H6164 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 20, 2012 

he seems to consider to be slackers. No, 

I’m talking about 47 as in the number 

of days left before the election, in the 

context of the fact that we have 1 more 

day that we will be in session. The 

most basic and fundamental responsibilities our constituents sent us to 

Washington to address are being left 

totally unresolved. Never have I seen a 

House of Representatives so unproductive and so dysfunctional, and I served 

during the so-called ‘‘Gingrich Revolution.’’ 

The fact is that today the House Republican leadership and too many of its 

rank-and-file Members seem to think 

that economic stimulus, which is vitally needed in this economy, is a dirty 

word, and that the Federal Government is some kind of alien enterprise. 

Their approach is to do nothing, and 

that’s what we’ve done for the last 2 

years—nothing. 

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RECOGNIZING LYNNE YOSHIKO 

NAKASONE 

(Ms. HANABUSA asked and was 

given permission to address the House 

for 1 minute.) 

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to recognize Lynne Yoshiko 

Nakasone of Honolulu, Hawaii. 

The National Endowment for the 

Arts has named Sensei Nakasone a 2012 

National Heritage Fellow for her contributions to the folk and traditional 

arts. This prestigious lifetime achievement award honors Sensei Nakasone’s 

lifetime commitment to Okinawan 

classical dance—which is also referred 

to as Ryukyu dance—and embodies her 

accomplishments by identifying her as 

one of our country’s living treasures. 

It was at the young age of 6 that 

Sensei Nakasone began to master this 

technique of dance. Sensei Nakasone is 

originally from Naha, Okinawa, but 

has resided in Hawaii since her marriage to her loving husband, Clarence, 

in 1955. In 1956, Sensei Nakasone founded the Hoge Ryu Hana Nizi no Kai 

Nakasone Dance Academy in Honolulu, 

and for over five decades has been 

teaching, performing, and 

choreographing creative dances. Her 

performing skills are legendary, but it 

is her aloha spirit that endures the test 

of time and her passion, knowledge, 

and kindness that have touched countless individuals over the years. 

There is no doubt in my mind that 

Sensei Nakasone is deserving of this 

award, for she has dedicated her life towards preserving the Okinawan culture 

while positively impacting others and 

contributing to the diversity and 

uniqueness of our culture in the United 

States of America. 

f 

FISCAL CLIFF 

(Mrs. DAVIS of California asked and 

was given permission to address the 

House for 1 minute.) 

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, last week the San Diego Chamber of 

Commerce sent its largest ever delegation of community and business leaders 

to Washington. They came because 

they know Washington can help them 

spur the economy, innovate, and employ local workers if we can all get on 

the same page. 

What grand request did they have for 

this Congress to help make progress 

happen? Well, just that we do our job: 

that we roll up our sleeves, work together across party lines, and find a 

sensible, not an arbitrary, balance of 

cuts and spending. 

Yes, Mr. Speaker, this country is facing some hard choices, and, yes, there 

is division in this Chamber, but we do 

not need to add to the serious challenges facing American businesses and 

families by sitting on the sidelines 

watching a completely manmade disaster explode upon our economy. 

Let’s work together to come to decisions now. The American economy 

should not be facing a fiscal cliff; it 

should be receiving a fiscal roadmap. 

By actually doing our jobs, we can 

make the jobs of our hardworking constituents a little easier. 

Our job is not done, Mr. Speaker. 

Cancel the congressional recess. 

f 

CELEBRATING NEW MEXICO’S 

CENTENNIAL 

(Mr. HEINRICH asked and was given 

permission to address the House for 1 

minute.) 

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to join my colleagues in celebrating New Mexico’s centennial. We 

are proud to introduce a resolution 

honoring the 100 years since New Mexico became a State on January 6, 1912. 

Home to some of the earliest human 

settlements in North America, New 

Mexicans have spent this year celebrating our State’s remarkable history, our tremendous cultural diversity, and our meaningful contributions 

to the Nation and the world. From the 

fertile Rio Grande Valley, to the vast 

Chihuahuan Desert, to the peaks of the 

Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico’s natural beauty is unsurpassed. 

From Pope to Geronimo, from Conrad 

Hilton to Jeff Bezos, from Nancy Lopez 

to Brian Urlacher, from Georgia 

O’Keefe to Rudolfo Anaya, from Dennis 

Chavez to Dolores Huerta, and from 

countless other New Mexicans, our impact on America’s past, present, and 

future cannot be overstated. 

As we continue to celebrate our centennial year, I join with all New Mexicans in honoring our unique heritage 

and our bright future. 

f 

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY 

(Mr. YARMUTH asked and was given 

permission to address the House for 1 

minute.) 

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues from across the aisle like to 

talk a lot about personal responsibility, but their decision to adjourn 

Congress for nearly 2 months shows 

how little they actually understand the 

concept. 

Congress is facing serious deadlines 

right now, and we should be dealing 

with the problems the American people 

sent us here to solve. Instead, Republican leadership has decided that we 

should go home without doing any of it 

and taking with us one of the worst report cards in American history. 

For more than a year now, Republicans have ignored a plan to create 2.6 

million new jobs and protect another 

1.6 million existing jobs. They won’t 

even bring it to the floor for a vote. 

Right now we could bring to the floor 

and send to the President’s desk a bill 

that would protect tax cuts for 98 percent of the American people and 97 percent of small businesses, but instead 

we’re going home. 

Republicans seem content to take 

our country off the fiscal cliff, which 

will hobble our economy, raise taxes on 

millions of working families, and once 

again shift the responsibility of our 

deficit to those who can least afford it. 

Mr. Speaker, Republicans can’t 

preach personal responsibility if 

they’re not willing to accept it themselves. 

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b 1230 

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 

(Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) 

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, from September 15 to October 15, we honor the 

heritage and many contributions of the 

Latino community nationwide. 

The story of Hispanic Americans is 

truly an American story. In America, if 

you work hard, play by the rules and 

dream big, there is no limit to what 

you can achieve. From the hard work 

of immigrants and their children, to 

the arts and education, to nearly 1 million Latino veterans who have proudly 

served in uniform, Hispanics have 

played a vital role in shaping our Nation. 

While we have made great contributions, there is still more work to be 

done to address issues that affect the 

communities, such as health care disparities and improving high school 

graduation rates. 

We all do not share the same roots, 

but we all share the same goals, in giving the next generation of Americans 

the opportunities to achieve the American Dream. That American Dream is 

part and parcel of what we celebrate 

and honor during the Hispanic Heritage 

Month. 

f 

REMOVAL OF REPRESENTATIVE 

MCNERNEY AS COSPONSOR OF 

H.R. 5864 

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask 

unanimous consent to remove Representative MCNERNEY of California as 

a cosponsor of H.R. 5864, the Invasive 

Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act. 


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