September 14, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1533 

IN HONOR OF SENATOR SHIRLEY 

A. SMITH 

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 14, 2012 

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of Senator Shirley A. Smith of the State 

of Ohio’s 21st Senate District. 

Senator Smith began her career as a radio 

talk-show host interviewing prominent politicians and community leaders for a major 

Cleveland station before changing pace and 

working for a television network affiliate. 

Beginning in 1999, Senator Smith served 8 

years as an Ohio House Representative from 

the 10th district until assuming office in the 

Ohio Senate in 2007. Throughout her legislative career, she has been a strong advocate 

for the socially and economically disadvantaged as displayed through her membership 

on the Senate Health, Human Services and 

Aging; Finance; Reference; Criminal Justice; 

and Rules Committees. She also serves as 

Assistant Minority Leader, acts as State Director for the Women Legislators’ Lobby, and has 

served as both the Secretary and President of 

the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. 

Senator Smith’s hard work and dedication 

throughout the years has earned her a Fannie 

Mae Foundation Fellowship at Harvard University, the Legislator of the Year Award in 2006 

for her work with dental hygiene, a feature in 

the Crusader Newspaper acknowledging her 

work to repeal Ohio’s use of the death penalty, and interviews on both MSNBC and Fox 

News Network’s ‘‘The Morning Show with 

Mike and Juliet’’ advocating for the passage of 

Senate Bill 197, nicknamed the ‘‘Second 

Chance Bill.’’ 

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me 

in honoring the achievements of Ohio Senator 

Shirley A. Smith. 

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RECOGNIZING THE WORK OF 

PEOPLE FOR PUGET SOUND 

HON. ADAM SMITH OF WASHINGTON

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 14, 2012 

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I 

rise to honor the work of the People for Puget 

Sound organization. For twenty years, this organization has been a strong voice for protecting one of the Pacific Northwest region’s 

most valuable assets: the Puget Sound. After 

achieving many victories to protect the waterway, People for Puget Sound is transferring its 

programs to other organizations and concluding its operations. 

Established in 1991, People for Puget 

Sound has worked to restore the fish and wildlife in the Puget Sound by creating clean and 

healthy land and waters that can be enjoyed 

by future generations. The organization 

worked to educate people who work and live 

throughout the Puget Sound basin about the 

shared responsibilities in protecting this resource. 

Throughout its history, People for Puget 

Sound hosted countless events to bring volunteers out to restore habitats. Restoration 

ecologists worked throughout the Puget Sound 

region to give citizens the tools to protect the 

Sound where they work and live. 

In addition to educating and engaging the 

public, People for Puget Sound has been a 

fierce advocate for the protection of environmental safeguards. For years, volunteers have 

gathered annually to speak with their representatives about steps that could be taken 

to clean up the Puget Sound. 

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I recognize the valuable work of People for Puget 

Sound. Although the organization is dissolving, 

I know the values and dedication of its staff 

and thousands of members from across the 

region will continue to protect the Puget 

Sound. 

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HONORING PASTOR MARQUES L. 

FLETCHER 

HON. HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, JR. OF GEORGIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 14, 2012 

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I 

submit the following proclamation. 

Whereas, Pastor Marques L. Fletcher is 

celebrating thirteen (13) years in ministry this 

year as Pastor of Young Street Community 

Baptist Church; and 

Whereas, Pastor Marques L. Fletcher, under 

the guidance of God has pioneered and sustained Young Street Community Baptist 

Church, as an instrument in our community 

that uplifts the spiritual, physical and mental 

welfare of our citizens; and 

Whereas, this remarkable and tenacious 

man of God has given hope to the hopeless, 

fed the hungry and is a beacon of light to 

those in need; and 

Whereas, Pastor Fletcher is a spiritual warrior, a man of compassion, a fearless leader 

and a servant to all, but most of all a visionary 

who has shared not only with his Church, but 

with our District and the world his passion to 

spread the gospel of Jesus Christ; and 

Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the 

Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this 

day to honor and recognize Pastor Marques L. 

Fletcher as he celebrates his thirteenth Pastoral Anniversary at Young Street Community 

Baptist Church; 

Now therefore, I, HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, Jr. do hereby proclaim September 16, 

2012 as Pastor Marques L. Fletcher Day in 

the 4th Congressional District of Georgia. 

Proclaimed, this 16th day of September, 

2012. 

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IN HONOR OF COUNCILMAN 

TERRELL PRUITT 

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 14, 2012 

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of Councilman Terrell Pruitt, who is currently serving as the representative for Ward 1 

on the Cleveland City Council. 

Councilman Pruitt has been representing 

Ward 1, which includes the Lee-Harvard and 

Miles neighborhoods on the southeast side of 

Cleveland, since 2008. Since coming to office, 

the Councilman has focused on the continued 

development of his community. He has 

worked tirelessly to maintain a safe community 

in which Clevelanders can thrive while making 

constituent services a top priority. 

Councilman Pruitt has been a strong advocate of education and understands the impact 

that it can have on a community. He has 

maintained a close relationship with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and supports 

policies that will increase the quality of education in the District. He has volunteered his 

time and service to the Governor’s Close the 

Gap Campaign which helps supports students 

at the local high school to ensure their educational success. Along with his support of 

education, Councilman Pruitt continues to 

work towards ensuring a positive job outlook 

for his constituents by providing job training 

and continuing education opportunities. 

Outside of his position as Councilman, Pruitt 

served tours in Afghanistan, led hurricane relief missions in Louisiana and serves as the 

Captain in the Ohio Army National Guard. 

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me 

in honoring Cleveland City Councilman Terrell 

Pruitt. 

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FISA AMENDMENTS ACT 

REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2012 

SPEECH OF

HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN OF MARYLAND

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 12, 2012 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2012. Clearly, we must work to 

ensure that our intelligence and law enforcement communities continue to have the tools 

they need to protect American citizens. It is 

critically important, however, that in our effort 

to defend the liberties we cherish, we not 

enact measures that erode the very freedoms 

we seek to protect. 

This legislation, in its current form, still contains flaws which fail to ensure robust oversight of this program. Specifically, some of the 

amendments offered by my colleagues on the 

Judiciary and Intelligence Committees to increase transparency and shorten the sunset 

should have been included in the final bill. Unfortunately, we are considering this legislation 

under a closed rule, and no amendments can 

be offered to the full House. 

We must work to reauthorize this program in 

a balanced way that provides our experts with 

the authority they need to protect Americans 

while upholding the values enshrined in our 

Constitution. I look forward to working with our 

colleagues in the Senate to reform these provisions so that we don’t need to make the 

false choice between security and freedom. 

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INTRODUCING MEDICARE 

TRANSITIONAL CARE ACT OF 2012 

HON. EARL BLUMENAUER OF OREGON

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 14, 2012 

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today, together with a group of bipartisan cosponsors, 


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