Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the World Harmony Foundation and the launching of their Global Recycling for Peace and Harmony program to create Harmony Bells for Peace.

The World Harmony Foundation is dedicated to building cultures of peace with sustainable environments. Through their Global Leadership Initiatives with Global Recycling for Peace and Harmony program they will bring together heads of state, parliamentarians, mayors, and community leaders with students and educators worldwide to work in partnership in building cultures of peace for generations to come.

The first Harmony Bell for Peace, which is here today on Capitol Hill to be rung for peace, was at the United Nations for its 60th anniversary ceremony and celebration on October 24, 2005, in honor of the theme ``A Time for Renewal.'' Secretary General Kofi Annan was the first person to officially ring the Harmony Bell during the ceremony followed by His Excellency Mr. Jan Eliasson. The Harmony Bell for Peace can be rung by all people from all walks of life that make their commitments to building cultures of peace with sustainable environments for all. A moment of silence will be held today when the bell is rung.

The World Harmony Foundation designed the Harmony Bell for Peace with the word ``Harmony'' appearing around the center in the six official languages of the United Nations with elements of nature. This first Harmony Bell was made with ammunition donated by the Chinese military and recycled scrap metal collected and donated by school children.

Future Harmony Bells for Peace will be made from metal and decommissioned shredded guns donated by heads of state, parliamentarians, mayors, and community leaders who are making their own commitments to peace. These materials will be combined with the recycled scrap metal collected and donated by students in schools around the world that also have curriculums on peace and environmental studies to the Global Recycling for Peace and Harmony program of the World Harmony Foundation.

The Harmony Bells for Peace created from this program will travel as Ambassadors of Peace and inspire people in communities around the world. Later, they will be donated to schools, civic centers, and hospitals.

I thank Mr. Frank Liu, President of the World Harmony Foundation and Ms. Margo LaZaro, CEO of the World Harmony Foundation, for creating this program. I also want to thank all of their sponsors and supporters for encouraging and supporting this important organization and the valuable contributions that they are making to the global community for peace and Harmony for all people.

I congratulate the World Harmony Foundation on this Global Leadership Initiative for Peace and Harmony. Today, as we ring the Harmony Bell for Peace to launch the World Harmony Foundation's Global Recycling for Peace and Harmony program, I encourage my colleagues to work for peace and celebrate this remarkable effort. I would like to thank all those responsible for bringing the Harmony Bell for Peace to Capitol Hill today.

Generations to come will have Harmony Bells for Peace in their communities because of the contributions the World Harmony Foundation is making to the world.

Mr. Speaker, on June 19, 2006, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall votes Nos. 289, 290, and 291.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes Nos. 289, 290, and 291.

Mr. Speaker, instead of finding, capturing, or killing the man who viciously attacked our country almost 5 years ago, the administration misled our country and sent 150,000 troops to war with a country without any credible link to 9/11. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us mentions Iraq 18 times, but it does not mention Osama bin Laden even once. Not only can we not find bin Laden in Afghanistan, but we can't find him in this resolution either.

If the other side of the aisle is serious about a resolution on the Global War on Terror, they would be better served to get their target correct.

Mr. Speaker, we all support the troops--our brave men and women who selflessly and bravely put themselves in harm's way. That point is not for debate. I carry the troops in my heart every day, and I hope that we work for their safe return home as soon as possible.

This is a time of great anxiety in America, especially for the families of our men and women in uniform, who, as we speak, are serving our country thousands of miles from home, in unfamiliar and often hostile lands. Today's debate should have been centered around a bipartisan resolution that would have allowed all of us to be on the record in support of our troops and against those who would seek to do harm to Americans at home and abroad.

Instead what the Republican Majority has brought before us today not only confuses the War in Iraq with the Global War on Terror, but it is also a transparent effort to divide this body by saying to those who want to start bringing the troops home that we do not support the national security interests of the United States. That is simply not true.

After the terrorist attacks against this country on September 11, 2001, we united behind the effort to remove the Taliban in Afghanistan. That country has made great strides by electing a government, establishing a constitution that grants equal rights to men and women, and opening schools for children who were denied an education by the Taliban. Our investment in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan was both the right thing to do and critical to our security.

Yet our job there is not finished. Much remains to be done to improve security. And most importantly, the hunt for Osama bin Laden continues.

Critical resources that should have been focused on this mission have instead been used in Iraq, a war that was a conclusion in search of a reason, a war of choice rather than of necessity.

Time and again, this Administration used false and misleading information to sell the war to Congress and the American people. The troops were sent into battle without basic equipment, like body armor, night vision goggles, and armored Humvees. We have been playing catch- up ever since to ensure that U.S. soldiers are adequately protected as they serve in Iraq. Just today, the Pentagon announced that 2,500 soldiers have been killed in Iraq. How high will this number go?

Crucially, we invaded Iraq without a plan to win the peace and without enough soldiers to secure a country nearly the size of Texas. In fact, rather than listen to Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki, who suggested that as many as 300,000 troops were required to properly secure postwar Iraq, the Administration ignored him and fired him.

This Administration has repeatedly underestimated the war's cost, which is being funded with emergency spending instead of

through the regular budget process. Rather than hold top advisers accountable for critical and fundamental lapses in judgment, the President praised, retained and even promoted them.

And the Administration and Congress have both failed to conduct any sort of real oversight of this bungled war effort. Billions of dollars have been passed to companies like Halliburton through no-bid contracts, unnecessarily bilking the American taxpayers, but no one has been held accountable. The incompetence in the Administration surrounding the mismanagement of this war is simply jaw-dropping.

All of us are relieved that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi can no longer lead and carry out attacks against American troops and innocent Iraqi citizens. Yet we cannot ignore the fact that Zarqawi gained support for his violent acts because of the instability in Iraq after Saddam Hussein was removed from power.

We have repeatedly asked the President to tell the American people what, specifically, remains for our troops to accomplish in Iraq. How many Iraqi soldiers, as the President himself might say, need to ``stand up before our military stands down?'' To what extent must the insurgency be defeated? How many attacks per day or per week will we tolerate? Most importantly, how many more young Americans are to give the ultimate sacrifice for a cause that has yet to be defined?

I am a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, and a strong supporter of Representative Murtha's legislation; H.J. Res. 73, which calls for the redeployment of troops from Iraq. Representative Murtha is one of this body's greatest champions for our fighting men and women. As a veteran, he knows firsthand the dangers of war.

I have the greatest admiration for the Nation's service men and women. We all thank them for their service.

I only wish that we had the opportunity to vote for a resolution that honors the troops but leaves out the political tricks and traps that should not be a part of this debate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act. This legislation is identical to legislation introduced by Senator Dodd of Connecticut.

Mr. Speaker, since enactment in 1993, more than 50 million employees have taken leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The Act guarantees eligible employees working for covered employers access to up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave within any 12-month period to care for their health or the health of their families without putting their jobs or health insurance at risk. About 11 percent of private sector businesses are covered

under FMLA; 77 percent of employees work in these covered businesses (although about 62 percent of employees are eligible for FMLA).

According to data from a 2001 Department of Labor study, 52 percent of leave-takers have taken time off to care for their own serious illness; 26 percent have taken time off to care for a new child or for maternity disability reasons; 13 percent have taken time off to care for a seriously ill parent; 12 percent have taken time off to care for a seriously ill child; and 6 percent have taken time off to care for a seriously ill spouse. About 42 percent of leave takers are men; about 58 percent of leave-takers are women. The median length of leave is 10 days; 80 percent of leaves are for 40 days or fewer. About 73 percent of leave-takers earn $30,000 or more.

While the Family and Medical Leave Act has proven invaluable to many Americans, too many are still not covered by the law and others cannot afford to take leave under the Act because leave is unpaid. Many women and men are unable to take time off to care for their families, whether due to the arrival of a new child or when a medical crisis strikes. More than three in four (78 percent) employees who have needed but who have not taken leave report that they simply could not afford it.

The Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act would expand the scope and coverage of FMLA to ensure that even more American workers do not have to choose between job and family. Too many eligible individuals simply cannot afford unpaid leave. Many forgo leave or take the shortest amount of time possible because the current FMLA law requires only unpaid leave. The Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act would:

Establish a pilot program to allocate grants to states to provide paid leave for at least 6 weeks to eligible employees responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a child or family illness. States may provide for wage replacement directly or through an insurance program, such as a state temporary disability program or a state unemployment compensation program, or other mechanism. Such paid leave shall count toward an eligible employee's 12 weeks of leave under FMLA.

Expand the number of individuals eligible for FMLA by covering employers with 25 or more employees (to enable 13 million more Americans to take FMLA).

Expand the reasons for leave to include eligible employees addressing domestic violence and its effects, which make the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of such employee or, to care for the son, daughter, or parent of the employee, if such individual is addressing domestic violence and its effects.

Establish a pilot program within the federal government for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to administer a partial or full wage replacement for at least 6 weeks to eligible employees responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a child or other family caregiving needs. Such paid leave shall count toward an eligible employee's 12 weeks of leave under FMLA.

Allows employees to use a total of 24 hours during any 12-month period to participate in a school activity of a son or daughter, such as a parent-teacher conference, or to participate in literacy training under a family literacy program.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the FY07 Transportation, Treasury, HUD Appropriations bill. I am very pleased that included in this bill is $4 million for the much needed Second Avenue Subway.

This worthy project will ease the incredibly overcrowded Lexington Avenue subway line, which is one of the busiest in the nation. It is unquestioned that the Second Avenue Subway will immediately benefit many tens of thousands of area residents. The 9/11 attack on New York City and the transportation restrictions imposed afterward only further magnify the importance of providing the region with an adequate mass transit system.

Just for some background on the project, construction of the full- length Second Avenue Subway has been divided into four phases, each of which will produce a minimum operating segment that will carry a significant number of passengers. The first phase of the Second Avenue Subway project will include stops at 96th, 86th and 72nd Streets, and tunnels from 99th to 62nd Streets. At 63rd Street, the subway will link onto the existing N and R tracks, providing a one-seat ride from the Upper East Side to Times Square, Wall Street and Brooklyn. When this phase is completed in 2012, 202,000 riders are expected to board the new line each day.

I am very grateful to the Committee for recognizing the importance of the Subway and thank Chairman Knollenberg and Ranking Member Olver for this essential funding. I would also like to thank the bipartisan Members of the New York delegation for their continued support of this project.

Mr. Speaker, instead of finding, capturing or killing the man who viciously attacked our country almost 5 years ago, the administration misled our country and sent 150,000 troops to war with a country without any credible link to 9/11.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us mentions Iraq 18 times, but it does not mention Osama bin Laden even once. Not only can we not find bin Laden in Afghanistan, we cannot find him in this resolution.

If the other side of the aisle is serious about a resolution on the global war on terror, they would be better served to get their target correct.

I rise and would like to express--

No, I am not opposed to it.

I am opposed to it because I feel we should have gotten more money.

Mr. Chairman, I had an amendment with Mr. Udall which would have raised the funding amount to $3 million. I feel that the $750,000 is certainly welcomed and needed, but I regret that we were not able to achieve the additional $1.5 million.

One way that this Congress and the President can show their support for a program is the level of funding that is appropriated, and when we passed the

very important intelligence reform bill, a very important provision of this bill, and a recommendation, one of the top recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, was the creation of a governmentwide Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

This board, if given the proper funding and authority, has the opportunity to enhance our security and protect our Nation's core values as we fight to prevent terrorism. The bill before us provides up to $1.5 million in funding, as part of the Executive Office of the President. The Maloney-Tom Udall amendment would have increased the amount of the board to $3 million.

This board is to be funded from the $52 million account provided for in the Executive Office of the President, and our amendment would further draw from this account. We had hoped that it would have passed. I want to say that if we value human rights and civil liberties, we should be funding this board.

We had a hearing on it earlier, and they only had one staff member and one administrator. And certainly, for an oversight board for civil liberties, they should have more funding to protect the civil liberties of Americans. We asked them if they had looked at the many challenges before this country now, the surveillance of phones, the surveillance in the libraries, the surveillance of private lives of people, and we questioned why they had not taken this up.

They said they had just been formed. But I would say that another reason they have not taken it up is that they do not have enough staff working with them.

And clearly any governmentwide board tasked to perform oversight regarding privacy civil liberties will need more than three permanent staffers to get the job done.

I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I would like to contrast this office with the Privacy Office at the Department of Homeland Security. There they have 25 staff members. Here we have three staff members at the governmentwide office, and 25 for the office within just one department.

Just beyond the challenge of staffing, the additional funding will allow the board to develop the infrastructure they need to do their job and will send a message that Congress fully intends to support the important work of the board.

We need to support them. The 9/11 Commission gave this an ``F.'' We would like to get it funded and up and running, and we must find ways of doing this. I appreciate the efforts of my colleagues.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Markey amendment which would ensure that this bill contain the necessary provisions to ensure the neutrality of the Internet.

The Internet has revolutionized so many facets of our daily lives. Using the Internet, we can send and receive e-mail messages instantly, purchase merchandise, check our banking records, look at photos posted on a website created by a friend or family member, legally download a song or a movie, or check the latest headlines from a news source.

I agree with my colleagues that the underlying legislation does not provide sufficient safeguards to consumers to ensure that their access to websites and services on the Internet are not restricted. We must ensure that the Internet remain equally accessible to everyone. Net neutrality is supported by the Consumers Union, Amazon.com, Google, Yahoo, and the Service Employees International Union to name just a few.

There should not be a fast lane and a slow lane for using the Internet. I urge a yes vote on the Markey amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5522, the FY07 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act.

I am pleased that the bill includes $50 million in funding for Afghan women, including $2 million for the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

This funding builds upon funding for Afghan women and girls included in an amendment that I offered to the FY04 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill.

Over the past few years, the United States has invested in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan both because it is the right thing to do and because it is critical to our security.

However, I, like many of my colleagues, am troubled about the recent acts of violence that have been occurring in Afghanistan.

Clearly, we have more work to do.

Afghan women were brutally oppressed by the Taliban regime, but they have been working to reclaim their role in society, in part because of critical U.S. assistance provided to Afghanistan.

Millions of girls have attended primary schools and equal rights for women are guaranteed in the constitution.

However, while women are vastly better off than they were, many continue to endure hardships including targeted violence, limited mobility, illiteracy, and a high rate of maternal mortality.

I also am very concerned about reports that schools continue to be targeted for violence, including dozens in the past year.

By giving women access to the skills and opportunities that they need to become partners in creating Afghanistan's future, we will ensure that women will no longer be second-class citizens.

I particularly want to note the $2 million that is directed for the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

I recently met with Dr. Sima Samar, chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, who discussed the valuable work of the Commission and the challenges that remain.

Dr. Samar is a courageous advocate for the rights of Afghan citizens, including women and children.

Her work is invaluable in ensuring that human rights are protected and respected in Afghanistan.

While I hope that all the aid for Afghanistan will help women, I commend the Appropriations Committee for continuing to recognize the needs of Afghan women.

I also am pleased that the bill includes $34 million for the life saving work of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

UNFPA is a global leader in providing reproductive health care, including family planning services to the world's poorest women.

UNFPA helps women undergo pregnancy and childbirth safely and helps women and men to plan their families and avoid unintended pregnancies and protect themselves from HIV/AIDS infections.

Despite the unequalled and vital work that UNFPA provides, for the past four years, President Bush has denied them funding by refusing to release the $34 million that Congress has appropriated.

Claiming unproven and unsubstantiated assertions regarding UNFPA's work in China, this Administration is turning its back on those most in need.

It has been estimated that the loss of each year's funding could prevent 2 million unintended pregnancies; nearly 800,000 abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, nearly 60,000 cases of serious maternal illness; and more than 77,000 infant and child deaths.

The Bush administration's refusal to release these funds puts at risk the very lives and health of women and children in the world's poorest regions.

In anticipation of the president cancelling the FY07 funding again this year, I was grateful to Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick for offering an amendment during full committee mark-up to ensure that the appropriated funds are released for the UNFPA's campaign to end obstetric fistula, a devastating and completely preventable condition that afflicts young women whose bodies are not mature enough to deliver healthy babies.

Unfortunately, the committee rejected the amendment.

I am very concerned that this amendment failed and hope that a solution to release the funds will be provided in Conference.

Most importantly, it is my hope that this year, President Bush reconsiders the impact of his decision and releases the life-saving funding that this chamber is wisely approving today.

This important bill will provide critical funding for organizations doing important work on the ground in countries all over the world.

One of those organizations is located in my congressional district.

CARE is currently in 72 countries worldwide helping to educate children, provide health care, give food to the hungry, and fight poverty.

And they do so much more.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that we can continue to fund these valuable initiatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Lew Todd, an outstanding New Yorker who has devoted himself to his community, his city and his country throughout his life. Lew Todd is not just a leader, but a pioneering figure in the history of New York City's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, GLBT, community, the largest of any city in our Nation. This month, his leadership is being honored by the Stonewall Democratic Club at a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passage into law of New York City's landmark gay rights bill.

A proud veteran, Lew Todd served his Nation with honor in the United States Navy during the Korean war. Always dedicated to serving others, he made his home in New York City following his return stateside, and devoted his energies to his work and his community. He operated several small businesses, becoming a significant entrepreneur in the restaurant and nightlife industry in lower Manhattan in the 1970s and 1980s.

Continuously involved in the struggle for lesbian and gay rights in the modern era that traces its origins to Greenwich Village, Lew Todd joined the Gay Activists Alliance in 1970, before the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Lew Todd quickly became a regular at the Firehouse, the Alliance's legendary headquarters in lower Manhattan's historic Soho neighborhood, which became New York's first GLBT community center.

At the Gay Activists Alliance, Lew Todd emerged as a talented, determined and inspirational leader of a freshly budding branch of the civil rights movement. His political, organizational and business skills became an indispensable part of its planning and operations. In 1970 and 1971, he and his fellow activist and friend, the late Morty Manford, traveled the country as emissaries for the new gay rights movement, teaching other activists how to establish their own civil rights advocacy organizations.

In its nascent phase, the gay and lesbian rights movement could only succeed in making its voice heard by engaging in civil disobedience and staging colorful, attention-getting and frequently disruptive demonstrations. Lew Todd's sheer courage, as well as his larger-than- life physical presence, served as an anchor of strength in many such actions. At one notable event in 1972, Lew Todd and a young activist named Allen Roskoff, dressed to the nines in suits and ties, took to the dance floor at the elegant Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center. This action provoked a vivid demonstration of the outdated and blatantly discriminatory nature of the city's public accommodation laws, garnering considerable media attention that helped effect their eventual demise. That same year, Lew Todd placed gay rights on the national agenda as an official gay rights lobbyist at the Democratic National Convention. Thanks to his efforts, for the first time in America history a major national political party was forced to consider the rights of gay and lesbian Americans and include their concerns in its platform.

A visionary as well as a pioneer, Lew Todd possessed the ability to recognize and acknowledge the need for the growing and maturing civil rights movement to adopt new strategies and new tactics. As government, business and the news media began to take heed, Lew Todd saw that the gay rights movement would need to employ negotiation and painstaking political organizing in order to more effectively achieve its goals. Inspired to open this new front in the struggle despite the objections of less far-seeing radical activists, Lew Todd became one of the founders of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. It was the first truly Nation-wide gay rights organization to rely more on negotiation and organization than an confrontation. He went on to found many of New York City's most important GLBT political organizations, including Gay & Lesbian Independent Democrats and the influential citywide Stonewall Democratic Club, on whose executive board he has served since its founding 21 years ago. In its first years of operation, he served as a board member and treasurer for the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which operates the Harvey Milk School for GLBT youths. In 1984 he played a key role in convincing New York City to sell the building that

today houses New York City's Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center. In 1992, Lew Todd served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention as an early supporter of a promising candidate named Bill Clinton.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing the enormous contributions to civic and political life made by Lew Todd, a true pioneer and civil rights activist in the finest traditions of our great republic.

Mr. Speaker, today I, along with Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Susan Davis (D-CA), and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), introduce the ``Empowerment of Iraqi Women Act of 2006.'' This legislation would establish an Iraqi Women's Fund to help Iraqi women and girls in the areas of political, legal, and human rights, health care, education, training, security, and shelter, and it would authorize $22,500,000 in each fiscal year 2007, 2008, and 2009 for this fund. The ``Empowerment of Iraqi Women Act'' would also provide that 15 percent of the aggregate amount of economic and humanitarian assistance authorized for Iraq in each fiscal year 2007, 2008, and 2009 shall be made available for assistance directly to Iraqi-led nongovernmental organizations (NGO) with demonstrated experience in delivering services. Moreover, of that 15 percent, not less than 5 percent shall be made available for Iraqi women-led organizations. The bill establishes requirements related to U.S. activities in Iraq including the inclusion of the perspectives and advice of Iraqi women's organizations in U.S. policymaking related to the governance of Iraq, promoting the achievement of 25 percent of the seats in the National Assembly, and encouraging the appointment of women to high-level positions within Iraqi Ministries. Finally, this legislation would place certain requirements on post-conflict reconstruction and development related to the partnering of U.S. organizations with Iraqi- led organizations and would require that the training of Iraqi military and police include the protection, rights, and needs of women.

It is vitally important that the equality and rights of Iraqi women are assured. I have met with several delegations of Iraqi women during my trips to Iraq and here in Washington. I am always inspired by their strength and courage to speak out in support of equality, even in the face of danger. While these women have hope, they understand that the future is very uncertain. There must be full participation and equal treatment under the law for women in Iraq. Every country that protects its women is a stronger country, and Iraq will be a stronger country if women are able to preserve their representation in the new Iraqi government.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the first National Women's Confidence Day. This is a joint effort of YWCA-USA CEO Peggy Sanchez Mills and superstar Queen Latifa, and I am absolutely thrilled that they are able to join us today in the gallery. Thank you so much for coming.

Today and every first Wednesday in June hereafter will be National Women's Confidence Day. This event is a reminder to women everywhere to have self-respect and to empower themselves with confidence every single day, an opportunity for women to get involved in helping other women to live a more confident and fulfilling life and a tribute to women who help other women gain self-confidence and self-esteem.

The goal of National Women's Confidence Day is to raise public awareness and celebrate the positive impact of confidence on women's personal and professional lives. This is one that I support and applaud. I invite everyone to join us in encouraging all women across America to have the confidence to make change.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deep concern about reports that schools in Afghanistan continue to be destroyed. I recently met with Dr. Sima Samar, chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, who reported to me that since 2005, dozens of schools have been burned. Dr. Samar works courageously every day, under threat of personal attack, to ensure that the rights of Afghan citizens, including women and children, are protected. I strongly agree with her that to truly be empowered, Afghan women and girls must be educated.

I urge the U.S. State Department to take immediate action to ensure that Afghan children and women can be educated without fear of violence. This is truly vital to the future of Afghanistan. Although the lives of some women are improving, for far too many, the situation has remained the same. They continue to endure hardships including targeted violence, limited mobility, illiteracy, and a high rate of maternal mortality. By giving women access to the skills and opportunities that they need to become partners in creating Afghanistan's future, we will ensure that women will no longer be second-class citizens. We cannot afford to wait.

Mr. Speaker, I am introduing a bill today that allows individuals to protect themselves from identity theft by controlling access to their credit report and information through a simple and low- cost process.

Under this bill, only those persons specifically authorized by the individual would have access to their credit report. This is the most effective tool we have to combat identity theft. A credit report freeze works because it actually stops the granting of new credit, unlike the lower standard of a fraud alert, which only conditions the granting of credit.

This would not affect the use of credit cards or existing credit. It only prevents the issuance of new credit unless the individual requests the credit report be sent to the lender. This gives individuals control over their credit report and allows them to protect themselves.

The bill that I am introducing is closely modeled on a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate cosponsored by Senators McCain and Clinton, among others, and very closely similar to a bill introduced by Senator Shelby in the Banking Committee. It is supported by the National Association of Attorneys General and all the groups concerned about individual privacy protections.

Many State laws give the right to freeze access to their credit report to everyone, but the data protection bills introduced to date addressing this issue would limit this right to proven victims of identity theft--those for whom the horse has already left the barn--and deny many whose data has been stolen the ability to prevent identity theft. Consumers would have to wait for harm to occur before they could prevent it. That makes no sense.

I also believe that any Federal file freeze must be easy to use, convenient, low cost, and available to all consumers, and my bill provides that.

I think that a national standard giving all individuals the ability to control access to their credit reports would create the market conditions for new security systems to develop to make the process of freezing and unfreezing even easier. Just as when eBay burst on the scene we had secure payments systems like PayPal spring up, so if file freeze becomes a national phenomenon, we will have entrepreneurs develop secure systems of freezing and unfreezing.

I urge Members to support this legislation and give their constituents this moderate and sensible tool to protect themselves from identity theft.

Madam Speaker, the administration continues to mislead the American people about the economy. They boast about how fast wages are growing while ignoring the devastating impact on the real purchasing power of those wages, from higher gasoline prices and other increases in the cost of living.

Treasury Secretary Snow was befuddled at a hearing before the Financial Services Committee when the ranking member, Barney Frank, asked him whether the data he cited on wages had taken inflation into account. It turns out, they had not, and his statistics were meaningless.

The fact is real wages have stagnated for the last 3 years, and this administration's policies are not working to benefit ordinary working Americans.