Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a Resolution expressing the sense of Congress, and, I believe, of the American people, that every American have the opportunity to enter the Supreme Court through its main entrance, as they have been permitted to do since the building first opened.

Our founders vested the Supreme Court with the judicial power of our nation, and gave it the charge to dispense justice. Since 1935, visitors have climbed the marble steps of the Supreme Court and entered the nation's temple of justice through its main entrance, under the words ``Equal Justice Under Law.'' Chief Justice John Roberts, during his confirmation hearing, described the ``lump in his throat'' that formed every time he walked up those marble steps and through that main entrance.

Millions of Americans and visitors from around the world have stepped through those doors to watch the Court work in openness, and to pay tribute to a nation not of men, but of laws.

On May 3, 2010, Chief Justice Roberts announced that the Supreme Court would no longer allow visitors to enter through the main doors of the Supreme Court, closing the main entrance for the first time in nearly 75 years.

Justice Stephen Breyer, joined by Justice Ginsberg, expressed his concern about the closure, stating, ``To many members of the public, this Court's main entrance and front steps are not only a means to, but also a metaphor for, access to the Court itself.''

I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in sending a clear message that access to this most vital symbol of transparency and openness should not be restricted.

Madam Speaker, I have grave concerns about the legislation before the House to provide $37.1 billion for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our total war spending in Iraq and Afghanistan including the funding provided by this bill will exceed $1 trillion. Yet this spending comes without a viable exit strategy for the conflict in Afghanistan which is the longest war in our nation's history.

The recent publication of tens of thousands of leaked field reports on Afghanistan confirm what we already know: Our continued troop presence is alienating the local population, corruption is rampant in the Afghan government, the Taliban population is stronger than ever, and our Pakistani partners are unreliable at best.

Afghanistan is known as the graveyard of empires for a reason. No one since Ghengis Khan--not Alexander the Great, not the Persians, not the Ottomans, not the British, nor the Soviets--has been able to succeed in this troubled country. Some have said the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result. We should learn from those who came before us.

Madam Speaker, without an exit strategy, approving billions more of hard-earned taxpayer dollars for the war in Afghanistan is difficult enough to justify. But this cost pales in comparison to the loss of American lives. June

was the deadliest month in the war thus far, when 102 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice.

It is also hard to justify supporting this legislation with billions more for war when the Senate stripped out $10 billion for an Education Jobs fund that the House provided to help our school districts retain and develop their teaching workforce. I cannot cast a vote for war funding when we can't find the resources to invest in our schools and students.

Most importantly, the President said our mission in Afghanistan must be definable and winnable. I believe it is neither, and I will vote against funding for it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, voting for it in the Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee and in the full Energy and Commerce Committee. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting for it today.

Today is a historic day. It is the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act, ADA. Twenty years and one day ago, individuals with disabilities did not enjoy the same access to employment, education, or basic services as other Americans. The ADA changed that forever. Our workplaces, schools, buildings, and sidewalks offer safe and fair access for Americans with disabilities, where for too long they had none.

In the 20 years the ADA has been the law of the land, our country has seen significant change. Much of that change has been driven by the high-tech innovators in my Congressional District, the heart of Silicon Valley. In 1990 a supercomputer that would fill a building the size of a warehouse can now fit in the palm of a hand. We can now watch our favorite television shows outside, on an airplane, or in a coffee shop on our computers. Businesses can allow their employees to collaborate face-to-face from offices thousands of miles apart. Communications and video technology have become truly integral aspects of our everyday lives.

Unfortunately, not all Americans have been able to take full advantage of these innovations in technology. By passing the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act today, we will change this.

Working to address the needs of individuals with vision, hearing, and other disabilities by updating communications laws last revised in 1996, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act makes technology and telecommunications devices and services accessible to everyone.

I commend the author of this legislation, Representative Ed Markey, for his leadership and advocacy on behalf of the disabilities community. On this historic day, I'm proud to support this legislation that will ensure no one is left behind.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of a distinguished woman, Katherine Joanne Hughes, known to all as Jody, who died peacefully surrounded by her children on June 13, 2010, at the age of 81.

Jody Hughes was born in Washington D.C. to William A. Smith, Jr. and Lillian V. Lamb. She attended Immaculata High School and graduated from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Until his death in 2005, she was the wife of Paul E. 'Ed' Hughes for 54 years and they were the proud parents of five children: Mary Hughes and her husband, Senator S. Joseph Simitian, Jr. of California, Paul, K.C. (John), John (Kelly), and Mark (Judy), and grandchildren Ian, Tucker, and Lily Halpern and K.C., Dean, Madeline, and Ted Hughes.

Jody Hughes was an extraordinary and inspirational mother, and was devoted to her community and always available for those in need. She was a speech therapist and an advocate for children and Chaired the Governor's Advisory Commission on the Needs of Exceptional Children. She worked with the Little Sisters of the Poor to provide outdoor experiences for underprivileged children and served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine Catholic Parish in Wilmington, Delaware.

Jody Hughes retired to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, where she joined the Board of Hope Harbor Home, a shelter for women. She established several resale shops to support the shelter, and founded a library that bears her name. She served on the Board of the Ingram Planetarium and was a North Carolina Governor's Award Nominee for Outstanding Volunteer Service in 1999. Jody enjoyed needlework and she loved the theater. She directed several youth casts for One Act play contests, often volunteered as a makeup artist, and served as Mistress of Ceremonies for charity fashion shows.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest sympathies to the family of Jody Hughes for a life lived so well as a loving wife, an exceptional mother, and as a caring human being who served so many. She was a great and good woman whom I had the privilege to meet, and we honor her for making her community better and our country stronger.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of a learned and distinguished priest, Father Paul Locatelli, S.J., who died at the age of 71 on the morning of July 12, 2010.

Father Locatelli was respected by all who knew him. An alumnus of Santa Clara University, he served the University he loved as its 27th President for 20 years. After the Presidency, he was named Chancellor. He then was appointed Secretary for Jesuit Higher Education for the Society of Jesus in Rome, a position he held until his death.

Father Locatelli was raised in Boulder Creek, California, and served in the U.S. Army after graduation from Santa Clara in 1960. Later, he joined the Society of Jesus and was ordained in 1974. He earned a doctorate in Business Administration at the University of Southern California and a Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, where his work focused on ethics and values in contemporary society. Before becoming President of Santa Clara, he was its Academic Vice President and Associate Dean of Business, and was a member of the faculty in the Accounting Department.

The day Father Locatelli died, the Washington Post had a feature article about how today's college presidents were trying to find new ways to bond more with their students. The reporters didn't know Father Locatelli, but if they did, they would have found someone who was ahead of his time--an extraordinary university president who for years had developed relationships with students at Santa Clara University. He was eminently approachable, possessed a big heart, and had a genuine interest in every student's well-being.

His deep love for Santa Clara shone through in all he did, and his wisdom and erudition were widely known. The University flourished under his leadership, becoming one of the best Jesuit universities in America. Under his leadership the Alameda de las Pulgas was rerouted, more than 19 buildings and sports centers were built or renovated, and the endowment grew from $77 million to more than $700 million.

Father Locatelli was a remarkable Jesuit priest who had the rare ability to reach both the older members and the younger members of his order, the Society of Jesus -- and was respected and admired by both. One Jesuit rector in Rome called him ``a man of vision with a welcoming spirit.'' He was also a priest of deep and abiding faith. His faith included an adamant belief that ``Catholics should feel free to vote as they deem in the best interest of the nation and world.'' He lamented those bishops who speak for the unborn but ``turn Catholicism and morality into a single political or moral issue and some threaten to withhold communion from politicians.''

He had empathy for those who questioned God's compassion but counseled them that faith and compassion were needed most when times were difficult. In his widely quoted and poignant words of September 11, 2001, he said that ``For persons of faith, and to be sure, we are all people of weak and troubled faith today, there is a great need to trust that the God of life is more powerful than all the forces of death. There is also need for forbearance and forgiveness. If we do not trust in God and do not imitate God's mercy then evil will not be overcome by good. Just the opposite will happen, evil will have spread to us, generating despair and vengeance. And that will mean that evil will have overcome good.''

Father Locatelli -- who was a great cook and an avid runner -- was busy making plans for his 60th Santa Clara Reunion when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. His reunion will go on, and his classmates, including CIA Director Leon Panetta will attend and speak, but there most certainly will be a deep hole in their midst.

Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Father Locatelli's family and to the entire Jesuit community. We honor his memory and the life he lived so well in extraordinary service to others. He made a difference in the lives of thousands of students and was a beloved counselor to me and many others. Father Locatelli will always be remembered as one who deepened our faith, who was a shining star amongst Jesuits as a superb educator and leader, who strengthened our entire community with his wisdom and leadership, and a man who loved his country and served it exceedingly well with his compassionate patriotism. God has prepared a high place in heaven for this extraordinary, holy and humble man.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvements Act of 2009. I supported this legislation when it came to the House floor earlier this year, and I intend to vote in favor of it again today.

Technology plays an integral role in how our entire country works today. It has made workplace communication more efficient. It has eliminated borders across the globe to allow every aspect of the U.S. economy to flourish. It permits our first responders to stay connected during times of emergency and natural disasters. So many in the workforce already take advantage of the benefits of technology and the federal government should be able to as well.

The Telework Improvements Act will define telework for all federal agencies and establish a policy that authorizes employees to telework. This legislation will reduce the numbers of cars on the road, attract more talent to the federal workforce, and save taxpayer dollars over the long-term.

As a Member of the Intelligence Committee, I'm also pleased this legislation places a priority on ensuring the security of government information. We know all too well the dangers of data breaches, viruses, and cyberattacks to sensitive government information. H.R. 1722 requires the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination with the National Institute on Standards and Technology to issue guidelines for information and security protections for telework.

I applaud the work of Representative Sarbanes on this legislation and I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvements Act of 2009.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4173, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This landmark legislation is one of the most critical bills I will vote for in Congress. The bill will protect the American people so they are never again victimized by Wall Street's reckless behavior which brought our economy to its knees, wreaking havoc across the country with over 8 million jobs lost and a $17 trillion loss in net worth. It makes the most sweeping and comprehensive reforms to our financial system since the Great Depression.

The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act:

Ends taxpayer-funded bailouts because of Wall Street's risky decisions and greed: The legislation clearly states that taxpayers will bear no cost for liquidating large, interconnected financial companies;

Protects families and small businesses from abusive lending practices: The legislation creates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that will ensure bank loans, mortgages, and credit card agreements are fair, affordable, understandable, and transparent;

Stops banks from becoming ``too big to fail'': The legislation creates the Financial Stability Oversight Council which is charged with identifying and responding to emerging risks throughout the financial system. The Council will make recommendations to the Federal Reserve for increasingly strict rules for capital, leverage, liquidity, risk management and other requirements as companies grow in size and complexity, with significant requirements on companies that pose risks to the financial system;

Eliminates grave threats to financial stability in the U.S.: The Financial Stability Oversight Council can also break up large, complex companies by requiring them to divest some of their holdings--but only as a last resort;

Requires hedge funds and private equity funds to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will have more enforcement power and funding;

Eliminates excessively risky practices that led to the financial collapse: The bill enhances oversight and transparency for credit rating agencies;

Limits bank executive and CEO risky pay practices: The bill addresses egregious executive compensation that jeopardizes the safety and soundness of banks. It also allows a ``say on pay'' for shareholders, requiring independent directors on compensation committees;

Assists minority-owned and women-owned businesses: The bill establishes an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion at federal banking and securities regulatory agencies that will, among other things, address employment and contracting diversity matters. The office will coordinate technical assistance to and seek diversity in the workforce of the regulators;

Prevents predatory mortgage lending: The bill requires lenders to ensure a borrower's ability to repay, prohibits unfair lending practices, establishes penalties for irresponsible lending, expands consumer protections for high-cost mortgages, requires additional disclosures for consumers on mortgages, and provides housing counseling.

We are on the verge of making history today as we prepare to vote for the most sweeping financial reform legislation in decades. I'm very proud to strongly support this bill and urge every colleague to do so as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight the critical role of venture capital in creating jobs and growing companies. Specifically, I would like to raise the issue of the Volcker Rule and the unintended effect it may have on this type of investment.

I strongly support and will vote for H.R. 4173, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the inclusion of a strong and effective Volcker Rule.

The purpose of the Volcker Rule is to eliminate risk-taking activities by banks and their affiliates while at the same time preserving safe, sound investment activities that serve the public interest. We have specifically barred bank investment in hedge funds and private equity for that reason.

Venture capital funds do not pose the same risk to the health of the financial system. They promote the public interest by funding growing companies critical to spurring innovation, job creation, and economic competitiveness. The funds typically invest primarily or exclusively in private companies and are significantly smaller.

I expect the regulators to use the broad authority in the Volcker Rule wisely and clarify that funds that invest in technology startup companies, such as venture capital funds, are not captured under the Volcker Rule and fall outside the definition of ``private equity funds''.

This clarification will ensure the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act does not stop venture capital from providing a critical source of capital for startup technology companies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to state how I will vote on the war in Afghanistan and why.

Today Congress considers whether to continue funding operations in Afghanistan, and as we do, we must scrutinize the policy, the price being paid, and the outcomes for our national security. This is a deeply profound examination and its outcome will decide life or death for some of our troops.

It's hard to believe that the eighteen year olds who enlist today to fight and die in Afghanistan were in fourth grade when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked in 2001. Now it is 2010. This conflict is now the longest war in our nation's history and it has been accompanied by tragic loss of American lives and those of innocent civilians.

The history of Afghanistan is instructive. It is called the graveyard of empires for a reason. No one since Ghengis Khan has been able to hold the country--not Alexander the Great, not the Persians, not the Ottomans, not the British, not the Russians. It's said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We should learn from the examples of those who preceded us in Afghanistan.

President Obama told the troops that the mission must be definable and it must be winnable. I believe it is neither.

We are losing more and more precious lives--102 in June alone. And every month security has not improved after $300 billion in military spending and more than 1,000 American lives lost.

We have a corrupt partner with the Karzai regime and when the Afghan people see the U.S. supporting their government, they believe we have taken one side in their own civil war. No counter insurgency effort has succeeded when the partner is corrupt. If the Afghans don't want us there, and do not wish to protect their own towns and villages, no amount of armies and firepower can change this dynamic.

I applaud the work our troops have done in disrupting Al Qaeda, and the risks they have taken to prevent terrorist attacks here at home. According to the CIA Director, Al Qaeda is down to 50 to 100 operatives in Afghanistan. We have achieved our goals, and we should leave before our continued presence unites the other insurgent groups in the region against us.

I have tremendous respect for the men and women--civilian and military--who are risking their lives every day in Afghanistan. I have met them, and I am impressed by their selfless dedication to the mission and belief in the cause.

The President's strategy is not succeeding, and rather than ask Americans to put their lives on the line for another eighteen months for what has become an impossible task, I will vote for Congressman McGovern's amendment to require a withdrawal plan by April 2011 and end this war.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jennie Mirza Eshoo who will celebrate her 95th birthday on July 17, 2010.

Jennie Eshoo was born Jennie Katherine Mirza on July 17, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois to Agase B. Mirza and Martha Alaverdy Mirza. She is the eldest of seven siblings: Julia Alexander, Elsie Eshoo, the late Esther Aziz, Alice Maupin, Sam Mirza, and Bill Mirza. She graduated from Waller High School in Chicago in 1934 and on September 22nd of that year she married Paul Eshoo.

Jennie and Paul Eshoo moved from Chicago to Turlock, California where they raised four children on the family farm, growing grapes and walnuts and tending their laying hens: Peter, George, Agnes and Alice. They were active in the Assyrian-American community and Paul was a founder of the Turlock Assyrian American Civic Club. Jennie has been a charter member of the Turlock Assyrian American Civic Club since 1946.

Jennie is a devoted member of St. John's Presbyterian Church and its oldest member. She has been a Church Elder for 37 years and served as Clerk of the Session from 1973 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1986. She also served on Presbyterian Ethnic Concerns as a delegate and as their Treasurer from 1973 to 2006.

Jennie Mirza Eshoo is known throughout the community for her generosity and helpfulness to so many and volunteered at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock for 32 years. From 1966 to 1971, she worked at California State University Stanislaus and was a kindergarten teacher's aide at Crowell Elementary School from 1974 to 1986. Jennie has an abiding love of democracy and served as a faithful election polling supervisor for Stanislaus County from 1987 to 2005.

Jennie is an avid reader whose taste ranges from National Geographic to the latest novels. She loves to travel and on her two trips to Israel in 1980 and 1984, relished visiting in person the sites she has ``visited'' in the Bible and other readings. Jennie still drives her own car which provides her convenient transportation for shopping as well as attending church services.

Jennie is the matriarch of a large and loving family. In addition to her four children, she has eight grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren. Her grandchildren are Lisa Brown, Lori Hill, Cherie Thompson, Christine Benjamin Nedved, Michelle Benjamin Eldridge, Annelise Martella, Karen Eshoo and Paul Eshoo. Her great-grandchildren are Amanda and Emily Brown, Madison and Jacob Eldridge, Cory Hill, Katherine and Jacqueline Nedved, and Peter Thompson.

Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to honor Jennie Mirza Eshoo as she celebrates her 95th birthday. I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me, her family and her many friends in saluting her as she celebrates this extraordinary milestone and thank her for her decades of contributions to the Turlock community, her lifetime of love for her family, and her unswerving patriotism and love of our country.

Mr. Speaker, today marks the 10th anniversary of the enactment of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. I rise in support of designating today as ``National ESIGN Day'' and commend Mr. McDermott for bringing this resolution to the Floor.

Ten years ago the thought of filing your taxes electronically, renewing your drivers license, and filling out a mortgage application on your computer was one that many feared. There was uncertainty about the security of the transaction and how to verify who was on each end of the keyboard. We recognized then that we needed rules of the road that would guide us into the information society. We needed to create trust in this emerging technology called the ``internet'' if it was going to grow into what we hoped would be at least a new and efficient way to do business electronically in both the public and private sector.

We stood at a crossroads ten years ago. We needed to eliminate obsolete barriers to electronic commerce such as undue pen and paper requirements and other practices that slowed down innovation. In March of 1999 I introduced the H.R. 1320, the Millennium Digital Commerce Act because I recognized that the growth of electronic commerce and electronic government transactions represented a powerful force for economic growth, consumer choice, improved civic participation, and wealth creation.

Less than a year later, in January of 2000, the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act was signed into law.

As the information and innovation society is now fully integrated into almost every aspect of our lives, we stand here today to look back over the last ten years. Electronic commerce is now the driving force of our global economy. The level of confidence in the internet and the innovative tools it has created continues to grow. As we stood at that intersection ten years ago, we took our country and our consumers in the right direction.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 290 designating June 30th as ``National ESIGN Day.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of a distinguished Californian, Trish Lowrey Hooper, a longtime resident of the 14th Congressional District, who died after a fall on Thursday, June 3, 2010. She lived 87 full, productive, and compassion- filled years.

Trish Hooper was a devoted wife, a loving mother, intrepid traveler, painter, writer, and passionate American who worked tirelessly for justice, women's rights, and democratic values. As a child she lived in New Jersey, California, and Hawaii, and was a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College.

Trish Hooper had a great sense of joie de vivre. She was fascinated by everything and fascinating to be with. She married John Hooper, an attorney, and they spent the years of World War II on military bases. On returning to San Francisco, John Hooper practiced law and Trish raised their four children. In a characteristic action, she, John, and the children traveled by freighter to France in 1957, where they spent ten years with John working with NATO and she coping with the challenges of raising children in houses in Paris, Switzerland and Italy. She wrote charmingly of these European years in her memoirs.

In 1967, Trish and John Hooper moved to Woodside and immersed themselves in local issues. They worked tirelessly with the candidate who would later be their son-in-law, Paul N. ``Pete'' McCloskey, in his successful campaign to represent the people of the Mid-Peninsula area in the United States Congress.

Trish Hooper could prick the conscience of a community with her powerful thoughts and her pen. She had a conscience, she had integrity, and she had a magnificent mind. She went toe-to-toe with people and their ideas, always maintaining a level of civility and dignity while doing so. She always had the last word because her words were so powerful. She could move an individual with a paragraph, writing scores of powerful Letters to the Editors of newspapers and magazines across the country. Her work improved the editorial pages of local papers as well as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, and Newsweek. She wrote three volumes of memoirs and illustrated them with her own paintings. Her watercolors helped raise money for causes she loved, including animal welfare, death with dignity, and freedom of choice for women.

One of her most recent letters was published in the Almanac, a venerable weekly published on the San Francisco Peninsula, on May 12, 2010. In this letter she excoriated Arizona's new immigration law. She wrote that ``this new law increases the underlying racism which seems to have replaced the message held with such pride by the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France: `give me your tired, you poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free . . . I lift my lamp beside the golden door.'

The message of `freedom, democracy, and international friendship' is put aside as this vaunted compassionate country loses its bearings. Urged on by hate-mongers and the shrill voice of `Gotcha!' plus cries of `down with government,' we're teetering on the brink of a new brand of isolationism.''

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Trish Hooper's daughters Margo Hooper and Helen Hooper McCloskey, her sons John C. Hooper and Lawrence Hooper, her sister Helen Virginia Brown, her brother Charles F.

Lowrey, and her five grandchildren. We honor the memory of Trish Hooper for the life she lived so well and for her extraordinary service to our Nation. She was a force of nature and will be sorely missed and never forgotten by anyone who was privileged to know her. Trish made our community better and our country stronger. Her brand of citizenship stands as the highest standard for all of us to emulate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2194, the Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act. This bill will impose an array of tough new economic penalties aimed at persuading Iran to change its conduct. This act would levy sanctions against business entities involved in refined petroleum sales to Iran and Iran's domestic refining efforts.

It would also impose sanctions against international banking institutions involved with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has a destabilizing effect throughout the region. Most importantly, it would punish against entities involved in Iran's illicit nuclear program or its support for terrorism.

This conference agreement is an improvement over the version I supported last December by supplementing energy sanctions with an additional, powerful set of banking prohibitions.

This legislation complements sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council earlier this month. The UN Resolution demanded that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment activity, and requires Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and provide inspectors access without delay to all sites, people and documents that they request. It also strengthens an arms embargo and imposes new sanctions on banks and Revolutionary Guard activities. Just this week, Iran has indicated its refusal to abide by the UN sanctions by refusing to give access to IAEA inspectors.

I am deeply concerned about the Iranian regime's lack of transparency about its nuclear program and intentions. While sources disagree about the length of time it might take Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, the destabilizing effects that action would cause are unacceptable.

As we consider ways to hold the Iranian regime accountable, we must be wary that poorly-crafted sanctions can harm the often-powerless Iranian people. We must punish their leaders, not the people in Iran, many of whom want democracy. I believe that this legislation strikes the appropriate balance. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, as we work to turn the economy around it is imperative that we continue to support the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) which has played a critical role in stabilizing the nation's housing market.

It was not too long ago that we saw unscrupulous mortgage lending practices that caused hundreds of thousands of Americans to lose their homes. Thankfully, we're beginning to see a decline in foreclosures rates. In May, we saw a 3 percent decrease in rates and in April we saw a 9 percent decrease. We must ensure this declining foreclosure rate trend continues and reforming the FHA is essential in doing so.

The legislation, H.R. 5072, the FHA Reform Act, strengthens the FHA while allowing access to safe, affordable financing by responsible borrowers. The bill provides the FHA with the authority to manage annual mortgage insurance premiums. It also provides significant safeguards against dishonest lending practices that are hidden from homebuyers.

As the economy recovers, our nation's consumers are beginning to regain confidence in the housing market. We must demonstrate to these consumers that they can once again trust lenders. Providing the FHA with more authority over mortgages and lending is necessary for the recovery of not only the real estate market, but for the economy as a whole.

I regret that an obligation in my District kept me from voting for this legislation, but had I been present, I would have been proud to vote in support of the bill.

Madam Speaker, I was not present during rollcall vote Nos. 347-354 on June 10th. I would have voted as follows: On rollcall vote No. 347 I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 348 I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall vote No. 349 I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall vote No. 350 I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall vote No. 351 I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 352 I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 353 I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 354 I would have voted ``yes.''