To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 19 Front Street in Patterson, New York, as the "D. Mallory Stephens Post Office".

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5865. The purpose of the bill is to increase the funds in the program aiding Americans currently fleeing the crisis in the Middle East from $1 million to $6 million. It is important to help these Americans get out of harm's way and to provide them with the assistance they need to return to their homes in the United States.

However, when we considered this bill on the House floor, we learned that provisions within it allowed it to pass only on the condition that the program, established under the Social Security Act, is terminated. I thank my colleague Mr. McDermott for his comments on this matter and his criticism of this condition.

I am pleased that the Senate added an amendment to allow this valuable program to continue after this year. This is absolutely essential to the well-being of all Americans who may find themselves in such a situation in the future and look to their government for help. The United States received enough criticism already for mobilizing less quickly to assist our citizens in leaving war-ravaged areas of Lebanon. It is our job to protect them and help them return home, and I am pleased to give my support to this new version of the bill.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 5685 to let the American people know that their representatives in Congress are concerned about their safety. Let us send a clear message that we will do all we can to help them get out of harm's way should they find themselves in such a crisis situation overseas.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 5865) to amend section 1113 of the Social Security Act to temporarily increase funding for the program of temporary assistance for United States citizens returned from foreign countries, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.