January 8, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S207 

my budget to do something that I love to 

do—volunteer. I have volunteered with Family Services Alliance of Southeast Idaho for 

a year, but as the price of gas got over 3$ a 

gallon, I had to stop. One part of the job is 

to be able to drive to homes of victims of domestic violence when the police ask for an 

advocate. The best way to help a victim of 

sexual assault or domestic violence is to empower them by showing them that they are 

not just victims, they are survivors. But to 

do this, you need to go where they are and 

intervene immediately. It requires taking a 

car. While it pains me to have to cut this out 

of my activities, I have already cut back in 

other ways and it was a hard decision to 

make. 

DIANA, Pocatello. 

I have been a small business owner, (one 

that pays taxes and one of the thousands of 

small businesses that support this country) 

for over thirty-five years. I am amazed and 

deeply troubled by the political chaos in our 

country and the energy crisis that is bankrupting this country. Our raw materials have 

raised three or four fold over the last few 

years and the energy situation is driving 

many small businesses out of business. I see 

the effects trickling down to food and other 

essentials. Many families are in deep trouble 

and I see it becoming drastic if something is 

not done in a short period of time. I do not 

mean in a few years. If Congress does not 

take steps immediately to put a stop to this 

runaway disaster, America will never recover and we will never have a quality of life 

again in America. 

I hate to seem gloomy but I see business 

and families everyday that are panicked. 

When we let OPEC and other foreign governments support the so-called ‘‘Greenies’’ and 

other environmental groups in America to 

the extent that we cannot take care of our 

own needs here at home, then we of all people are to be pitied. America is rich with raw 

materials and coal and oil. It is completely 

insane to let governments that hate us hold 

us hostage. My fourteen-year-old grandson 

has more sense than that. Oil companies are 

getting filthy rich while the American People are suffering. If there is going to be anything left for our children and grandchildren, 

then we better quit worrying about the owl 

or the snail and start worrying about our 

children and grandchildren. I do not know 

one American that I associate with that does 

not care about the environment and wildlife 

etc. But it is ridiculous for us to govern ourselves into non-existence. 

I urge you to take a stand against this corruption and turn us back to common sense. 

I am very concerned and I vote. 

DANNY. 

I am a 63-year-young woman who is disabled. I am on SSI when i get a cost of living 

raise, my rent goes up and eats it up. So for 

me this is really rough; I run out of money 

before the month is out. The cost of food has 

doubled mostly and it goes on and on. thank 

you. 

JUDITH. 

High gasoline prices are really putting a 

damper on our monthly budget. My wife and 

I are in our 50’s and we do not have a high income. I am partially disabled and working 

for low wages. We do not feel that we are 

going to be able to drive much longer. We 

have parked one of our cars. In my driving of 

over 30 years, we have seen the 1973 oil embargo and so called shortage and many other 

price hikes. But this is beyond comprehension. I am not one for government control 

but in this case I feel that the government 

must take over the oil. Otherwise it is going 

to put a huge damper on the economy. We 

have only seen the beginning. OPEC has held 

America hostage with these prices. 

f 

LARRY. 

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS 

TRIBUTE TO DEBRA BROWN 

STEINBERG 

∑ Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I 

commend Debra Brown Steinberg, an 

extraordinary woman who I have had 

the honor of working with for the last 

few years. 

Debra has been a tireless fighter for 

the families of 9/11 victims. While continuing to work fulltime as a partner 

at the law firm of Cadwalader, 

Wickersham & Taft LLP, Debra spearheaded her firm’s pro bono efforts to 

assist the families left behind. 

The cases she handled were complicated, involving myriad issues. 

Many families faced social service, financial and immigration complications. Rather than addressing simply 

the legal aspects of each case, Debra 

worked to connect organizations, agencies, and policies to tackle cases in 

their entirety. 

In May of 2002, New York State 

passed the September 11 Victims and 

Families Relief Act, large portions of 

which Debra helped draft. She also contributed to the Federal September 11th 

Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act, which was introduced by 

Senator LAUTENBERG in the 110th Congress. 

Debra’s outstanding work has already been recognized by numerous 

current and former Members of Congress, Presidential candidates, authors, 

activists, religious leaders, the New 

York State Bar Association, and many 

distinguished publications. She has received the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom and commendations from the New 

York City Fire Department and Chief 

of Police. No one, however, can better 

speak to Debra’s service than the families themselves. In a thank-you note, a 

sister of one of the victims wrote: 

[Debra] held us, offered her shoulder, and 

made us feel that it is still worthwhile to 

continue this passage. Thank God for this 

Angel. 

For the last 7 years, Debra Steinberg 

has fought for justice for a group of 

people forgotten in the shadows of this 

terrible tragedy. She has given selflessly of her time and expertise to help 

those in need and is an example to others and a credit to our country. I am 

proud to call her my friend.

f 

∑ 

TRIBUTE TO STELLA MAY BROWN 

WEACO 

∑ Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, all of 

us in Massachusetts who knew her or 

knew of her were saddened to learn of 

the death of Stella May Brown Weaco 

at Massachusetts General Hospital on 

New Year’s Eve. 

Stella was born in Mississippi, but 

she called Boston her home for the last 

26 years of her life and she became a 

legend in our city. She lived on the 

streets, but her plight never deterred 

her gentle spirit. She found a home and 

a family in the volunteers and the fellow guests at the Women’s Lunch 

Place, the famed daytime shelter in 

the city for poor and homeless women. 

She went there every day after the 

shelter opened in 1982, and she became 

a familiar face and beloved friend to 

many other members of the community. 

Stella had an amazingly positive impact on every person she met. She is 

very fondly remembered as very grateful, very amicable, and very kind. Year 

after year, the Women’s Lunch Place 

tried to persuade her to accept housing, but her indomitable spirit led her 

to decline such assistance. Finally, 

when the pressures of daily living on 

the streets became unbearable even for 

Stella, she graciously accepted the 

help of those around her and spent the 

last 2 years on her life in the Pine 

Street Inn. 

Even then, Stella unfailingly came 

back to the Women’s Lunch Place as 

often as she could, to seek out the familiar faces and friendships she cherished so much there. Sadly, Stella 

passed away on New Year’s Eve, in the 

company of those who loved her for the 

joy she had given to their lives. In 

many ways, Stella exemplified the 

power and the spirit of giving and the 

extraordinary importance of human 

kindness. She’ll be deeply missed, but 

the impact she had on all who knew 

her is immeasurable, and the lessons 

she taught will never be forgotten. 

Mr. President, I ask that the obituary of Stella written by Women’s 

Lunch Place Executive Director Sharon Reilly and an eloquent column 

about Stella by Rachelle Cohen in the 

Boston Herald may be printed in the 

RECORD. 

The information follows: 

STELLA TAUGHT US ALL ABOUT GRACE, 

DIGNITY

(By Rachelle Cohen, Jan. 5, 2009) 

We lost Stella on New Year’s Eve. 

Even as the city prepared to usher out this 

year that nearly everyone agrees they 

couldn’t wait to see end, this woman who 

had little and complained little died in the 

company of those who cared about her and 

for her. 

For at least a quarter of a century Stella 

lived on the streets. And we only know that 

much because she was there when the Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime shelter for poor 

and homeless women, first opened its doors 

26 years ago. 

For all those years she’d come for breakfast, a shower, to do her laundry, maybe take 

a nap and stay through lunch. For all those 

Thanksgivings and Christmases she had 

found a warm, accepting place. 

She was there when I reported for my first 

stint as a volunteer, by then Stella was an 

undemanding kind of queen bee—occupying 

her favorite spot against the wall in the dining room. She was engaging and gracious, accepting a pancake with butter and syrup as 

if it were a special gift. 

Stella became the ultimate challenge for 

Lunch Place staff over the years. The confusion that reigned in her head—which often 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with SENATE
S208 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 8, 2009 

made her insist she was descended from royalty or needed to return to her real home in 

Jerusalem—also made her refuse any kind of 

housing. 

For more than two decades this tugging 

and pulling continued. As one former staffer 

put it, ‘‘she broke your heart’’ when she left 

the shelter at its 2:30 p.m. closing time, 

heading out into bruising heat in the summer, into the cold and the snow on wintry 

days. Housing—temporary or permanent— 

wasn’t for her, nor was the medication that 

might have allowed her to see the world differently. 

But her decades on the streets began to 

take their toll on Stella. And, frankly she 

was no match for the Lunch Place staffers 

who were tireless in their devotion and relentless in their efforts to make whatever 

time remained for Stella safe and comfortable. 

So for the last two years of her life Stella 

had a roof over her head and a place to call 

home. 

And at the end of her days she had what so 

many others with so much more in material 

wealth would envy. She had at her bedside 

people who loved her. They loved her—we all 

loved her—for the simplest of reasons. She 

returned our affection and our kindness tenfold. She taught us that grace and dignity 

aren’t a function of wealth or power. And at 

the beginning of a new year she reminded 

us—even in death—that being poor or homeless or mentally ill doesn’t rob you of that 

grace or that dignity. That comes from within. Stella taught us that.

f 

∑ 

MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT 

Messages from the President of the 

United States were communicated to 

the Senate by Mrs. Neiman, one of his 

secretaries. 

f 

EXECUTIVE MESSAGES REFERRED 

As in executive session the Presiding 

Officer laid before the Senate messages 

from the President of the United 

States submitting sundry nominations 

which were referred to the appropriate 

committees. 

(The nominations received today are 

printed at the end of the Senate proceedings.) 

f 

MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE 

At 2:38 p.m., a message from the 

House of Representatives, delivered by 

Mr. Zapata, one of its reading clerks, 

announced that the House has passed 

the following bills, in which it requests 

the concurrence of the Senate: 

H.R. 35. An act to amend chapter 22 of title 

44, United States Code, popularly known as 

the Presidential Records Act, to establish 

procedures for the consideration of claims of 

constitutionally based privilege against disclosure of Presidential records. 

H.R. 36. An act to amend title 44, United 

States Code, to require information on contributors to Presidential library fundraising 

organizations. 

f 

MEASURES REFERRED 

The following bills were read the first 

and the second times by unanimous 

consent, and referred as indicated: 

H.R. 35. An act to amend chapter 22 of title 

44, United States Code, popularly known as 

the Presidential Records Act, to establish 

procedures for the consideration of claims of 

constitutionally based privilege against disclosure of Presidential records; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 

H.R. 36. An act to amend title 44, United 

States Code, to require information on contributors to Presidential library fundraising 

organizations; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 

f 

MEASURES PLACED ON THE 

CALENDAR 

The following bill was read the second time, and placed on the calendar: 

S. 22. A bill to designate certain land components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to authorize certain programs 

and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and 

for other purposes. 

f 

MEASURES READ THE FIRST TIME 

The following bills were read the first 

time: 

S. 181. A bill to amend title VII of the Civil 

Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and to modify the operation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation 

Act of 1973, to clarify that a discriminatory 

compensation decision or other practice that 

is unlawful under such Acts occurs each time 

compensation is paid pursuant to the discriminatory compensation decision or other 

practice, and for other purposes. 

S. 182. A bill to amend the Fair Labor 

Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in 

the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and 

for other purposes. 

f 

EXECUTIVE AND OTHER 

COMMUNICATIONS 

The following communications were 

laid before the Senate, together with 

accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: 

EC–251. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Review Group, Commodity Credit Corporation, Department of 

Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law, 

the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Farm Program 

Payment Limitation and Payment Eligibility for 2009 and Subsequent Crop, Program, or Fiscal Years’’ (RIN0560–AH85) received in the Office of the President of the 

Senate on January 5, 2009; to the Committee 

on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. 

EC–252. A communication from the Under 

Secretary of Defense (Policy), transmitting, 

pursuant to law, a report relative to the Proliferation Security Initiative; to the Committee on Armed Services. 

EC–253. A communication from the Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Treasury, 

transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the Department’s competitive 

sourcing efforts for fiscal year 2008; to the 

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 

Affairs. 

EC–254. A communication from the Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission, 

transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ‘‘Report and Recommendations Pursuant to Section 133 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008: Study on 

Mark-To-Market Accounting’’; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

EC–255. A communication from the Deputy 

Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect 

to North Korea that was declared in Executive Order 13466 of June 26, 2008; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

EC–256. A communication from the Deputy 

Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect 

to the Western Balkans that was declared in 

Executive Order 13219 of June 26, 2001; to the 

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 

Affairs. 

EC–257. A communication from the Associate General Counsel for Legislation and 

Regulations, Office of Community Planning 

and Development, Department of Housing 

and Urban Development, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled 

‘‘Matching Requirement in McKinney-Vento 

Act Programs’’ (RIN2506–AC24) received in 

the Office of the President of the Senate on 

January 5, 2009; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

EC–258. A communication from the Director, Office of Legislative Affairs, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled 

‘‘Financial Education Programs That Include the Provision of Bank Products and 

Services’’ (RIN3064–AD28) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on January 5, 2009; to the Committee on Banking, 

Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

EC–259. A communication from the Director, Office of Legislative Affairs, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled 

‘‘Deposit Insurance Requirements After Certain Conversions; Definition of ‘‘Corporate 

Reorganization;’’ Optional Conversions 

(‘‘Oakar Transactions’’); Additional Grounds 

for Disapproval of Changes in Control; and 

Disclosure of Certain Supervisory Information’’ (RIN3064–AD25) received in the Office 

of the President of the Senate on January 5, 

2009; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 

and Urban Affairs. 

EC–260. A communication from the Director, Office of Legislative Affairs, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, transmitting, 

pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled 

‘‘Assessment Dividends’’ (RIN3064–AD27) received in the Office of the President of the 

Senate on January 5, 2009; to the Committee 

on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

EC–261. A communication from the Secretary of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ‘‘Actions 

Taken on Office of Inspector General Recommendations’’; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. 

EC–262. A communication from the Program Analyst, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule 

entitled ‘‘Revision of Restricted Areas 4806W, 

4807A&B, and 4809; Nevada’’ ((Docket No. 

FAA–2008–1252)(Airspace Docket No. 08– 

AWP–12)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on January 5, 2009; to the 

Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation. 

EC–263. A communication from the Program Analyst, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule 

entitled ‘‘Revision of Class E Airspace; 

Ketchikan, AK’’ ((Docket No. FAA–2008– 

0998)(Airspace Docket No. 08–AAL–29)) received in the Office of the President of the 

Senate on January 5, 2009; to the Committee 

on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. 

EC–264. A communication from the Program Analyst, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with SENATE