Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, our leaders are telling us on both sides of the aisle that terrorism is here to stay. If they believe that, if they know that, then why are we not preparing for it?

Anti-terrorism insurance passed this House after 9/11 and put this country on a stronger economic foundation, and it is set to expire this January. Businesses in my district are telling me that if their policies have expired since September, they cannot find coverage anywhere in the United States of America; they are seeking insurance in England.

Part of homeland security, part of being prepared or not is putting our economic policy in shape. And an important part of homeland security is anti-terrorism insurance. It is important to the economic foundation of this country. It is important to combating terrorism. We need to extend it. We need to do it now. The program expires in January.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of Barbara Seaman, a great New Yorker, groundbreaking author, perceptive reporter and researcher and dear friend of mine. On October 2, 2005, many of Barbara's friends and colleagues will gather to celebrate her 70th birthday. I am very pleased to offer my best wishes to Barbara for a truly memorable and enjoyable afternoon.

I have heard it said more than once that Barbara Seaman is to women's health what Ralph Nader was to automobiles. Barbara's contributions to the welfare of women throughout the world have been simply extraordinary: she was the first reporter to expose the serious health risks posed by the birth control pill, and she pioneered efforts to allow women to take control of their own health care decisions.

Barbara's 1969 book on the dangers of oral contraceptives, The Doctors' Case Against the Pill, spurred a U.S. Senate hearing on the topic, though patients harmed by the pill were not allowed to testify. The hearing became known as the ``Boston Tea Party'' of the women's movement when female audience members'' demands to be heard repeatedly brought the proceedings to a halt. As a result of Barbara's work, the Federal Government required that health warnings be placed on oral contraception packaging and advertisements, a first for any prescription drug.

Barbara also strives to make sure that women have the information they need to make good decisions about a range of health topics, including contraception, childbirth and infant nutrition. Indeed, The New York Times commented that ``Barbara Seaman triggered a revolution, fostering a willingness among women to take issues of health into their own hands.''

In the 1980s, Barbara was essentially blacklisted from magazines by pharmaceutical companies who would not advertise in publications that carried her stories. Her relentless insistence on questioning the safety and effectiveness of their products earned her their

condemnation and our praise. Barbara took advantage of this forced lull by turning to biography. Her book on the life of the novelist Jacequeline Susann was made into a television movie starring Michele Lee.

Cited by the Library of Congress as the author who raised sexism in health care as a worldwide issue, Barbara Seaman is a co-founder of the Women's Health Network, a non-profit organization devoted to giving women a greater voice in the health care system. In addition to the works cited above, Barbara is the author of For Women Only: Your Guide to Health Empowerment, Free and Female and Women and the Crisis in Sex Hormones. Her most recent book, published in 2003, is The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women: Exploding the Estrogen Myth, which presaged recent studies that proved that estrogen was doing more harm than good for menopausal women.

I continue to be in awe of Barbara Seaman's contributions to the public good. A native of Brooklyn and currently an Upper West Sider, Barbara's life and accomplishments are a reflection of the strength and vitality of New York City itself.

I would like to join Barbara's friends and family in marking this special occasion; I trust that she will be surrounded by the warmth of happy memories, good cheer and loving friendships. Mr. Speaker, I request that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Barbara Seaman, a friend to all Americans and a force for women's health.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of the Greek American Homeowners Association (GAHOA) on the occasion of its annual dinner dance. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the organization's officers and members, as well as its President, George Alexiou. I would also like to salute GAHOA's distinguished honorees: George Fakiris, John Millas, Peter Stathatos, Dennis Syntilas and Rose Ann Alafogiannis.

GAHOA is a non-profit organization based in Astoria, New York that has been committed to advancing the interests of the Greek-American community since 1976. The organization provides an extensive array of educational programs and is a generous benefactor to the community.

GAHOA currently has more than 2,000 members in the greater New York area. The Association provides Greek language scholarships to local schools, citizenship and voter registration drives and monthly speakers to help educate the residents of the community. In addition, GAHOA provides Thanksgiving dinner to more than 12,000 individuals every year.

This year's dinner dance will benefit another of the Association's outstanding community service achievements: Athens Square Park. The park is a cultural center that invites people of all ethnicities to share and enjoy Hellenic music, dance and art. The park, which once served as the starting point of the Olympic flame in the United States, was the brainchild of GAHOA cofounder Dennis Syntilas. With contributions from students, the community and corporations, as well as cooperation with the NYC Department of Parks, Athens Square Park is now a cultural hub of the diverse Astoria community.

George Fakiris, the first of GAHOA's honorees, was born in Chios, Greece and immigrated to the United States in 1969. He worked as a painter and decorator before becoming a successful real estate developer and philanthropist. Mr. Fakiris is a generous benefactor of GAHOA's annual Thanksgiving dinner and scholarship fund. Mr. Fakiris' support, knowledge and experience continue to greatly benefit his community.

The Association's next honoree, John Millas, is from Evia, Greece and moved to the United States in 1963. Mr. Millas worked in the restaurant business before starting his own real estate management firm. A GAHOA co-founder, Mr. Millas also dedicates his time to the Pan Evoiakos Society of New York and other worthy causes. In 1977, he married Amalia Calogrides, and they have two children, Sofia and George.

The Association's third honoree, Peter Stathatos, was born in Kefallonia, Greece. Also a co-founder of the Greek American Homeowners Association, Mr. Stathatos has held several positions within the organization and has served on the boards of the Kefalos Society and St. Gerasimos Church. In 1997, Mr. Stathatos was honored by Borough President Claire Shulman for his outstanding work in the community. He and his wife, Anastasia, have three children, Irene, John and Mamie, and three grandchildren, Anastasia, Nicholas and Matthew.

The next honoree, Dennis C. Syntilas, is a retired banker, a cofounder of the Greek American Homeowners Association and the driving force behind Athens Square Park. He is a member of Community Board 1 and has dedicated himself to improving the quality of life in his neighborhood. Mr. Syntilas's awards are too numerous to list--though his friends will attest to the fact that he is most proud of his wife, Rita Koletti, his daughter Vayia and his son-in-law, George D. Apergis.

The final honoree, Rose Ann Alafogiannis, is another GAHOA co-founder and an active member of the Astoria commurlity.

She is a former President of the Kiwanis Club, a member of the Board of Directors of Astoria Civic Association and a member of Community Board 1. Ms. Alafogiannis also donates her time to SHAREing and CAREing, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting those affected by breast cancer. She and her late husband, Thomas, have four children, Paul, Jennifer, Joseph and Vasilli.

Mr. Speaker, as the founder and co-chairperson of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to the Greek American Homeowners Association, its President George Alexiou and its distinguished honorees.

Mr. Speaker, Representatives Jefferson, Melancon, Grijalva, Crowley, Serrano, Meeks and I are introducing the Community Disaster Loan Equity Act.

We have all seen the headlines this week that the Mayor of New Orleans has been forced to lay off 3,000 municipal employees because the city of New Orleans can not pay them as a direct result of reduced tax revenues following Hurricane Katrina. There are a number of other towns, counties and parishes up and down the Gulf Coast in similar situations.

Realizing that communities hard-hit by a major disaster frequently suffer a dramatic decrease in tax revenues accompanied by a dramatic increase in expenses, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act allows FEMA to make loans to states and local communities to assist with lost tax revenues. This act prevents a community from having to drastically cut essential services and/or increase taxes as they recover from a disaster. These loans stabilize local governments during their greatest time of need. Frequently, these loans have been forgiven and were treated as grants. Since this program was created in 1976, 60 loans have been distributed.

In 2000, arguing that they were too expensive, Congress placed a $5 million cap on these loans with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. Needless to say, a cap of $5 million unfairly penalizes larger communities or communities absolutely devastated by a disaster. That is why we are introducing the Community Disaster Loan Equity Act. This bill would remove the $5 million cap imposed by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. Additionally, it would automatically cancel repayment of these loans and remove the limit of only providing up to 25 percent of total operating expenses if a disaster is declared an Incident of National Significance under the National Response Plan. This legislation is similar to legislation I introduced since the 107th Congress following the major loss of tax revenues suffered by New York City and State following 9/11.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues and the world community in honoring the life and work of Simon Wiesenthal. Especially during the High Holidays, it is important and appropriate to recognize the extraordinary achievements of a man who devoted the last 60 years of his life to the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Holocaust. Hitler's Nazi regime was responsible for the murders of nearly six million Jewish men, women, and children and more than 11 million people overall.

Today, the relentless efforts of Simon Wiesenthal have led to the conviction of more than 1,000 of these Nazi war criminals. He was instrumental in the captures of Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Nazi plan to annihilate the European Jewish population, and Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo officer responsible for the arrest and deportation of Anne Frank.

Although Simon Wiesenthal has passed away, his memory will live on forever. One way to ensure this is through the work of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. The organization actively promotes awareness of anti-Semitism while continuing to bring to justice surviving Nazi war criminals. Although its headquarters are located in Los Angeles, I am proud that my district is home to the Simon Wiesenthal New York Tolerance Center.

I urge the House today to reaffirm our commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of prejudice. Simon Wiesenthal's legacy teaches us that the perpetrators of genocide cannot be allowed to continue their path of persecution. It is crucial for Congress to continue to support Holocaust organizations like the Simon Wiesenthal Center so that history does not repeat itself. Simon Wiesenthal once said; ``When we come to the other world [after death] and meet the millions of Jews who died in the camps and they ask us, `What have you done?'. . . I will say, `I didn't forget you'.'' It is important that we take another step to remember the man who would never consider the atrocities of the Holocaust a part of the past.

Mr. Speaker, together with my colleagues Rep. Tom Lantos and Michael Bilirakis, I am introducing a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Rabbi Arthur Schneier, in recognition of his pioneering role in promoting religious freedom and human rights throughout the world, for close to half a century.

A holocaust survivor, and the Founder and President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, Rabbi Schneier has devoted his life to overcoming the forces of hatred and intolerance.

He has been a pioneer in bringing together religious leaders to address ethnic or religious conflicts. For example, in Bosnia in 1997, he convened government and religious leaders to promote healing and conciliation between Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish communities. In the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia he worked with the Orthodox Patriarch and the Turkish Government to hold the Peace and Tolerance Conference in 1994 and address religious and ethnic tensions in that area. In the former Yugoslavia, he mobilized religious leaders to halt the bloodshed of the early 1990s, holding the Religious Summit on the Former Yugoslavia and the Conflict Resolution Conference to build support and consensus among religious leaders of different faiths. Since the early 1980s, he has led delegations of religious leaders to China to open a dialogue on religious freedom.

Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1930, Rabbi Schneier lived under Nazi occupation in Budapest during World War II and came to the United States in 1947. He has been the Spiritual Leader of the Park East Synagogue in New York City since 1962.

I hope my colleagues will join us in honoring this distinguished pioneer of religious freedom with a Congressional Gold Medal.

Mr. Speaker, last week we saw new evidence that Americans are becoming increasingly pessimistic about this economy. Two separate measures of consumer attitudes plunged drastically, posting their largest declines in decades.

The impact of the hurricanes was the immediate cause of pessimism, but Americans have never had much confidence in the Bush economy. The President has the worst job creation record since Herbert Hoover. American workers have been left behind in the economic recovery from the 2001 recession.

For the typical worker and household, wages and incomes are not keeping up with the cost of living. The gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to grow and I find that tremendously troubling for our country. This record does not inspire confidence in our economy. We can do better.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 3893, the Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005. This legislation will do nothing to lower the high cost of gas or help families pay for home heating oil this winter. Rather, it's another taxpayer subsidy from the Republican Majority to the oil and gas companies while the American people continue to face the increasing burdens that the rising cost of fuel is placing on family budgets.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to object, even though this legislation is flawed in many ways, as my colleague pointed out, because we all understand the tremendous need for the people in the gulf region. I am not a Representative from the gulf coast, but I certainly understand the impact on tax revenues after a disaster. Repealing the $5 million cap on community disaster loans is something that I have been working on along with the New York delegation, ever since New York suffered at least $5 billion in lost tax revenues following 9/11 and the loss from the gulf region maybe more.

The bill before us lifts the $5 million cap, but it adds a provision that has never, ever been seen before with these loans. It prohibits, literally prohibits, the Federal Government from forgiving any part of these loans. This is incredibly important because there has been a long history of canceling these loans after they are given.

I have here with me, Mr. Speaker, a list of all the previous disaster loans that have been forgiven. So why are we now putting this terrible burden on the people in the gulf region?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his critical leadership on this issue.

As one who represents New York City, the site of the 9/11 attack, nothing is more important to New York and, I would say, our country than homeland security. Just this evening the mayor has been working with the FBI and the appropriate agencies with another serious terrorist threat against New York City's mass transit system. This is critical. I am deeply concerned about funding formulas, the lack of attention for the cargo, for the mass transit and many other areas.

Mr. Speaker, it is unbelievable to me that we can slash funding for first responders, do nothing about making sure funding is distributed based on risk and sit here slapping each other on the back.

What are we commending ourselves about?

Is it the $550 million dollar cut to State Homeland Security Grants?

Is it the $120 million dollar cut to the high threat cities?

Is it the fact that we did nothing to require funding to be distributed based on risk?

Is it the overall cut for first responders of $645 million?

Is it the further weakening of FEMA or the cutting of their budget?

Is it the $50 million cut to pre-disaster mitigation loans that could save communities from future disasters?

Is it that we are paving the way to return private screeners at airports and picking up the tab for their liability insurance?

Or is it the fact that we are funding 1,000 fewer border patrol agents, 450 fewer immigration investigators and 6,200 fewer detention beds than we called for when we passed the Intelligence Reform Bill last year?

This bill does not reflect our homeland security needs.

It is good that we, once again, give the Department of Homeland Security complete control over how more than 60 percent state homeland funding will be distributed.

Will this actually be the year they use their authority to distribute it based on risk?

Why do we refuse to listen to the 9/11 Commission and mandate it is distributed based on risk?

What ever happened to the Cox Bill that passed this house 409-10 and would distribute funding based on risk?

Where is the threat reduction that go with these cuts?

We are told to remain vigilant.

The President went on national TV this morning reminding us just how long it will be to defeat terrorism and protect our Nation.

Back home in New York City we are still in a code orange. This is not code orange funding. This is code green funding.

We need to get our priorities straight.

We need to make sure we give our first responders the funding they need. We need to make sure homeland funding is distributed based on risk.

We need to do better than this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 45th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus. It was on October 1, 1960, that Cyprus became an independent republic after decades of British colonial rule.

I am very fortunate and privileged to represent Astoria, Queens--one of the largest and most vibrant communities of Greek and Cypriot Americans in this country. Among my greatest pleasures as a Member of Congress are participating in the life of this community and the wonderful and vital Cypriot friends that I have come to know.

As a full-fledged member of the European Union, Cyprus is playing a vital role in European affairs while also strengthening relations with the United States. On July 25, the United States and the Republic of Cyprus signed a reciprocal Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Ship Boarding Agreement, which is aimed at preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Cyprus was the first EU member to sign this agreement. Earlier this month Cyprus became a signatory to the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Finally, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Cyprus offered both its condolences and assistance to the victims of this horrible disaster.

I am saddened that the commemoration of Cyprus' Independence Day this year, as in the past, is clouded by the fact that Cyprus continues to be illegally occupied by the Turkish military forces, in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, and to this day continues to maintain an estimated 35,000 heavily armed troops. However, I remain hopeful that an end to this division will be achieved.

Cyprus and the United States have a great deal in common. We share a deep and abiding commitment to democracy, human rights, free markets, and the ideal and practice of equal justice under the law. Despite the hardships and trauma caused by the ongoing Turkish occupation, Cyprus has registered remarkable economic growth, and the people living in the Government-controlled areas enjoy one of the world's highest standards of living. Sadly, the people living in the occupied area continue to be mired in poverty.

I am encouraged that since the Turkish occupation regime partially lifted restrictions on freedom of movement across the artificial line of division created by Turkey's military occupation, hundreds of thousands of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have crossed the U.N. ceasefire line to visit their homes and properties or areas of their own country that were inaccessible to them for nearly 30 years. The peaceful and cooperative spirit in the person-to-person, family-to- family interactions between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots bodes well for the successful reunification of Cyprus.

In the times we are facing, it is clear that divisions among people create harmful, destructive environments. We must find a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem. The relationship between Cyprus and the United States is strong and enduring, and we stand together celebrating democracy and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time and for his leadership.

I rise in strong support for the underlying bill. The Violence Against Women Act, enacted in 1994, was a milestone in this country. It moved violence, the unspoken crime against women, out of the closets, out of the back doors and into the national agenda of this country with protections, with grants, with information to the police, the prosecutors; and it has helped women, children, and families in this country.

Yet, I rise in strong opposition to this rule; and while I support the bill, this restrictive rule has blocked debate on a number of very important amendments that would have made the Violence Against Women Act an even stronger and better piece of legislation, including two that I offered to help rape victims merely get information that they could use to prevent the need for an abortion and to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

The first of my amendments would have required the Department of Justice's first ever medical guidelines for treating sexual assault victims, those women that have been raped, the National Protocol For Sexual Assault Medical Examinations. It merely asked them to include a recommendation that those women that have been victimized be offered information about emergency contraception in order to prevent pregnancy. EC is not an abortion; it is pregnancy prevention. And where this woman has been victimized, depriving her of this information victimizes her twice.

The second would simply ask the Attorney General to explain in a report to Congress and to the American people why emergency contraception was not included in the protocol.

Last year, after the Justice Department issued the protocol, reports indicated that information on the option of EC, or emergency contraception, to prevent pregnancy had been included, was supported in early drafts, but it was removed, without explanation, from the final version. By removing references to EC from the national protocol, the administration makes it clear that they would rather make rape victims decide between having an abortion or carrying their rapist's baby to term than offering women important knowledge and information to decide if emergency contraception is right for them. I find it unconscionable that they will not allow this information to be included.

The Justice Department's inclusion of EC in a national protocol absolutely runs counter, not only to the consensus in this country, but the consensus of most of the Nation's and the world's top organizations and scientists. The American College of Emergency Physicians includes it. The American College of Gynecology explicitly recommends it, and I must say that at least 101 countries around the world make EC available, and 39 of those even offer it over the counter.

So let me say that 101 nations cannot be wrong. This country is counter to world opinion. This is information that would help women that have been victims of rape, and I regret to say that they denied even a discussion of it on this floor with the amendments.

I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule because of these two amendments that are common sense, would help women, were excluded and many others that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) mentioned.

So, again, I urge my colleagues to defeat this rule.

Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for saying that this important issue should be looked at. I point out that this is information that 101 countries offer and is not part of our protocol.

My office and I talked to the appropriate people and to the parliamentarians, and it was germane. It was germane to the bill. It was germane to the bill.

Mr. Chairman, earlier today, during debate on the rule for this bill, the gentleman from Georgia who was managing the floor for the majority stated that my amendments to this bill were not germane.

I would like the Record to show that the Parliamentarian has advised me that both amendments are in fact germane.

Just to be clear, the rules committee did not reject this amendment because it was not germane--it certainly is-- They rejected it, I believe, because they were simply trying to shield Members of Congress from having to go on the record against offering information to rape victims that could help prevent pregnancy or abortion.

Again, please let the Record show that my amendments were germane.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act with my colleagues Representatives Chris Shays and Tim Bishop.

During a disaster our first responders heroically rush to the disaster area with little regard for their personal safety in hopes of saving others. We owe it to them to at least monitor their health when it has been put at risk. Unfortunately, no such program exists. There is no better example of this than what has happened in the aftermath of 9/11.

Today, more than 4 years after 9/11, there are literally thousands of individuals who are still sick as a direct result of their work in and

around Ground Zero. Included in the sick are police officers, firefighters, volunteers, residents, and area workers. Despite a clear need, there is still no one in the Federal Government in charge of caring for these individuals, there is no coordination among programs established to screen these illnesses and there is no Federal program that provides anyone with any treatment. Now as we consider options to monitor the medical impacts of Hurricane Katrina, there is no Federal program in place to set up a medical monitoring program. This is why we are introducing the Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act--H.R. 5329 in the 108th Congress. This is the companion to legislation introduced in the Senate by Senators Voinovich and Clinton--S. 1279--and has passed the Senate by unanimous consent last Congress.

The Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act would create a standard for a monitoring program following a disaster when the President determines a monitoring program is needed. This monitoring program would be set up to screen the health of affected individuals. By creating a coordinated monitoring program, we can provide valuable information to affected individuals and we can assure our first responders that we will continue to care about the health affects after the disaster. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3667, legislation naming a post office in Los Angeles, California, after Karl Malden. This bill, which was jointly introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) and the gentleman from New

York (Mr. McHugh) on September 7, 2005, was unanimously reported by our committee on September 15.

Karl Malden was born in Chicago, and at the age of 5 moved to Gary, Indiana. After high school, he attended and graduated from the Goodman Theater Dramatic School. He met his wife at Goodman, and they moved to New York City, my hometown, when Broadway called.

Karl began his acting career on Broadway in 1937 before entering the film industry in 1940. His acting career was interrupted by World War II where he served as a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. 8th Air Force. When he returned from the war, Karl Malden moved from Broadway to film.

His first appearance on the small screen was the movie ``They Knew What They Wanted'' in 1940, and in 1951 he won the Academy Award for the Best Supporting Actor in ``A Streetcar Named Desire.'' He appeared in over 50 different films. These films included ``On the Waterfront'' in 1954, ``Pollyanna'' in 1960, ``How the West Was Won'' in 1962, and ``Patton'' in 1970, in which he played the role of Omar Bradley. His notable TV appearances included ``The Streets of San Francisco'' and the film ``The Hijacking of Achille Lauro'' in 1989, and a series of commercials for American Express in the 1970s and 1980s in which he delivered the now-famous line ``Don't leave home without it.''

In October 2003, Karl Malden was named the 40th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Malden has lived in Brentwood, California since 1960 and served for nearly 15 years as a member of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee which selects the subjects and design of postal issues. I am pleased to note that four of Mr. Malden's colleagues on the advisory committee, Cary Brick, Michael Brock, Jean Firstenberg and Ron Robinson, contacted the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) requesting that this legislation naming the Brentwood post office in Mr. Malden's honor be introduced and passed. His colleagues viewed the designation as a fitting tribute to his dedication and service, and we agreed and reported it out unanimously from the committee.

I commend my colleagues for seeking to honor the legacy of Karl Malden, a distinguished actor and active member of his community. I would like to thank the House leadership and the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) for moving so quickly on this legislation, and I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) and his staff; the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) and his chief of staff, Robert Taub; and Michael Layman of the chairman's staff. I join my colleagues on the committee in urging the swift passage of this legislation.

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