May 24, 2013 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E763 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

HONORING MISHI JAIN its people. These lives are extremely signifi- support but was never voted on the floor of cant and a government must take all actions the House of Representatives. In 1993, then- necessary in the best interest of the society President Bill Clinton wrote a letter of support HON. PETE OLSON and its people. Therefore, Jefferson was cor- OF TEXAS rect and making the assertion that ‘‘the care for my bill, stating, ‘‘It is contrary to all of our IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of human life and happiness [. . .l is the first ideas to exclude any American from the pro- Friday, May 24, 2013 [. . .] objective of a government.’’ tection of our civil-rights laws.’’ f Too often, the struggles of Asian-American Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to and other ethnic minorities do not get the at- interact with some of the brightest students in REINTRODUCING ‘‘JUSTICE FOR tention they deserve by policymakers and law the 22nd Congressional District who serve on WARDS COVE WORKERS ACT’’ enforcement officials. This issue is about jus- my Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I tice and fairness. have gained much by listening to the high Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join school students who are the future of this HON. JIM McDERMOTT OF WASHINGTON me in honoring the Wards Cove workers by great nation. They provide important insight supporting this bill. into the concerns of our younger constituents IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES f and hopefully get a better sense of the impor- Friday, May 24, 2013 tance of being an active participant in the po- Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today TRIBUTE TO PALLAVI DEV litical process. Many of the students have writ- to reintroduce the ‘‘Justice for Wards Cove ten short essays on a variety of topics and I Act’’ to correct a grave injustice against thou- HON. PETE OLSON am pleased to share these with my House col- sands of Asian-American workers that took OF TEXAS leagues. place over a quarter century ago. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mishi Jain is a junior at Elkins High School In the 1970s, workers of Filipino, Samoan, in Fort Bend County, Texas. Her essay topic Chinese, Japanese and Native American de- Friday, May 24, 2013 is: In your opinion, what role should govern- scent traveled north during the summer to MR. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged ment play in our lives? work in the fish canneries in Alaska. Manage- to interact with some of the brightest students Thomas Jefferson once said ‘‘The care of ment at the Wards Cove Packing Company in the 22nd Congressional District who serve human life and happiness, and not their de- on my Congressional Youth Advisory Council. struction, is the first and only objective of treated these migrant workers differently from [a] good government.’’ Jefferson is correct white workers. They were forced to eat in sep- I have gained much by listening to the high when he describes the objectives of a govern- arate dining halls, sleep in separate bunk- school students who are the future of this ment. A government’s role is not to coerce houses, and were unable to rise to top-paying great nation. They provide important insight or force citizens, but, rather, a government’s positions in the company. into the concerns of our younger constituents roles include guiding, assisting, and taking In 1973, two Seattle Filipino labor activists and hopefully get a better sense of the impor- care of the lives of citizens. A government’s named Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes led tance of being an active participant in the po- primary obligation is to uphold the best in- several class-action lawsuits on behalf of litical process. Many of the students have writ- terest of the people and to take actions that ten short essays on a variety of topics and I will enhance societal welfare. these Asian-American and Native American To begin, the government must function as cannery workers alleging discrimination in the am pleased to share these with my House col- a mechanism that protects its people from workplace. In 1989, the Supreme Court ruled leagues. foreign invasions and other threats. In order against the Wards Cove workers, in Wards Pallavi Dev is a junior at Glenda Dawson to fulfill its primary obligation, a govern- Cove Packing Co. v. Atonio, which became a High School in Brazoria County, Texas. Her ment must take all and any actions nec- major impetus for the civil rights community to essay topic is: Select an important event that essary to protect our nation and its people. reverse the tide against employee rights. The has occurred in the past 50 years and explain It has become evident through past events result was the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which how that event has changed our country. where the United States was under attack or under threat, and necessary action was became the most comprehensive civil rights THE NEWTOWN SHOOTING taken to preserve the safety and wellbeing of legislation signed into law since the Civil The worst events in our country’s history the people. Whether it be against foreign Rights Act of 1964. happened when we least expected them. As threats or domestic threats, a government However, what most civil rights communities citizens we carry on with our normal lives, must make the nation a safe place to be. forgot was that in the final hours before pas- busy within our own bubble of school, fam- Furthermore, governments must also regu- sage of the Civil Rights Act, a highly unusual ily, work, holidays, and so on. But every so late companies and the market to ensure and narrow amendment was inserted by two often something happens that shakes the foundations upon which our existence is that corruption should not take place. To Senators from Alaska that exempted the prevent a situation like that of during the built, and we are reminded of how fragile our late 1800s where corruption was prominent Wards Cove workers from the expansive pro- bubble is and how easy it is for someone to and big businesses acted as monopolies, a tections against workplace discrimination out- pop it. government, like ours today, is needed to en- lined in the Civil Rights Act. They feared that That someone for the people of Newtown, sure that there is a sufficient standard of the Civil Rights Act could be applied retro- Connecticut was Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old economic wellbeing and that all businesses actively to the workers. who killed his mother and 25 other students, are getting a fair chance. Therefore, a major The Senators’ amendment was inserted in teachers, and staff in Sandy Hook Elemen- role of the government is to monitor eco- Section 402(b) of the Civil Rights Act, and its tary School on December 14, 2012. Twenty of those he killed were young children, between nomic practices and place laws to regulate sole target was the Wards Cove workers. To those as well. Finally, a government’s obli- the ages of 5 and 10, who would have had gation is to take care of those who are un- date, the Wards Cove workers remain the only bright futures before them had their lives derprivileged or may not be as lucky as oth- people who have been denied the rights pro- not been cut short. The motives for Lanza’s ers. It must regulate social security, help mulgated by the Civil Rights Act of 1991. actions are still unclear, but it is known out the unemployed, and assist families that Mr. Speaker, while my bill cannot retro- that he used a military-style rifle to end the are financially unstable. As a government, it actively alter the Supreme Court’s ruling or lives of those mentioned and his own. The is of the utmost importance that it takes grant retroactive rights for the Wards Cove tragedy of this event has intensified the de- into account all of the issues mentioned and workers, it does remove Section 402(b) of the bate over gun control in the U.S., but more importantly, has reminded us to take a ensure that these issues are taken care of. Civil Rights Act of 1991 as a symbolic meas- Many people in our country need help, and in break in our busy lives and be thankful for order to uphold societal welfare, a govern- ure to right the wrong. our family, friends, and everything else we ment must help out everyone equally. This is a legislative fight that I started in have. In retrospect, a government’s main and 1991, when I first introduced this bill. Each Today the grief that has settled over the most important role is to secure the lives of time I introduced this bill, it received bipartisan nation is like a thick fog that seeps into

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:17 May 25, 2013 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A24MY8.001 E24MYPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REMARKS E764 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 24, 2013 every corner, never seeming to disappear or Combat Ship from concept to first deployment contracting and respect for the tax dollars that be forgotten. Tomorrow it will lift slightly, in a fraction of the time required for earlier fund it. This process is now in use across the and ten years from now for many it will have ship classes. Navy. Additionally, through his efforts as the faded to only a memory. However, we cannot Most notably, he was the driving force be- NAVSEA commander, his organization has of- allow what happened in Newtown to vanish hind significant improvements in performance from our minds. It is a warning to American fered the Navy more than $2.7 billion in Future citizens that something needs to change. Our across the shipbuilding industrial base, the Year Defense Program savings in response to nation has become a safe haven for people execution of maintenance and modernization calls for cost reduction through Total Owner- from all over the world who come to seek in both public and private shipyards, process ship Cost reduction projects and corporate ef- protection under our democratic government changes to improve the overall readiness of ficiencies. and its infrastructure. But in this moment, the Fleet, innovative business practices to gar- As important as his achievements in the the people of America are shaken and the ner savings for Navy leadership to reinvest in shipbuilding maintenance area, Vice Admiral majority of the population is worried for the high priority requirements and human capital McCoy also took a leading role in the Wound- safety of their own children and families. strategies designed to continue the develop- The path to preventing a catastrophe like ed Warrior Program to offer education coun- the Newtown shooting faces many difficul- ment of the future workforce. seling, internships, apprenticeships and em- ties ahead. Our government will have to Under his leadership, the naval shipyard ployment to injured veterans culminated in the overcome a load of disagreement before a so- community experienced the highest workload hiring of more than 1,500 Wounded Warriors lution is reached. However, I, along with my faced by the four Naval Shipyards in two dec- in the NAVSEA enterprise—the largest single- fellow citizens, have faith that they will ades, resulting in the execution of 72 major organization Wounded Warrior hiring effort in take the right action, and that a small quan- depot-level availabilities, 8 submarine refueling the nation. Under his leadership, NAVSEA tity of good will come out of this event that overhauls and an additional 31 minor mainte- was recognized as a Top 50 Employer Award has caused an immeasurable amount of pain. nance periods all supported by a $15.2 billion winner four times. At the end of the day, we are all united as operating budget. Vice Admiral McCoy’s lead- citizens who only want the best for their Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House country and the people who live in it. ership and focus was directly responsible for Armed Services Committee, I have been fortu- the successful execution and completion of f nate to work closely with Vice Admiral McCoy the bow wave of submarine depot mainte- both at many appearances before the com- HONORING THE SERVICE OF VICE nance work begun ten years earlier resulting mittee, and working with him and his great ADMIRAL KEVIN M. MCCOY from an overlap in the life cycle maintenance staff directly to address workload shortfalls in plan of submarine refueling and depot mainte- our submarine maintenance programs. He has HON. JOE COURTNEY nance work. The annual rate of submarine consistently been accessible, thoughtful and OF CONNECTICUT days lost due to depot availability delays at forthright, and I am grateful for all his assist- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Naval Shipyards dropped during this period to ance. With his retirement, our Navy—and our an all time low of 205 days—the lowest value Friday, May 24, 2013 nation—will lose a tremendous leader and ever achieved. Compared to historic averages friend both to our men and women in uniform Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise proudly in the 900-plus day range, this is the equiva- and our defense industrial base. I am sure today to honor Vice Admiral Kevin M. McCoy, lent of providing the fleet with an additional though that he will write a new, interesting United States Navy, who is retiring after more two submarines for their use every year. chapter in his life of amazing service to our than 34 years of faithful service to our nation, However, his acheivements did not stop nation. I thank him and his family for his hon- culminating in his service as the 42nd Com- there. Vice Admiral McCoy led a number of orable service in the United States Navy and mander of the Naval Sea Systems Command, wide-sweeping improvements to ensure that ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him NAVSEA. our surface and submarine fleets can reach ‘‘fair winds and following seas’’ as he con- A graduate of the State University of New their expected service lives. For example, he cludes a distinguished naval career. York at Stony Brook, Vice Admiral McCoy held led a series of initiatives to increase support f several key leadership positions over the and improve maintenance practices across course of his distinguished career, including ship classes, while also modernizing the fleet TRIBUTE TO PAULINA AGYEI the NAVSEA Deputy Commander for Ship De- to keep pace with mission requirements. Vice sign Integration and Engineering, NAVSEA Admiral McCoy was also the driving factor HON. PETE OLSON Deputy Commander for Industrial Operations, within the Navy to improve surface ship mate- OF TEXAS and the 80th Commander of the Portsmouth rial readiness. He developed an end-to-end IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire. He also surface maintenance, modernization, and served aboard USS Daniel Webster, USS L.Y. sustainment process to better ensure readi- Friday, May 24, 2013 Spear, and at the naval shipyards at Mare Is- ness and meet service life and total ownership Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to land, California; Charleston, South Carolina; costs. This process led to the development of interact with some of the brightest students in Puget Sound, Washington; Norfolk, Virginia the Surface Ship Maintenance Engineering the 22nd Congressional District who serve on and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Planning Program, SURFMEPP, which re-es- my Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I Vice Admiral McCoy’s initiative, vision and tablished surface ship maintenance require- have gained much by listening to the high wise counsel were of extraordinary value to ments similar to those used by carrier and school students who are the future of this the Department of the Navy during a period of submarine communities, and the reconstitution great nation. They provide important insight significant change and challenge. Leading the of the Regional Maintenance Centers. He also into the concerns of our younger constituents Navy’s largest Echelon II Command, he spearheaded the stand up of Surface Team and hopefully get a better sense of the impor- oversaw more than 60,000 civil service and One, which brought together maintenance and tance of being an active participant in the po- military personnel at 38 major shore locations modernization stakeholders, operating as a litical process. Many of the students have writ- nationwide and an annual budget of more than single community, to measure surface fleet ten short essays on a variety of topics and I $30 billion. materiel readiness. Similarly for submarines, am pleased to share these with my House col- A leader in the acquisition community, Submarine Team One was chartered to de- leagues. McCoy stewarded NAVSEA’s associated Pro- velop, champion, and improve cross-organiza- Paulina Agyei is a sophomore at Travis gram Executive Offices through the design, tional processes for the planning and execu- High School in Fort Bend County, Texas. Her contracting, construction, testing, and delivery tion of submarine depot availabilities and pro- essay topic is: In your opinion, why is it impor- of the San Antonio-class Amphibious Trans- vide a structure for the management and long tant to be involved in the political process? port Dock program, the Virginia-class sub- term systematic improvement of cost, sched- Even though I myself am too young to marine program, the Freedom-class Littoral ule, and quality performance. vote, I still like to be involved as much as Combat Ship program, the Lewis and Clark- The cornerstones of Vice Admiral McCoy’s possible in the political process. If not I just class Dry Cargo Ammunition program, the Mo- corporate operations were sound corporate become of of the ignorant masses who knows bile Landing Platform program, the Joint High strategy, mission focus, a dedicated attention nothing of how our world works, causing them to make asinine comments on political Speed Vessel program, the Zumwalt-class to detail, and a devoted commitment to meet infrastructure. Ignorance is not a quality DDG 1000 program, the Gerald R. Ford-class fiscal and technical goals. Demonstrating a that should be coveted, it should be sniffed Next Generation Carrier program and the USS consistent drive to streamline the organization, out and destroyed. To be a member of the George H.W. Bush. Vice Admiral McCoy was he instituted a process for services contracting United States of America one must know the integral to successfully transitioning the Littoral reviews that ensures constant vigilance of most elementary basics of government.

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