Floor Statements

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I want to start by thanking Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for the work they have done, not just on this bill but during the 12 years that I've been in Congress and even before then.

Their leadership on this committee I think should be an inspiration to all of us in the way they approach these very important issues. To begin with, they set a tone of bipartisanship. We worked together in an open process that I think gives us the high quality product

that we wind up with. And that's not to say that we don't disagree, occasionally along party lines, but we do so in a very open, very honest way, in a way that I think addresses the issues and the way that Congress should perform. I want to thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for his time as ranking member and time as chairman as well for doing that.

I think this year's bill is a particularly good product and representative of that fine work. We have heard many different pieces of it already. I just want to highlight two in the general bill.

First of all, the $2 billion in additional money that we put in to deal with readiness, a major challenge right now for our Armed Forces, particularly the Army and the Marines. Our forces are really under a great deal of strain because of their deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maintaining readiness has been a major challenge and concern, and this bill puts that concern up front and funds it in a way that will help us begin to deal with the problem.

Also, equally as importantly, it prioritizes our troops by giving them a 3.9 percent pay raise, to recognize the hard work and sacrifice that they perform for us and support them in every way that we possibly can.

With that, I want to highlight some of what we've done on our subcommittee, the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats, and Capabilities. We have four main areas that we focus on.

The first of those is the Special Operations Command over which we have jurisdiction, and I want to pause at this moment in the general remarks and thank Representative Saxton who, though he is not the ranking member on this committee now, serves on the committee and was the first Chair. As Representative Hunter has pointed out, the special operations forces were a particular concern of Representative Saxton. He has a done a great deal in our efforts to expand that force, meet their needs and expand their capabilities, and more than that, he has been a great Member, not just of this subcommittee but of this committee for his career in Congress. He will be missed, and I very much appreciated working with him.

What we have done primarily for special operations forces in the bill this year is fund as many of their unfunded requirements as we possibly can. They have been at an incredibly rapid tempo in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. Continuing to fund their needs is the top priority of our subcommittee.

The other area that we focus on is irregular warfare, and there are a number of different pieces to this. But I think it's a critical part of our defense bill because it is emerging as one of the most continuous pieces of the fight, counterinsurgency efforts, counterterrorism efforts, things that were not prior to 9/11 part of our lexicon to the degree that they are now.

We take steps to make that a higher priority by raising it to the Assistant Secretary level at the DOD and also by helping to fund human terrain teams. Our subcommittee received excellent testimony about what these human terrain teams are doing to go in and understand the culture in Afghanistan, in Iraq. We actually employ anthropologists and others who are experts in culture so that our forces can know who they're dealing with when they go in. This is a critical element of what we're working on.

We also, thirdly, focus on harnessing technological innovation. We fund it, to begin with, $1.69 billion worth of R&D for science and technology, and we also focus on harnessing new technologies as quickly as possible by developing a clearinghouse for that. The procurement process in the DOD can be a lengthy process at times. We want to get these technologies out in the field as quickly as possible when they are most useful.

We're also asking the Department to focus on the recruitment of IT professionals, the people with the brains to help us with cyber security and elsewhere. As you might guess, the DOD does not pay as much as these people might be able to earn in the private sector. So we have to aggressively go out there and recruit folks to make sure that we have the top IT professionals within the DOD. Our bill focuses on that as well.

Lastly, we focus on improving DOD's homeland defense capabilities, a role of our subcommittee, by funding the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the chemical/biological defense programs and by increasing their funds and making sure that they have what is necessary to protect us here in the homeland, within the DOD, working in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security.

Again, I want to thank Representative Saxton for his work and also Representative Thornberry, who is the ranking member on this subcommittee. He has been great to work with, very smart, very talented, works in a bipartisan way. All of the issues that I have just listed have been made possible in large part because of his input. I appreciate working with him as well.

Again, I want to thank the chairman and Ranking Member Hunter for the way they run this committee. It makes me proud to be in Congress every year I have the opportunity to serve with them.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 790 and to acknowledge the dedication and support provided to Washington State veterans by the Veterans Family Fund and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.

As someone who is privileged to represent thousands of veterans and their families, I believe that we owe the men and women who have served our country an enormous amount of gratitude and respect.

People who have never served in uniform frequently ask me how they as individuals can support veterans beyond simply displaying a flag on Veterans' Day. Today, I am proud to say that the Veterans Family Fund, in coordination with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, has provided a way for all citizens to directly show their support for our veterans year-round, and provide financial assistance to those veterans and their families who need a bit of extra support.

The program is simple, and requires only a modest financial commitment. When taking out a ``Veterans Family Fund'' Certificate of Deposit for at least 6 months, individuals pledge that half of the interest earned by the certificate will be donated to benefit veterans and their families, while the investor receives the other half of the interest, and a tax deduction for their contribution. The contributions are managed and disbursed to veterans and their families who are in need by the Veterans Innovations Program, operated by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Veterans Family Fund is an independent organization founded by local citizens to help all Washington State veterans. I would like to take a moment to specifically acknowledge the members of the Veterans Family Fund Steering Committee, who made this program possible: Jane Jacobsen, Executive Director, Confluence Project; Michael C. Worthy, CEO, Bank of Clark County; Robert Friedenwald, Colonel (retired), U.S. Army; Betsy Henning, Principal, Alling Henning Associates; and John Lee, Director, Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.

I encourage other States to look at the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Veterans Family Fund, as a model of creativity and innovation in providing support for our veterans at the local level. I commend their work and ask my colleagues to support the resolution.

Madam Speaker, on January 16, 2008, on Rollcall vote No. 8, during consideration of H.R. 2768, Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2007, I incorrectly voted ``aye,'' when I intended to vote ``no.''

Madam. Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 42: Passage of H. Res. 475. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

January 22, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 43: Table the appeal of the ruling of the Chair for H. Res. 476. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 44: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. No. 52. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 45: Motion to suspend the rules and Agreed to H.R. 390. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 46: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 29. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

February 8, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 87: Agreeing to the Amendment of H.R. 547, and amendment to include language which encourages the Assistant Administrator to utilize Land Grant Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and other minority serving institutions among other resources to undertake research for programs covered by the bill. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district. I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 88: Agreeing to the Amendment of H.R. 547, an amendment to add a new paragraph to section 3, Biofuel Infrastructure and Additives Research and Development, to include issues with respect to where in the fuel supply chain additives optimally should be added to fuels. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 89: Agreeing to the Amendment of H.R. 547, an amendment to add a new paragraph to section 3 which includes issues with respect to certification by a nationally recognized testing laboratory of components for fuel dispensing devices that specifically reference compatibility with alcohol blended and biofuels that contain greater than 15 percent alcohol. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 90: Agreeing to the Amendment of H.R. 547, an amendment to add a new section 7 entitled Additional Funding. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 91:

the Motion to Recommit with Instructions of H.R. 547. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 92: Passage of H.R. 547. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

February 28, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 111: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Con. Res. 52. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

March 12, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 136: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended on H.R. 85. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 137: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Res. 136. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 138: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Res. 89. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 187: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as amended on H.R. 802. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 188: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended on H.R. 137. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 189: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended on H.R. 580. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

May 14, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 342: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass on H.R. 1124. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 343: Motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 223. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 344: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree (H. Res. 385). Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

May 16, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 358: Call in Committee Quorum. Had I been present, I would have voted ``present.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 359: Motion that the Committee Rise (H.R. 1585). Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

June 11, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district. I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 448: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass on H.R. 2356. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 449: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on S. 676. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district. I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 450: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Res. 418. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes.''

July 23, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 687: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 404, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 688: Motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 553. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 689: Motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 519. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 690: On ordering the previous question on H. Res. 558. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

August 1, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 781: Motion to adjourn. Had I been present. I would have voted ``no.''

september 4, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 847: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 694, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 848: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3020, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 849: Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 2669. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

september 17, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 867: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3246, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 868: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1657, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 869: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3527. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

october 1, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 924: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Res. 185. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 925: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2276. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 926: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3325. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

october 15, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 961: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Res. 738. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 962: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2089. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 963: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 20, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

October 17, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 980: Passage of H.R. 2095. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

october 29, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1010: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3224, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1011: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Res. 573, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1012: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Res. 747. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

November 5, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1034: Closing Portions of the Conference on H.R. 3222. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1035: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 513, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1036: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Res. 744. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

november 7, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1058: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree on H. Con. Res. 236, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

november 13, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1082: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3315. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1083: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1593, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1084: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3403, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1085: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3461, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

november 14, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1095: Motion to Adjourn. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

december 6, 2007

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 1141: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2085. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, on December 2 and 3, a severe winter storm swept across Oregon and Washington State. Countless first responders came to the aid of those in need and worked tirelessly to restore order in the aftermath of the storm. I strongly support H. Res. 851 in recognition of the dedication, service, and courage shown by these men and women.

The winter storm affected dozens of communities and many thousands of people in Washington and Oregon, including my constituents in the Nineth District of Washington. It struck the Pacific Northwest with a ferocity that is rarely seen in the region. The storm brought winds that exceeded 100 miles per hour, saturated the region with 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, and led to the loss of human lives. Homes and businesses were flooded, roads and thoroughfares were damaged or swept away, and thousands of citizens were left without electricity, heat, water, transportation, or adequate shelter.

Throughout and following the storm, the men and women of local and state police agencies, fire and rescue groups, local and state emergency first-response organizations, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Oregon and Washington National Guard were ready to respond to the extraordinary circumstances. They rescued those trapped by the rising waters, provided aid to those in need of critical assistance, and helped to limit the ill effects of this tragic weather event.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I want to call particular attention to the service of the Washington National Guard. Some 400 Washington National Guard Members, 70 vehicles, and 11 teams supported response and recovery operations, conducted house-to-house searches, and provided needed food, water, and other emergency provisions. In cooperation with many other local, State, and Federal first responders, the men and women of the Washington State National Guard performed their duty admirably, and I am very grateful to them.

Please join me in honoring the Washington State National Guard and recognizing the many other first responders for their contributions during the winter storm of early December. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 851.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by echoing the comments of my colleague from Texas (Mr. Thornberry) and also thanking him for his outstanding leadership on our subcommittee. It's been great to work in a bipartisan fashion with Mr. Thornberry; with Mr. Saxton, the former chairman; and the other members of the committee. And I will not repeat all that Mr. Thornberry just said because I agree with it completely. The priorities that he laid out of our subcommittee, focusing on supporting the Special Operations Command in their lead in the fight against al Qaeda and terrorism; focusing on science, technology, and all the issues that he raised are exactly what we are trying to confront. I have enjoyed working with him on those issues and look forward to continuing to do so because, as he mentioned, we have certainly made progress but there is a lot more work to do. Our Special Operations Command needs all the support we can give it in its effort to fight al Qaeda, to understand that enemy and then use its forces to the best of its ability to combat it. And I think understanding those issues is enormously important. It has been a huge priority of our subcommittee.

I also want to thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Skelton. It is a great honor to have worked with him during my 11 years in Congress and certainly a great honor to work with him as the Chair, and I think he has produced an outstanding bill, in particular the focus on the troops. I have traveled with the chairman before, and I know that this is always at the top of his priority list, how we are taking care of the troops and their families. This bill does that. It protects them, active duty, Guard and Reserve. It makes it a priority to make sure that we are meeting their needs, and I know that is primarily because of his leadership, and I thank him for that. I also thank the other subcommittees who were directly involved in that.

Lastly, I want to point out how important it is that this bill also recognizes the fight we are currently engaged in in Iraq and Afghanistan. It goes to the issues that are most important to those troops. Funding the MRAPs, trying to come up with ways to combat IEDs, making sure they have the body armor and the up-armored Humvees they need to confront those threats. It has been a huge priority of this committee, and particularly Mr. Taylor and Mr. Abercrombie, to make sure that we fund our troops that are in the field right now with the priorities that they most need because they are the ones facing the most direct threat right now.

I have always been proud to be a member of this committee, and I'm very proud of the bill that we have created. I urge every Member in this body to support it. I think it's an excellent piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, in this debate tonight, it's almost like we're having two conversations. There's the conversation about the trade agreement and there is the conversation about larger economic issues, from environment to jobs to a whole lot of other issues.

On the Peru Free Trade Agreement, Mr. Rangel and the Ways and Means Committee have done a great job of putting together a good agreement. It negotiates a reduction in tariffs and nontariff barriers to help us economically, and they've also added in labor protection, which we never got. I voted personally against CAFTA because they hadn't been included. As Mr. Davis just said, those agreements are exactly what those of us in the Democratic side of the aisle have been asking for for a long time.

But the issues that are raised tonight are about the economic challenges in this country, about jobs lost and transitions. And I totally agree with the people who raised those issues, that those are important issues and incredibly difficult challenges for middle-class workers in this country and for the working poor that we have not addressed.

Where I disagree with them is the convenient take of simply blaming trade agreements for that. Trade agreements simply reduce tariffs and nontariff barriers so that the cost of doing business goes down.

Now, if we have made any mistake on the pro-trade side of the aisle, it's overselling that. It's presenting it as a panacea that will grow the economy and benefit everyone and cause no pain. They can't solve that problem. The trade agreement can't solve all of the challenges that are presented for poor workers throughout the world. It's a step forward.

We have lost jobs in this country because of global competition and technology primarily, not because of trade. The rest of the world stepped up and decided to participate in the economy. China, the former Soviet Union, countries that were never there before, now they're there. They're competing and we're losing jobs.

But it is a mistake both to blame trade and to not focus on the issues that could actually help: health care, a fairer tax policy, issues I know that the chairman is working on, issues that would actually help workers in this country instead of laying it all at the feet of the Peru Free Trade Agreement, an agreement that simply reduces tariff and nontariff barriers to free up the flow of goods and help grow the economy.

It's a good agreement, and we should support it.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your work on this legislation.

I strongly support expanding trade adjustment assistance for a very simple reason. Workers in our country need help.

We all acknowledge that the economy has changed. And one of the main features of that change is rapid displacement of workers. They have to update their skill. They have to change jobs. It used to be you could get a job for a company that you knew was going to be there and a job that you knew was going to be there, and everybody acknowledges that has changed, primarily because of global competition and because of technology.

So this bill asks one very simple question: Do you think the workers of this country need help in this new environment with all of that rapid change, with all of the displacement that we have heard about from both sides of the aisle today? Do the workers in this country need more help to deal with that? Do they need a bridge between jobs, income support? And do they need training to help them be qualified for new jobs that will be available? And do they need health care support since so many people in this country's health care is dependent upon their jobs?

The answer to all of those questions is obviously yes. That is what this bill does. It expands the number of people who will have access to that desperately needed help. It gives our workers a chance.

We all know that the new economy in globalization is here to stay. We acknowledge that. But what we on this side of the aisle want to do is help our workers deal with that instead of just saying, Good luck. It's changed. You're going to be displaced. We hope it works out for you. Overall, we'll be fine.

We focus on those workers who need help, and this bill gives them more help. It expands the service sector workers, and it expands the number of displaced workers in this country who will get that income support, that job training, and that health care that they so desperately need.

I strongly urge support for this legislation.

Madam Speaker, this year marks 30 years since PATH began working to create innovative solutions that enable communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. Originally founded in 1977 as the Program for the Introduction and Adaptation of Contraceptive Technology (PIACT), PATH began by helping manufacturers set up facilities for making high-quality condoms in China.

Today, PATH implements health programs in many countries, works with a variety of private partners to develop new vaccines and microbicides, and has advanced more than 30 health technologies for low-resource settings. By collaborating with diverse public- and private-sector partners, PATH provides appropriate health technologies and vital strategies to improve global health and well-being worldwide.

Over the past three decades, PATH has worked in more than 100 countries and received many prestigious international awards for its work. PATH's president, Dr. Christopher Elias, was the Schwab Foundation's ``U.S. Social Entrepreneur of the Year'' in 2006 and the organization has earned four-star ratings from Charity Navigator, the Fast Company Social Capitalist Award, and recognition by Amazon.com as one of the ten most innovative nonprofits.

The breadth of PATH's work includes many innovative technologies. One example, the UnijectTM device, is a single-use syringe (auto-disabled to prevent reuse) used by USAID to prevent maternal deaths and by UNICEF to deliver life-saving vaccines. PATH also implements and expands programs to increase adoption of malaria control and childhood nutrition interventions in some of the world's poorest settings. Additionally, the organization's public-private partnerships work to create and introduce affordable vaccines to prevent malaria, meningitis, cervical cancer, diarrheal diseases, and other major illnesses.

PATH's efforts maximize health equity to ensure health products and programs reach the poorest and most vulnerable. They strengthen the capacity to foster demand-driven and scalable solutions by promoting an inclusive approach to innovation and discovery--one that builds strong partnerships with communities, industry, and local governments. Admirably, the organization enhances programmatic integration and improving the monitoring, evaluation, and dissemination of results.

As health inequities continue to persist, the effects of preventable disease and deaths become greater, particularly in our increasingly interconnected and global society. PATH demonstrates a commitment to address these threats. They have demonstrated dedication to finding innovative, scalable solutions for some of the world's greatest challenges by harnessing the promise of science and technology, the ingenuity of individuals and communities, and ensuring solutions can be realized for everyone.

Please join me in celebrating PATH's 30 years of success and innovation in improving the world's health.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a U.S. Army brigade from Fort Lewis, Washington, that has served with distinction in Iraq.

On October 11, the last of the roughly 3,800 men and women of the 3rd Brigade-2nd Infantry Division returned home to Fort Lewis after completing their second deployment to Iraq. The Arrowhead Brigade has been a trailblazer for the Army as the first brigade to be outfitted with the Stryker combat vehicles, the first Stryker Brigade to serve in Iraq, and now the first Stryker Brigade to complete two tours in Iraq.

During their recent deployment, the Arrowhead Brigade supported operations in Mosul, Baghdad, Baqubah, and other critical areas. On several occasions they were asked to secure downed U.S. aircraft and the sites of numerous suicide attacks. In addition, the Arrowhead Brigade constantly remained prepared to mobilize and deploy anywhere in Iraq for any number of contingencies within 24 hours.

In tribute to their brave service, seven members of the brigade were awarded the Silver Star, the United States' third highest award for combat valor. In the course of their deployment, the Arrowhead Brigade lost 48 of their comrades, with another 700 wounded.

I want to express my deep condolences to the 3-2 Brigade and the families of those fallen soldiers. Their contribution and sacrifice will not be forgotten. The men and women of the 3-2 Brigade have done everything their country has asked of them and more. We all should have the utmost respect and admiration for their service and sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Global Poverty Act and want to take a moment to explain the profound need for this important piece of legislation.

Nearly 2.7 billion people in the world live on less than $2 a day. Close to a billion people live on less than $1 a day. Vast numbers of people wake up every morning wondering whether they or their children will live to see the end of the day. Poverty leads to widespread disease and instability, and in a world with such vast resources, its existence is absolutely immoral. And yet, the United States has not stated that reducing global poverty and eliminating extreme global poverty are among the foremost goals of our foreign policy, nor have we implemented a comprehensive plan to reach these goals.

H.R. 1302 declares it official U.S. policy to promote the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme global poverty in half by 2015. This bill requires the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to carry out this policy. It includes guidelines for what the strategy should include from aid, trade, and debt relief to working with the international community, businesses, and NGOs to insuring environmental sustainability. The bill also requires the President's strategy include specific and measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks, and timetables. Lastly it requires that the President report back to Congress biannually on the progress made in the implementation of the strategy.

To be clear, Americans are working to address global poverty. The President implemented the Millennium Challenge Account to make sure countries don't just get foreign aid but use it wisely. Other significant steps forward include funding the PEPFAR effort and AIDS treatment and prevention in Africa. The United Nations set out the Millennium Development Goals and the G-8 set global poverty as its priority a couple years ago. Groups like the Gates Foundation, RESULTS and Bread for the World and a large number of other organizations combat global poverty from every conceivable angle. The world is coming together as it never has before to combat this menace, but in the U.S. no overarching strategy guides the allocation of resources.

The United States of America should be not just a leader, but the leader in this effort. We are in a position, I believe, to consolidate those resources, to get the maximum return on our effort to relieve global poverty. This bill would bring much-needed strategic vision and accountability to our efforts to address what is arguably the greatest challenge facing the world community today.

I want to thank a large number of people for bringing the Global Poverty Act to the floor. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Tom Lantos (D- Calif.) has been a tremendous leader on these issues and has been very helpful in this particular piece of legislation, as has Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and the Republicans on the committee. This is a bipartisan effort. I especially want to thank Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) who joined me as an original co-sponsor.

It is very important that we adopt this legislation and help the U.S. take this leadership role. I believe if we do so we'll be better able to combat global poverty and be better able to build alliances throughout the world. This new policy will let the world know that the United States wants to use its power for the betterment of the entire world and that we want to work with the international community to solve the greatest crisis facing our world today.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1302) to require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day, as amended.

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

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

I rise in support of the Global Poverty Act, and want to explain first what the bill does and then why it is so important. It declares the official U.S. policy to promote the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty

in half by 2015. It requires the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to carry out this policy. It includes guidelines for what the strategy should include, from aid, trade and debt relief, to working with the international community, businesses and NGOs to ensuring environmental sustainability.

It also requires that the President's strategy include specific and measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks and time tables. And, lastly, it requires that the President report back to Congress biannually on the progress made in the implementation of the global poverty strategy.

There are nearly 2.7 billion people in the world who are living on less than $2 a day. There are close to a billion who are living on less than a dollar a day. Arguably, there is no greater problem facing the globe right now than poverty and the vast number of people who suffer from it, the countries and communities who, every day, get up, simply wondering whether or not they and their children are going to live to see the end of that day. It causes instability, disease, and all kinds of problems from one end of the globe to the other.

But the other thing that is simply immoral is that there are this many people on that level of despair and on that level of poverty. And we in the United States have the power to at least try to help, and we are, in many, many ways.

I actually want to thank the President for the Millennium Challenge accounts, an effort to try to make sure that countries not just get foreign aid but use it wisely; the efforts to fund prevention of AIDS in Africa. The PEPFAR effort that's been going on for a number of years is a significant step forward.

We also have a large number of organizations and groups that are trying to combat global poverty. We have the world coming together in many ways as it never has before to try to combat this menace.

As mentioned, the U.N. set out their millennial development goals. The G8 set global poverty as its prime purpose a couple years ago. We have groups like the Gates Foundation and Results and Bread for the World and a large number of other organizations that are combating global poverty from every conceivable angle. And they are learning a lot as they do. They are learning what works, what moves forward, what doesn't work, what the best way to spend money is.

We are in the position, I believe, to consolidate those resources to get the maximum return on our effort to reduce global poverty. And I feel that the United States of America should be, not just a leader, but the leader in this effort.

And we have, as I mentioned, done a lot. But the one thing we haven't done is stated clearly and unequivocally that eliminating global poverty, or at least reducing it, is going to be a foremost goal of our foreign policy; and we have not implemented a comprehensive plan. It's great that there are so many different organizations working at this problem from a variety of different angles; but if we could bring that together, we could get more out of those resources. And I think the United States should coordinate that effort.

I want to thank a large number of people for helping make this happen. Certainly Chairman Tom Lantos has been a tremendous leader on these issues and has been very helpful in this particular piece of legislation, as has the ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and the Republicans on the committee. This is a bipartisan effort. I want to thank Representative Bachus, who I believe is going to speak, he and I were the original two sponsors on this bill, stepped up and helped.

I think this is something that we can come together on, and I think it is very, very important that the United States takes this leadership role. I believe if we do so we will be able to better combat global poverty, and I also think we will be better able to build alliances throughout the world and let the world know that the United States wants to use its power for the betterment of the entire world, not just ourselves. And we're willing to work with them on this problem that affects so many different countries throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I will reserve the balance of my time for purposes of closing.

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

I want to thank and again appreciate the efforts of my Republican colleagues and agree with their comments. A comprehensive strategy is what we are looking for here, and that is certainly trade, efforts at economic development, capacity-building to help countries figure out how to better use trade, microcredit. There are a lot of different strategies out there that can be employed. Certainly aid and debt relief are part of it but not the only part. In fact, the better part is when you can figure out how to make the economies work, how to make the governments work in these countries so that they can begin to develop their own economies and grow and lift themselves out of poverty in that manner. That is more sustainable and more long term. I personally believe that aid and debt relief will continue to be a significant part of the strategy for a while, but certainly the goal is also to be as comprehensive as possible and employ economic means to help lift people out of poverty as well.

I also think the other exciting thing about all this is the possibility of public-private partnerships, and I do not envision personally that the Federal Government or any federal government will wind up being the sole or even necessarily the leading organization in terms of driving the dollars out. We have a large number of groups, in my own neck of the woods, the Gates Foundation to the tune of over $30 billion, that are pumping money into a variety of different ideas to help alleviate global poverty. Nongovernmental organizations are making an enormous difference, and I would hope that the strategy would reflect that public-private partnership to maximize those resources.

And, lastly, I just want to agree with what Representative Bachus said at the close there about how this does impact all of us. Instability leads to all manner of problems in the world, and poverty leads to instability more quickly than anything else. It is in our best interests to try to alleviate that instability and bring greater fairness, justice, and economic opportunities to the world. And I sincerely believe that this bill will have that effect, and I urge all Members of the body to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 642) expressing sympathy to and support for the people and governments of the countries of Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico which have suffered from Hurricanes Felix, Dean, and Henriette and whose complete economic and fatality toll are still unknown.

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

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

House Resolution 642 pertains to the hurricanes that have struck Latin America in recent weeks and expresses sympathy and support for the people and the governments of the countries of Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico, which have suffered from Hurricanes Felix, Dean, and Henriette and whose complete economic and fatality toll are still unknown.

As we all saw in the news in recent weeks, these hurricanes have devastated much of that region. We here in the House of Representatives want to express our sympathy and support for all the peoples in those regions that were impacted. We want to thank all those who have responded to the emergency with aid and various other efforts to help them and recognize the efforts of the United States in particular to do that and that we pledge to continue that help in any way we can as they try to recover from these terrible tragedies.

We in the U.S. know only too well the impacts of hurricanes and want to be as helpful as we can to our neighbors in helping them get through this very difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I just want to thank the Committee on Foreign Affairs again, Mr. Lantos, Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and the entire committee for their quick response to these issues. I think it is very, very important that we in the United States, particularly when we are talking about incidents in Latin America, our neighbors to the south, recognize as quickly as possible our solidarity with their struggles and their difficulties and our pledge to support and help them in any way we can.

I also want to thank Ms. Solis, who was the prime sponsor of this legislation, for her leadership on this issue. Not just this issue but throughout Latin America on a number of issues on the Foreign Affairs Committee, she has been a tremendous leader for us. She is supposed to be here to speak, but I believe she has been caught up in committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 557) strongly condemning the United Nations Human Rights Council for ignoring severe human rights abuses in various countries, while choosing to unfairly target Israel by including it as the only country permanently placed on the Council's agenda, as amended.

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

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

I want to thank Representative Campbell for bringing this issue to the floor.

It has long been my view that the United Nations can be, and in many cases is, a very, very useful organization. It gives the countries of the world a chance to come together in one place and discuss issues that they can work together on but, perhaps as importantly, to discuss their differences. It was set up so that, hopefully, that process would reduce more violent conflict, that they could discuss these issues, figure out a way to work together, and move forward.

I also feel that it is a very appropriate role of the United Nations to look throughout the world and see where injustice is being done, identify it, and try to fix it.

Unfortunately, too many times that becomes politicized and focused, and in particular it becomes politicized and focused on the nation of Israel. With all of the problems that are going on throughout the world, all of the countries, all the despotic governments out there causing no ends of grief for their people, the one country that the United Nations continues to focus on is a free democracy in the Middle East, Israel. And they continually focus on them to the exclusion, in many cases, of far, far greater problems in other parts of the world.

Now, certainly I recognize the United Nations should be involved in the Middle East. There is unquestionably a conflict there between Israel and their neighbors in the Palestinian territories. Resolving that difference and helping the Palestinian people to set up their own country that will protect its people is incredibly important. But, again, unfortunately, the focus of the U.N. seems more to criticize and attack Israel to the exclusion of other problems.

So I want to thank Mr. Campbell for bringing this resolution, which very simply asks, I guess, the United Nations to stop doing that, to stop focusing on Israel, and to have a broader focus on the problems of the world and do not unfairly criticize the nation of Israel. It undermines, rather than helps, any effort to resolve the conflicts in the Middle East.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will be yielding to the chairman to ask a question to get a clarification on one point. But, first of all, I want to thank him for his leadership on this issue, and I do want to agree with Representative Brady's comments.

I think trade is very, very important. It has a very positive impact on the economy in this country. We need to work to improve these trade agreements. But what we try to do with Trade Adjustment Assistance is try to help displaced workers.

I have long been troubled by the fact that it's called Trade Adjustment Assistance. I think it should just be called ``adjustment assistance,'' because regardless of where your job goes, it creates a problem that needs to be filled. In fact, many jobs are lost in this country to advancements in technology. Frequently jobs are lost from one part of this country to another part of the country, and those people who have lost those jobs are no more impacted than if we develop a competitive disadvantage with a country and they start taking over some jobs in an area that we used to occupy. In both instances workers need help and we need a broad adjustment program to do that.

I am, however, troubled, as Mr. Levin pointed out, by the regulations that the administration tried to adopt that would pare back the program and, to some degree, limit the ability of displaced workers to get adjustment assistance.

As we have heard from all economists, skills are going to be the critical factor from this point forward in having an employable workforce in this country. We have got to give our workforce access to greater training, greater technology, and more repetitive training. Sorry, that's the wrong way to put it. They have to update their skills more often. Gone pretty much are the days when you could simply have a high school education, find a job with a company that was going to be around forever, and you were set. If we are going to have an economy where change is more rapid, we have to help our workers in this country.

As the gentleman knows, I am a strong supporter of trade agreements, frequently berated by many in my own party for that, but I don't see that as the piece that is causing the problems for our workers. The piece I see is causing the problem for our workers is we have not made enough changes to reflect the rapid change that is facing them. We don't give them enough opportunities to retrain, update their skills for the changes they have to deal with. We don't have adequate health care protection for them when they lose their job as well. These are things that the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act tries to take care of and that I am concerned that those regulations that the administration tried to adopt would undermine. So I am very grateful to have that language in there.

And this is where, if Mr. Levin could just clarify on one point, and I think in our colloquy here we have two questions, but it is really only one. I just want to be clear that the legislation that we are considering today is simply an extension of the existing program, it is not the reauthorization of the program, so that the prohibition contained in the February 2007 continuing resolution on the implementation of the flawed rules that we have referenced remains in effect even if we pass this bill. Is that correct?

I will yield to the gentleman.

I want to thank you for that clarification and appreciate your work on this issue. I think it is critical that we pass it so that we can move forward and continue Trade Adjustment Assistance.

Equally critical, as you know, Mr. Chairman, I have been working with you and Chairman Rangel and many others on expanding Trade Adjustment Assistance so that more workers can benefit from it. I know right now we are working on a bill with a variety of different ideas. I think it is critical that we do that full-scale reauthorization and that we expand the bill so that it better protects workers, protects more workers, and makes sure that workers in this country can benefit from the new economy so that we don't have to have these constant wars over trade agreements, so that we can focus on taking advantage of the economic opportunities that are there in today's economy by making sure that the workers who are most vulnerable, who need greater skills, have help so that they too can begin to benefit from the economy.

I appreciate your work on this issue. I look forward to working with you. I know in the next few weeks we will be introducing a bill and we will be moving forward on a broader reauthorization.

I simply urge the body to support this short-term extension in the meantime.