Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, it was clear on September 11 that one of New Jersey's critical security weaknesses was the protection of chemical security plants and facilities. New Jersey did not wait around years for the Department of Homeland Security to enact strong chemical security regulations. Our State took the initiative to protect its citizens by enacting strong chemical security laws. This House is taking action to make sure that my State will be able to keep our strong standards. The fiscal year 2008 Homeland Security appropriations bill will prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from overturning New Jersey's chemical security regulations.

I represent part of the area known as the ``most dangerous 2 miles,'' right near Port Elizabeth in New Jersey. Securing the infrastructure along this corridor is not only important for the safety of my constituents and the residents of New Jersey, but also for the entire Nation. That is why it is so important that the Homeland Security appropriations bill contains $400 million to protect critical port facilities and infrastructure.

Mr. Chairman, the Homeland Security appropriations bill has my support because it is vital to the security of my constituents, the State of New Jersey, and the entire Nation. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, for the first 4 months of this year, the new Democratic-led House approved key legislation that will move us in a new direction and allow us better defense of our Nation and strengthen our military. Unfortunately, time and time again, the President has either vetoed our efforts or has threatened to veto.

During our first 100 hours, we passed a bill implementing the recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, including improvements in securing our ports, our border and our infrastructure. The administration currently opposes this legislation.

This House also approved the Rail and Mass Transit Security Act, which requires the Homeland Security Department to develop plans to protect our rail and mass transit. Despite strong bipartisan support here in the House, President Bush has threatened to veto it.

Mr. Speaker, protecting our homeland is not a partisan issue. This House approved both of these critical homeland security bills with the votes of both Republicans and Democrats. I would hope the President would stop being an obstructionist and instead support our important bills.

Madam Speaker, on May 16, 2007, I missed rollcall votes Nos. 350, 351, 352. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall 350, ``yea'' on rollcall 351, ``yea'' on rollcall 352, ``no'' on rollcall 353, ``present'' on rollcall 354, and ``no'' on rollcall 355.

Mr. Chairman, I first would like to thank Chairman Frank for his efforts in bringing this bill to

the floor today, and it's because of him this bill is supported by the Treasury Department and the very government-sponsored entities the bill impacts.

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1427. It creates a single regulator of the three government-sponsored entities. By having one regulator, future problems in the housing economy will be prevented by providing real and strong oversight of the secondary mortgage market.

Secondly, this bill creates an Affordable Housing Fund. This fund will provide an opportunity for millions of working Americans to afford housing that will allow them to raise their families in a safe and stable environment. Some will even be able to buy a home because of this new fund.

Hardworking Americans want a safe and stable place to call their own. We have the opportunity here today to support the American dream of home ownership by passing H.R. 1427. And just as important, we can do this with proper oversight.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1427.

Madam Speaker, our most important job as lawmakers is to ensure the safety of the American people.

Our local law enforcement officers serve communities across this Nation as the first line of defense against crime. The number of police on our streets matters for the security of every city in this Nation, and we have a responsibility to ensure that these officers are in place. That is why Congress worked with President Clinton in the 1990s to create the COPS program.

Through this program, more than 100,000 cops were hired, putting police in every neighborhood in our Nation. But when President Bush came to office, he eliminated the COPS program, with no objections from the old Republican rubber-stamp Congress. As a result, crime substantially increased over the last decade.

Madam Speaker, today this Congress has an opportunity to reverse these troubling trends by passing the COPS Improvement Act. This legislation would allow communities to hire 50,000 police officers over the next 6 years so we can better protect our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 28) congratulating the City of Chicago for being chosen to represent the United States in the international competition to host 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and encouraging the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago as the site of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, with President Bush's veto last week, it is clear that if this Congress is going to take this war in a new direction, we need some of our Republican colleagues to join with us. Unfortunately, it seems that the House Republicans are still willing to blindly follow the President, no matter the facts in Iraq.

Consider this statement from Minority Leader Boehner over the weekend. He said, and I quote, ``We want a clean bill. We don't want artificial deadlines. We don't want artificial measures in there to try to ensure failure.''

Let's not forget that the artificial measures that the minority leader is referring to were actually measures designed by President Bush himself to hold the Iraqi Government accountable. These are critical measures that will put the pressure on the Iraqi Government to make political, diplomatic and economic reforms. So far, none of these benchmarks have been met.

It is time that the House Republicans realize that the status quo is no longer acceptable to the American people. We have to keep pressure on the Iraqis to initiate these reforms and bring our troops home.

Mr. Speaker, 4 years yesterday, President Bush sent a strong message to the American people, to our troops, and to the world, that our mission in Iraq was accomplished. Can you imagine that?

Four years later it is clear that this was just one of the many miscalculations on Bush's administration's part. Over the past 4 years, we have lost more than 3,000 additional troops, tens of thousands more have been severely injured, and hundreds of billions of U.S. taxpayers' dollars have been spent. Now a dangerous civil war is being waged with no end in sight.

The American military did its job. Military experts agree that there is no military solution to the war in Iraq. That is why this Congress approved an emergency supplemental bill last week that sent a strong message to the Iraqi Government that this is the time to get their political house in order. American troops are not going to be there indefinitely.

Mr. Speaker, President Bush was wrong 4 years ago. He's wrong now as he vetoes this bill. It is time for the President to work with this Congress to come up with a plan to end this war.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 100) expressing the sympathy of the House of Representatives to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala and encouraging the Government of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I want to thank our colleague, Congresswoman Hilda Solis, the sponsor of this resolution, as well as original cosponsors, the Chair and the ranking member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Eliot Engel and Dan Burton, for bringing this issue to us.

This important resolution raises awareness of the increasing number of women and girls who have been brutally murdered in Guatemala. Since 2001, more than 2,000 women and girls have been killed in Guatemala, and the murder rate of women has increased sharply, more so than the rate for men.

Many of these murders are preceded by mutilation or sexual assault of the victims, and almost none of these cases are properly investigated or prosecuted. The fact that most of the murders go unpunished has contributed to the decline of overall security in Guatemala and demonstrates the dangerous situation for women and girls throughout the country.

While Guatemala has made some strides to improve the treatment of women under the law, there are still major obstacles for the country to overcome. For instance, domestic violence and sexual harassment are not considered crimes in Guatemala. This resolution condemns the murders, expresses sympathy and support for the struggle of victims' families for justice and urges that the murders be promptly investigated and prosecuted.

I hope that our two countries can work together to end the brutal murders of women and girls in Guatemala and to improve the security for all Guatemalans. I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 100.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Solis).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Woolsey), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, my good friend Don Payne.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California's Ninth District, a member of the Committee on Appropriations, Barbara Lee.

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. 243) calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Father Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

I would first like to commend the distinguished ranking member of the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee, my friend, Chris Smith of New Jersey, for the introduction of this important resolution.

This year, Vietnam's program of economic liberalization and openness took its most dramatic and important step when it joined the World Trade Organization. Just over 30 years after the Communist takeover of Saigon, Vietnam is now looking to promote foreign direct investment and to become a full member of the global economic community.

The U.S.-Vietnam relationship has undergone a similar transformation. U.S. Presidents now regularly visit our once sworn enemy. United States' engagements with Vietnam can and should continue in order to promote a more open and prosperous Vietnam. This will better the lives of the Vietnamese people. Yet, as the U.S.-Vietnam relationship matures, the Government of Vietnam must understand that U.S. principles of democracy, freedom, and human rights will never soften by impressive economic growth rates.

The unacceptable arrest of four innocent Vietnamese citizens by the government for exercising their right of free expression is evidence of how far Vietnam must come before it can be considered a genuine friend of the United States.

The resolution we are considering today demonstrates our commitment to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Vietnam. It does this by calling for the immediate release of these political prisoners, urging the Government of Vietnam to comply with international standards of human rights, and considering the implication of its actions for the broader relationship between the United States and Vietnam.

I strongly support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 347) recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution.

I would like to begin by applauding the efforts and the leadership of the author of the resolution, Congressman Joe Baca, who is also the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, the Cinco de Mayo holiday commemorates the May 5, 1862, victory of a vastly outnumbered Mexican Army under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza over Napoleon III's regiments at the Battle of Puebla.

The triumph of the Mexican people over the French in this battle has come to symbolize the fight for freedom and justice. To most of us in the United States, this holiday is expressed through the enjoyment of Mexican and Mexican American culture, the food, the music, and the customs. This resolution encourages continuing those celebrations, but it also reminds us that Cinco de Mayo is a tribute to the contributions that the Mexicans and Mexican Americans have made and continue to make across our Nation.

We take pride in these achievements and in the continuing dedication of thousands of Mexican American men and women in uniform.

Cinco de Mayo reminds us that the foundation of the United States is built by people from many nations and diverse cultures willing to fight and die to make ours a stronger and freer world.

I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California's 43rd District, chairman of the Committee on Agriculture's Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry.

(Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the 15th District in Texas, chairman of the Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitivness, and member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (Mr. Hinojosa).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 118) congratulating the City of Chicago for being chosen to represent the United States in the international competition to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games, and encouraging the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago as the site of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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 resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend our colleague from Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, for introducing this important resolution. His efforts to win our Nation the 2016 Olympic games are greatly appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, the 2004 summer Olympic games in Athens unfolded before the eyes of hundreds of millions of people around the world, with some watching in person, but many more on television every night. It is fair to say that the Athens games were a success, despite fears of terrorism or that key Olympic venues would not be ready. Athens was prepared to receive thousands of athletes and officials from around the world. The Olympic spirit thrived as athletes lived out their dreams.

This resolution before the House seeks to bring the summer Olympic spirit we witnessed in Athens here to America for the first time since 1996 in the Atlanta Olympic games. This measure urges the International Olympic Committee to choose the United States entry of Chicago to host the 2016 summer Olympics.

Mr. Speaker, the Olympics bring together people from all over the world. And when they arrive in Chicago, they will find a culturally diverse city ready and willing to host athletes and spectators from every nation.

Chicago already has developed a public transportation infrastructure to ensure that visitors from the United States and abroad can easily get to the Olympic games. Once in Chicago, athletes and spectators alike will be able to move seamlessly through all Olympic venues and practice facilities.

The Olympic games will be held in the heart of Chicago so that everyone can enjoy Chicago's beautiful waterfront and park system. Hosting the Olympic games will also bring important economic benefits to Chicago and position it to hold important sporting events in the future.

Mr. Speaker, Chicago is a beautiful, thriving American city eager to carry on the Olympic tradition. When the International Olympic Committee meets to choose the site of the 2016 summer games, I urge committee members to choose Chicago.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution, and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the member of the Ways and Means Committee from the Fifth District of Illinois, Rahm Emanuel.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, this week is Cover the Uninsured Week. This year's focus centers on expanding health care coverage for America's children.

For 6 years, President Bush and the Republican Congress ignored our Nation's health care crisis. As a result, the number of uninsured increased by 7 million, to 47 million Americans; 9 million of them are children.

Studies show us that a child's health can be greatly improved if they have health care coverage. Children with access to health care are better prepared to learn in school and are better prepared to succeed in life.

The new Democratic Congress refuses to ignore America's uninsured, and that is why we passed a budget last month that provides a significant increase in funding of the SCHIP program. The $50 billion increase in funding over the next 5 years would allow us to provide health care to millions of children who are currently uninsured.

Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of Peter Shugert, Chief Public Affairs Officer of the Army Corps of Engineers, who is about to retire after more than two decades of dedicated service. Mr. Shugert has worked tirelessly, not only to keep area residents informed of vital Corps operations, but he has also gone above and beyond the call of duty by becoming a treasured liaison during emergencies between government agencies and the people of the New York Metropolitan region.

Mr. Shugert, who earned a reputation as a highly credible spokesperson and media representative for the United States Army, began his professional career in the military. His service in the Vietnam War won him the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.

In 1977, Mr. Shugert became Public Affairs Specialist for the Military Traffic Management Command in Virginia, and in 1982, made important contributions to the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserves, where he developed products to increase public awareness.

In his 20 years as Chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District of New York Division, Mr. Shugert developed and maintained excellent media relations that ensured the best possible image for the Army Corps of Engineers. During his service, Mr. Shugert faced the tragedy of the 9/11 terror attacks and worked around the clock to keep the public informed. His dedication earned him the Locke L. Mouton Award for Excellence in Public Affairs, the Crisis Communications Award, the Superior Civilian Service Medal, and the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service.

Mr. Shugert also acted as an important liaison between government officials and area residents during the floods that devastated parts of New Jersey in 2000. More recently, he was instrumental in disseminating information during the difficult removal of the Intrepid Museum from Pier 86 in New York, for its reconstruction in Bayonne, New Jersey.

In addition, Mr. Shugert has offered his unwavering support to the Elizabeth River Arthur Kill Watershed Association Earth Day Celebration. The event teaches hundreds of students about the importance of protecting our environment.

Please join me in recognizing Peter Shugert for being the most loyal of civil servants. I congratulate him and wish him continued success in future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, last week the Senate followed our lead and passed legislation to advance potential life-saving stem cell research. The legislation now heads to the President's desk where he has already threatened a veto.

I hope the President will finally listen to an overwhelming majority of the American people, a bipartisan Congress and scientists who say this research can save millions of lives.

As the American Association for the Advancement of Science has argued: We owe it to those with serious illnesses to vigorously pursue both adult stem cell research and embryonic stem cell research.

This is not a partisan issue. In fact, many in the President's own party recognize the potential that exists if scientists are allowed to expand their research.

Mr. Speaker, over the last 7 years, the President has only vetoed one bill, and that was a similar stem cell research bill that passed the Republican Congress last year. The President should seriously reconsider his veto threat so we can begin life-saving research.