Nydia M. Velazquez

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ms. Spatola and wishing her well as she continues to touch the future.

All of these attributes make Ms. Spatola an important member of P.S. 123K and a valued member of our community.

By exposing her students to these diverse traditions, she not only enhances their educational experience, but deepens the roots of the community and strengthens its fabric.

She has sought to bring out the best in the students and the best in the community.

Her teaching and her leadership have been dynamic.

This honor is fitting for a woman who has worked so hard and touched so many lives in so many ways.

For too long small businesses who are creditors have been hurt when customers and clients have been unable to pay their bills. For small businesses, the bankruptcy of other companies can mean an uncertain future. The adoption of my…

I want to make a clarification. It is important for Puerto Ricans in the mainland to participate, because, in fact, Puerto Ricans in the United States, they go back and forth to Puerto Rico. But there are many Puerto Ricans here who have…

At some point, the chairman of the Committee on House Oversight, months ago, announced that not only would they be going after the district of the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Loretta Sanchez, but he mentioned three more districts, all…

I would just like to say not only have we spent $300,000 of taxpayers' money, but also the INS has spent over $50,000, and just one office only is dedicated to dealing with this issue.

On the question of the gentlewoman from California, the fact of the people who were, their files were requested to be with the INS, those surnames were Latino surnames. What kind of message are we sending to our Latino community? And…

When we look at this issue, what we need to wonder about is is this a politically motivated attempt to steal an election? Is it, by virtue of the requests that have been made from the Immigration and Naturalization Service about the…

And what type of message are we sending to the Hispanic community when the names that have been checked with the INS only are those of Hispanic Americans?

The Republicans will say that they are giving tax relief to working families. Do not believe it for one minute. What the Republicans are doing is waging war on working families. The Republican tax plan will give $27,000 in tax breaks to…

There are people in the Midwest who are suffering. Their homes have been destroyed by floods and they need our help. The Democrats in Congress have an emergency spending bill that will help them put their shattered lives back together. We…

I could read it to the gentleman, but it does not say that it will require. It says that the housing authority may. That does not mean that we require them to grant an exemption, and that is precisely the difference between my amendment…

We have heard the opposition claim that section 607 of the bill will keep illegal immigrants from receiving benefits. But current law already does that. The only thing that this section can claim to do is violate the Constitution and hurt…

I rise in support of H.R. 3425, which elevates the Environmental Protection Agency to Cabinet level status. This idea has been with us for years and it is about time we gave environmental protection its due status and attention. However, I…