Floor Statements

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

You know, for over a year now the Intelligence Committee and Members of this body have been in negotiations with the administration regarding FISA. When I hear my colleague talk about it, I know that, in the realm of the American public, she's persuasive enough to make it appear that there's something that's happening that is dreadful and America's about to be attacked because we don't have sufficient information that we are receiving from those persons who would do us harm overseas.

The simple fact of the matter is that Jane Harman, the former Chair of this committee, and Bud Cramer have been actively involved. It is not as if nothing has been going on with reference to FISA.

I don't have that same fear. I serve on the same committee that she does. I have every reason to believe that the negotiations are not causing this country to not receive the information that is necessary; and if anyone would argue that this Nation's FISA program is not under courts at this particular time and that the issue is that the administration wishes to move it from under the courts, then I would have them to know that there needs to be greater discussion.

One of the things that has happened is some of the stuff we can't talk about is being nuanced, and I rather think that that is not the way to go about trying to change a law. Yes, it's important that we receive the information about those who are going to do us harm, if they can. And, yes, it's important that we be able to intercept their foreign-to-foreign communications. But to give the general impression that there is this necessity that it be done yesterday is not what the reality is.

I thank my good friend from Ohio for yielding.

If it is that we must say that my friend from New Mexico, Mr. Speaker, is to receive credit for a discussion of FISA, it should also attend the facts that for over a year the Intelligence Committees of this Congress have been in negotiations with the administration regarding matters having to do with FISA.

Just so we assure everybody that the matter of FISA is on the agenda, it will be taken up before we leave. And I can only say that there are many of us in this body who do not feel that it is inappropriate to establish an appropriate entity for oversight, no matter where information may be coming from.

The thing that I wish to dispel is that there is no reason for us to be fearful of us not having information that is needed. It is true that the Director of National Intelligence has said that there are matters that we may be missing. But there may be matters that we may be missing even if we fix FISA if we hurry to judgment and not do it correctly.

So civil liberties are important to Americans. Civil liberties are paramount when it comes to our consideration of gathering information. We don't want to troll and catch some American citizens and have their information poorly used.

Now, I don't know about anybody else, but there is one provision that considers giving the Attorney General this power and not courts. If it was this Attorney General, then I'm awfully glad that we're in the present posture that we're in, because I would not want this Attorney General making those decisions.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 46 minutes a.m.), the House adjourned until today, Friday, August 3, 2007, at 9 a.m.

Offered By: Mr. Hastings of Florida

Amendment No. 22: At the end of the bill (before the short

title) insert the following:

Madam Speaker, I hereby submit, for the Record, the text of my report to you on the activities of the U.S. Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, held in early July in Kyiv, Ukraine.

I had the honor to chair the U.S. Delegation, which included Senator Ben Cardin as the deputy head of delegation, as well as our Majority Leader, Mr. Steny Hoyer. Other participants on the U.S. Delegation were Representatives Chris Smith, Marcy Kaptur, Louise McIntosh Slaughter, Michael McNulty, Robert Aderholt, Mike McIntyre, Hilda L. Solis, G.K. Butterfield, Doris Matsui and Gwen S. Moore.

As the report details, the delegation was active at the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which is an inter- parliamentary body consisting of 56 participating States from North America, Europe, the Caucuses and Central Asia, as well as numerous partner states from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Like the OSCE as a whole, its mandate embraces the comprehensive definition of international security to include not only the traditional military political-military issues

but also human rights, economic cooperation and environmental protection.

In submitting this report, I want to stress the value of American engagement in world affairs, particularly by Members of Congress. In Kyiv, we engaged in a dialogue on issues of concern not only to us, but to our counterparts from other countries. Having served as the President of the OSCE PA, I remain active as President Emeritus as well as a Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs. Senator Cardin serves as a Vice President. In Kyiv, our colleague Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chair of the ``Third'' Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. Members of the U.S. delegation introduced resolutions, suggested amendments and participated in the voting which led to the adoption of a declaration. The text of the declaration can be found on the Assembly's Website, www.oscepa.org. Our activity was not confined to the meeting halls. We also met President Yushchenko and other Ukrainian officials, in recognition of the importance of Ukraine. We laid wreaths at Babyn Yar and at the Ukrainian Famine memorial. We traveled to Chernobyl, the site of the nuclear accident in 1986.

These activities, I would argue, advance our country's national interest. The U.S. Delegation represented the wonderful diversity of the United States population. It also highlighted a diversity of opinion on numerous issues. It nevertheless revealed a common hope to make the world a better place, not just for Americans but for all humanity. The delegation helped to counter the negative image many have about our country.

Commission on Security and

Cooperation in Europe,

Washington, DC, July 25, 2007.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Speaker, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Madam Speaker: I write to thank you for designating me

to head the U.S. Delegation to the Sixteenth Annual Session

of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), and to report

to you on the work of our bipartisan delegation. The

delegation participated fully in the activity of the Standing

Committee and the plenary sessions as well as in the

Assembly's three committees.

Joining me as Delegation leaders were Commission Co-

Chairman Senator Benjamin L. Cardin and Majority Leader Steny

H. Hoyer. Other Helsinki Commissioners who also participated

include the Ranking Member, Rep. Christopher H. Smith, and

Representatives Louise McIntosh Slaughter, Robert B.

Aderholt, Mike McIntyre, Hilda L. Solis and G.K. Butterfield.

They were joined by Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Michael R.

McNulty, Doris Matsui and Gwen S. Moore.

This year's Assembly, hosted by the Verkhovna Rada,

Ukraine's Parliament, in Kyiv, July 5-9, brought together 234

parliamentarians from 50 OSCE States, representatives from

several Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation, as well as

delegates representing Afghanistan, a Partner for

Cooperation. Five delegations were headed by parliamentary

leaders. The U.S. delegation, with 13 Members, was the

largest in Kyiv. The designated theme for this year's Annual

Session was ``Implementation of OSCE Commitments.''

Assembly President Goran Lennmarker (Sweden) opened the

Inaugural Plenary Session which included an address by

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, who took the

opportunity to discuss Ukraine's commitment to democratic

development and challenges. President Yushchenko urged

delegates to recognize, in their respective parliaments, the

genocidal nature of the Ukraine Famine, the Holodomor. OSCE

Chairman-in-Office Miguel Angel Moratinos, the Foreign

Minister of Spain, also addressed the plenary before taking

questions from the parliamentarians.

At the Standing Committee, the leadership body of the

Assembly composed of the Heads of Delegations representing

the 56 OSCE participating States, I presented a summary of my

activities as Special Representative on Mediterranean

Affairs, including my visits in June to Israel and Jordan.

During the Kyiv meeting, I convened a special meeting on the

Mediterranean Dimension of the OSCE, attended by

approximately 100 parliamentarians from Algeria, Egypt,

Israel, and Jordan as well as many of the OSCE participating

States.

The Standing Committee also heard reports from other

Assembly Special Representatives. The OSCE PA Treasurer,

Senator Jerry Grafstein (Canada), reported that the Assembly

was operating well within its overall budget guidelines and

that KPMG, the Assembly's external auditors, again had

delivered a positive assessment of the Assembly's financial

management. The Standing Committee unanimously approved the

Treasurer's proposed budget for fiscal year 2007/2008,

including an increase of 4.18% over last year's expenditures.

OSCE PA Secretary General R. Spencer Oliver reported on the

International Secretariat's activities.

Members of the U.S. Delegation actively participated in the

work of the Assembly's three General Committees: Political

Affairs and Security; Economic Affairs, Science, Technology

and Environment; and Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian

Questions. Each committee considered its own resolution as

well as nine of the 10 supplementary items registered before

the session. One supplementary item was debated in plenary.

Senator Cardin introduced a supplemental item on ``Combating

Anti-Semitism, Racism, Xenophobia and other forms of

Intolerance against Muslims and Roma,'' and seven other U.S.

delegates introduced a total of 25 amendments to either a

committee resolution or to a supplementary item. All were

adopted.

The U.S. Delegation also was instrumental in garnering

necessary support for supplementary items and amendments

proposed by our friends and allies among the participating

States. The supplementary items considered and debated in

Kyiv, other than Senator Cardin's, included ``The Role and

the Status of the Parliamentary Assembly within the OSCE'';

``The Illicit Air Transport of Small Arms and Light Weapons

and their Ammunition''; ``Environmental Security Strategy'';

``Conflict Settlement in the OSCE area''; Strengthening OSCE

Engagement with Human Rights Defenders and National Human

Rights Institutions''; ``The Ban on Cluster Bombs'';

``Liberalization of Trans-Atlantic Trade''; ``Women in Peace

and Security''; and, ``Strengthening of Counteraction of

Trafficking Persons in the OSCE Member States.''

Attached is a copy of the Kyiv Declaration adopted by

participants at the Assembly's closing plenary, which

includes the input of the U.S. Delegation.

Following her appearance before the Helsinki Commission in

Washington on June 21 during our hearing on ``Guantanamo:

Implications for U.S. Human Rights Leadership,'' Belgian

Senate President Anne-Marie Lizin, the OSCE PA Special

Representative on Guantanamo, presented her third report on

the status of the camp to a general Plenary Session of the

Assembly. This report followed her second visit to the

detention facility at Guantanamo on June 20, 2007 and gave

the Assembly a balanced presentation which concluded that the

facility should be closed.

The OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, Tone

Tingsgard (Sweden), hosted an informal working breakfast to

discuss gender issues where she presented her plan for future

actions addressing gender issues within the OSCE PA. Members

of the U.S. Delegation participated in the discussion at this

meeting.

During the course of the Kyiv meeting members of the U.S.

Delegation held a series of formal as well as informal

bilateral meetings, including talks with parliamentarians

from the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan,

parliamentary delegations from the Mediterranean Partners for

Cooperation, including Israel, and Afghanistan. The U.S.

Delegation hosted a reception for parliamentary delegations

from Canada and the United Kingdom.

On the final day of the Kyiv meeting, the Assembly re-

elected Goran Lennmarker (Sweden) as President. Mr. Hans

Raidel (Germany) was elected Treasurer. Four Vice Presidents

were elected in Kyiv: Anne-Marie Lizin (Belgium), Jerry

Grafstein (Canada), Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland), and Panos

Kammenos (Greece).

Rep. Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chair of the General

Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian

Questions, which is responsible for addressing humanitarian

and human rights-related threats to security and serves as a

forum for examining the potential for cooperation within

these areas. She joins Senator Cardin, whose term as Vice

President extends until 2009, and me as OSCE PA President

Emeritus, in ensuring active U.S. engagement in the

Assembly's proceedings for the coming year.

While the Delegation's work focused heavily on OSCE PA

matters, the venue presented an opportunity to advance U.S.

relations with our Ukrainian hosts. While in Kyiv, the U.S.

Delegation met with Ukrainian President Yushchenko for

lengthy talks on bilateral issues, his country's aspirations

for further Euro-Atlantic integration, energy security,

international support for Chornobyl containment, and

challenges to Ukraine's sovereignty and democratic

development. The President discussed the political situation

in Ukraine and the development of the May 27 agreement that

provides for pre-term parliamentary elections scheduled for

September 30, 2007.

The Delegation also visited and held wreath-laying

ceremonies at two significant sites in the Ukrainian capital:

the Babyn Yar Memorial, commemorating the more than 100,000

Ukrainians killed there during World War II--including 33,000

Jews from Kyiv that were shot in a two-day period in

September 1941; and the Famine Genocide Memorial (1932-33)

dedicated to the memory of the millions of Ukrainians starved

to death by Stalin's Soviet regime in the largest man-made

famine of the 20th century.

The delegation traveled to the Chernobyl exclusion zone and

visited the site where on April 26, 1986, the fourth reactor

of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, resulting in

the world's worst nuclear accident. While in the zone, the

delegation visited the abandoned city of Prypiat, the once

bustling residence of 50,000 located a short distance from

the nuclear plant. Members toured the Chernobyl facilities

and discussed ongoing economic and environmental challenges

with local experts and international efforts to find a

durable solution to the containment of large quantities of

radioactive materials still located at the plant.

I hope this summary of the Delegation's activity is useful

to you, and let me again thank you for making this trip

possible. The Seventeenth Annual Session of the OSCE

Parliamentary Assembly will be held early next July in

Astana, Kazakhstan, and I hope we can count on your support

once again in ensuring that U.S. interests abroad are

advanced through active participation in the OSCE PA.

Sincerely,

Alcee L. Hastings,

Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to this amendment.

Consider, the cost of sugar over the past 27 years has actually decreased, and it remains the only commodity in the country that has actually contributed toward paying off the national debt.

But as the cost of sugar has gone down, the price at grocery stores for candy manufacturers and bakery manufacturers and other sweets are charging more for their products, whose main ingredient is sugar, has increased.

Footnote right there. Why does the confectionery industry get smaller and cost more?

I don't need to sugarcoat the facts, Mr. Chairman. American consumers are getting a sweet deal on sugar. It's so cheap in the U.S., they give it away in restaurants.

Unlike other commodities, the U.S. sugar program doesn't cost the American taxpayer one dime.

Do my colleagues realize that if this amendment passes, over 146,000 jobs, 25,000 of which are in South Florida, will be in jeopardy. Congress can't turn its back on these hardworking Americans simply because candy companies in the U.S. want to pay their workers pennies in South America rather than living wages in South Florida.

In my district, the cities of Belle Glade, Clewiston, South Bay and Pahokee will almost cease to exist if this amendment passes. Talk about getting a raw deal. As my distinguished colleague Dale Kildee, who himself represents a significant portion of sugar beet country, is fond of saying and correctly so, we have the cleanest, greenest, and safest sugar supply in the world. I implore my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment today to give pollinator protection and the concern of Colony Collapse Disorder a prominent presence in H.R. 2419, the Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007. This amendment reflects the contributions of countless organizations and a bi-partisan coalition of Members of Congress who share a common concern for pollinator decline.

When issues like Colony Collapse Disorder and pollinator decline threaten one-third of American agriculture, they must be taken seriously. I commend Chairman Peterson and the Committee on Agriculture for their tireless work on provisions in the current Farm Bill Extension Act to address pollinator research. However, my amendment demonstrates the need to clarify that significant research and conservation programs will play an important role in combating Colony Collapse, Disorder and North American pollinator decline in years to come. If we want our children to enjoy food grown in this nation in the coming years, then we must save bees and other pollinators.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment adds a section to the bill authorizing $86.5 million over 5 years for facilities improvement and research grants to combat Colony Collapse Disorder and North American native/ managed pollinator decline. These funds would be authorized through a combination of initiatives at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, including the Agricultural Research Service, ARS, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, CSREES, and the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, APHIS. This section of the amendment is very similar to my legislation H.R. 1709, the Pollinator Protection Act, which has the bi-partisan support of 50 cosponsors. This amendment also incorporates welcome adjustments to the Pollinator Protection Act which I collaborated with Senator Barbara Boxer to develop in the companion legislation, S. 1694, the Pollinator Protection Act of 2007.

My amendment also clarifies the importance of native and managed pollinators in vital conservation programs of USDA. This component of the amendment reflects the content of H.R. 2913, the Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007, which Representative Earl Blumenauer and I recently introduced, similar to S. 1496 introduced by Senator Max Baucus. On the Senate side, this similar legislation has received vast bi-partisan support from 33 cosponsors.

Mr. Chairman. Moments like this truly demonstrate the collaborative capacity of this great Congress to meet a dire need with thoughtful policy that truly engages stakeholders and impacted communities.

I thank Members of Congress that worked with me in both chambers of Congress in this effort to save American agriculture. I also thank the many scientists and organizations for their endorsement of this amendment, namely: the American Beekeeping Federation, Inc., American Honey Producers Association, American Farmland Trust, California Farm Bureau Federation, California State Beekeepers Association, Center for Biological Diversity, Coevolution Institute, Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Defense, Florida Farm Bureau Federation, National Wildlife Federation, Partners for Sustainable Pollination, Sonoma County Beekeepers Association, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Wild Farm Alliance, and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

I thank Chairman Peterson for his support and I urge my colleagues support this vital amendment.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 567 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

General Leave

I also ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, before yielding to myself, I yield to the gentleman from New York for a unanimous consent request.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 567 provides for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 1, to provide for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and its consideration.

This is a typical rule for a conference report and was reported out by the Rules Committee by a bipartisan voice vote.

Mr. Speaker, when Americans decided last November that they were tired of the way business was being done in Washington, they elected Democrats to the majority.

We promised them that we would implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission, and today we are fulfilling that promise in bipartisan fashion. We are showing that compromise can, indeed, yield good policy. Democrats have shown with this bill that that compromise can indeed be positive for America.

There were many who did not want to see Democrats succeed in completing work on this bill. They preferred political posturing over protecting the American public. For them, inaction is an acceptable solution, and obstructionism their plan to get back into the majority.

The American people should take great comfort in knowing that we will not allow them to succeed.

I commend my good friends, the distinguished chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson, and the ranking member for their tireless work on this conference report. It was not an easy job, but their diligence and commitment to protecting America persevered.

This product takes significant steps to further protect the American people. Democrats are leading in delivery while fixing the shortcomings in our homeland security network highlighted by the 9/11 Commission.

First, this conference report places a priority on providing homeland security grants based on risk and not political preference. This is especially important to my constituents, as south Florida has seen its recent homeland security grant allocations decreased as political consideration has increased in the process.

When it comes to first responders, the conference report includes $1.6 billion for a first responder interoperability grant program.

The report also invests in rail, transit and bus security, authorizing more than $4 billion for these crucial grants.

Further, this report requires the screening on all passenger air cargo within 3 years. This is, without doubt, the furthest that Congress has ever gone to ensure that the flying public is safe and protected.

Within the next 5 years, the conference report requires the screening of all container ships as they leave foreign shores and head to the U.S. This, too, was another of the 9/11 recommendations.

If America is going to be safe, Mr. Speaker, then Congress must do everything in its power to ensure that cargo coming into our ports has been screened and checked. As someone who represents a district which is within just miles of three major international seaports, I'm pleased that the committee included this provision in the bill. The safety and security of south Florida literally depends on it.

I'm also pleased that the Homeland Security Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, of which I'm a proud member, were able to reach an agreement regarding the public disclosure of total spending in the intelligence community. This was another key recommendation from the 9/ 11 Commission, and Democrats are again keeping their promise to turn those recommendations into law.

It is a new day in the House of Representatives. With honesty and transparency as our guiding principles, Democrats are working to strengthen and restore faith in our intelligence community. Even more, we are sending the message to the American people that this Congress will no longer allow the intelligence community to operate without proper oversight.

This conference report is another installment of how Democrats are working to protect the American people and hold the Bush administration accountable for its failures and shortcomings.

This is a good conference report and a good rule. I urge my colleagues to support both.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very privileged to yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Homeland Security Committee of this House, my good friend from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. Speaker, I am very privileged to yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), who is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and has worked actively and diligently for the security of this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, before yielding to Mrs. Maloney, who was directly affected in her district in New York during 9/11, I would just say to my friend from Florida that when he and his party were in charge, the question is, what did they do? Did they pass $250 million annually for airport checkpoint screening? Did they pass $450 million annually for baggage screening? Did they do 100 percent screening within 5 years? Did they protect from lawsuits people who in good faith report what they believe are terrorist activities around airplanes, trains, or buses? Did they do stronger security measures? No. They did none of that.

I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished lady from New York, who really knows about 9/11, Mrs. Maloney.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), who is the chairwoman of the Intelligence Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment. The gentlewoman and I served on the Intelligence Committee, and perhaps she might be able to educate my friend from Texas regarding watch lists and how difficult it would be in order to have watch lists, as Mrs. Maloney put it, for 800,000 people on one rail line in New York alone.

Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to yield 3\1/ 2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), who is on the Committee on Homeland Security, and the chairman of the Select Committee on Global Warming.

Mr. Markey has fought diligently regarding airport screening. The gentleman from Florida isn't in here now that talked about screening as not being something that's important.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas, my good friend (Ms. Jackson-Lee) of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/ 2\ minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu), who is chairman of the Science Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to a distinguished new Member of the U.S. Congress from Pennsylvania who is chairman of the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight (Mr. Carney).

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/ 2\ minutes to another distinguished member of the Committee on Homeland Security, my very good friend from the Virgin Islands, Donna Christensen.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield at this time 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time until the gentleman has closed.

I would ask the Speaker how much time I have remaining.

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

Mr. Speaker, you do know and every Member of this body does know that the 9/11 Commission Report was published in the year 2004. Since that time an election has occurred. Before that time and even before this 9/ 11 Commission Report came into existence, President Bush did not even want to appoint a 9/11 Commission. He came kicking and dragging and screaming to even cause it to come into existence. And the extraordinary work that has been done by Lee Hamilton and Governor Kean and the other members of that committee recommended to this body in 2004 that we undertake these measures.

So now we come here, and I ask them, what did you do before that? The answer is nothing.

Mr. Speaker, this body has a responsibility today to pass this rule and the underlying legislation. We can't afford to continue to procrastinate, as my colleagues did since 2004.

Today this new Democratic majority is delivering another piece of our Six for '06 promises. Today this Democratic majority is passing and sending to the President for his signature the 9/11 Commission's outstanding recommendations.

The fact of the matter is that bad people who want to do bad things will always try to find a way to succeed. This conference report ensures that we are doing everything we can here in the United States and abroad to stop that from happening.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, continuing along the lines of what Congressman Meek has been speaking about, I sat behind him and he did not know that I was there. I thought that it would be helpful if I would join my very good friend, who is a member of the 30-somethings, and have him know that those of us that are the over 30-somethings have the exact same sentiments as it pertains to the circumstances as exist in our respective communities because of the Iraq war.

Representative Meek, I wish to just bring to the table one example. I won't use the many in the congressional district that I am privileged to represent which abuts your district, and we have overlapping circumstances in a variety of our communities in South Broward and North Dade, and in this case I am going to carry it way west to the Everglades.

For the last 7 years, I have been about the business of trying to get a water treatment plant in Belle Glade, Florida for the people of Belle Glade, South Bay, Pahokee, and that general area. I won't even talk about the hospital; I won't even talk about the police that you have already talked about that we have tried to get. And so I thought, well, certainly now that we have political circumstances that are favorable to the majority, that it would be very easy to get a water treatment plant.

Now, you and I know this: we know that in Iraq we have paid for water treatment facilities that have been blown up. We know that we have paid for sewers that the materials were stolen. And we know that we are building an embassy, I guess we are building an embassy, at more money that I can ever contemplate that must have a big bull's eye on it, but we are not sure who is building it. We know about no-bid contracts. We know about millions of dollars being poured into this situation while our communities are suffering. Now, something is wrong with this picture.

I heard you loud and clear regarding the extraordinary debt. And I don't mean to take much of your time, I came down here to file this bill, but I could not resist. And I yield back to my very good friend from Florida.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Path to Success Act.

This important piece of legislation addresses a pressing social dilemma that has permeated American society, successfully wreaking havoc, fear, and violence indiscriminately in urban and rural communities alike. Gang-related offenses have peaked to astronomical numbers, making youth gangs an endemic feature of American life. Most of these gang members are engulfed in a cyclical culture of poverty, illiteracy, and homelessness which contribute to excessive recidivism rates. Youths who are particularly vulnerable for recruitment are quickly indoctrinated into lawlessness.

The bill I am introducing today authorizes the Secretary of Education to award $20 million in grants to community colleges that agree to enter into and maintain partnerships with juvenile detention centers by providing juvenile ex-offenders with a supportive learning environment where they can attain marketable skills and credentials needed for their constructive re-entry into society. Under the bill, each community college will be encouraged to grant academic merit to eligible participants based on their distinctive academic backgrounds, learning curves, and concentration interests.

Under this bill, community colleges who apply for these grants will be responsible for facilitating the academic, psychological, and social adjustment of juvenile ex-offenders who were detained for gang related offenses. These community colleges will serve as hubs for networks among local organizations that are committed to assisting youthful offenders' successful reintegration into society.

With these grants, community colleges can work with different partners to employ intervention strategies to divert at-risk youth from crime by providing counseling, academic or vocational training, and professional development to eligible participants enrolled in the program. In fact, this legislation requires that community colleges partner with both public and private entities to facilitate internships, apprenticeships, and permanent employment opportunities for eligible participants. This feature of the outreach effort is especially relevant to ensure recidivism prevention.

At this juncture, we must set precedence on determining pragmatic measures that will mitigate gang violence. Gang violence presents an intricate challenge to communities around the United States, especially in areas where there is significant socio-economic duress. Ultimately, no one can cite the one definitive cause of community violence, poverty, neighborhood deterioration, or why Johnny cannot read. These types of contemporary problems have increasingly become more qualitatively complex.

This is exactly why we cannot afford to adopt parochial methods to mitigate juvenile delinquency. Since it is virtually impossible for one agency to unilaterally solve intractable problems, every worthwhile effort requires collaboration and partnering among organizations to resolve the issue we see before us in this day and age.

Education gives people hope and self-respect; it shows them that they can succeed by lawful means. The academic and vocational training is a critical component of this program especially since research has shown that the typical habitual offender is a person of little or no education.

Madam Speaker, approximately 100,000 juveniles (ages 17 years and under) leave juvenile correctional facilities, State prison, or Federal prison each year. Juveniles released from secure confinement have a recidivism rate ranging from 55 to 75 percent. Even more, research has shown that the likelihood that young people will successfully transition into society increases with effective reentry and aftercare programs.

Taking a comprehensive approach is the only pragmatic solution to stopping the spread of gang violence. By promoting communal networks, this legislation provides opportunities for the community to be instrumental in administering programs designed to reduce recidivism among ex-gang offenders, and deter gang violence and membership among other at risk youths.

Juvenile delinquency is a complex phenomenon that has riveting effects. I firmly believe that this legislation will make significant progress in our battle against gang violence because it fully incorporates the community in the implementation process.

Madam Speaker, it takes a network to fight a network. In order to provide a realistic, individualized, and creative response to public problems, we must design the right network. This legislation offers guidelines to determine and develop appropriate activation tools to respond to gang violence. I hope this bill would receive the bipartisan support that it deserves. I ask for my colleagues' support and urge the swift consideration of this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment with my friends, Ms. Barbara Lee of California and Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, which emphasizes the need for HUD to place a greater priority on the security in our Nation's public housing communities.

Indeed, I applaud the work of Chairman Olver and Ranking Member Knollenberg, and I am very supportive of their bill.

However, a recent criminal act that occurred in the district that I am privileged to represent demands a response. I won't go into the details because it was a brutal act that was done allegedly by 10 young men in a project referred to, known as Dunbar Village.

Until 2002, there was a program at HUD that funded security and safety in public housing communities. A footnote right here: I recently spoke with the inspector of HUD, who informed me that you cannot have good public housing without good security.

However, in 2001, the Bush administration felt that the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program had a limited impact and did not reflect HUD's core mission. When the drug elimination program was consolidated with the public housing operating fund, a grant of $168,000 for securities services was cut just from the West Palm Beach Housing Authority, which overseas Dunbar village.

Mr. Chairman, this incident has demonstrated that the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program had a far-reaching impact in reducing all forms of crime in public housing facilities.

Our amendment sends a message to HUD to the tune of $20 million that the Department has a responsibility and the authority to fund security programs in public housing facilities around this Nation's communities. At this funding level, 10 percent of the $200 million increase in the account could fund security programs in over 100 public housing communities. These functions include employing security personnel, reimbursing local police for additional security services, making physical changes to improve security, funding community policing accreditation activities, as well as training and equipping voluntary tenant patrols.

HUD should recognize this amendment and the despicable incident, like the one that occurred in my district, and others around this Nation as clear indication that they need to do more to improve the safety in their facilities. Unfortunately, it takes violent acts such as the one that I have discussed for us to open our eyes and for Congress to begin reversing funding trends and program adjustments that have left our communities vulnerable.

This amendment does not place an undue burden on the desperately needed increase in the public housing operating fund. While all of the $200 million increase could be used for activities prioritized in this amendment, we rise today to call attention to the need for secure public housing.

Once again, I commend Chairman Olver and Ranking Member Knollenberg for their work on this legislation and including the $200 million increase in the public housing operating fund. It is our hope that this amendment is a welcome contribution to their work.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to begin demanding that incidents like those experienced by the residents of Dunbar Village never occur again.

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

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today with Representatives Poe, Filner, and Bono to offer an amendment prohibiting the Federal Aviation Administration from eliminating, consolidating, colocating, or planning to consolidate or colocate any terminal radar approach control center, or TRACON.

Our amendment is virtually identical to the amendment that was overwhelmingly approved by the House in a bipartisan fashion by almost 100 votes just last June. Yet, since the House went on record of opposing further consolidation, the FAA has done virtually nothing to address our concerns. Even more, it has accelerated its consolidation efforts while shutting out stakeholders from the process.

Mr. Chairman, the TRACON system guides airplanes within a 50-mile radius of the airport on their takeoffs and final approaches. The FAA has embarked on an ambitious consolidation and colocation plan which will significantly limit our air traffic capacities in the future. I warn that this policy is shortsighted.

It is now rumored that the FAA's current consolidation proposal seeks to eliminate or consolidate nearly 50 TRACONs in over 30 States across the United States.

In some instances, entire States will be left without any approach radar system within their borders. In other instances, consolidation runs the risk of placing undue stress on nearby TRACONs already having to deal with larger airspaces and staffing shortfalls.

In Florida, the FAA is planning to consolidate the TRACONs of Miami International, Ft. Lauderdale International and Palm Beach International airports into one TRACON. Note that all three of these airports are within a Federal high-risk urban area, and smack dab in the heart of Hurricane Alley.

Once this plan is implemented, if a terrorist attack or natural disaster were to strike the Miami TRACON, then all three international airports would lose their approach radar system. Controllers in Jacksonville, an airport more than 350 miles away, will be forced to direct approaching aircraft throughout virtually the entire State.

Realize, Mr. Chairman, this is not a question of whether or not consolidation can technologically be done. It can be done and it is being done. On the contrary, this is a question of should it be done and what risk is Congress willing to run.

Further, in the instances where consensus is possible and consolidation could be appropriate, the FAA is still refusing to involve stakeholders in the process. To that end, this amendment appropriately exempts the TRACONs of Palm Springs and southern California from the limitation.

Opponents of our amendment likely will argue that the construction of some new control facilities, including one in my district, will be delayed and funds lost if we do not allow consolidation. To them I say, why can't we keep those funds available until all stakeholders can reach a viable solution? Congress does it all the time.

Some point to the FAA authorization bill as the appropriate place to address this issue. And I have great respect for the chairman of that committee with whom I've had a conversation. If that's the case, though, why do we keep throwing money at the problem in this bill? At the very least, we should tie this money to smart policy and a transparent process.

The FAA's TRACON consolidation runs the grave risk of leaving our air traffic system vulnerable during critical times and setting a dangerous precedent for a process that excludes stakeholders from decisions that impact their lives. This is not a risk that Congress should be willing to take.

I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment.

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

Would the Chair advise how much time I have remaining.

I ask unanimous consent that each side be given an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to Mr. Poe, my colleague from Texas.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, going forward, my colleagues argue that we would lose $110 million that expires at the end of this year for FAA. I remind my colleagues that this is the United States Congress, and I have been here when we have extended the kinds of funds that would be made allocable to agencies by time. If we wanted to, the $110 million that has been discussed could be extended for 2 or 3 years, and FAA could be delayed in that particular undertaking with reference to so-called modernization.

What they did in this particular measure, after we passed the measure last year, FAA then accelerated their process rather than sitting down and talking with the stakeholders such as the Members of Congress or pilots or air traffic controllers or airport operators or aviation operators and the general public; absolutely no discussion, and then put forward the measures that have come out now. That is the primary reason that I am on the floor. Sixteen thousand controllers and engineers believe this to be the case.

For the Record I will include a letter from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

National Air Traffic

Controllers Association, AFL-CIO,

Washington, DC, July 23, 2007.

Vote Yes on the Hastings-Poe-Filner-Bono Amendment to THUD

Appropriations

Dear Member of Congress: As the President of the National

Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), representing

over 16,000 controllers, engineers, architects, nurses and

aviation safety professionals, I urge you to vote yes on the

Hastings-Poe-Filner-Bono amendment to H.R. 3074, the FY08

Transportation Appropriations Act. Representative Alcee

Hastings offered a very similar amendment to last year's

TTHUD bill to prevent the FAA from consolidating Terminal

Approach Control (TRACON) facilities, and it passed with 261

bipartisan votes.

In the past, NATCA and the FAA have worked in tandem to

identify air traffic control facility consolidations that

could potentially make sense and to ensure that the process

involves the important input from vital stakeholders.

Unfortunately, the FAA is no longer taking into consideration

the legitimate concerns of stakeholders such as Members of

Congress, pilots, air traffic controllers, airport operators,

aviation operators, and the general public.

NATCA believes that the FAA must consider air traffic

control facility consolidations/colocations using a

transparent process

because the Agency has an obligation to involve stakeholders

in any Agency effort that could affect the safety and

efficiency of the airspace. A full risk-assessment, including

the Homeland Security implications of placing all of our

radar functions in one location, must be conducted and made

open to public scrutiny.

A moratorium on consolidations is necessary to provide the

opportunity for Congress to evaluate the specific operational

need for proposed consolidations and prevent the Agency from

moving ahead with flawed consolidation plans without a

defined policy.

We hope that you will support the efforts of our nation's

professional air traffic control workforce in keeping our

National Airspace System the safest in the world by

supporting this amendment. Vote yes on Hastings-Poe-Filner-

Bono.

Sincerely,

Patrick Forrey,

President.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Just to say, Mr. Chairman, you know there is another component to all of this, and that is that the 16,000 air traffic controllers and the people that work in these modern facilities are overburdened, and I just for the life of me do not understand how we don't understand the dynamics of their work.

And I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Helsinki Commission I rise to introduce a concurrent resolution which addresses the current political uncertainty in Ukraine, a country of strategic importance to the United States. My resolution urges all sides to abide by the agreement signed by Ukraine's leadership on May 27th, providing for a new round of parliamentary elections to be held on September 30th, and encouraging the holding of these elections in a free, fair and transparent manner in keeping with Ukraine's commitments as a participating State of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

I have just returned from Ukraine which hosted the 16th annual Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. While in Kyiv, I met with President Yushchenko and other prominent Ukrainian officials. My colleagues and I received assurances from Kyiv that Ukraine would not backtrack on the path to political reform and good governance.

Ukraine's current political conflict is the result of the ongoing power struggle that President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich have been engaged in since Yanukovich became Prime Minister last August. Rooted in hastily conceived constitutional reforms, the ongoing power struggle threatens to undermine Ukraine's hard-fought and substantial democratic gains, especially those won since the 2004 Orange Revolution.

On April 2nd, President Yushchenko issued a decree dissolving the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, asserting that the Prime Minister was attempting to monopolize power by forming a veto-proof parliamentary majority through illegal means, and called for new parliamentary elections. The parliament refused to disband and questioned the legality of the presidential decree. After several weeks of tension and standoff, violence was averted and an agreement was reached: President Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yanukovich and Parliamentary Speaker Moroz came together in support of holding pre- term parliamentary elections at the end of September.

Madam Speaker, it is important to recognize that Ukraine has made genuine democratic gains since the Orange Revolution. The December 2004 presidential vote was hailed as a stirring example of the triumph of peaceful protest and democratic ideals. Just over a year ago, as head of the OSCE-led International Election Observation Mission to Ukraine, I was pleased to declare that country's parliamentary elections were also free and fair. I am pleased that Ukraine has once again invited the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to observe the September 30 elections. Moreover, Ukraine for the last two years has been designated by Freedom House as a ``free'' country, in contrast to the ``partly free'' assessment it held during its first 13 years of independence.

Nevertheless, democratic institutions and the rule of law in Ukraine are still emerging and lacking in their ability to safeguard democratic gains. It is this fragility, especially the lack of constitutional clarity in delineating the separation of powers that made it possible for the power struggle to ripen into a full-blown political crisis in recent months. However, it is heartening to see that more serious turmoil was averted through careful and constructive dialogue and capped by an agreement involving the country's leading political figures.

First and foremost, my resolution calls for the leadership and political parties of Ukraine to abide by the May 27th agreement and conduct elections as scheduled for September 30th. The dispute between the president and prime minister must be resolved in a manner consistent with Ukraine's democratic values and national interest, and in keeping with its OSCE commitments.

Madam Speaker, prolonged political uncertainties regarding the government's delineation of powers is clearly not in Ukraine's interest, and that nation's political leaders need to stand together in support of free, fair and transparent elections as a way out of the current impasse. While democratic elections will not, in and of themselves, resolve all of the challenges facing Ukraine in strengthening the rule of law and delineating power among the branches of government, they are a critical stepping-stone in Ukraine's democratic consolidation and should serve as a further testament of Ukraine's commitment to a democratic future.

As this resolution underscores, Congress has been a staunch supporter of the development of democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law in Ukraine since the restoration of that nation's independence in 1991. The consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine will further strengthen that country's independence and sovereignty, enhancing Ukraine's aspirations for full integration with the West and serving as a positive model for other former Soviet countries. I urge my colleagues to support this timely resolution as a demonstration of Congress's interest, concern, and support for the Ukrainian people.

Madam Speaker, on July 14, 2007, the Russian Federation lost one of its great leaders, although I am certain he would steadfastly reject such a characterization of himself.

He certainly wasn't a famous political figure, or a wealthy philanthropist, or a brilliant scientist, and his name was rarely found on the pages of the major media. Gennadi Kryuchkov's leadership was in the spiritual realm. He was a courageous and principled leader of the unregistered Evangelical Baptist Church in the Soviet Union in the days when merely sharing one's religious faith with a neighbor could lead to a ``discussion'' at the local police station or the feared KGB office, and actively preaching the Gospel without permission from the government was usually good for a ticket to one of the many forced labor camps that comprised the infamous Gulag.

Born in 1926, Gennadi Kryuchkov came to faith in 1951, and became active in an unregistered congregation of Baptist believers. In 1960, when he felt the officially registered Baptist organization had too deeply compromised itself with Soviet authorities by submitting to repressive new regulations, he became one of the leaders of the Initsiativniki, the unregistered and essentially underground network of congregations that defied Caesar's intrusion into the spiritual realm. Gennadi Kryuchkov became president of the underground church council and the late Georgi Vins was chosen as secretary. In May 1965, Pastor Kryuchkov and Pastor Vins led an open march on Communist Party headquarters in Moscow to protest government restrictions on believers in the Soviet Union.

According to church council statistics, by 1972 the unregistered or ``reform'' Baptist church numbered around 450 congregations and 18,000 members. Another reputable source reported in the mid-1980s that there were 2,000 reform Baptist congregations with approximately 70,000 adult members.

I would add parenthetically that in April 1979 Georgi Vins and four other Soviet dissidents were expelled from the Soviet Union in exchange for two convicted Soviet spies. In August 1985, the Helsinki Commission, of which I am honored to serve currently as Chairman, heard Pastor Vins' dramatic testimony on the plight of the unregistered Baptist church at Congressional hearings in Buffalo, New York, devoted to the subject of Soviet forced labor practices.

Meanwhile, as a result of his determination to preserve the freedom to worship without state interference, Pastor Kryuchkov was arrested and sentenced to three years in labor camp from 1966 to 1969. In 1970, under threat of continued persecution, he went into hiding and spent 20 years working underground, preaching to fellow believers in clandestine gatherings, publishing ``illegal'' religious literature, and staying one step ahead of the KGB.

Only when the chains of religious repression in the Soviet Union were cast off as a result of the new thinking that characterized the government of Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, was Pastor Kryuchkov able to emerge from the shadows and return to his family and loved ones in the Tula Oblast, still fervently preaching the Scriptures and standing fast for separation of church and state.

Madam Speaker, like the Soviet Union itself, the days of cruel religious persecution and militant atheism in Russia are pretty much a thing of the past. But let us not forget the courage and persistence of church leaders like Gennadi Kryuchkov, who, like the ``Remnant'' of Old Testament times, kept the flame of faith of burning during the dark days of persecution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1239, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Reauthorization Act. I introduced this legislation with my good friend, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

The widespread bipartisan support this legislation has received with 67 cosponsors and endorsement by the National Parks Conservation Association has demonstrated that black history is synonymous with American history as life experience shared by all citizens of America.

I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Mr. Don Young of the Natural Resources Committee for bringing this important legislation to the floor, and I would especially like to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), the subcommittee chairman, and his counterpart, Representative Rob Bishop, for their support. And my congratulations to Mrs. McMorris Rodgers on her recent addition to her family and her finding time to come and support this legislation as well.

With passage of this legislation, I hope that the National Park Service will give the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom its due priority with adequate staffing to maintain the growing network. Toward that end, I would also like to thank the staff of the respective committees who helped to expedite this matter.

Mr. Speaker, when I joined my esteemed former colleague, as did many other Members, and the person to whom I am referring is Representative Lou Stokes, in 1998, he led the effort to establish the National Underground Railroad to Freedom. I don't think any of us could have foreseen the emergence of the National Park Service as one of the largest stewards of black history in the United States. Nor could we have predicted the rapidly expanding support and interest for one of the most intriguing multicultural collaborations in the history of our Nation.

The Network to Freedom is a key feature that diversifies engagement in interpretive opportunities of our National Park System. It has grown to 300 programs, sites, and partners in 28 States and the District of Columbia. This network is a national treasure of historic buildings, routes, programs, projects, and museums with thematic connections to the Underground Railroad.

The legislation before us today appropriately adjusts the authorization levels for the Network to Freedom to reflect the growth of interest nationally, and the resulting expansion of opportunities. These adjustments will help to resolve the financial challenges facing the Network to Freedom that include the lack of consistent development grants and administrative support for affiliates.

Mr. Speaker, this bill protects the interpretive interests of our National Park System by providing the necessary support staff and oversight for

the Network to Freedom to exist in perpetuity. It is time to take a stand for the future of our national parks and American history.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill and preserve a vital asset to the history of our Nation, the Underground Railroad.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1239, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Reauthorization Act. I introduced this legislation in February with my good friend Representative Castle of Delaware as one contribution to the celebration of Black History Month.

The widespread bi-partisan support this legislation has received with 67 cosponsors and endorsement by the National Parks Conservation Association has demonstrated that Black history is synonymous with American history as a life experience shared by all citizens of America.

I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Young of the Natural Resources Committee for bringing this important legislation to the floor. I would also like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Grijalva and Representative Rob Bishop for their support and minor adjustments to this legislation to meet the needs of the National Park Service administration. With passage of this legislation, I hope that the National Park Service will give the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom its due priority with adequate staffing to maintain the growing network.

Mr. Speaker, when I joined my esteemed former colleague Representative Louis Stokes in 1998 to establish the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, I do not think we could have foreseen the emergence of the National Park Service as one of the largest stewards of black history in the United Sates. Nor could we have predicted the rapidly expanding support and interest for one of the most intriguing multicultural collaborations in the history of our Nation.

In this polarized historical moment of American politics, remembering the Underground Railroad as a unifying narrative in our history could not be timelier. The sacrifice at the risk of death made by conductors and travelers of the Underground Railroad was an unprecedented contribution to the abolition of slavery. The contributors to this network included the members of the Society of Religious Friends, commonly referred to as the Quakers, as well as other concerned individuals. Thus, the Underground Railroad was one of the first synergistic partnerships that fostered the development of the thriving multicultural society that is the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, the Network to Freedom is a key feature that diversifies engagement in interpretive opportunities of our national park system. It has grown to 300 programs, sites, and partners in 28 states and the District of Columbia. This network is a national treasure of historic buildings, routes, programs, projects, and museums with thematic connections to the Underground Railroad.

The legislation before us today appropriately adjusts authorization levels for the Network to Freedom to reflect the growth of interest nationally and the resulting expansion of opportunities. As a part of a concerted movement to overcome the funding challenges that threaten all national parks, this legislation moderately expands the operating funds of Network to Freedom to an authorization for appropriations up to $2 million and establishes appropriate oversight for grant funds. These adjustments will help to resolve the financial challenges facing the Network to Freedom that include the lack of consistent development grants and administrative support for affiliates.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will protect the interpretive interests of our National Park System by providing the necessary support staff and oversight for the Network to Freedom to exist in perpetuity. It is time to take a stand for the future of our National Parks and American history.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill and join me in preserving a vital asset to the history of our Nation: the Underground Railroad.