Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 377 and ask for its immediate consideration.

For purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman, my good friend from Washington, Representative Hastings. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 377.

Mr. Speaker, as the Clerk just read, this rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1294, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2007. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate in the House, equally divided and controlled by the chairperson and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides something that has been long overdue to six Native American Tribes in Virginia.

After literally centuries of injustice, some 3,175 members of these great tribes will finally gain Federal recognition under this bill. Just like the great Seminole and Micosukee Tribes in south Florida that I am privileged to represent, these six tribes now have the chance to finally receive the proper recognition and respect they rightfully deserve.

Just like the other 562 Federally recognized American Indian tribes in the United States, these tribes will finally have access to basic services, such as child welfare services, adult care and community development, services every one of us in this body take for granted.

Each of these six American Indian tribes descended from the historic tribes that occupied the Virginia coastline in 1607. Their rich history and tradition forever ties them to this land. Over the centuries, they have survived racial hostility and State-sanctioned attempts to stamp out their heritage and cultural identity.

Notwithstanding their ancient bonds to this soil, they continue to walk oppressed among us. The reason for such injustice? Because in the early part of the 19th century, Virginia officials intentionally destroyed the majority of their historical records and artifacts that affirmed the existence of Native Americans in Virginia. Virginia finally recognized them in the 1980s, and it is appropriate and long overdue that Congress is finally following suit.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, Native American tribes, whose land was forcibly taken from them centuries ago, are still struggling for their basic rights and freedoms to this day. I ask, does this story of repression, refusal and repudiation not ring true for so many generations of Americans? Now, it takes acts of Congress to give them the recognition they have long deserved.

Legislation providing Federal recognition for these six tribes, the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Monacan, the Rappahannock and the Mattaponi is today what we seek and what for too long has been denied. I ask again how we reconcile this kind of repression and repudiation.

The Queen of England is in the United States today. Last week, she visited the coastline of Virginia, Jamestown, where many of these people that we seek to get designation for and recognition for today came from, and yet she would not have had an opportunity to see them in their cultural array for the reason that they are not recognized.

Legislation providing Federal recognition for these six tribes has been introduced in both the House and the Senate in every Congress since the 106th, without action. To deny them recognition once more is to perpetuate the tyranny.

The underlying legislation would be a small step in rectifying our Nation's history of suppressing these great people. I am proud to support this rule and the underlying legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 7 minutes to our distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), a member of the Appropriations Committee and a leader in this fight in each of the Congresses that we have spoken of.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute in order to respond to the gentleman.

And what would be wrong with that? I am reminded of the comedian Flip Wilson who said that when Christopher Columbus discovered America, the Native Americans must have been running down to the shoreline saying, ``Discover me.''

Enough already. We have abused these people continuously. We put them on reservations, and now we would stand here in this body and argue that they are not entitled to designation? This particular set of tribes, all six of them, have gone to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and sought recognition there. And since the 106th Congress, we have introduced measures here, whether or not they gamble or didn't gamble.

They gamble in Connecticut, and they gamble in Florida. And this crazy Nation is going to gamble its brains out, but it ain't the Indians' fault. And if it is their fault, then they ought to have that right from what we took from them.

Mr. Speaker, I would inquire of the gentleman from Washington through the Chair if he has any remaining speakers. I'm the last speaker for this side and I'm prepared to reserve until the gentleman has closed.

I would remind my good friend, I have served with him on the Rules Committee in the minority and in the majority, and he is obviously in his statistics not taking into consideration the preprinting requirements that have been offered.

I would also remind you that no one came to the Rules Committee with reference to any amendment as it pertains to this particular matter that was noticed last week that it was going to be up.

And now I yield to my friend.

Reclaiming my time, in closing now, on behalf of the six tribes that I believe we have a great opportunity today to finally bringing closure to their injustice. Indeed, in my view, Congress has a duty to end the suppression and provide these six Native American Indian tribes with recognition long overdue.

Number one, they were not recognized by the Federal Government. And if they didn't exist for a very long time, it was because of the Federal Government. And then when they tried to come back and say that we are going to meet all of these exacting requirements under the petition, who had destroyed their records, the Virginia government had destroyed their record.

What part of that don't you all understand, that these people can't make something out of whole cloth in a situation where their records have been destroyed?

How vicious can one situation be when you destroy the records of individuals and then ask them to corroborate and prove they exist? That is a virtual impossibility.

In this particular case, if there is one group of Native Americans that deserve an exception, and I might add they would be all six of these in light of the fact that systematically at every courthouse in Virginia every one of their records were burned or destroyed, and that was under the aegis of the authority of the Virginia government.

Give these people a break, if no one else. Now they have made it very clear that they do not intend, they forgo the right to gamble. And all things considered, I don't see my colleague from Connecticut and I don't see any colleagues from California and Nevada and me and others from Florida around turning the revenue back that is being produced. The State of Florida, for example, is about the business of trying to come up with better formulas so they can get more of the revenue that is coming into the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes. I suggest to you that Connecticut probably would be near bankrupt if it hadn't been for the Indian tribes and the revenue that comes into that State.

Somewhere along the line when you have taken from people, you ought to at least give them an opportunity to have the playing field level. And we are talking about in this case only 3,175 members, 562 Federal tribes have already been recognized. And yes, Mr. Shays, I think every other one of them ought to be recognized, including my ancestors that are Creek Indians.

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

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1592, The Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

This important legislation is about protecting the fundamental rights of the most vulnerable in our society.

The fact is, hate toward people in our country who are deemed different remains copious and persistent.

What is not fact, however, is the campaign of mistruths right-wing extremists with a megaphone have instigated against this bill. They claim, for instance, that passage of this bill will be used to persecute anti-gay churches. To which I say, I don't know of any pastor or minister who would advocate tying a man to a split-rail fence, beating him brutally, and leaving him to die in the cold of the night for no reason other than he was gay.

This legislation addresses long overdue deficiencies in current federal hate crimes law. It extends protections to even more groups of targeted minorities. And it ensures that when states are unwilling or unable to prosecute hate crimes, justice will be served.

Violent acts committed against a member of a targeted minority do not merely beleaguer the individual. They deprave an entire group and society as a whole by promoting a culture of fear among our diverse communities and perpetuating stereotypes and hate. I have hopes that someday such legislation will no longer be necessary. But the reality is that in this day and age it still is. It is evident in the resurgence of organized white supremacist movements such as the KKK over the past year.

Without the passage of this critical legislation, an alarming amount of hate crime perpetrators around the country will continue to escape punishment under federal law. Such as the assailants who shot frequenters of a gay bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts earlier this year. And the four white male assailants who left Bill Ray, a mentally challenged African American, severely and errantly brain damaged. And the assailants of Michael Sandy, a gay man who was beaten, chased into traffic, hit by a car, and then dragged off the road and attacked a second time.

Until the day comes when there is no need for such legislation, we will continue to have a moral obligation to ensure these victims of hate crimes have access to just recourse.

Madam Speaker, my presence on this floor today is marked by a sad and heavy melancholy over the loss of a friend and dearest colleague. We have lost a good friend, indeed a great friend, in Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald. I wish to extend with deepest sincerity my sympathy and condolences to her family and to her constituents of Long Beach, Compton, and Los Angeles.

It is a common tradition in our society to look past the loss of the physical being in order to best preserve and cherish the personal being. However, the difficulty in this emerges when we constantly find ourselves reveling in the presence of that person as an everyday part of our lives. Congresswoman Millender-McDonald will be so sorely missed. She was and is still a part of our everyday lives. It is hard to fathom the idea that we will never hear her voice again--for her eloquence and passion in speaking, and her unforgettable laughter, will ring in our ears. The strength and tenacity that propelled her through her life's work will continue to inspire us. As we continue our work in her memory, I encourage all of us to remember her as we walk through the hallowed Halls of Congress. If we stop and listen, we will hear her footsteps echo in these great marble corridors.

Juanita's accomplishments and achievements in life were many. But as we mourn the loss of her physical-self, we would do well to remember her compassionate-self, her temperate-self, which encompassed an unfailing dedication to public service. I most humbly thank Congresswoman Millender-McDonald for her being an exemplary public servant. I praise her for her stalwart fight against cancer. At last, I am comforted by the fact that her truly unconquerable soul is yet unvanquished.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend and an original cosponsor of this resolution, Representative Gary Ackerman, for the time.

Let me first say how grateful I am for the bipartisan cooperation and support of many House leaders to ensure that this important legislation was promptly brought to the House floor.

In particular, I thank the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Tom Lantos, a true champion of this issue, and so many others in the international forum. I also thank the ranking member of the committee, and my fellow Floridian, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Both of them were critical in moving this bill forward.

I am also deeply appreciative of the tireless commitment to justice and fairness of the chairman of the Europe Subcommittee, my colleague and very good friend from Florida, Representative Robert Wexler. Representative Wexler not only held a critical hearing on this matter in his subcommittee, but also shepherded the resolution through the full committee.

And of course, I applaud the Republican cosponsor of this bill, my friend, Representative Mark Kirk, for his commitment to this issue. Both of these individuals have been instrumental in bringing this issue to the forefront of the United States Congress.

And, Mr. Speaker, very occasionally we don't mention our young staff people, but Eve Lieberman, in my office, had an awful lot to do with the work on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, appallingly, 62 years after the concentration camps of Europe were liberated, Holocaust survivors, their families and researchers still lack immediate, unfettered access to the Holocaust archives located in Bad Arolsen.

This important legislation follows upon previous efforts I made, with Representatives Wexler and Kirk, to open the archives. Earlier this year, I led bipartisan congressional letters to several European countries urging them to swiftly ratify the agreement to open the archives.

I was also privileged to testify at a hearing on this issue, along with Holocaust Museum experts, the State Department and Holocaust survivors. Since that hearing took place last month, and the letters were penned, I am pleased to report to my colleagues that the United Kingdom and Germany have ratified the treaty.

Indeed, our efforts are paying off. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done.

In our world, filled with anti-Semitism, hate, racial bigotry, xenophobia and religious intolerance, it is imperative to expose the horrors of the Holocaust to all humanity.

When the leader of Iran hosts numerous Holocaust denial conferences, and others in the world attempt to legitimize it, it could not be more important to open these Holocaust archives.

The majority of the member countries of the International Tracing Service have been derelict in their obligations under the amendments to the Bonn Accords which they signed last May. These amendments require full and open access to the archives. Shamefully, it remains unclear when these countries will fulfill their obligations.

If European countries are actually committed to closing this dark chapter in world history and combating modern day anti-Semitism, then they must ratify these amendments immediately.

With every day the archives remain closed, Holocaust survivors who have suffered some of the most unimaginable and tragic horrors and terrors are being forced to suffer even more. It is unconscionable that these individuals are now the ones burdened the most by unwarranted bureaucratic delays.

In passing this legislation, Mr. Speaker, the House is proving its commitment to this issue, and that it is watching the remaining European nations to ensure their expeditious ratification. The short time left for the remaining Holocaust survivors does not afford us time to deprive them of this critical information any longer.

Next month I will attend an anti-Semitism conference in Romania. It will be my great hope that by that time the other countries have ratified this matter.

I thank my friend from New York, Representative Ackerman, for the time.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 302 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida, my friend and cochair of Florida's congressional delegation, Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

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

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 302.

Mr. Speaker, as the Clerk just read, this rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1361, the Relief for Entrepreneurs: Coordination of Objectives and Values for Effective Recovery, or RECOVER, Act of 2007 under a structured rule.

Continuing our ongoing efforts to provide the minority with opportunities to amend and improve legislation on the House floor, the rule also makes in order all three Republican amendments that were submitted to the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, as someone who represents a district which has been victim to countless natural disasters, I have known about the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program for quite some time.

Businesses in the district I am privileged to serve and the district of my good friend Mr. Diaz-Balart and throughout South Florida have relied on this program to sustain themselves during the difficult days, weeks and months following natural disasters. Loans provided under SBA's disaster loan assistance program have, at times, literally kept Florida's economy going.

While I have seen the greatness of this program, Mr. Speaker, I and my constituents have also seen its shortcomings. Indeed, the problems addressed in the underlying legislation, and I commend the Chair's recommendations and their efforts in that regard, but the problems are not new, and they certainly were not created by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita or Wilma. On the contrary, they have manifested for quite some time and have been raised by me and many of my colleagues in Florida over the years.

In Florida, we saw SBA's limitations during the 2004 hurricane season. By no fault of its own, SBA was inundated with loan applications and overwhelmed by the situation. Long delays in application processing and slow disbursements of approved loans led many in my part of the country to question why Congress didn't do anything at the time to increase the Small Business Administration's capacity during disasters.

Although it took the largest disaster of our time for us to open up our eyes, I am pleased that this Congress under this leadership is giving the SBA the tools that it needs to keep America's small businesses in business after a disaster.

The RECOVER Act enhances the SBA's capacity to provide assistance during and after natural disasters. The legislation mandates that the SBA establish and maintain a comprehensive disaster plan which will be overseen by a new associate administrator for disaster assistance.

Using FEMA's citizen volunteer program as its model, the underlying legislation establishes a disaster reserve corps capable of providing the people-power necessary to respond to an influx of SBA loan applications.

The RECOVER Act improves SBA's customer service operation and increases the limit of SBA disaster loans from $1.5 million to $3 million. It also expands the scope of organizations which can qualify for such loans and makes it easier for businesses to pay back their loans.

The bill also requires improved disaster response coordination between the SBA and FEMA. This is a critical, yet unfortunate, requirement of the bill. Critical because coordination during disasters across agency lines is desperately needed; unfortunate, notwithstanding of the fact that these things are going to occur, I am dumbfounded that our agencies aren't already coordinating to the maximum extent possible during disasters.

I have participated in the conversations, sat in the meetings where coordination between agencies is nonexistent during disasters. Turf battles supersede logic, and coordination is a distant memory of the past.

I ask: Why does it take an act of Congress to get Federal agencies to coordinate their efforts when authorization for such coordination already exists? The only turf that matters and should matter during disasters is the turf of the American people.

We have to be in the business of providing our citizens with every available resource to respond to and recover from disasters. The underlying legislation does just that.

I am proud to support this rule and the underlying legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida, our colleague on the Rules Committee, Ms. Castor.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Speaker, if he has any remaining speakers. I am the last speaker for this side.

Then I will reserve my time until the gentleman has closed for his side and yielded back his time.

Mr. Speaker, disasters in this country are not limited to hurricanes or the Southeast. As I was saying yesterday in the Rules Committee, the chairwoman had storms in her district earlier this week, and there is massive drought going on in parts of this country. All of these are disasters and all of these have major SBA implications.

I have lived, and continue to live, in disaster-prone areas, like so many others in Congress and in this country. If our failures of the past have taught us anything, it is that we can no longer be response oriented when it comes to disasters.

Mitigation and planning saves money, saves time, and most importantly, saves lives.

The RECOVER Act creates a comprehensive and universal plan at the SBA for disaster response. It is the first step on this important path to improving the Federal Government's response to disasters.

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

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

The previous question was ordered.

Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce a concurrent resolution which addresses the current political crisis in Ukraine, a country of strategic importance to the United States. My resolution urges all sides to the ongoing impasse to act responsibly and use dialogue to resolve the crisis and ensure a free and democratic system in Ukraine based on the rule of law. I am pleased that Rep. Kaptur, a co-chair of the Ukrainian American Caucus, has joined me as original cosponsor.

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

Exactly 2 weeks ago today, President Yushchenko issued a decree dissolving parliament, asserting that the Prime Minister was attempting to monopolize power, and called for new parliamentary elections for May 27. Parliament has refused to disband and questions the legality of the presidential decree. Ukraine's Constitutional Court is to rule on the legality of the decree and both sides have agreed to abide by the Court's decision. Unfortunately, some of the Court's judges have already complained of threats and pressure, especially from Yanukovich's supporters. Clearly, this is unacceptable and steps have been taken to protect the judges.

Madam Speaker, it is important to note that Ukraine has made real democratic gains since the Orange Revolution. A year ago, as President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I had the privilege of leading the OSCE-Ied International Election Observation Mission to Ukraine's parliamentary elections and the pleasure and profound satisfaction of pronouncing them free and fair. Also, in contrast to the first 13 years of its independence, Ukraine in now designated by Freedom House as a ``free'' country, and not merely ``partly free.'' Nevertheless, despite the progress, there have been missed opportunities and some of the promises of that historic revolution have gone unfulfilled.

Democratic institutions and the rule of law in Ukraine are still emerging and fragile and lacking in their ability to safeguard democratic gains, and it is this weakness that has made it possible for this power struggle to ripen into a full-blown political crisis. First and foremost, my resolution calls for the crisis to be resolved in a manner that adheres to the rule of law consistent with Ukraine's democratic values and national security, in keeping with its OSCE commitments. It is also essential that the dispute is resolved in a peaceful manner. I am encouraged that demonstrations in Kyiv have been peaceful and that all sides to the dispute appear to recognize that any kind of violent conflict would have very negative consequences for Ukraine.

Madam Speaker, prolonged instability is clearly not in Ukraine's interests and that nation's political leaders need to find a transparent way out of the current impasse that all parties will abide by. I hope that responsible dialogue consistent with the rule of law leads to a positive outcome for the Ukrainian people and the democratic path they have chosen.

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. I urge my colleagues to support this timely resolution as a demonstration of Congress' interest, concern, and support for the Ukrainian people.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution condemning in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attacks in Morocco and Algeria.

Often times we forget that we are not the only country or people affected by the scourge of international terrorism. Radical extremists have affected and disrupted the lives of many of our friends and allies all over the world. Daily, we see images and hear stories of blatant, unprovoked, vicious attacks on innocent

men, women and children. Our enemy is not limited to fighting on a military battlefield. Our enemy does not discern its victims on the basis of race, religion or nationality.

The most recent examples of this complete disregard for human life are the attacks occurring this last week in Morocco and Algeria. Not only did the attacks result in several deaths and injuries, but whole communities were devastated and thrown into extreme chaos.

The people and governments of Morocco and Algeria must know that we stand behind them and that America does not condone any act of terrorism, killing several people and devastating communities by the chaos and havoc wreaked by them.

I am pleased my colleague and friend, Representative Michael Rogers from Michigan, has joined me as an original cosponsor of this resolution. I strongly urge our colleagues to support it and urge its swift consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act, a bill I first introduced in the 109th Congress.

Many of us share the belief that the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Katrina was disorganized and inadequate; the Federal Emergency Management Agency--FEMA--was far too slow to arrive and evacuees were left stranded in massive shelters with egregious standard of living violations.

Sixteen months following the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina, more than 13,000 residents who were displaced by the storm were still living in trailers provided by FEMA. Eighteen months after Katrina, half the homes in New Orleans still did not have electricity. FEMA had informed Congress that 60,000 families in Louisiana still live in 240-square-foot trailers--usually at least 3 to a trailer.

Even President Bush realizes the shortcomings of our Federal Government to respond to the immediate and long-term needs of these disaster victims.

As recently as March 1, 2007, President Bush acknowledged that many gulf coast residents remained frustrated with the slowness of rebuilding after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and pledged to continue to help hurricane victims and their communities rebuild.

The sluggish and derisory reaction of our Federal Government to disaster victims affects me personally. In 2004, four hurricanes ravaged my home State of Florida, all of which literally destroyed parts of the counties in my district. In the immediate and long-term aftermath, our communities saw FEMA's shortcomings. Eighteen months after Hurricane

Wilma struck in 2005, citizens are still residing in trailers labeled on the outside ``FEMA.''

The lack of natural disaster preparedness efforts and temporary housing options for disaster stricken citizens has only exacerbated an unbearable situation. Deficient recovery responses have led to elongated recovery rates in my district and across this Nation.

Two main problems--increasing the availability of temporary housing in times of national emergencies and improving training and preparedness for national emergencies--must be resolved to ensure that the humanitarian catastrophe that occurred in the gulf coast and continues to happen today will never occur again.

We have an obligation to better prepare and more adequately respond to the needs of communities hit by natural disasters. We have a responsibility to ensure that the most basic needs of disaster victims are met immediately following the devastation.

It is for this reason that I come to the floor today to introduce the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act. My bill establishes no fewer than six National Emergency Centers spread throughout the United States. The centers would be used, first and foremost, to provide temporary housing, medical and humanitarian assistance, including education, for individuals and families displaced due to an emergency. The centers would also serve as a centralized location for the training and coordination of first responders in the instance of an emergency. In addition, the centers will improve the coordination of preparedness, response and recovery efforts between governments, private, not-for- profit entities and faith-based organizations.

The National Emergency Centers would be located on military bases, with a preference wherever possible for those installations closed during the most recent Base Realignment and Closures--BRAC--round. I am proposing these sites because the necessary infrastructure to house, feed, educate and care for evacuees over an extended period of time is already in place, thus limiting the cost and time needed to construct these facilities.

Madam Speaker, our Nation was not prepared for the disastrous hurricanes that struck Florida and the gulf coast in 2004 or in 2005. The establishment of National Emergency Centers will go a long way to ensuring that our response to national emergencies are not as disastrous as the disasters that created the emergencies in the first place.

I ask for my colleagues' support and urge the House leadership to bring this legislation to the floor for its swift consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution celebrating the 500th anniversary of the first use of the name ``America.'' I am pleased to be introducing this resolution with my good friend from New York, Representative Carolyn Maloney.

Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci was born in 1454 and traveled across the Atlantic Ocean 4 times between 1497 and 1504. During his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere in 1499, he realized the land initially discovered by Christopher Columbus was not India, but in fact a whole new continent.

Eight years later, on April 25, 1507, cartographer Martin Waldseemuller, a member of the research group Gymnasium Vosagense in Saint-Die', France, published the book Cosmographiae Introductio. The book was accompanied by a map he designed naming the new continent ``America'' after Amerigo Vespucci. Incidentally, the only remaining copy of this map is housed in the Library of Congress.

Naming the new continent after Vespucci was a unique and high honor, especially since he was still alive at the time. But Waldseemuller described this decision in the book by writing: ``I see no reason why anyone should justly object to calling this part. . . America, after Amerigo [Vespucci], its discoverer, a man of great ability.''

On April 25, 2007, we will mark the 500th anniversary of the first appearance of the word ``America'' on a map on a continent bordered by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As such, it is fitting that the House take time to honor Amerigio Vespucci, Martin Waldseemuller, and the contributions of so many others who have made us who we are.

In the 21st century, the term ``America'' means much more than just a continent or a country. It is an ideal, a system of values which dedicates itself to ingenuity and greatness. The ability of which Waldseemuller wrote of Vespucci embodies the American spirit and the role which we play in the world. Indeed, we have the ability to make this world a better place for all.

It is my sincere hope that my colleagues will support this effort and join me and Representative Maloney in honoring these two great individuals, the history of our great country and the continent on which it is located. I ask for the support of my colleagues and the swift consideration of this resolution to ensure that the House marks this celebration before the 500th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1433, The District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act.

I want to encourage my colleagues to vote to extend full representation to the District of Columbia as well as to the state of Utah. The District of Columbia has long been recognized as one of the most Democratic jurisdictions in the Nation. Utah, by contrast, gave President Bush his largest margin of victory in the 2004 presidential elections. Extending rights to both sides of the spectrum would be the most politically neutral way to ensure proper and sufficient representation for all of our citizens.

Regarding the residents of the District of Columbia, they have the full burden of Federal taxation and military conscription. These reasons alone should give the residents of the District of Columbia equal voting rights. In addition, voting rights have been extended to overseas voters, as well as to those in Federal enclaves within a State. Fairness and justice demand that Congress do the same for the citizens of the District, who are subjected to all Federal laws.

Madam Speaker, some argue that the Framers never intended to give the District voting rights in Congress. In reality, however, the Founding Fathers never actually spoke about the District's rights because it was little more than a contemplated entity at the time. In fact, Congress has plenary power to address the welfare of the District and its residents.

Another concern voiced by those who oppose the bill claim that the residents of the District will demand more rights. This is not necessarily true. However, if the District were to demand more rights, then it would be strictly a legal question and should therefore be reserved for the courts--not the House--to decide what is permissible and what is not.

The District now has a little over half a million people, which was probably never contemplated by the Framers more than 200 years ago. It is my belief that the Framers of the Constitution would probably not support the idea that citizens of the United States are paying Federal taxes without fair and just representation in Congress.

Madam Speaker, it truly is telling and somewhat shameful when several prominent international groups such as the Organization of American States (OAS), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the U.N.'s Committee on Human Rights have all advocated for DC residents to obtain equal voting rights. Shouldn't we do the same? I think so. I hope the rest of my colleagues share in this belief and vote favorably on the passage of H.R. 1433.

Madam Speaker, 200 years ago, the movement for the abolition of slavery achieved a major victory with the passage of a British law banning the trade in slaves--an anniversary that is getting heightened attention with the release of a new movie chronicling those events. Ending the trade in slaves was not the same as actually ending slavery, but it was a critical beginning to the end.

Other developments have also caused us to revisit the legacy of slavery in our own country. This includes the decision by the legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia to apologize for that state's role in the slave trade, and reports that Maryland and Missouri are considering similar steps.

With a view to our own country's painful and complicated history of slavery, and as the first African-American Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I was particularly interested to learn about commemorations held on February 20th in Romania, marking the beginning of the end of slavery in that country. In the case of Romania, however, slaves were not kidnapped and transported from a faraway land. Instead, those enslaved were Roma, a people that had settled in Romania by the 14th century.

This ethnic group--somewhere around 1,000 years ago--migrated to Europe from what is now India. Today, Roma make up the largest ethnic minority in the European Union, conservatively estimated at 10 million people.

Romania, with an estimated 2 million Roma, has the largest Romani minority on the continent. And in that country, beginning in the 14th century and ending with the establishment of the modern Romanian state in 1864, slavery to the crown, to nobility, and to the monasteries was the exclusive status of Roma.

To be clear, Roma were not serfs; they were slaves, bought and sold like chattel. In 1837, the great Romanian historian and statesman Mihail Kogalniceanu described their situation as follows:

On the streets of the lasi of my youth, I saw human beings wearing chains on their arms and legs, others with iron clamps around their foreheads, and still others with metal collars about their necks. Cruel beatings, and other punishments such as starvation, being hung over smoking fires, solitary imprisonment and being thrown naked into the snow or the frozen rivers, such was the fate of the wretched Tsigan [Rom]. The sacred institution of the family was likewise made a mockery: women were wrested from their men, and daughters from their parents. Children were torn from the breasts of those who brought them into this world, separated from their mothers and fathers and from each other, and sold to different buyers from the four corners of Romania, like cattle. Neither humanity nor religious sentiment, nor even civil law, offered protection for these beings. It was a terrible sight, and one which cried out to Heaven.

Unfortunately, it appears that the history of slavery in Romania--and the impact of slavery on the lives of Roma--has received little scholarly attention. As a corollary, little is taught in Romanian schools about this important chapter in the nation's history.

I was very heartened, therefore, to learn that Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu announced on February 20 that the Romanian Government will establish a commission to study the enslavement of Roma. The National Agency for Roma will play a central role in setting up this commission, and the

commission will produce recommendations for the teaching of Romani history and promoting Romani culture.

Madam Speaker, there is an awful lot of hand wringing about the deplorable situation of Roma today. Across the OSCE region, they face profound discrimination, sometimes manifested in the worst forms of racially motivated violence. Moreover, in 2003, the United Nations Development Program issued a report on the situation in five Central European countries, concluding that, ``by measures ranging from literacy to infant mortality to basic nutrition, most of the region's Roma endure living conditions closer to those of Sub-Saharan Africa than to Europe. ``

But if you want to know where you're going, you have to know where you came from; if we want to change this status quo, we have to understand the past, which makes this new commission vital for Roma.

With respect to Roma, that means three things. First, it means understanding the history of Roma before World War II, and in the case of Romania and Moldova, that requires teaching, studying, and acknowledging the enslavement of Roma. Second, the genocide of Roma during World War II must also be remembered, and more must be done to study and understand the diverse experiences of Roma during the war in different European countries. Finally, we must put an end to the pernicious, dangerous myth that communism was ``good'' for Roma.

With all this in mind, Prime Minister Tariceanu's initiative is really an extremely important step in addressing so many of the problems that Roma face today. I commend him for his leadership and I look forward to following closely the work of this body.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 99, the Fiscal Year 2008 Congressional Budget proposed by my esteemed colleague from South Carolina, the Chairman of the House Budget Committee John Spratt. I would specifically like to commend the hard work and expertise of my colleagues of the House Committee on the Budget that has brought forward this budget that prioritizes education, the environment, agriculture, health care, and positive international relations for the future of our Nation.

I never forget in my work within the walls of this House that I am my brother's keeper. To this end, I am willing to contribute financially what is necessary to complete that task. All citizens of America must take ownership of the vital services, which require Federal funding to maintain.

Mr. Chairman, every day in the House Rules Committee, Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle propose legislation that has financial implications. I hear about necessary programs for veterans affairs, education, alternative energy development, health care, and every other possible issue, all of which cost money to implement. Interestingly, though not surprisingly, no one ever comes to Committee talking about giving money back to pay for their requests. You see, it costs money to provide the necessary services and infrastructure to our constituents. But it is clear that Republican opponents of Chairman Spratt's budget are not willing to pay.

The Fiscal Year 2008 Democratic budget is fiscally responsible in its projections for revenue generation and ability to pay for necessary services for our constituents. While we may have inherited an economic mess from the former Republican majority, this budget will repair the damage inflicted to our economy and provide for a budget surplus by 2012. It is fiscally sound and domestically and internationally responsible.

Mr. Chairman, the House today has an opportunity to consider an alternative budget offered by the Congressional Black Caucus.

While I wholeheartedly support the budget prepared by Chairman Spratt, I would also like to express strong support for the Congressional Black Caucus Alternative Budget brought forth by my friend Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia. I commend Congressman Scott and my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus for their work on this budget.

The Congressional Black Caucus Alternative Budget meets a stringent test of fiscal responsibility by providing for a budget surplus of $141 billion in Fiscal Year 2012 while funding even more national priorities. More specifically, under Function 300: Natural Resources and the Environment, this budget allocates over $1 billion more than Chairman Spratt's budget for Hurricane Katrina recovery, environmental justice, and national parks. Another key feature of this budget is that it funds the State Children's Health Insurance Program at a level that will provide insurance for every uninsured child in America.

Mr. Chairman, I could speak for quite some time about the phenomenal features of the Congressional Black Caucus Alternative Budget. I hope that all of my colleagues in this Congress recognize its innovation and merit as another possible means to overcome the budgetary challenges that were exacerbated by the former Republican majority. Both the Democratic and Congressional Black Caucus budgets are common sense solutions to the difficult financial situation with which we have been forced to deal. I urge my colleagues to support both plans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the ``Pollinator Protection Act.'' This legislation reflects my deep concern for the future of agriculture in this country by authorizing funding to confront the drastic decline of North American pollinators.

Madam Speaker, an alarming number of honey bee colonies have experienced irregular die offs throughout the United States in recent years. This phenomenon has been recently termed ``Colony Collapse Disorder'' because of its lack of recognizable underlying cause. This legislation that I introduce today will prioritize addressing Colony Collapse Disorder to protect the viability of American farmers.

This legislation is crucial because the security of food production is in jeopardy when there is a threat to the lives of honey bees. These little pollinators are a keystone species in their responsibility for the pollination of one-third of the crops that we consume. More specifically, pollination by honey bees promotes

healthy growth and adds over $15 billion annually to the value of U.S. crops.

Madam Speaker, the number of honey bee colonies throughout North America has gradually declined in recent decades due to parasites, pathogens, toxins and a host of other environmental factors. However, this rate of decline has increased significantly with the emergence of Colony Collapse Disorder. If the current rate of decline continues, the United States will be forced to rely more heavily on imported foods. This destabilization of American food security would have adverse effects on the availability, price, and quality of the many fruits, vegetables, and other products that depend on animal pollination.

I am proud of the vibrant variety of produce and citrus my district contributes to our Nation's food supply. However, this is an issue that not only impacts Floridians, but all citizens throughout this Nation. This is why I am honored that the Florida Department of Agriculture has contributed significantly to addressing Colony Collapse Disorder through the work of Jerry Hayes, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection. Mr. Hayes has contributed significantly to the Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group and I commend his effort along with those of his colleagues at the Pennsylvania State University, the United States Department of Agriculture--Agricultural Research Service, Bee Alert Technology, Inc., North Carolina State University, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Madam Speaker, it is necessary to provide funding to sustain the vital research of the Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group and the United States Department of Agriculture. As a former member of the Committee on Science and a graduate of Fisk University with an undergraduate degree in Zoology, I understand the value of their critical research. More specifically, this legislation will authorize immediate funding for laboratories conducting agricultural research at United States Department of Agriculture facilities as well as a reserve of $10,000,000 for cooperative state research, education, and extension service grants to conduct relevant research to protect American agriculture. This legislation also authorizes $5,250,000 over five years to conduct research specifically on Colony Collapse Disorder in the many affected States.

Madam Speaker, it is vital that this Congress takes on the task of supporting the work of the Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group. I would like to commend my colleague Chairman Cardoza of the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture for taking up this charge by calling for a hearing on ``Honey Bee Decline'' this upcoming Thursday, March 29, 2007. I hope that the Pollinator Protection Act that I introduce today will aid in this cause and urge this Congress to prioritize this effort. I look forward to working with Chairman Cardoza on this issue and offer my utmost support for restoring stability to honey bee pollinated agriculture in this great Nation.

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

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 269 and ask for its immediate consideration.

For purposes 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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have up to 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 269.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 269 provides for consideration of H.R. 835, the Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2007, a closed rule providing 1 hour of general debate in the House, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services.

The rule waives all points of order against the bill and against its consideration except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that the bill shall be considered as read. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Mr. Speaker, I do not intend to speak very long about this legislation other than to express my sincere hope that this body will move forward expeditiously with its passage.

As my colleagues know, the Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act was placed on the Suspension Calendar last week after being unanimously voted out of the Committee on Financial Services by a voice vote. It was our hope, and the hope of so many Native Hawaiians, that the House would support it with as much enthusiasm as did the committee of jurisdiction.

Unfortunately, as we all now know, there are some in this body who believe that it is in their best interest to create a partisan divide where no such division should exist. They have in my opinion falsely accused my friends and representatives from Hawaii of ulterior motives, and in doing so, have delayed justice and fairness to some of our most loyal citizens.

Contrary to the false accusation made by its opponents, this bill is not a bill aimed at achieving Native American status for Native Hawaiians, no matter how important that issue may be.

This bill provides low-income Native Hawaiians access to the American Dream. They, just like all of us in this body, have had at one point in our lives a dream to own a home. This bill brings them one step closer to realizing that dream.

Shame on those who continue to paint this bill as anything other than what it is.

I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation which is so critically needed.

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

I will be the last speaker on my side.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time until the gentleman has closed for his side and has yielded back his time.

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

I appreciate very much my friend's attitude with reference to this matter and his suggestion that he would accept the representation of our two colleagues from Hawaii as well as me and other members of the Rules Committee.

I would also urge that your concerns, albeit, I believe, likely to be taken care of on another day, have been addressed by the committee that reported this out unanimously, meaning the Republicans and the Democrats on the relevant committee voted this matter out.

I would also urge that the Hawaiian State legislature has indicated that there are no intentions at all to seek any special status; and the Governor of Hawaii, who is a Republican also, has made it clear that no special status is sought.

Toward that end, it would seem to me that this matter, having been supported, had the enjoyment of the support of 262 Members last week, and that is a total that I hope we will reach today, because this legislation is desperately needed. This is an issue of fairness and access.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this appropriate rule and the underlying legislation and to clearly understand that it has nothing to do with citizenship and everything to do with housing.

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, may I inquire as to whether or not my friend from Texas is going to manage all the time on this rule.