Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the terrorists who attacked this country on September 11 emerged from part of the world where oppression of popular will often finds its outlet in Jihadi extremism and hatred of the West, especially the United States.

Throughout much of the Muslim world, brittle, autocratic regimes jealously guard wealth and political power, while the vast majority of the citizens languish in poverty. Despite the Arab

world's vast oil wealth and its rich cultural and intellectual history, the region has languished, in large part, because its leaders refused to enact the liberalizations necessary to unleash the power of hundreds of millions of people.

After the 9/11 attacks, the President and other senior administration officials vowed to ``drain the swamp'' that birthed al Qaeda and other radical Islamists. Now, after two wars, thousands of casualties and hundreds of billions of dollars, the people of the Arab and greater Muslim world are beginning to drain the swamp on their own.

Last fall, the people of Afghanistan, who only 3 years ago were suffering under the medieval yoke of the Taliban, voted in large numbers in that country's first presidential election, and later this year, they will return to the polls to select a new parliament.

In early January, the Palestinian people took concrete steps to end the Arafat era's corruption and embrace of terrorism and elected Mahmoud Abbas as their new president.

Later that month, in an inspiring acts of collective courage, millions of Iraqis defied a vicious insurgency to cast ballots for a new national assembly that will draft a constitution for a permanent Iraqi government.

In the past two weeks, we have seen the people of Lebanon respond to the savage car bombing that claimed the life of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri by peacefully calling for the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty. Lebanon's ``cedar revolution'' has already invited comparisons with Ukraine's ``orange revolution'' that swept Viktor Yuschenko into power last December.

Today, Saudi Arabians voted in the second of three regional rounds of municipal elections, the kingdom's first, and last Sunday President Mubarak of Egypt proposed a change to the Egyptian constitution that will provide for direct contested elections of president, and he urged its quick adoption so that this fall's election would be held under the new system.

Individually these developments vary in significance. The Saudi elections, for example, are open only to men, and the Egyptian reforms could end up being an effort to fend off rather than promote democracy. Collectively, however, these stirrings of democracy could be the long- awaited beginning of a seismic shift in the politics of the Muslim world. If so, our national security will be enhanced.

For too long, American foreign policy in the Middle East rested on a Faustian bargain with the ruling elites. Even as the Middle Eastern regimes presided over populations who detested them, successive American administrations provided material and political support. As long as the rulers guaranteed the continued flow of reasonably priced oil, we were willing to ignore the turmoil bubbling beneath them.

To some extent, this policy was fueled by American policy makers' belief that Arab and Islamic societies were somehow incompatible with democracy. It was also the product of a genuine fear of what democracy in the Arab world would mean for American influence in the region. The Iranian revolution of 1979 was seen as a harbinger of what could happen throughout the region if American allied regimes loosened their grip.

After 9/11 and the explosive growth of Islamic radicalism throughout the Muslim world, we have come belatedly to the realization that the best antidote for terrorism is democracy. Much of the hatred towards the United States in the Arab world is a direct consequence of our support for despotic regimes.

The administration and Congress need to continue to push our friends in the region to do more to ensure that the tentative steps that we have seen do lead to a new birth of freedom in the Muslim world.

I am particularly concerned about Egypt and its 73 million people. Egypt is the intellectual, political and cultural heart of the Arab world. It is a long-standing American ally that has played a crucial role in the search for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. But even as President Mubarak and the Egyptian government have shown great leadership in the quest for peace, they have dragged their heels when it comes to the political and economic reform that is crucial if Egypt is to remain a regional leader.

Recently the Egyptian government arrested Ayman Nour, the leader of a small pro-democracy party in the Egyptian parliament. Nour's arrest is widely seen as politically motivated and precipitated a decision by Secretary Rice to cancel a planned trip to Cairo this week.

I have introduced a resolution calling on Egypt to release Nour and embrace the reforms just announced by President Mubarak. As an important ally, we must not stand idly by and watch Egypt take steps that threaten not only democracy, but our own security.

Throughout the 20th Century, America fought to expand the reach of liberty and democracy, first against Nazism and fascism, and then against Soviet communism. Now with the dawn of the 21st Century, we are again faced with both the fundamental challenge to our core values and the opportunity to bring those values to millions of people. Mr. Speaker, we can and must both meet the challenge and seize the opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena, California. During the months of February and March, the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary.

The church began in 1905 and was led by Founding Pastor Dr. John W. Goodwin with 54 members that met in each others' homes. As the congregation grew, the church moved to Mary Street in 1906, then Raymond Avenue, Mountain Street, and finally Sierra Madre Boulevard, where it resides today. Today the church has over 2000 members, which includes a congregation with nine different cultural backgrounds.

First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena had several notable Pastors, including Pastor James Dobson, Founder and Chairman of Focus on the Family, and his wife Shirley, who were members for over thirty years. Other Pastors were J.W. Ellis, Earl G. Lee, H.B. London, Dr. Stephen Green, Dr. Jeff Crosno and the current Pastor, Jay Ahlemann.

The church has many programs that serve the community. The Compassionate Ministries program consists of: Helping Hands--a food and clothing facility on the church campus, Church in the Park--service to the homeless on Sunday mornings, EI Centro Trabajo--an advocacy organization for day laborers, and a South Central Los Angeles food distribution center. Compassionate Ministries fed and clothed more than 22,000 people last year.

Other programs include PrimeTime which provides fellowship for seniors and Loveline, a phone ministry for homebound seniors. In His Image serves families of special needs children on a weekly basis, providing Sunday School classes, parent connections and support groups, respite events for the parents, an all-inclusive sports program for the entire family, and special events like the Special Olympics Unified Basketball event, San Gabriel Valley Region. Parent Education Seminars, Support Groups through the Recovery Ministries, Sunday School, Sunrise Preschool and Academy of the Arts are also among the many services that the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena offers to its members and the community.

I am proud to recognize the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena for its 100 years of offering a place of loving care and joyous worship to the people of the San Gabriel Valley and I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the congregation for their remarkable achievements.

Mr. Speaker, this month we celebrate Black History Month and the many accomplishments and contributions of African Americans in our community. I rise today to honor the lives and sacrifices of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Prior to 1940, African Americans were denied military leadership roles and skilled training in the U.S. Military because the military institution believed they lacked the qualifications and experience for combat duty. In fact, African Americans were barred from flying for the U.S. military until World War II when the Army Air Corps program initiated a program known ``Tuskegee Experiment.''

In July 1941, thirteen young Americans began military flight training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. Five of those thirteen young men completed training and received their Army Air Corps silver pilot wings, becoming our Nation's first African American military fighter pilots. They would later be known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

Between 1941 and 1946, 992 pilots graduated from Tuskegee Army Air Field, with 450 of those serving during World War II in either the famed 99th Fighter Squadron or the 332nd Fighter Group. Both units, heralded for their bravery and tenacity, received numerous Presidential Unit Citations for exemplary tactical air support and aerial combat. The Tuskegee Airmen also paid a high price, losing 150 pilots while in training or on combat flights.

It has been said that the Tuskegee Airmen fought two wars--one against the enemy overseas and the other against racism and bigotry at home and abroad. Yet, in the face of these challenges, they accepted their country's call to service and fought heroically in great battles for freedom.

Mr. Speaker, the national organization of Tuskegee Airmen, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., estimates there are fewer than 300 of the original Tuskegee Airmen still alive today. Three of these courageous individuals reside in my own district. Mr. O. Oliver Goodall of Altadena, California; Mr. Andrew Jack Simon of South Pasadena, California; and Mr. LeRoy Criss of Pasadena, California all received their training as Army Air Force fighter pilots and joined the ranks of the Tuskegee Airmen in 1942 and 1943. They served our country with honor and distinction, and I am grateful for their dedication and service. Today, I honor the contributions of Mr. Goodall, Mr. Simon, and Mr. Criss and all of the other Tuskegee Airmen who served valiantly in the U.S. Military.

I am pleased to rise in support of H. Con. Res. 26 which recognizes these groundbreaking individuals for their bravery and dedication not only to fight for their country, but also to fight for equality back home.

The ``Tuskegee Experiment,'' as it was known at the time, was not an experiment at all, but a radical disproving of racial stereotypes and a precursor to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and the 1960s. The Tuskegee Airmen shattered many of the entrenched racial biases in American culture, and in many respects, these pioneers were among the first to challenge segregationist policies. The Tuskegee Airmen charted the course for the many other brave individuals who follow them in the continuing quest for racial equality in the United States, and they deserve both our respect and our admiration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Rotary International on 100 years of outstanding service worldwide.

Founded on February 23, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Today, there are nearly 1.2 million Rotarians belonging to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 166 countries. We are very fortunate to have 11 Rotary Clubs in the 29th Congressional District. The Burbank, Burbank Sunrise, Alhambra, Altadena, San Gabriel, Pasadena, Pasadena Sunrise, South Pasadena, Glendale, Glendale Sunrise, and Monterey Park Rotary clubs have individually contributed to Rotary International's mission and have united in the ideal of service.

More than one million Rotary members have volunteered their time and personal resources to protect over 2 billion children in 122 countries from polio. Rotary has contributed over $500 million to the global polio eradication campaign and spearheaded the polio rededication efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO). It is also a proud supporter of educational opportunities for students, teachers, and other professionals. These clubs are community gems that have wholeheartedly donated their time, effort, and passion to causes of worldwide importance.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring Rotary International on their 100th Anniversary and recognizing their important services to local communities and the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 46, a resolution recognizing National Mentoring Month.

Across this country, millions of needy children wait patiently for mentors who will spend time with them, guide them and open the doors of opportunity for them.

Last week I rose on this Floor to speak of a resolution I introduced with my colleague--Congressman Tom Osborne from Nebraska--recognizing Big Brothers Big Sisters, our nation's most prominent mentoring organization. I spoke of my experiences as a Big Brother and the rewards that it has brought to me. Almost two decades after accepting the responsibility of being a Big Brother to another, I can tell you that it continues to be one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

Eighteen years ago, I walked into the Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles and I was matched with a young man, then 7 years old, named David. We started out going to the beach, the movies, roller skating and going to the park, or reading or talking with each other. He would criticize my taste in music, and I would tolerate his. We would spend time just catching up on each other's lives; and we became in a very short space of time, true brothers to each other. Now for almost two decades we have shared in each other's successes and failures and trials and tribulations. We have become family.

I cannot speak from the point of view of a mentee, but I can speak from the point of view of a mentor about how it has enriched my life. I encourage all Americans to pursue mentoring opportunities in their communities. Few things you will ever do will mean so much to another and to yourself.

David would have done well under any circumstance; but there are many, many young people who really need the benefit of a mentor, need the benefit of someone in their lives to help them gain direction, gain a sense of self-worth and a sense of purpose.

Mr. Speaker, this morning the North Korean Government acknowledged publicly for the first time that it has nuclear weapons. In a statement issued by the North Korean Foreign Ministry, Pyongyang also said that it will boycott the six-party talks designed to end its nuclear program.

North Korea's surprising declaration has again reminded us of the most pressing national security challenge that we face: the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the possibility that a terrorist group will acquire a nuclear bomb and use it against the United States.

Earlier this week, my colleague, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and I introduced the Omnibus Nuclear Nonproliferation and Anti- Nuclear Terrorism Act of 2005 to better enable the United States to prevent what Graham Allison of Harvard University has termed ``the ultimate preventable catastrophe.'' I am pleased that we were joined as original cosponsors by 11 of our colleagues.

Over the past several months, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and I have consulted with a range of experts to produce a set of policies that we believe will be effective and which can be implemented quickly. Our bill will do the following:

It creates an Office of Nonproliferation Programs in the White House to centralize budgetary and policy authority. Since nonproliferation programs are spread across the U.S. Government, it makes sense to have one office overseeing all of it, signing off on budgets and developing a coordinated strategy.

The bill enhances the Cooperative Threat Reduction, CTR, program by streamlining and accelerating Nunn-Lugar implementation and granting more flexibility to the President and the Secretary of Defense to undertake nonproliferation projects outside the former Soviet Union. Our bill does this by removing conditions on Nunn-Lugar assistance that in the past have forced the suspension of time-sensitive efforts.

In 2002, President Bush was unable for the first time to certify that Russia had met all of its program-wide conditions, resulting in a halt to all CTR funding until he was able to obtain and use authority to waive the certification requirement in early 2003.

The conditions have also provided CTR opponents within Russia with an excuse to blame the United States for delays caused by a lack of access and transparency on the part of Moscow.

We also ask for the President, in our bill, to catalog impediments to renegotiation of the CTR umbrella agreement and other bilateral programs with Russia. The hope is that by identifying them all, the Congress and the administration can better solve them quickly.

The bill asks the President to address the issue of unresolved liability protections for U.S. firms doing nonproliferation work in Russia.

This bill will enhance the Global Threat Reduction Initiative, announced by former Secretary Abraham last May, to accelerate the global clean-out of the most vulnerable stockpiles of nuclear material. At its current pace, it will take more than a decade to clean up the most vulnerable nuclear sites around the globe.

The bill also urges the President to expand the Proliferation Security Initiative beyond its current members and to engage the U.N. Security Council to provide the specific legal authority to interdict WMD material. It also provides funding for training and exercise with our PSI partners, especially the new members.

At present there are no international standards regarding the securing of nuclear weapons. The Schiff-Shays bill urges the President to develop a set of internationally recognized standards and to work with other nations and the IAEA to get such standards adopted and implemented.

Russia's tactical nuclear arsenal is considered the most likely place from which a nuclear weapon would be stolen and sold or given to terrorists. The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and I authorize U.S. assistance to Russia to conduct an inventory of tactical and nonsecured weapons. Our bill also requires the DOD to support a report on past U.S. efforts to help Russia account for and secure its tactical and nonsecured nukes and to recommend ways to improve such efforts.

We also deal with the problem of scientists in the former Soviet Union and work to prevent them from selling their services to North Korea, Iran and al Qaeda.

We also encourage the President to deal with the problem of the NPT's loophole that allows nations like Iran to pursue nuclear weapons through the guise of a nuclear energy program. Our bill asks the President to submit a report outlining strategies to better control fuel cycle technologies and possible ways to close the loophole in Article IV without undermining the overall integrity of the treaty.

These are common-sense approaches to combating the nuclear threat. The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and I are committed to working together on a bipartisan basis to do whatever we can to reduce the danger of a nuclear attack on the United States, and we hope that all of our colleagues will join us in that effort.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 23, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues in offering my congratulations to the Palestinian people on the recent election of Mahmoud Abbas as the second president of the Palestinian Authority.

After 4 long years of terror and bloodshed, the hope for peace that has spread through Israel and the Palestinian Territories in the last two-and-a-half months has been welcomed by Israelis and Palestinians. Not since the heady days following the signing of the Oslo Accords in September 1993, has there been this much optimism for better relations between Israel and the Palestinians.

I have been encouraged by the deepening contacts between Israelis and Palestinians following the death of Yasser Arafat and I am hopeful that next week's summit in Egypt between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Abbas will lay the groundwork for cooperative planning as Israel prepares to pull out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank later this year. Planning and coordination between Israeli and Palestinian security forces would improve the chance for a peaceful transition to Palestinian control in Gaza.

I also hope that the election of President Abbas will finally mark a clear rejection of terrorism by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. For too long, Yasser Arafat would say one thing to Israelis and Americans and another to his own people about the centrality of renouncing violence. President Abbas appears to understand that terrorism has brought only suffering to his people and that the only path to statehood for the Palestinian people is the path of negotiation.

Although President Abbas won the presidency by a healthy margin in last month's election, he has no real base of political support with the PA, nor does he enjoy great popular support among the Palestinian electorate. Thus, he will need to build support by demonstrating to the Palestinians that he can negotiate effectively with Israel and by securing U.S. political and economic assistance.

I know that the Israeli government understands the tenuousness of President Abbas's situation and has both sought to build confidence in him by easing up on security clampdowns in the territories and by showing restraint in not responding to a series of inflammatory statements by Abbas during the recent campaign.

President Bush's request for $350 million in assistance to the Palestinians is an important signal that the United States also sees President Abbas as a serious partner in the search for peace between Israel and Palestinians. I share the President's vision of Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and I am

glad to see that he has backed up that vision with a substantial request for U.S. assistance.

Mr. Speaker, early on the morning of October 11, 2001, as lower Manhattan still lay smoldering, President Bush was told by George Tenet, the Director of Central Intelligence, that a CIA agent was reporting that al Qaeda terrorists armed with a stolen Russian nuclear weapon were loose in New York City.

The threat was not made public for fear it would cause mass panic, but senior U.S. Government officials were evacuated, including Vice President Cheney, to a series of undisclosed locations away from the capital. Nuclear Emergency Search Teams were dispatched to New York to look for the weapon, reportedly a 10 kiloton warhead that could have killed at least 100,000 people if it were detonated in Manhattan.

Thankfully, the CIA report turned out to be untrue, but the danger we face from nuclear terrorism is all too real. Osama bin Laden has termed the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction ``a religious duty,'' while his press spokesman has announced that al Qaeda aspires to kill 4 million Americans, including 1 million children.

President Bush has deemed a nuclear terrorist attack on the United States the number one national security threat facing this country. In a valedictory interview with the Associated Press, Attorney General John Ashcroft also singled out the danger to America posed by terrorists armed with nuclear weapons.

We agree with the President and the Attorney General, and we share the conviction of almost every expert in and out of government who has looked at this problem: If we do not act now to secure existing nuclear material and weapons, as well as the expertise needed to build them, a nuclear terrorist attack on the United States is only a matter of time.

We have consulted with a range of experts to produce a comprehensive set of policies that we believe will be effective in enabling the United States to prevent what Graham Allison of Harvard University has termed ``the ultimate preventable catastrophe.''

Today, my colleague, Mr. Shays and I, are introducing the ``Omnibus Nonproliferation and Anti-Nuclear Terrorism Act of 2005'' which lays out a comprehensive plan to overhaul our nonproliferation program.

As with America's intelligence programs, nonproliferation and disarmament programs are spread across the United States government. Thus, the centerpiece of our proposal, is the creation of an Office of Nonproliferation Programs within the Executive Office of the President to coordinate and oversee America's efforts to prevent terrorists from gaining access to nuclear weapons and to manage the effort to secure existing nuclear material in the former Soviet Union and other places.

We need to modernize the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, created by Senator Richard Lugar and Former Senator Sam Nunn, by giving more flexibility to the President to carry out nonproliferation projects outside the former Soviet Union and by reducing red tape.

The most vulnerable nuclear sites around the world must be secure. Our bill enhances the Global Threat Reduction Initiative announced last year by former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham.

We also propose a number of multilateral and bilateral efforts to secure nuclear material. In order to prevent another A.Q. Kahn ``nuclear supermarket,'' we urge the President to expand and strengthen his Proliferation Security Initiative to interdict the shipment of nuclear material. We also recommend that the President work with the international community to develop and implement standards to improve the security of nuclear weapons and materials and to explore ways to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

We must address the vulnerability to theft of the Russian tactical nuclear arsenal, and our legislation authorizes the Department of Energy to assist Russia in conducting a comprehensive inventory of its tactical weapons.

The President's authority to fund non-defense research by Russian WMD scientists must be expanded so these scientists would not be tempted to sell their secrets to North Korea, Iran or al Qaeda.

As the nation grappled with the attacks of September 11, we repeatedly asked ourselves how we could have failed to foresee the danger posed by al Qaeda and taken steps to prevent 9/11. We know about the danger of nuclear terrorism; we have been warned repeatedly. We are in a race with terrorists who are actively seeking nuclear weapons. The choice is ours. We can continue doing what we are doing now and risk an almost inevitable nuclear attack or we can take action to prevent it. When one considers the consequences, the choice is really no choice at all.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and I introduced H. Con. Res. 41 to honor Big Brothers Big Sisters, the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. In recognition of this milestone, we encourage our colleagues to cosponsor the resolution which celebrates the centennial of Big Brothers Big Sisters and encourages the organization as it works toward its goal of serving one million children annually. A Senate companion to this legislation is being introduced by Senators Ensign and Dodd.

The gentleman from Nebraska and I both know firsthand the importance of mentoring, and we have both experienced its many rewards. I have been a Big Brother now for over 18 years. Beginning in 1986 when I was a relatively young lawyer, I walked into the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and volunteered to become a Big Brother. I was given three Little Brother applications, each of whom had been on a waiting list for years. I was also asked how I would feel about having a minority Little Brother, to which I responded I thought it would be an even better experience for me and I hoped for my Little Brother as well.

I was paired ultimately with David, then 7 years old, who had been on the waiting list for 2 years; and we were Big Brothers for a day. It was a test run. We went to the beach. We survived the beach, and we decided we were the survivors, and now 18 years later we are still the survivors in a brotherhood that has lasted for almost two decades. Over that time, we went to the movies, we went to the park, we threw a ball around, we did all the kind of things brothers do. We each became part of each other's family. I cannot say what kind of a difference I may have made in his life, but I can tell you he has made a wonderful difference in mine.

I had the opportunity some years ago to go to David's graduation from Yale University. I like to say, when people ask me whether I think that without my influence in his life David would have gone to Yale, I say, no, he would have gone to Harvard. There is more than a little truth in that. He is an extraordinary not-so-young man now.

I also had a wonderful opportunity to watch him graduate from USC film school, and I am looking forward one day to going to the premiere of one of his films.

It has been a fabulous experience for me, and I know it has been a fabulous experience for my colleague from Nebraska, who has long been a champion of mentoring, having established a successful program at the University of Nebraska. We join with many Americans in recognizing the significant contributions to our Nation's children that Big Brothers Big Sisters have been making since 1904 through mentoring, creating and nurturing one-to-one relationships between adults and children.

Through the 454 local agencies that make up this life-changing organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 220,000 children ages 5 through 18 in 5,000 communities across the United States.

Research shows that Big Brothers Big Sisters one-to-one mentoring helps at-risk youth overcome the myriad of challenges they face. Little Brothers and Little Sisters are less likely to begin using illegal drugs or consuming alcohol, skip school and classes or engage in acts of violence. They have greater self-esteem, more confidence in their performance at school and are able to get along better with their friends and families.

The organization works closely with parents and guardians to match every child with appropriate Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Each potential volunteer is screened, trained and supervised to ensure that the mentor-child relationship will be a safe and rewarding experience for everyone involved. I can attest to that. My interview, I think, was several hours long.

Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters benefits America's most important national treasure, our children. Major private investments have enabled the organization to be a pioneer in volunteerism and developing new ways to reach different populations of at-risk kids. As a result, Mr. Speaker, Big Brothers Big Sisters is an ideal Federal partner as Congress strives to provide a better future for America's children.

Mr. Speaker, early on the morning of October 11, 2001, as lower Manhattan still lay smoldering, President Bush was told by George Tenet, the Director of Central Intelligence, that a CIA agent was reporting that al Qaeda terrorists armed with a stolen Russian nuclear weapon were loose in New York City.

The threat was not made public for fear it would cause mass panic, but it precipitated an evacuation of hundreds of senior U.S. Government officials, including Vice-President Cheney, to a series of undisclosed locations away from the capital. Nuclear Emergency Search Teams were dispatched to New York to look for the weapon, reportedly a 10 kiloton warhead that could have killed at least 100,000 people if it were detonated in Manhattan.

Thankfully, the CIA report turned out to be untrue, but the danger we face from nuclear terrorism is all too real. Osama bin Laden has termed the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction ``a religious duty,'' while his press spokesman has announced that al Qaeda aspires to kill 4 million Americans, including 1 million children.

President Bush has deemed a nuclear terrorist attack on the United States

as the number one national security threat facing this country. Last week, in a valedictory interview with the Associated Press, Attorney General John Ashcroft also singled out the danger to America posed by terrorists armed with nuclear weapons.

I agree with the President and the Attorney General. I also share the conviction of almost every expert in and out of government who has looked at this problem that if we do not act now to secure existing nuclear material and weapons, as well as the expertise needed to build new weapons, a nuclear terrorist attack on the United States is only a matter of time.

Mr. Speaker, I will be introducing the Omnibus Nuclear Nonproliferation and Anti-Nuclear Terrorism Act of 2005 to better enable the United States to prevent what Graham Allison of Harvard University has termed ``the ultimate preventable catastrophe.'' I am pleased to announce that several of my colleagues will be joining me as co-sponsors.

Over the past several months I have consulted with a range of experts to produce a range of policies that I believe will be effective and which can be implemented quickly, as time is of the essence and time is not on our side.

First, the bill creates an Office of Nonproliferation Programs within the Executive Office of the President to coordinate and oversee America's efforts to prevent terrorists from gaining access to nuclear weapons and to manage the effort to secure existing nuclear material in the former Soviet Union and other places.

The bill expands the ability of the President to carry out the Cooperative Threat Reduction programs both in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere.

It will enhance the Global Threat Reduction Initiative announced by Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, our former Secretary, last May to advance the global cleanout of the most vulnerable stockpiles of nuclear weapons materials.

The legislation calls on the President to expand and strengthen his Proliferation Security Initiative to interdict the shipment of nuclear material.

My bill also urges the President to work with other nations and international organizations to develop and implement standards to improve the security of nuclear weapons and materials.

It authorizes the Department of Energy to assist Russia in conducting a comprehensive inventory of its tactical weapons and requires reports to Congress on those efforts.

My bill will also expand the President's authority to fund non- defense research by Russian WMD scientists so these scientists would not be tempted to sell their secrets to North Korea, Iran or al Qaeda.

Finally, the bill will require the President to report on ways to strengthen the Non-proliferation Treaty by more effectively controlling nuclear technology and material and by mobilizing the international community to close the loophole in Article IV of the treaty.

Mr. Speaker, as the Nation and this Congress grappled with the attacks of September 11, we asked ourselves how we could have failed to foresee the danger posed by al Qaeda and taken steps to prevent 9/11. We know about the danger of nuclear terrorism. We have been warned repeatedly. We are in a race with terrorists who are actively seeking nuclear weapons. The choice is ours. We can continue doing what we are doing now and risk an almost inevitable nuclear attack or we can take action to prevent it. When you consider the consequences, Mr. Speaker, the choice is really no choice at all.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 11, 12, and 13, I would have voted ``aye'' on 11, ``aye'' on 12, and ``no'' on 13.

Mr. Speaker, at the outset, I want to recognize the terrible tragedy that took place in my district this morning in the city of Glendale where a terrible train accident occurred.

I recently spoke with the Glendale fire chief, who informed me that the death toll has now risen to 10 from that accident. The investigation and the search effort continues. He did report to me that he was very impressed with the level of coordination of the relief agencies on the ground, the rescue agencies on the ground. I know they are doing everything humanly possible to help the victims of that terrible crash.

I also spoke with the mayor of Glendale this morning, very shaken from what he saw at the scene; and I asked him what we could do, what I could do, what our colleagues could do to help. He said just pray. Just pray.

I want to send my thoughts and prayers out to my Glendale and Los Angeles constituents and let them know that we will certainly do everything possible in any way, and I know my colleagues will join me in that.

I would also like to express my condolences as we mourn the loss of the 35 marines in Iraq today. To those whose loved ones were lost in the helicopter crash or in action today, our hearts, our thoughts, and our prayers are with you.

Over the past 2 days, we have learned that the President will be asking Congress for an additional $80 billion supplemental appropriations to finance the war in Iraq and ongoing operations in Afghanistan. I support giving our troops all that they need to ensure their safety and to enable them to perform their missions, but for the past few months, I have been disturbed by continued reports that have detailed persistent shortages of up-armored Humvees in Iraq, especially given the repeated assurances by administration officials that everything that could be done about these shortages was being done. In fact, it appears this was not so.

It should not take a question from a GI in the field to spur the Secretary of

Defense to address critical shortfalls of equipment. That, Mr. Speaker, is our job. That is our job. Congress is charged with oversight of the executive branch, and I am deeply concerned that we have not been fulfilling that critical and institutional role. As a result, our troops are riding into battle in vehicles that are not adequately protected or are jury-rigged with so-called ``hillbilly armor'' lifted from scrap heaps.

Last May, Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, expressed his unease about the lack of oversight in Congress and admitted that legislative oversight was better when the Democrats controlled Congress. The majority in this Congress, Senator Grassley acknowledged, ``has delegated so much authority to the executive branch of government, and we ought to devote more time to oversight than we do.''

The critical need for oversight is underscored by a new Government Accountability Office report outlining and updating its high-risk list. The new report lists 25 Federal programs that are vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. Increasingly, the GAO also identified high-risk areas to focus on the need of broad-based transformations to address major economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges.

Of the 25 government operations and programs that comprise the GAO list, 8 are associated with the Department of Defense, the government's largest department. These include inventory management, weapons systems and acquisition, financial and contract management, personnel security clearance, management of military bases and other infrastructure, and modernization of computer systems.

The Comptroller General, David Walker, noted at a news conference yesterday that DOD's failure to rectify many of these problem areas results in billions of dollars of waste every year and inadequate accountability to the Congress and the American taxpayer.

I am not surprised to see a large number of DOD programs on the GAO's list. As an assistant U.S. attorney, I prosecuted defense contractor fraud. It was true then that if you throw enormous amounts of money at any department without adequate oversight, you would get tremendous amounts of fraud and abuse. Given the hundreds of billions of dollars in the DOD's annual budget, the potential for waste, the reality of waste, fraud, and abuse is enormous.

No amount of oversight and investigation will eliminate all instances of fraud, but that does not excuse our failure to try. I urge my colleagues, and especially my colleagues in the majority who alone have the power to call hearings, to subpoena witnesses, to take our oversight role more seriously. The American taxpayer and, more importantly, our men and women in uniform are relying upon us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Patricia D. Scatoloni who served her local community as a school teacher for 50 years and served the people of Macedonia as a member of the Peace Corps since December. She died of natural causes on January 1, 2005.

Patricia Scatoloni began her Peace Corps training in September 2004, and took her official oath as a volunteer in December. She focused on English education in the village of Leskoec where she worked on both elementary and adult education. Since 1961 the Peace Corps has sent more than 178,000 volunteers to live and work around the world.

The 74-year-old mother of three will be remembered as an enthusiastic and creative teacher who cared deeply about her students. She taught in the Los Angeles public schools for 18 years and finished her career in the Pasadena public schools as a full-time substitute teacher.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring the memory of Patricia Scatoloni for her immense dedication to public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, directing the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of expanding the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the mountains and canyons in Southern California that are part of the Rim of the Valley Corridor, as designated by the State of California.

The Interior Department study would examine the suitability of expanding the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include this corridor, which contains areas of rare Mediterranean ecosystems and encircles the mountains above the San Fernando, La Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Simi, and Conejo Valleys, as well as the famed Arroyo Seco, home of Pasadena's Rose Bowl.

For millions of Southern Californians, the mountains that rise above our communities are a haven from the noise and commotion of Los Angeles. Our mountains can and should be places where city-dwellers can enjoy such activities as hiking, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, observing wildlife, and admiring nature's scenic beauty. Given the tremendous growth pressures in Southern California, we must act now to preserve our precious open space. It is my hope that the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act will embody a dream and vision of a Southern California enhanced not only by what we have built, but also by what we have preserved.

The National Park Service oversees the highly successful Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the world's largest urban park, spanning from the mountains to the sea and protected in perpetuity by Congress in 1978. Inclusion of the Rim of the Valley Corridor would link wildlife habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains to the Angeles National Forest.

The Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act would require the Interior Department to complete its study within 1 to 3 years, consulting with State and local government entities, as well as other interested parties, including private property holders. It would then be necessary for Congress to enact subsequent legislation to implement the study's recommendations.

Last year, I was pleased to work with my colleague, Representative Richard Pombo, the Chairman of the Committee on Resources, on this bill, which passed the Senate. I am grateful to Chairman Pombo and to the other Members and staff of the Committee who worked to report the bill favorably to the full House. Unfortunately, in the press of business at the end of the last Congress there was no time to consider the bill on the floor.

I am pleased that this legislation has the bipartisan support of Representatives David Dreier, George Miller and Brad Sherman as principal cosponsors. I am delighted that the senior Senator from California, Senator Feinstein, is also introducing this important legislation today.

The Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act will result in an initiative creating a lasting legacy of nearby natural open space for our children--and their children--to enjoy.