Extending the condolences and sympathy of the House of Representatives to the Government and the people of Greece for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by the devastating fires raging through Greece since June 2007.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 629) extending the condolences and sympathy of the House of Representatives to the Government and the people of Greece for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by the devastating fires raging through Greece since June 2007.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me first thank my honorable colleague and dear friend from the State of Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) for introducing this timely resolution that extends sympathy to our Greek friends, and I want to also add my name as a cosponsor of this proposed legislation.

Madam Speaker, while many people across Europe and the United States spent the month of August soaking up the summer sunshine and enjoying their vacations, thousands of Greeks were engaged in a desperate struggle to save their homes, livestock and beautiful countryside from the devastating effects of wildfires.

Americans watched in alarm as television footage showed flames ominously approaching the ruins of temples and stadiums in ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

They were saddened to see the worst fires in Greece's living memory sweep across well-known and picturesque tourist sites, including Corfu and Kefalonia in the west and the Peloponnese in the south of the country, Madam Speaker, and their hearts ached at the personal stories of individuals who lost their homes as well as family members to the all-consuming power of the fire.

The sobering statistics highlight the true extent of the loss. Over a 10-day period, an estimated 4,000 people lost their homes, while around 469,000 acres of forest and farmland were destroyed. Dozens of families are now without their loved ones while thousands have been left homeless. According to media reports, estimated costs for the destruction of homes and properties are well over $1 billion.

Here in the United States, we know all too well how devastating the effects of Mother Nature can be, as Americans in Utah and Montana launched their own battle against damaging wildfires this summer, and exactly 2 years ago New Orleans and other Southern cities suffered from the destructive effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Just as we valued the aid of foreign nations in our difficult hours, we stand ready to offer a helping hand to our Greek friends during their time of need. This House extends its deepest condolences to the Government and people of Greece following the vast destruction wrought by the wildfires. We welcome the administration's pledge of financial aid as well as technical assistance, and we express confidence in the ability of the Greek people, who have personified the strength of Zeus throughout their history, to overcome the hardships resulting from this tragedy.

I strongly support this measure and urge my colleagues to join me in expressing sympathy for and solidarity with our good people from Greece.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure that I yield whatever time that he needs, as the chief sponsor of this proposed legislation, to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague and good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Madam Speaker, I also want to commend and thank my good friend, the senior ranking member of our committee, for her support and her assistance in managing this legislation, and I want to thank my colleague from Maryland for his most eloquent and moving speech this morning to share with our colleagues in the House the tragedy facing the good people of Greece, and I sincerely hope that we will support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding and for his support of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues, Congresswoman Maloney, Congressman Bilirakis, Congressman Space and many, many others in this body, in support of H. Res. 629, expressing the deepest of sympathy to the families who have incurred enormous loss and who continue to suffer the effects of the terrible fires that have raged across Greece since June.

I also want to thank Chairman Lantos and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen and their staffs for their assistance in bringing this resolution to the floor.

Official reports of damage from the Greek Government will be forthcoming in the next few weeks, but on Monday, the New York Times reported that over a 10-day period an estimated 4,000 people saw their homes destroyed by the wildfires which razed dozens of villages, destroyed livestock and charred an estimated 469,000 acres of mostly forest and farmland.

As of Sunday, the official death toll had risen to 65. According to the Greek fire brigade, thousands have been rendered homeless, and hundreds of thousands of acres of pristine forest have been destroyed. The fire has also affected a substantial part of Greece's agricultural sector. According to Reuters, hundreds of thousands of mature olive trees, vineyards and thousands of animals perished in the flames. Overall damage to the economy is estimated at 1.2 billion to 4 billion Euros.

As the resolution reads, we take this moment to stand with the people of Greece and vow to come to their aid as they have done for us and others throughout the world time and time again. There is no doubt that the people of Greece will prevail in the face of this difficult time. There is no doubt that they will succeed in the recovery effort.

My colleagues and I have been working to identify areas where the United States Government can assist in the near term and as part of the longer commitment that will be needed in reversing the damage. We are grateful that the U.S. Government has already extended funding and other support in this regard, and we are very proud of the commitment already demonstrated by our friends and organizations in the Greek American community who are coordinating a substantial relief effort of their own.

I'd like to thank the Greek ambassador, Ambassador Mallias, for his leadership in reaching out and helping to coordinate assistance to his country. He's here with us today in the gallery.

Madam Speaker, I'd like to tell a story briefly. I had the opportunity to visit Greece in 1985, more than 20 years ago, with my grandmother who had not been there for almost 30 years. I remember her taking me by the hand as we walked through her village, which

is in the southern Peloponnese, and the Peloponnese has been particularly hard hit by these fires.

And as we walked the paths of her childhood, I remember that she was looking for one particular olive tree that she remembered not from 30 years prior but from 60 years before that she played under as a small child. It was a touchstone of her childhood and of her memories, and it made an incredible impression on me, the love, the connection that she had to this village and to that land.

Today, for many Greeks and for many Greek Americans, these touchstones, these sacred markers have gone up in flames. Beyond this, the loss of life is tragic. For these reasons, Americans all across this country are moved to reach out to the citizens of Greece.

Madam Speaker, the spirit of the Greek people is indomitable. It will triumph over this tragedy, and with this resolution, America signifies that it stands with Greece and its people in this hour of need.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to be an original cosponsor of this important resolution, and I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), the author of the resolution, as well as the chairman of our Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Lantos, for their leadership in bringing this resolution quickly to the floor today.

This resolution allows the Members of this House the opportunity to extend our profound condolences to the people of Greece and to their government over the tragic losses endured during the recent fires in Greece which have claimed the lives of scores of people.

The human toll in casualties, injuries and loss of property is difficult to bear, with an estimated 4,000 people having lost loved ones, homes and, indeed, even communities.

Moreover, hundreds of thousands of acres of Greek forests and farmland have been obliterated. And all of this, Madam Speaker, has occurred as a result of the more than 3,000 forest fires that have broken out in Greece since June.

This massive tragedy has been bravely shouldered by the people of Greece. The heartfelt thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragedy and with all of the people of Greece.

United in friendship, the United States and Greece have stood together on the same side of many of the world challenges throughout the last century. It is appropriate, therefore, that we provide assistance and support to our friend and ally in this hour of need.

I, therefore, urge my colleagues to support this resolution and, in so doing, express their condolences and pledge their support for efforts to relieve the suffering endured by the people of Greece as a result of the tragic fires that have ravaged their nation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I thank the gentleman for his remarks, and I thank the honored guests who are with us today. We grieve for the people today, and we stand with them in this time of sorrow ready to help.

With that, I yield back the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, I regret that I was unable to participate In three votes on the floor of the House of Representatives on the afternoon of September 5, 2007. I was absent in order to be present for the return to the United States Senate of my friend and colleague from South Dakota, Senator Tim Johnson, who has been recovering from an incapacitating brain injury.

As noted, I was not present for three votes:

The first vote was H. Res. 629, extending the condolences and sympathy of the House of Representatives to the Government and the people of Greece for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by the devastating fires raging through Greece since June 2007. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on that question.

The second vote was H. Res. 508, recognizing the strong security alliance between the Government of Japan and the United States and expressing appreciation to Japan for its role in enhancing stability in the Asia-Pacific region and its efforts in the global war against terrorism. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on that question.

The third vote was H. Res. 544, expressing the sympathy and pledging the support of the House of Representatives and the people of the United States for the victims of the devastating thunderstorms that caused severe flooding in 20 counties in eastern Kansas beginning on June 26, 2007. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on that question.

Madam Speaker, as cochair and cofounder of the Hellenic Caucus, I rise today in strong support of the Sarbanes resolution, H. Res. 629, expressing the condolences and sympathy of the House of Representatives to the Government and the people of Greece for the loss of 65 lives and destruction caused by the devastating fires raging through Greece, and which pledges our full support and solidarity to Greece.

This disaster has affected all parts of Greece. Thousands of people are homeless, many of whom have lost all of their possessions. Hundreds of thousands of acres of land have been ravaged. Our government has pledged $1.3 million to aid Greece during this difficult time. We have sent professional help and fire equipment.

Along with my colleagues in the Hellenic Caucus, we will be urging the State Department to remain in close contact with Greek authorities so that the United States can continue to assist in every way with this effort.

Greece has been a strong ally to our Nation, assisting us in times of need, including the terrible terrorist attacks on September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. We must now help Greece in its time of need. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Greece.