progress for this country and has denied competitiveness for our manufacturing base.

Mr. TONKO. Representative Polis, I believe that volatility, that unpredictable nature of what we have to pay for this import of oil or gasoline should really drive our thinking. And I firmly believe, with every ounce of my being, that this is the moment for America. This is our moment, a golden opportunity to turn green. And we can grow an economy and really respond to the environment that needs to be nurtured by us, and we can utilize our energy resources in an efficient way by having this American power that will power America. And this is our moment, and we can't walk away from it.

Mr. TONKO. Sure. Absolutely. Let me thank you, Mr. Polis, for managing our discussion this evening here on the floor of the House of Representatives. It is a pleasure to join you. I know you have been an outspoken voice for greening up our thinking as it comes to energy and the environment and the economy, three areas that are critical right now that face a crisis of some dimension, and we can resolve those crises simply by moving forward with progressive policies. So I thank you for providing the leadership here this evening on the floor and to join with you and our friend and colleague Representative Heinrich because, you know, you are surrounded here by two mechanical engineers in background, education background.

Mr. TONKO. It doesn't. We are usually vastly outnumbered. So it is good for us to step back and look at these issues from an academic perspective and to respond to them in technological terms. That is real leadership. And the President, the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, leaders here across the board here in the House and rank-and-file Members have joined together to speak forcefully about just what we can accomplish if we set our sights on this innovation economy that is sparked by a green energy arena. The numbers of jobs that we can create in this clean energy career ladder are tremendous. It is a way to provide opportunities for those emerging members of the workforce and to train and retrain our existing workforce. As we look at the opportunities out there, they are immense. Representative Polis, you talked about the fear and despair approach taken by some as they try to message in very negative terms the work that is being done in this area. Well, a $475 billion bill that finds money going to foreign imports for fossil-based fuels could be referenced as a tax. We might say we are paying our bills for the energy supply we need, but it is taxing our economy and, more importantly, it is taxing households, families that could otherwise be producing here in America the supplies we need with American jobs, American know-how, American intellect. You know, as I listened to our Representative from New Mexico, as Representative Heinrich spoke of that global race back from the decades ago, from the sixties, having heard Sputnik over and over again in the elementary classroom and having seen us in a race somewhat narrower than today's race would be, Russia, the U.S. all competing to land a person on the moon. But a vision shared by a very eloquent, articulate leader of this Nation, John F. Kennedy, allowed us to come together as a nation in multipartisan frameworks and provide the kind of energy that is required to get us to think in those positive and progressive terms, and it stretched our thinking, it provided loftiness to the outcomes, and it created career opportunities for many. That same race, global race, is upon us today, and it is not like we have a choice to enter into the race. We have no choice but to be part of it, and the pressure is on for us to win. When China invests $12.7 million per hour in its greening-up opportunities, that is a signal to us that we can and we must do better than we are today. And whoever emerges, whichever country emerges the leader, the winner of that race, will then be that go-to nation that will export energy intellect, energy innovation, energy ideas. The energy capital that we can build will be extremely valuable for all of our American families. I, as you know, had worked at NYSERDA before I entered here. I had chaired the Energy Committee in the New York State Assembly for 15 of my 25 years in the Assembly, and then went to assume the role of president and CEO at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Projects that found us utilizing our wind, our sun, our Earth, our soil and our water enabled us to create energy supplies for New York State. Hydrokinetic power that was produced simply by the turbulence of the East River along the shoreline of the Island of Manhattan is there as a demonstration project, an R&D project, that as a prototype holds promise, great promise, when deployed into the manufacturing and commercial sectors. The opportunity for geothermal, where I witnessed at the Culinary Institute of America six new dorms, lodges as they are referred to, utilizing geothermal as an energy source, and using the constant temperature of the Earth far below us was a simple and novel idea, almost cave-like in its concept, but it is providing modern-day usage. And certainly wind, solar, PV, all being utilized in New York State, as much as 1,100 megawatts worth of wind power. So this is possible. It is very possible. And the jobs that we can create are countless as we go forward, and it provides energy security, energy independence, and therefore I believe is critically important to us, to our national security. We won't be putting our sons and daughters in harm's way because we won't be in the battle zone fighting over the commodity of oil and fossil-based fuels.

Mr. TONKO. Well, one of the great investments at NYSERDA in the State context that I functioned was a huge investment in R&D. And you need to see that R&D, research and development, and deployment, I would add, are economic development tools. You are using very bright minds with clever ideas, putting that lab experiment together. Then we need to further commit to the deployment stage. You cannot just research and develop. You need to take that success story, of which there are many, and deploy them into manufacturing and the commercial use of those ideas. That is what this agenda is about. And it is not maintaining the spirit of $475 billion per year of American dollars, call it a tax, call it an investment, call it paying your bills. Whatever it is, it is cash leaving us to help another economy that isn't providing any benefit because these are, in many cases, unstable governments and some of the most troubled spots in the world.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous materials on House Resolution 453 into the Record.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize an outstanding colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire), for 2 minutes.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 503, which supports efforts to increase physical activity and participation of youth in sports. Physical education is necessary in the face of our Nation's growing childhood obesity crisis. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that by 2010, 20 percent of children in the United States will be obese. Without physical education and youth sports, this epidemic would surely be worse than its current situation. Childhood obesity places a significant burden on our health care system. Overweight adolescents have a 70 to 80 percent chance of becoming overweight adults, a key predictor of chronic disease and disability. The rise in childhood obesity has also been accompanied in the rise of prevalence of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents. Teaching children about physical education and sports provides not only physical activity during the typically sedentary school day but also instills in children the importance of physical activity as a way to stay healthy. It is important that we recognize and encourage physical education in our Nation's schools as a necessary component of a holistic education. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to recognize the value of physical education and youth sports. A 2006 survey by the Department of Health and Human Services found that only 3.8 percent of elementary schools, 7.9 percent of middle schools, and 2.1 percent of high schools provide daily physical education or its equivalent for the entire school. Twenty-two percent of schools do not require students to take any physical education. This exists despite research that shows a positive correlation between physical activity and academic performance. In addition, physical activity provides our children with self-esteem and improves their emotional health. We recognize that our Nation shares a collective responsibility in reversing the trend of childhood obesity. National Physical Education and Sports Week reaffirms the central role that these activities play in encouraging healthy practices for children. The future of our children's health is an issue that deserves our Nation's utmost attention. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, Congressman Altmire, for introducing this resolution, and I urge our colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 503 into the Record.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 503) recognizing National Physical Education and Sport Week, and for other purposes.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the resolution before the House sponsored by my very good friend, Representative Louise Slaughter, condemning the senseless killing of Dr. George Tiller. Dr. Tiller, as we have heard, was gunned down while serving as an usher during church services last week. We are blessed in this country to have the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom to protest. Our country has a rich history of nonviolent protests from the women's rights movement to the civil rights movement to the gay rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., preached nonviolence, and his great movement heeded this call in the face of unspeakable acts of violence from their opposition. This shooting is, in the words of the New York State Catholic Conference, a terrible perversion of what it means to be pro-life. While we may have different views of this issue, no side should resort to atrocious acts of violence such as this. Since 1977, there have been more than 5,800 reported acts of violence against providers like Dr. Tiller. Since 1993, eight people have been murdered, and there have been 17 attempted murders since 1991. Clinics like Dr. Tiller's over a 20-year span have been bombed 41 times and faced 175 arsons and 96 attempted bombings and arsons. I understand that this is a passionate issue for both sides, but we cannot allow this to continue.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, New York State American Legion Auxiliary President, Susan M. Britton, has served with distinction during her term in office from July 2008 through July 2009. Mrs. Britton traveled to all 62 counties in the great state of New York, inspiring the members of the American Legion Auxiliary to honor and serve the veterans of New York State. Susan Briton is a 35 year member of Clarke White Unit 589, American Legion Auxiliary in Albany County. She has remained an active and vital member of the organization, volunteering her services to veterans at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany and at the Albany VA Fisher House. This year Department President Britton has chosen ``Operation Purple'' as her special project. Operation Purple began in 2004 and is sponsored through the National Military Family Association (NMFA). Operation Purple is the only program open to children of personnel from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces (``purple'' representing inclusion of the branches). The program focuses on helping military children deal with the challenges and stress that come with deployment by providing free weeks of summer camp at different locations to bring children together in a fun and healthy environment. As word has spread about Operation Purple, there is a pressing need for additional support to allow as many children as possible to attend this specialized program. All funds donated will support resident children within New York State. There are two camps, located in Lewis and Orange counties. Special fundraising projects have been conducted to support Operation Purple, including those by the American Legion Family, which include The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, and the Sons of the American Legion. To date, over $60,000 has been raised to provide military children in New York with the opportunity to attend one of these camps.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, the resolution before the House, H. Res. 454, recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is one that obviously brings with it many happy endings for at least 138,000 families. And while not all of the stories are those happy endings, the center has provided itself as a resource, as a network that has devoted itself to the reconnection of our youth to their families. And so, with that outstanding record and with the concerns for missing children still alive and haunting us as a society, I strongly encourage a ``yes'' vote on the resolution. I yield back my remaining time, Madam Speaker.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I reserve my time.

Mr. TONKO. Does the gentleman from Pennsylvania have any further speakers?

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 454, which recognizes the 25th anniversary of the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children. The NCMEC serves as the national resource center for missing and exploited children. It is estimated that 800,000 children are reported missing every year in the United States. Two hundred thousand of that number are abducted by family members, and 58,000 are abducted by nonfamily members, for which the primary motive is sexual assault. It is with great sadness that this national tragedy continues year after year. We recognize today the National Center's persistent efforts in reuniting families and stopping the abuse and exploitation of our children. During its 25-year history, the organization has assisted in the recovery of more than 138,000 children. NCMEC's Amber Alert Program alone has led to 443 recoveries. NCMEC's efforts have led to a rise in the recovery rate of missing children from 62 percent in 1990 to 97 percent today. The organization offers assistance and training to law enforcement around the country in identifying and locating missing and exploited children, as well as non-compliant sex offenders. NCMEC also actively combats children's pornography by reviewing millions of images and videos in a national effort to identify victims of child pornography and the perpetrators behind these heinous crimes. Madam Speaker, NCMEC acts as the ultimate advocate for our Nation's most vulnerable individuals. The organization sends a message to parents around the country that our Nation will never abandon its search for the thousands of children missing at any given moment. It is important to recognize that for the individuals at the NCMEC, the mission is never quite complete. On May 25th of 2009, we recognize the 27th National Missing Children's Day. The day marks the anniversary of the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz. For nearly three decades, the search for Etan and many other children has continued as part of the persistent efforts of the NCMEC. Madam Speaker, once again I express my support for the center, and I thank Representative Poe for bringing this resolution to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 454.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 454) recognizing the 25th anniversary of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, decades ago, a global space race inspired all sorts of ingenuity and innovation. It enabled this country to stretch its thinking, provide for lofty opportunities, and emerge with a higher level of status in the global community because it had won that space race. Providing many, many opportunities, it is indeed the inspiration for today's House Resolution 411, as witnessed through the Intermediate Space Challenge in Mojave, California. Today, we have that same opportunity to stretch our thinking, to provide that loftiness, to be able to emerge with an innovation economy driven by another sort of global race, one called an energy race, which will find the winner to be the exporter of energy innovation, energy thinking, energy ideas, and energy intellect. And so I think the moves forward by this House can perhaps inspire another saga of intermediate space challenge. But today we recognize and support the goals and ideals of that great Intermediate Space Challenge through House Resolution 411. I would encourage our colleagues to support this resolution. It is most meritorious. I yield back my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman from Pennsylvania have any further speakers?

Mr. TONKO. I reserve my time, Mr. Speaker.