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Floor Statements

Statement Honoring the Work of Debra Steinberg, Recipient of the National Ethnic Coaltion of Organizations' 2007 Ellis Island Medal of Honor

Washington, DC, June 10, 2007
  • Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Debra Brown Steinberg for her reception of the 2007 Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
  • Through its Ellis Island Medals program, the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) honors United States Citizens whose life and work show dedication to community service and the preservation of ethnic heritage. Ms. Steinberg joins an elite group of medalists, who represent several industries and come from many different backgrounds.
  • Debra Steinberg is an accomplished attorney who has devoted time in her professional life to advancing civil rights. Most commendable is her pro bono representation of families of 9/11 victims. Determined to protect the rights of this group in need, Ms. Steinberg assisted in drafting The September 11th Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act, H.R. 1071. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of this bill. As a founding member of ``Project 9/11,'' a consortium of lawyers formed in October 2001, Ms. Steinberg provided legal services for families of victims of the September 11th attacks, including those seeking citizen status. Collectively, these lawyers devoted many hours of their lives to this fight.
  • Once again, I offer my heart-felt congratulations to Ms. Steinberg at the time of this venerable distinction, the 2007 Ellis Island Medal of Honor. As representative of the 8th Congressional District of New York, I am honored to have such a distinguished citizen working in my district to improve the lives of all Americans and their families.

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