Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Staff Sergeant Vincent J. Bell, United States Marine Corps. He was 28 years old, the son of Pamela Alexander-Bell and James Bell, the husband of Karen Navarrete, and the brother of London Bell and Andrea Roe.

Staff Sergeant Bell enlisted in the Marine Corps on July 7, 2001, and became an artilleryman. During his career, Staff Sergeant Bell served his country with distinction and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with Battalion Landing Team 2/1; 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment; Battalion Landing Team 2/4; and 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment.

On October 31, 2011, Staff Sergeant Bell deployed with the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, where he served as a Howitzer section chief for a 10-man team in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On November 30, Staff Sergeant Bell was in Kajaki, Helmand province, Afghanistan, when he stepped on an improvised explosive devices while on a dismounted patrol. He succumbed to his wounds, making the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

Staff Sergeant Bell loved being a marine. He said that ``the ability to serve is the greatest calling an American could do, even more so to be a United States marine.'' Staff Sergeant Bell was well respected by his seniors and subordinates alike. His company commander, Captain Joshua Kling, said he ``can't remember one conversation with Staff Sergeant Bell where he wasn't smiling and telling me how great it was. To suffer hardness and adversity with good cheer is the quality of a fine man. He was a rocket man, a cannoneer, a platoon sergeant, an entrusted marine who always got the job done.''

His platoon commander, First Lieutenant David Waters, said that all marines who served with Staff Sergeant Bell ``understood his sacrifice and will miss him as a brother and friend. He faced the fear and danger of this profession with a true heart. He had the heart of a warrior and spirit of a true patriot. I know he will be in heaven guarding the way.''

Staff Sergeant Bell loved his marines and being a mentor to them. Previously, he served as an instructor with the 11th Marine Regiment's Artillery Training School where he provided advanced training to the section chiefs for the regiment.

Upon returning to the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, Staff Sergeant Bell was excited that he was with a unit getting ready for deployment. Captain Kling noted that he was ``chomping at the bit to be challenged--for an opportunity to train, teach, and mentor marines.'' Sergeant Erick Granados described Staff Sergeant Bell as ``an outstanding marine, a great leader, and most of all, a good man. Firm but fair, guidance was always there when we needed it, but he let us do our job. He empowered his marines to take responsibility and lead others.''

Staff Sergeant Bell was devoted to his family, fellow marines, and friends. His brother said that ``Vincent was an outstanding marine and a good man. He had courage, commitment, and strong values. He believed in following orders, loved our country, and served our country with pride. He believed in doing the right thing for the right reason. Vincent had an amazing sense of humor, even in tough times. He had a very caring and nurturing personality and was a mentor to young people since he was a young man.''

Staff Sergeant Bell told his mother that it was a privilege to serve under both President George Bush and President Barack Obama. In 2009, Vincent called his mother from Iraq and told her that he had reenlisted because he wanted to have the privilege to serve under the first African American President of the United States.

Staff Sergeant Bell's wife Karen said that ``Vincent was a kind, giving man. I'll miss my husband every day of my life, but his spirit will remain alive with me, his family, and his marines.'' Karen's brother and sisters considered Vincent to be their big brother. Her parents shared a mutual respect for Vincent. They knew how much he loved and cared for her. In addition to his family and friends, Staff Sergeant Bell was also devoted to the family's wonderful dogs Nala and Nemo.

Staff Sergeant Bell's personal decorations include the Purple Heart, posthumously; the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with one gold star; the Good Conduct Medal with two bronze stars; and the Combat Action Ribbon with one gold star.

Since Staff Sergeant Bell's death was announced, his unit has received condolences from marines across the globe who served with him. This reflects his professionalism, leadership, and the lives he touched as a United States Marine. Our Nation has lost a good man--a son, brother, husband, and a marine--who gave his life in defense of freedom. He will be missed, and his sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding. I am pleased to join with my friend, the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee, in supporting this bipartisan bill. Chairman Smith has been a leader on this issue, and we worked together on it in a prior Congress.

This bill targets a narrow loophole in the Controlled Substances Act which has been exploited by drug traffickers, and the case that particularly brings home this problem is the case that the chairman mentioned.

In 1998 two individuals conspired with Colombian drug cartels to traffic 2,000 kilos of cocaine from South America to Europe. They met in Miami to work out the details of this $100 million transaction. In 2005, following an extensive Federal investigation, they were convicted of drug trafficking and conspiracy and were sentenced to around 24 years in prison, each.

However, in 2007 the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned these convictions. The court found that the way Congress had worded the conspiracy portion of the Controlled Substances Act meant that the conspiracy had to involve trafficking drugs to or from the United States, a condition that was not satisfied in that case. The result of the court's finding is that, in the United States, a drug trafficker can plan and coordinate the shipment of millions of dollars of drugs between our friends and allies yet be beyond the reach of our Nation's laws.

Mr. Speaker, I think this is clearly wrong and not the intent of Congress in passing the Controlled Substances Act. H.R. 313 would close that loophole. In doing so, it doesn't break new ground. Many criminal laws currently on our books have extra territorial reach, including some portions of the Controlled Substances Act itself.

Drug trafficking, by its very nature, is a global problem, and the laws and treaties that fight it must take that into consideration. When we look at the damage the drug cartels have inflicted in countries like Colombia and Mexico, not to mention the devastation their trade causes in the United States, the case for this bill becomes quite clear.

The bill is narrowly crafted to apply only to those who conspire to traffic or distribute narcotics. And with the adoption of the manager's amendment in the Judiciary Committee, it was narrowed further to address concerns that conspiracy charges could apply to only those who sought to possess narcotics overseas. The bill will not open anyone to prosecution for simply discussing the possession of narcotics overseas. It deals only with commerce, not simply speech--the trafficking and distribution of drugs.

Once again, I want to thank Chairman Smith for his leadership on this important bill, and I urge that we pass the measure.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want to thank the chair and ranking member for all the leadership on this issue.

I rise in support of both the Iran Threat Reduction Act as well as the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Reform and Modernization Act. Both of these bills have at their heart and core the same purpose, and that is to prevent some of the most dangerous, terrorism-sponsoring and proliferating nations--nations like Iran, North Korea, and Syria--from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability or proliferating that capability.

Now, why is that so important? Well, in the case of Iran, Iran's acquisition of the bomb would empower that dictatorial regime to carry out what it has threatened to do, that is, to potentially wipe Israel off the face of the map. It would also, I think, very likely result in a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

And I believe that we will be judged as a country and as a Congress on whether we take every possible step, every diplomatic step, every step through sanctions to prevent Iran from acquiring the bomb and all the potentially disastrous consequences that could have. And this legislation, by particularly going after Iran's Central Bank, will be the most devastating of all economic sanctions on Iran.

We saw the concern manifest in Iran when Britain passed similar sanctions. Plainly, they are terrified of the impact this would have. This is the strongest leverage we could bring against Iran's nuclear program, and I strongly urge its passage.

We also have a deep national security interest in going after any potential proliferation of nuclear materials and technology. We have already seen in Syria a dictator's willingness to murder thousands of his own people. We have also seen a regime in Damascus willing to engage in a surreptitious nuclear program in violation of international law and agreement.

I urge passage of both bills.

I thank the gentleman from California for yielding and for his leadership on this important issue.

From the spring of 1915 and continuing for the next 8 years, the forces of the Ottoman Empire--police and military--engaged in a genocide of the Armenian people living within the borders of their dying empire.

When it was over, more than 1.5 million men, women, and children had been killed in the first genocide of the 20th century. They were beaten, shot, marched to their deaths through scorching deserts or across frigid mountains and were left where they fell. Families and entire communities were destroyed as the Ottomans did everything in their power to make a people disappear.

But the physical near-annihilation of the Armenian people was not enough to satisfy the Turks' desire to wreak vengeance on Armenia, which was the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion in AD 301. Their campaign against the Armenians was broader and was aimed at destroying not only the Armenian people but also their history, their culture, and their faith.

When Ottoman forces began to massacre their Armenian neighbors 95 years ago, there were nearly 2,000 Armenian churches in what is now Turkey. Fewer than 100 remain standing and fully functioning today. One of the world's oldest Christian communities has, in significant part, disappeared from its ancestral homeland.

While the Armenian genocide stands as a singular event, the persecution of the Armenians has continued and much of it centers on the Armenians' status as a Christian minority in an overwhelmingly Muslim country, where discriminatory laws are used to confiscate church property and prevent free worship. And other Christian communities, especially the Greek Orthodox, have also been the victims of Turkish intolerance.

In northern Cyprus, which was invaded by the Turkish army in 1974, churches have been left to rot, cemeteries have been desecrated or fallen

into disrepair, and priests are forbidden from accessing the churches they prayed in as children.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom noted in its 2011 report, ``The Turkish Government continues to impose serious limitations on freedom of religion or belief, thereby threatening the continued vitality and survival of minority religious communities in Turkey.''

Ours is a Nation that has prized freedom of religion. For more than two centuries, we have stood for tolerance of other faiths. And American diplomats, Members of Congress, and Presidents have consistently pressed other governments to respect and protect their minorities. This resolution is in the finest tradition of advocacy for those whose voices have been silenced. And I am proud to be an original cosponsor and to join my colleagues, especially the gentlemen from California, Mr. Royce and Mr. Berman, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, a friend who has been a leader on these issues throughout his years of service in the House. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the passing of former Congressman Carlos J. Moorhead.

Carlos Moorhead represented the cities of Pasadena, Burbank, and Glendale for 24 years, from 1972 until 1996.

Prior to coming to Congress, he served for 6 years in the California State Assembly and before that as an attorney in private practice in the city

of Glendale. Carlos was a gentleman in every sense of the word--kind, thoughtful, and absolutely dedicated to serving his constituents.

When I was first running for office early in my career and met Carlos, he was always gracious, even fatherly, taking me aside to give me advice and counsel, though we were in different parties. He was at all times hardworking and ethical. I never remember Carlos saying an ill word about anyone. He was able to disagree about policy without making it personal, and he provided a great example for another generation that has gotten away from that kind of civility.

Carlos served the communities in his district ably and effectively throughout his years in Congress. He served as ranking member on both the Judiciary and Energy and Commerce Committees during his tenure. He was particularly known for his expertise on energy policy and intellectual property.

Carlos is survived by his wife, Valerie; three children; six grandchildren; a sister; three nieces; and nephews.

Moment of Silence

I would ask you all to join me in a moment of silence in memory of Carlos Moorhead.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in the waning months of the Clinton administration, Jason Seligman, a government economist, produced a memo for the White House that speculated on what the effects would be if the United States paid off its national debt by 2012, as many were predicting at the time.

The memo, which was obtained by NPR under the Freedom of Information Act, was never released publicly, and the events of the intervening years have rendered it nothing more than an historical curiosity, but its mere existence is both a stark reminder of what might have been, and an acknowledgment that the great majority of the current debt was built up during the last administration.

In late 2000 no one could have foreseen the 9/11 attacks or the wars that would follow. These certainly contributed to the red ink. But profligacy, poor strategic choices, and political positioning are the real drivers of our burgeoning budget, which was under $6 trillion at the time of President Clinton leaving office but is now nearly $15 trillion.

Add in a real estate bubble fueled by too easy credit and an economy that was no longer focused on creating and making things here in America, and the challenge facing us comes into even more clear focus.

In one week, the bicameral supercommittee is due to present its plan to Congress to rein in our out-of-control finances and restore the responsible stewardship of our economy that prevailed at the end of the Clinton administration, when government ran surpluses for four straight years. A mere month after the supercommittee presents its plan, just before Christmas, we will either bless its work or face the real prospect of painful across-the-board cuts beginning in 2013.

I have long supported a realistic approach and urged the supercommittee to go big and consider the full range of government spending in making cuts. However, I also know that we cannot put our fiscal house in order solely through spending cuts, and that the government is going to have to find a way to increase the revenue flowing into the Federal Treasury.

While the choices we will confront in the next few weeks will be difficult, they're only the beginning of a process that must result in a new economic paradigm that will guide Congress and the administration in the coming years, when we'll be forced to adjust to a much more competitive global environment even as we work to put the economic downturn of the past 3 years behind us.

As the current wave of pessimism surrounding the work of the supercommittee demonstrates, this will not be an easy task, nor will it be accomplished quickly. If we are to succeed, and success is an absolute imperative, I believe that we'll need a new set of long-term strategies and policies to accomplish five principles.

First, the U.S. is going to have to become a manufacturer again. We should be proud that many of the world's iconic consumer products, like Apple iPhones, for example, were designed and developed here. But much of the benefit to our economy is lost because these products are too often manufactured overseas. American workers are not benefiting from the manufacture of Apple's category-leading smartphone.

We need to return to an economy where American workers are involved in the full life cycle of a product, from concept, through design and testing, and on to manufacture and marketing. To do that, I believe that we need to inject some certainty into our corporate tax structure, as well as create

a regulatory structure that protects workers, consumers, and the environment, but not in a way that is arbitrary or capricious.

Second, we need to ensure that small business remains the catalyst for the American economy. Capitalism, by its very nature, is highly competitive, and most new businesses fail. While government cannot change that central truth about a market economy, we can foster a climate that makes it easier to succeed by ensuring access to capital, targeted tax incentives, by creating a supportive infrastructure, and devising a regulatory framework that offers American business the best chance of success.

Third, we're in a global war for talent, and we must reorient our immigration structure to attract the most promising people from around the world. It is no longer a given that a young Indian or Chinese entrepreneur will want to move to the U.S. if given the chance. Combined with the disquieting trend that American universities are not producing enough homegrown talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, we face a daunting challenge. In coming days, I'll be introducing legislation that will make it easier for foreign-born graduates in select STEM fields to stay in this country by starting a new business here and hiring American workers.

Fourth, America cannot compete with the developing world in terms of wages, but a highly skilled work force, buttressed by a revitalized world class infrastructure that reduces the time and expense of getting goods to market and fosters innovation, will keep us competitive. That's why I support investments in infrastructure and education that will lay the groundwork for a newly competitive America while addressing the current unemployment problem acting as a drag on our economy.

Working together on these objectives, we can restore the middle class dream that hard work and perseverance will give the average American the chance to live comfortably. As President Clinton once observed, there's nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Knights of Columbus Saint Cabrini Council #3472 upon its 60th anniversary.

On October 2, 1881, a group of men called together by their parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, formed a fraternal society and declared their devotion to be defenders of their families, their country and their faith. These men were interconnected by the principles of Christopher Columbus, who brought the Christian faith to the New World. The efforts of this dedicated group came to light with the establishment of the Knights of Columbus on March 29, 1882. Thanks to the superb leadership of Father McGivney, on that very day, the Knights of Columbus was formally approved as a fraternal benefit society.

Since its inception, the Knights of Columbus has devoted an enormous amount of energy and time to serve communities on a global scale. The goals and infinite accomplishments of the Knights have been guided by the four core principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, which are reflected in their actions. The Order provides a life insurance program to support orphans and widows of deceased members of the Order, and has also been a champion in helping members and their families benefit from the financial aid provided if they become ill, disabled and needy. In addition, intellectual and social fellowship is encouraged among members and their families through charitable, educational, public relief and war relief works. Members of the Knights of Columbus are patriotic citizens and proud of their commitment to God and country.

Last year alone, the Knights of Columbus raised and donated over $154 million to charitable projects and needs, in addition to volunteering over 70 million hours to benefit charitable causes. The Knights' yearly Survey of Fraternal Activity revealed that in 2010, the entirety of charitable donations reached a remarkable $154,651,852--surpassing the previous year's sum by over $3 million. In addition, the survey evidenced a remarkable increase in volunteer service hours as well.

The St. Cabrini Council in Burbank, Council #3472, was founded in 1951. For six decades, its members have made immense contributions to the community by hosting events, a golf outing, community fundraisers and Christmas luncheons to provide lunch and Santa With Gifts, to support intellectually disabled individuals. Furthermore, they organize programs and events geared towards drug treatment, individual and family counseling, emancipation services and educational services. Also, they donate books, volunteer to read for students and provide mentoring programs. Additional contributions to the members and community include supporting the Cabrini Sisters and seminarians at the Parishes of St. Roberts, St. Finbar and St. Francis, remodeling a kitchen for a brother serving in Iraq, remodeling their facilities and organizing a free throw competition amongst four parish schools.

I am proud to recognize the past and present members and supporters of the Knights of Columbus Saint Cabrini Council #3472 for their selfless dedication to the community, and I ask all Members to join me in congratulating this exceptional organization for sixty years of dedicated service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share a speech given by Jeffrey Bleich U.S. Ambassador to Australia commemorating the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Mr. Bleich's speech eloquently addresses the tragedy of that day, our struggle to come to terms with what happened and our resiliency in the years since 9/11. The harrowing experience of his friend, Jeff Thompson, reminds us that while September 11th left an indelible mark on the nation, it was also a deeply personal tragedy for the thousands of Americans in New York City, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, who felt the full brunt of the violence of that day on their families and friends. I am pleased to enter the Ambassador's full speech into the Record today.

September 11th 10 Year Anniversary Commemoration Speech Jeffrey Bleich

U.S. Ambassador to Australia

The Honorable Ms. Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of

Australia and Mr. Tim Mathieson, Your Excellencies,

Ambassadors and High Commissioners, of more than 70 nations,

The Honorable Mr. Tony Abbott, Leader of the Opposition, Ms.

Katy Gallagher, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital

Territory, General David Hurley, Chief of the Australian

Defence Force and Mrs. Linda Hurley, Members of the

Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Chiefs of the

Australian Defense Force Services, Senior Members of the

Australian Public Service, Members of Australian First

Responder Services, and welcome to our visiting international

dignitary, the Honourable Mr. Peter MacKay, Canadian Minister

of National Defence, Distinguished guests, friends and family

from many countries.

We come together today to remember a terrible day; but even

more to consider the days that have followed and that will

follow.

It has been ten years since September 11.

The world that we imagined on September 10, 2001 all

changed--changed utterly--in 24 hours. That morning of 9/11,

thousands of men and women, Americans, Australians, and

people of dozens of nationalities, Christians, Jews, Muslims,

awoke thinking it was a normal day. In New York City they

headed to work in the World Trade Towers. In Boston, Newark,

and D.C., they rushed off to the airport to catch the early

morning flight to San Francisco. In New York, firefighters

and police officers--men and women--kissed their spouses or

partners goodbye as they left for the station. They all had

their plans for the day: their meetings, who they would see

at lunch, friends, appointments, errands with children. The

world they imagined that morning, like the life they

imagined, was one filled with many more days and years. They

assumed life in all its fullness, whatever that life was. The

ideals they held, the religion they practiced, the people

they chose as their friends, their political views, the words

they chose to say.

We don't refer to these things usually as ``freedom of

religion,'' ``freedom of speech,'' ``freedom of

association,'' ``equality,'' or ``liberty.'' We just call it

living. We call it life. And likely so did the people on that

day too.

But that casual belief changed on September 11. These men

and women--sons, daughters, fathers, mothers--were killed

that day for simply living as they did, and where they did.

People from over 90 nations were killed because they chose to

live in a land that celebrated these values.

For those of us who survived, it was also a day we never

imagined. Wherever we were, in countries around the world, we

imagined a normal day as well. None of us expected the world

to stop, and for us to watch in horror as people--people like

us--perished before our very eyes, in flames, and ash, and

rubble.

Faced suddenly with a world that we'd never imagined, the

stark question for each of us to answer was this: ``what do

we do now?''

If people like us were going to be killed for living as we

did, what would we do now?

One of the people asking this question was my college

roommate, Jeff Thompson. Jeff and his girlfriend lived in New

York, where he worked in finance and also sometimes went on

the road to play with his band.

On September 11, he was at work, on one of the top floors

of the Second World Trade tower, when the first plane hit

Tower One. Seeing the destruction next door, he started

downstairs, but no one followed. He was halfway down, when

the second plane hit--above him--cutting off all of his

colleagues; everyone he knew from work. The stairwells filled

with people as they marched down to get out of the building,

while firefighters and police struggled to get up. Jeff was

barely out of the tower when it all collapsed behind him. He

was covered in dust, and blood, and tears.

There were no phones. No cars. No way to get back home to

his flat except to walk. And so he walked. He walked 18

miles, back to his apartment. When he arrived his girlfriend

was home mourning his death. And when she opened the door,

Jeff--covered in dust--looked like a ghost. They stood crying

at one another. And then, he dropped to one knee and he asked

her to marry him. That is how he answered the question,

``what do you do now?''

In the days and years since, they have married. They have a

son. Jeff has left the glamorous lifestyle of high finance

and show business, for a quiet life in a small town, where he

teaches math. He has committed to the things that matter most

to him: his wife, his child, his community, and to educating

the next generation. He can never make sense of that day, and

he will never be able to accept why he was spared when so

many other good people perished. But in the days and weeks

that have followed he has rededicated himself to doing the

things they might have done if they had lived: living a free

and good life.

Each day since that terrible day offers each of us the

chance to do good things that help others. In the face of the

question of September 12--what do I do now? There is no

answer other than: I will be better.

In the 10 years since September 11, survivors of terrorism

around the world have struggled just as Jeff has to

understand what happened, and why, and how to stop it from

happening again. Free people have come together from New York

to Nairobi, Bali to Belfast, Mumbai to Manila, Lahore to

London, and many other places and nations afflicted by

terrorism. We have all been more careful at our borders. We

have been more aware in our intelligence. We have been more

aggressive in our response to terror.

But we have been more than that. We have looked inward; and

we have looked outward. We have been more inclusive of

religions--learning each others traditions, hosting Iftars

together, celebrating Ramadan and renewing our commitment to

religious tolerance. We shared our thoughts and hopes and

beliefs even more freely through our political processes. We

innovated and built new ways to communicate--social media--

that connected us to more people around the world than ever

before in human history. We made more friends. And we

invested more than ever in our alliances and in our

communities around the world. We gave more aid. We supported

more charities. We welcomed new Countries like South Sudan.

And we celebrated the spirit of democracy among the people of

Tunisia and other nations in this Arab Spring.

We fought even harder against agents of hate, and fear, and

intolerance wherever they lived. Tens of thousands of us have

served this cause, often putting our lives at risk in

difficult and dangerous places. We've lost some of our best

and bravest men and women. And all of us have invested

billions of dollars to save the world from killers like Osama

Bin Laden, and those who followed his sick beliefs.

The terrorists wanted us to respond in terror--to be afraid

to live as we had, and to believe as we did. In the 10 years

that have followed, we have done just the opposite. We went

back into our office buildings. We went back onto our

airplanes. We came together in our temples, and churches, and

Mosques. We lined up at our ballot boxes. We volunteered to

serve our nations. And we gathered publicly without fear,

whether to enjoy the simple pleasures of a football game, or

a concert, or a barbeque. And we came together each year on

this day to remember those who we lost, and to rededicate our

lives in their memory.

Today members of the Embassy did not mourn. They went to

the Arboretum and planted new trees to make the world cleaner

and more beautiful. They ran around Lake Burley Griffin to

raise money to help those suffering from heart disease. We

joined with our Australian friends to volunteer at homeless

shelters, and with organizations thoughout this City to live

the principles and freedoms we cherish.

Around the world, we resisted the natural instinct of

people when attacked to withdraw and close off; our response

has been to reach out and embrace.

Confronted with hate, we choose not to hate.

Confronted with death, we choose to live.

Confronted with fear, we choose to hope.

We have done, as Jeff did 10 years ago tonight. Faced with

unimaginable fear and death, he kneeled to pledge his faith

in love.

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 703, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Reverend Dr. George F. Regas of Pasadena, California. On September 11, 2011, Rev. Regas will be the first recipient of the George F. Regas Courageous Peacemaker Award, an award created by the Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace to acknowledge his tireless efforts for justice and peace.

For nearly three decades, during his tenure as the Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, Rev. Regas continually worked towards peace by speaking out against war and advocating nonviolent solutions to the world's problems. He established many organizations toward that end, including an Interfaith Center to Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race with Rabbi Leonard Beerman of Leo Baeck Temple calling for religious institutions to oppose the global arms race. In addition, in collaboration with Professor John Cobb of Claremont Graduate University, he founded Progressive Christians Uniting that works for opportunity and economic justice for all, established the interfaith group called Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace and a South African Center to expose the atrocities of apartheid with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Community-focused organizations include Union Station in Pasadena (now Union Station Homeless Services), a service center for homeless citizens, and the All Saints AIDS Service Center (now AIDS Service Center), the largest AIDS service program in the San Gabriel Valley.

Rev. Regas has served on the Boards of Trustees of both Claremont Graduate University and the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, and the Board of Directors of the Coalition For Zero Violence. In addition, he served as Chair of the Abrahamic Faiths Peacemaking Initiative, a group of Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders, and Chair of the National Coalition for the Ordination of Women as Priests and Bishops in the Episcopal Church. Currently, he is on the Board of Directors for the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation and is the Executive Director of The Regas Institute, an organization he founded that advocates for a progressive religion that addresses the issues of war, justice, and equality.

Rev. Dr. Regas has received many prestigious awards during his lifetime. Some of the honors include the 2008 Distinguished Peace Leadership Award from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Harvard- Radcliffe Club's John Harvard Distinguished Service Award, the Justice Award from The Islamic Center of Southern California, and the Humanitarian Award from B'nai B'rith International.

I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Reverend Dr. George F. Regas, a paramount voice for peace and justice in the United States, upon being named the inaugural recipient of the George F. Regas Courageous Peacemaker Award.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank the chair and ranking member for their support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the bill to designate the U.S. Postal Service building located at 281 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, as the ``First Lieutenant Oliver Goodall Post Office Building.'' Doing so will honor Mr. Goodall's decades of service to the community and country as a Tuskegee Airman, public information officer, and postal worker.

It's my pleasure to honor the contributions of an inspirational man who answered his country's call to service in the face of immense adversity.

Oliver Goodall and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen fought the injustice of fascism abroad while combating racial segregation at home. The Tuskegee Airmen enlisted as America's first African American military pilots at a time when segregation infused both the armed services and much of the country. The Tuskegee Airmen exhibited commendable spirit and will in serving their country with extraordinary courage and sacrifice even as their every achievement was met with criticism or obstruction.

In June 1941, the Tuskegee program officially began with the formation of the 99th Fighter Squadron at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The first class graduated in 1942, and the program would eventually graduate 994 pilots, many of whom would go on to serve with valor in the war efforts in Europe.

Goodall entered the service at Tuskegee in February 1943. In October 1944, he graduated as a multiengine pilot and was assigned to the 477th Bomber Group at Godman Field, Kentucky, in January 1945, where he attained his first pilot's rating in 6 months.

Despite an excellent service record, including a Silver Star, 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Bronze Stars, and 744 Air Medals by war's end, the Tuskegee Airmen faced rigid segregation on Air Force bases. White and African American officers and enlisted men were separated in almost all activities, including admittance into the officers' club.

On April 5, 1945, at Freeman Airfield in Indiana where the 447th Bomber Group was stationed, Oliver Goodall and 60 other African American officers challenged the segregation of the officers' club, brushing past the base provost marshal into the all-white officers' club. All of the officers were arrested. Most were soon released. But all of the African American officers on the base were ordered to sign an order that indicated they understood the regulation that officially barred them from the club and established a separate officers' club for African Americans. Goodall and all but eight of the African American officers on the base refused to sign the order and to enter the African American officers' club. Asked why he refused to sign the order, Goodall responded: Because it's just another form of segregation.

The officers that refused to sign the order were arrested again. They were released on April 19, 1945. By then, news of the incident and the dignity that Goodall and the other officers had displayed in entering the whites-only officers' club and refusing to sign the order had spread across the country.

The ensuing protest compelled the War Department to establish the McCloy Committee to investigate segregation in the Armed Forces. The McCloy Committee played a critical role in the abolishment of segregation in the military.

World War II ended in September 1945, and after the conclusion of the war, Oliver Goodall moved to southern California and took a job with the U.S. Postal Service where he worked until he retired. He was an active member of the community, serving as fund-raising chairman of the Tuskegee Airmen Foundation Scholarship Fund, which assists financially disadvantaged and deserving students interested in the fields of aviation, aerospace and science to achieve academic success. In 1961, he bought a home in Altadena, where he lived until he passed away in October of 2010.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1975 to designate the post office as the ``First Lieutenant Oliver Goodall Post Office Building.'' This legislation is a small but fitting way to honor the legacy of Oliver Goodall and of the other Tuskegee Airmen who bravely stood by

their country at a time when few would stand by them.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

I rise to speak in favor of the Holt-Bishop amendment to support funding for the Department of Energy Office of Science. This is a vital investment in the Nation's future.

We have tough decisions to make about where to make cuts. And certainly there is a lot of opportunity to cut things that aren't effective that we can't afford to continue with, but we don't want to cut things that are integral to our future. And an investment in science, in research and technology, that is the future of this country.

We're not going to compete with the rest of the world on wages. We're not going to compete with the Third World on wages. We have to compete in the area of productivity. And we can't be the most productive nation on Earth unless we invest in science and technology.

I have a letter here from the Energy Sciences Coalition in support of Mr. Holt and Mr. Bishop's efforts that talk about the need for scientific research, world-class user facilities, teams of skilled scientists and engineers that are funded by the Department of Energy Office of Science at universities and national labs around the country. Economic experts have asserted as much, crediting past investments in science and technology for up to half the growth in GDP in the 50 years following the end of World War II. At this time when we're being challenged by other nations for our leadership in science and technology, this is not the right time to disinvest from this vital research.

The amendment by Mr. Holt and Mr. Bishop is supported by countless associations of physics and chemistry, countless universities and institutions of higher learning--my own University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, but also around the country, from the University of Chicago to U.S.C. to the University of Tennessee and the University of Virginia, all over the Nation, not to mention Princeton University. And why? Because these institutions of higher learning have been leading the way in path-breaking developments that have just boosted our economy and our understanding of energy and the world around us.

So this is a vital investment in the future, and I urge support for my colleagues' amendment.

Energy Sciences Coalition,

Task Force on American Innovation,

May 6, 2011.

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

To Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: As members

of the Energy Sciences Coalition and the Task Force on

American Innovation, we write today to urge you to make

robust and sustained funding for the Department of Energy

(DOE) Office of Science a priority in the Fiscal Year 2012

Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act.

We recognize the difficult challenges and choices you face

as you work to reduce the federal budget deficit, get the

economy growing again, and create jobs for the American

people. However, to achieve these goals, Congress must make

strategic decisions and set priorities when it comes to

federal funding.

We believe that the scientific research, unique world-class

user facilities, and teams of skilled scientists and

engineers funded by the Department of Energy Office of

Science at universities and national laboratories are

critical to long-term economic growth and job creation.

Economic experts have asserted as much, crediting past

investments in science and technology for up to half the

growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the 50 years

following the end of World War II. Yet today, other nations

such as China, India, and Europe are increasingly investing

in their scientific infrastructure and are challenging U.S.

leadership in areas such as supercomputing and energy

research with the goal of capitalizing on the many

technological advances and economic benefits that result from

scientific research.

That is why we urge you to support the request of

Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Representative Rush

Holt (D-NJ) to the House Energy and Water Development

Appropriations Subcommittee to make strong and sustained

funding for the DOE Office of Science a priority in fiscal

year 2012. They articulate how important the DOE Office of

Science is to American industry and universities, how it is

unique from and complementary to the research efforts of

other federal research agencies, how it serves to educate the

next generation of scientists and engineers, and how research

funded by the DOE Office of Science has made our nation more

secure, healthy, competitive, and prosperous.

In light of current budget constraints, and with an eye

toward creating jobs and strengthening the economy, we urge

you to sign the Biggert-Holt letter and support making

funding for the DOE Office of Science a priority in fiscal

year 2012.

Sincerely,

Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America

(ASTRA); American Association for the Advancement of

Science; American Chemical Society; American Institute

of Physics; American Mathematical Society; American

Physical Society; American Society of Agronomy;

American Society for Engineering Education; American

Society of Plant Biologists; Americans for Energy

Leadership; Arizona State University; ASME; Association

of American Universities; Association of Public and

Land-grant Universities; Battelle; Binghamton

University, State University of New York; Biophysical

Society; Business Roundtable; California Institute of

Technology; Cornell University.

Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders; Council

of Graduate Schools; Cray Inc.; Crop Science Society of

America; Federation of American Societies for

Experimental Biology (FASEB); Florida State University;

General Atomics Corporation; Geological Society of

America; Harvard University; Iowa State University;

Jefferson Science Associates, LLC; Krell Institute;

Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Materials

Research Society; Michigan State University; NC State

University; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; Ohio

State University; Princeton University; Semiconductor

Equipment and Materials International.

Semiconductor Research Corporation; Society for

Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM);

Semiconductor Industry Association; Soil Science

Society of America; South Dakota School of Mines and

Technology; Southeastern Universities Research

Association; SPIE, the International Society for Optics

and Photonics; Stanford University; Stony Brook

University, State University of New York; Tech-X;

University at Buffalo; University of California System;

University of California Berkeley; University of

California Davis; University of California Irvine;

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment as offered by my colleagues, Representative Bass and Representative Fudge, would simply restore ARPA-E funding to the fiscal year 2011 level of $179.6 million.

ARPA-E was created in 2009 to bring the kind of innovative thinking that is well known at DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, to the energy sector. That includes a focus on high-risk, high- reward R&D and a quick-moving culture made up of experts who stay for just a few years to ensure that new ideas are continually being brought forward. Unlike some government agencies, its philosophy, much like a tech start-up, is to hire the best technical staff and then hire the managers and leadership that can get the best out of them.

This reinvention of the way that government does business is something that we should be encouraging. A leaner approach adopted from the private sector, with a more agile leadership and the mandate to cut underperforming research avenues, is exactly what the Department of Energy needs. The American Energy Innovation

Council, made up of CEOs and chairmen of some of America's biggest companies, including Bill Gates, Norm Augustine and Jeff Immelt, have proposed spending $1 billion a year on ARPA-E, seeing it as a vital part of our energy future. This bill provides just $100 million, so they endorsed a version of this amendment in the Appropriations Committee.

I recognize that we have a serious deficit problem as a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, and we need to deal with it. But as we make the difficult choices to do that, I don't believe that as we emerge from a recession that we should cut the innovative research that makes America great and has fueled our economic growth for generations.

Energy is not just an economic issue, of course. It is also a national security issue. Some of our ARPA-E's research may help us cut down on fuel convoys in Afghanistan, and every bit of energy independence protects us from even higher energy prices driven by either instability in the Middle East or skyrocketing demand from China.

More than 50 universities, venture capital firms and professional societies--the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities--have signed a letter in support of increasing ARPA-E funding. They and I hope that we will provide the funds that ARPA-E needs to continue to do the research that will change our world, not today, but tomorrow and for decades to come.

This amendment offsets the increase with a cut to the departmental administration account. As many people have noted, the Department of Energy has a serious management problem, and perhaps cutting this account will send a message that a new approach is needed.

But this invests in our future. Energy is a national security issue, it's an economic imperative, it's a health issue, and it's an environmental issue; and to invest in this kind of cutting-edge research in a reinvention-of-government kind of an agency is exactly the direction we should go. It's a proven approach that has been proven in the Defense Department with DARPA. It can work here in Energy. It's off to a very promising start, developing new battery technologies where we can lead the development of new batteries for electric vehicles for another generation.

I was very moved by a speech from a CEO of Google about a year ago, and he talked about how the revolution in energy that is just beginning will dwarf the revolution we have just come through in telecommunications because energy is a far bigger sector of our economy. We want to lead that energy revolution. If we do, the benefits to our economic development will be enormous, just as they were in terms of the telecommunications revolution. We don't want to see this leadership go to China, India or any other nation. But if we're serious about it, we need to invest in cutting-edge research. That's exactly what ARPA-E does.

I urge this Congress not to cut back on the Nation's future, but to support the innovative work being done by ARPA-E.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is very simple. Of the $733 million appropriated in this bill for nuclear energy research at the Department of Energy, it separates out $10 million to spend on a cooperative effort with NASA to restart the production of plutonium- 238.

Advancing the state of nuclear energy technology was the initial mission of the DOE, and it was hugely successful, developing technologies now used in power plants, submarines and deep space missions. This last focus is now one of the smallest: DOE spends about $40 million a year building plutonium-238 radioisotope thermal generators, RTGs, for NASA and for national security purposes. This program began in the fifties. RTGs flew on all of the Apollo missions and many times since. In deep space, RTGs are often the only possible source of power.

Unfortunately, in the early nineties, the U.S. shut down plutonium- 238 production, and since then, the Department of Energy has been using stockpiled material and material purchased from Russia to build these devices. Recently, though, Russia refused to continue that relationship, and our supply of plutonium-238 is almost exhausted. There are no other viable ways to provide this power, so the U.S. must restart production to allow any deep space or national security uses to continue.

This project has been requested in the last three budget requests, under the Bush and Obama administrations. Over the course of 5 years, the total cost of the project is estimated at $75-$90 million. By agreement between the agencies, the project would be equally funded by NASA and the DOE as NASA has the largest need for the power and the DOE has the expertise and would build and maintain the facility. The $10 million requested this year in the NASA budget was included in the CJS billing making its way through the Appropriations Committee. This 50/50 cost share is consistent with the decades-long history of the RTG program in which NASA has paid for each RTG produced for its purposes and the DOE has paid for the infrastructure required.

In the context of the nuclear energy research budget, which, in fact, receives a modest increase in this bill, this is a very small project, but it would have an outsized influence on our ability to do the kind of space exploration that no one else in the world can. It may also provide an opportunity for national security agencies to pursue important projects that would otherwise not be available.

I hope that every Member can support this amendment so that we can continue the long history of space exploration for which this Nation is known around the world.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Schiff

Amendment No. 59: Page 28, line 23, after the dollar amount

insert ``(increased by $79,640,000)''.

Page 32, line 4, after the dollar amount insert ``(reduced

by $79,640,000)''.

Page 32, line 23, after the dollar amount insert ``(reduced

by $79,640,000)''.

Offered By: Mr. Schiff

Amendment No. 60: Page 24, line 6, after the dollar amount

insert ``(reduced by $10,000,000) (increased by

$10,000,000)''.