E90 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 14, 2009 

determined to make its operations more efficient and effective. Her passion stems from 

her professional career as an attorney where 

she encountered numerous cases of minors 

that had been negatively impacted by a parent 

under correctional supervision. She personally 

committed herself to the GOKIDS (Giving Offenders’ Kids the Initiative and Direction to 

Succeed). Initiative, which launched in 2004 

and is dedicated to reaching out to the offenders and their families. Christina foresaw a 

safer and better Texas and a brighter future 

for all Texans and took every effort to make 

this goal a reality. The State of Texas has 

greatly benefited from her dedication, passion, 

leadership and her vision. 

Madam Speaker, I ask my esteemed colleagues to join me in congratulating Christina 

on her hard work and dedication that has led 

to this great honor. 

f 

PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT 

SPEECH OF

HON. STEPHEN F. LYNCH OF MASSACHUSETTS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, January 9, 2009 

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

strong support of the Paycheck Fairness Act. 

This legislation will put an end to pay disparities based merely on gender and ensure that 

employee rights enforced through the Equal 

Pay Act fulfill the act’s original intent. Specifically, this legislation will require employers to 

prove that pay disparities between men and 

women have a business justification. 

According to the most recent U.S. Census 

Bureau statistics, year-round full-time female 

workers make 77.8 percent to the dollar of 

their male counterparts. Specifically, the median income for year-round full-time male 

workers is $45,113. In contrast, the median income for year-round full-time female workers 

is $35,102. Based solely on statistics from the 

U.S. Census Bureau, the apparent wage disparities between men and women clearly indicate that the provisions contained within the 

Equal Pay Act need to be revised. 

I believe that this legislation will strengthen 

current law to make certain that wage discrimination based on gender ceases to exist. 

Before I close, I would like to thank Representative ROSA DELAURO for having introduced this legislation since 1997 and praise 

her for being a champion of this issue. 

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting in support of this important measure to ensure its swift passage. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE EFFORTS OF 

THOSE WHO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES ON MARTIN LUTHER 

KING DAY 

SPEECH OF

HON. DAVID E. PRICE OF NORTH CAROLINA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, 

as a co-chair of the National Service Caucus, 

I am pleased to be a cosponsor of H. Res. 43, 

recognizing the importance of national service, 

supporting the efforts of those who serve their 

communities on Martin Luther King Day, and 

promoting the Martin Luther King Day holiday 

as a day of national service. 

During the 1950s and ’60s, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized the 

power of service to strengthen communities 

and achieve common goals. King’s ideas of 

unity and purpose highlighted the great things 

that can happen when we work together toward a common goal, and these ideas are as 

important today as they were 50 years ago. 

In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday 

and Service Act to transform the King Holiday 

into a national day of service to meet community needs. Since that time, millions of Americans have participated in community-building 

activities on King Day, treating the holiday as 

‘‘a day on, not a day off.’’ 

The day before President-elect Obama’s inauguration is the Martin Luther King holiday. 

With thousands of projects planned across the 

country, in addition to a call to serve from 

President-elect Obama, the 2009 King Day of 

Service on January 19 promises to be the 

most successful national service effort to date. 

Both President-elect Obama and Vice-President-elect Biden, along with their families, will 

be participating in service events to honor 

Martin Luther King and commemorate the holiday. I encourage my colleagues and their staff 

to share in the spirit of volunteerism and unity 

by participating in a service opportunity here in 

Washington, DC, or back home with their constituents on January 19. 

I am pleased that the President-elect has 

been part of the call to ensure that this day be 

a day devoted to service. However, I know, as 

President-elect Obama knows, that one day of 

good deeds is not enough. Throughout the 

presidential campaign, the President-elect 

spoke about a new era of civic engagement, 

and I hope that the passage of H. Res. 43 will 

build on Martin Luther King day and the Inauguration and reaffirm our ongoing commitment 

to service. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE SERVICES OF 

JOHN DE LORENZO, COMMUNITY 

SERVICES DIRECTOR OF THE 

CITY OF FAIRFIELD IN CALIFORNIA 

HON. ELLEN O. TAUSCHER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, I rise to 

recognize John De Lorenzo as he retires after 

18 years of public service with the city of Fairfield. 

Mr. De Lorenzo’s career with Fairfield began 

when he was hired as the city’s community 

services director in 1990. During his tenure, 

the Community Services Department was recognized with many State-wide, regional and 

national awards including two Helen Putnam 

Awards of Excellence from the League of California Cities. 

In addition to his outstanding service in Fairfield, Mr. De Lorenzo has also served as both 

the president and the administrators’ representative of the California Park and Recreation Society, District 1, and was a member of 

the Annual Conference Planning Committee 

for the California Park and Recreation Society. 

He has also served as a member of the 

League of California Cities Administrative 

Services Policy Committee, and also was a 

member of the Annual League Conference 

Planning Committee. 

The honors and awards Mr. De Lorenzo 

helped bring the Fairfield Community Services 

Department and his involvement with the numerous committees he has served on over the 

years are a testament to his hard work and 

dedication to local concerns. 

As John De Lorenzo retires from his position as the director of the Fairfield Community 

Services Department, I would like to thank him 

for his leadership and dedication to improving 

the quality of life for the residents of the city 

of Fairfield. I wish him the best of luck in his 

future endeavors. 

f 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. J. GRESHAM BARRETT OF SOUTH CAROLINA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam 

Speaker, unfortunately I missed recorded 

votes on the House floor on Tuesday January 

13, 2009. 

Had I been present, I would have voted 

‘‘yes’’ on Rollcall vote No. 11 (Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 41), 

‘‘yes’’ on Rollcall vote No. 12 (Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 50), 

‘‘no’’ on Rollcall vote No. 13 (Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 43). 

f 

CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DR. ROBERT J. 

SMITHDAS 

HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today in recognition of an outstanding humanitarian, Dr. Robert J. Smithdas, whose personal accomplishments and dedication to the 

U.S. deaf-blind community are truly remarkable. Dr. Smithdas is retiring as director of 

Community Education at the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and 

Adults, HKNC, after many years of dedicated 

service. 

Having contracted meningitis at the age of 

four, Dr. Smithdas eventually suffered a total 

loss of both vision and hearing. With great determination, he embraced educational opportunities at the Western Pennsylvania School for 

the Blind and the Perkins School for the Blind. 

Assisted by individualized instruction and 

speech therapy, Dr. Smithdas thrived in scholastics, earning an average of 98.6. After graduating in 1945, he was accepted to the Industrial Home for the Blind, IHB, and earned a fellowship to St. John’s University in New York. 

Dr. Smithdas earned his BA cum laude in 

1950 and later attended New York University, 

where he became the first deaf-blind individual 

to earn a master’s degree. Dr. Smithdas also 

earned honorary doctoral degrees from Gallaudet University, Western Michigan University, Mount Aloysius College, and St. John’s 

University. 


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