Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 5-year reauthorization of the Defense Production Act, legislation that is critical to our Nation's national defense, to the war on terror, and to our ability to respond to disasters. The Defense Production Act was first enacted in 1950. It allows the Defense Department and Federal Emergency Management Agency to procure supplies quickly on an emergency basis. Its authority is also needed to make sure that the national defense industrial base has the resources needed for national security. The act expired on September 30; and given the current situation in Iraq, it is critical that we move this bill today.

During the current Iraq conflict, the act's authority has been used to secure computers, chemical warfare protective clothing, and medical equipment. The legislation we are considering is the product of a year of bipartisan work and compromise. It was improved during full and subcommittee markups in the Committee on Financial Services earlier this year. The Senate Banking Committee passed legislation in September, and over the last month, Members and staff have worked to resolve remaining issues.

I am pleased that the final bill contains an amendment offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) requiring reporting on minority contracting. The bill also contains a compromise worked out between the committee leadership and Senator Dodd on the issue of offset contracts with foreign nations. Offset agreements are arrangements where U.S. domestic defense contractors outsource work to foreign contractors as part of agreements by foreign countries to purchase U.S. defense products. The legislation will require the U.S. Commerce Department to assess the economic impact on U.S. contractors and subcontractors of these agreements. I am pleased to support this provision with the understanding that it fulfills Senator Dodd's concerns. We must be as vigilant in protecting the jobs of American workers as we are in defending America's national defense.

Finally, the spirit of bipartisanship with which we have worked on this reauthorization would not have been possible without the leadership of the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), chairman of the Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology Subcommittee. I also wish to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), ranking member, and the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley) for their work on this important issue.

This is legislation our troops need today. It is legislation that our constituents may need in the event of a disaster, and I urge my colleagues to adopt this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

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

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology, I rise today to echo the statements of the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) regarding the reauthorization of the Defense Production Act and its applicability to critical infrastructure protection and restoration. The language that the House of Representatives has agreed to include in the reauthorizing legislation should leave no doubt that the Defense Production Act may be used for critical infrastructure protection and restoration purposes.

Also, it is the intent of the House of Representatives that the administration refrain from interpreting the Defense Production Act as limiting the administration's ability to provide direct assistance to critical infrastructure owners and operators under Section 101 of the Defense Production Act.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Jack Ryan on the occasion of his retirement as president of Local 74 of the Service Employees International Union. Jack Ryan is a revered and respected leader of the labor movement who throughout his life has

selflessly devoted himself in service to our nation, his fellow trade union members, New York's Irish-American community, and his family and friends.

A remarkable union leader, Jack Ryan served as the president of Local 74 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) for almost 14 years. During that time, he increased its membership ranks dramatically through a series of successful organizing campaigns and mergers. Local 74's membership now surpasses 14,000 members, of whom 4,500 are employed in the custodial division of the New York City public schools.

In 1959, Jack Ryan began his career of service to others by joining the U.S. Marine Corps after high school. He proudly served his country as a Marine for 4 years, and then returned to New York, began working for the United Parcel Service in Albany, and commenced his career in the trade union movement. In 1964, he was elected shop steward, representing more than 500 coworkers, and proudly held that position until 1980. During this time, Jack Ryan also served as elected trustee and a member of the Executive Board of Teamsters Local 294 in Albany, becoming the full-time business agent of Local 294 from 1980 through 1983.

After leaving the Teamsters, Jack Ryan became an International Representative for SEIU. In recognition of his outstanding leadership qualities, he was promoted to Regional Coordinator, and then named International Trustee for SEIU's Local 74 by the Union's International President, John Sweeney. Because he was so effective and respected as trustee, Jack Ryan was asked by Local 74's Executive Board to run for its presidency. In June of 1990 he was elected president of Local 74 by an overwhelming majority.

Because of his outstanding leadership abilities, Jack Ryan was also elected to positions in both the SEIU and other prominent labor organizations. He serves on SEIU's Executive Board, and has been elected Secretary of the SEIU New York State Services Council and Vice President of the New York City Central Labor Council. In 1991 he was elected a Vice President of New York State AFL-CIO and 1st Vice President of SEIU's New Jersey State Service Council.

Proud of his heritage, Jack Ryan has also been awarded numerous accolades and honors by New York's Irish-American community. A member of the Irish American Labor Coalition, he was named an honoree at its annual dinner in 1998. He also received the Pro Deo et Patria award from the New York City Board of Education Emerald Society in 1991, was honored by the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, and served as Grand Marshal of the Glen Cove St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1995. His achievements have also been recognized by Black Trade Unionists, the Jewish Labor Coalition and the Greater New York Boy Scouts of America.

Jack Ryan has always remained devoted to his family. He is the caring father of three wonderful children, Patrick and Meghan Ryan and Colleen Simmons; and the beloved grandfather of five, Gregory and Alyssa Simmons, and Nathan, Jeremy, and Matthew Ryan.

In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Jack Ryan on the occasion of his retirement. He will truly be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Public School 183, The School for Discovery, on the occasion of its centennial celebration. Located on the East Side of Manhattan in New York's 14th Congressional District, P.S. 183 is truly a microcosm of the great city whose families it has served for one hundred years. It is one of the finest examples of academic success in an ethnically and religiously diverse atmosphere.

P.S. 183 has a long tradition of offering its pupils a science-based curriculum, aptly earning it the nickname ``The School for Discovery''. Along with its strong literacy and mathematics programs, P.S. 183 promotes vigorous interdisciplinary learning, making it one of the most highly regarded elementary schools in Manhattan. The success of its educational approach, teaching methods, and curriculum has led New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein to name P.S. 183 one of the highest performing schools in New York City, a fitting tribute during the school's centennial year.

P.S. 183 has worked cooperatively with community organizations to expand its ability to offer educational opportunities to students. The Vanderbilt Y helped it build a computer lab. Friends of St. Catherine's Park offered its butterfly garden to help first graders learn about butterflies. The Manhattan School of Music offers violin instruction to older students. Additionally, students are working with Rockefeller University to observe and record environmental changes on the grounds there.

Beyond its tremendous academic success, P.S. 183 exposes its students to the cultural diversity that makes New York City a great metropolis. Nearly one out of every two students at P.S. 183 is a member of an ethnic minority group. Half of its remarkably diverse student body speak a foreign language. With its nearly 600 pupils speaking 43 different languages and representing fully 86 different nations, walking the hallways of P.S. 183 is a truly global experience, perhaps rivaled only by its neighbor a mile to the south, the United Nations.

In honor of its 100th Anniversary, P.S. 183 will be holding a series of interactive educational events and programs for its alumni, students and families. The programs include an historical walking tour of the neighborhood surrounding the school, ``a living history'' where an actress will re-enact a day in the life of a newly arrived immigrant to the neighborhood in 1916, and a street fair with carnival rides and games.

In recognition of Public School 183's outstanding educational contributions to its community, I ask that my colleagues join me in saluting The School for Discovery on its 100th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Mark Adams Taylor, former chairman of Community Board Six in Manhattan. As chairman, Mr. Taylor fulfilled his duties with enthusiasm and skill.

Community Boards are in many ways the most democratic branch of local government. They provide a forum for all citizens to air their concerns and give their opinions. Members of the community board, particularly the chair, serve long hours without pay with the lofty goal of improving their neighborhood. It takes a special dedication to chair a community board. To moderate the passionate concerns of board members and residents requires great patience, organizational skills and intelligence. Mark Adams Taylor was, in many ways, a perfect Board Chair.

During his tenure as chairman of Community Board Six, Mr. Taylor was a great advocate for all the neighborhoods in his community. One of the highlights of his time as chair was the opening of Stuyvesant Cove Park in the spring of 2003. Residents of Stuyvesant Cove had desired a park in their neighborhood for years. With the cooperation of Community Board Six, all the local elected officials and the community, the park finally became a reality. It will eventually include an environmental learning center, with classrooms, a cafe, and a local museum.

An example of Mr. Taylor's dedication to Community Board Six came on September 11, 2001. Mr. Taylor's first thoughts were of his fellow board members, as he made sure to account for each one. He also provided support for police and fire departments, as well as local hospitals. His tireless efforts were greatly appreciated by the community in its time of need.

Perhaps Mr. Taylor's greatest achievement was his success in improving the efficiency and functionality of Community Board Six. He moved the board's office from a small two-bedroom apartment to a much larger office space in the UN Plaza. He streamlined the format of the Board's meetings, to make them more efficient and less time-consuming. These changes have vastly improved the experience of participating in a Community Board meeting.

In recognition of his many outstanding achievements, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mark Adams Taylor. Mr. Taylor's spirit and dedication to our community serve as a model for us all.

Mr. Speaker, today, Representative Biggert and I introduce legislation to commend Afghan women for their participation in Afghan government and civil society and to advocate for the inclusion of women's rights in the Afghan constitution.

Women's rights in Afghanistan have fluctuated greatly over the years. Women have bravely fought the forces of extremism at various points in the country's turbulent history. At one time, women were scientists and university professors. They led corporations and nonprofit organizations in local communities.

As the constitution review process goes forward, the women of Afghanistan should have a stake in the future of their country. We must support the efforts of the Afghan women to require that the constitution of Afghanistan includes equal rights for women. If women are left out of the constitution, they will disappear from public and civic life. Afghanistan has the opportunity to begin a new chapter by rejecting the ways of the Taliban, and embracing democracy, including the right to vote for all its citizens. I believe that the United States should support these efforts in every possible way.

I look forward to working with Representative Biggert and my other colleagues to pass this resolution and to fight for the rights of women in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Taiwan for its 92nd National Day. Taiwan has been a reliable friend and ally of the United States for more than fifty years. The United States has a large and very active Taiwanese-American community. Hundreds of thousands of Americans of Taiwanese descent live in the U.S., the largest number living in and around New York City.

The United States and Taiwan share important values and strengths which have engendered close ties between our people. Both countries are committed to a strong democratic form of government with constitutional guarantees of rights and freedoms for all citizens including speech, residence, travel, assembly, religion and association. Taiwan is a shining example in Southeast Asia of the importance of respecting civil liberties and the rule of law.

Like the United States, Taiwan has a prosperous, market-based economy. It is the eighth largest trading partner of the United States and the twelfth largest economy in the world. U.S. exports to Taiwan make it one of the largest export markets for many states including my own state of New York. A clear sign of Taiwan's importance to the world economy was its accession into the World Trade Organization last year.

Both countries have demonstrated a commitment to the well-being of the world at large. Taiwan's humanitarianism has included assistance for rebuilding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo, and funds to assist the fight against AIDS worldwide. It has also dispatched rescue teams following natural disasters in El Salvador, Turkey, and Nicaragua.

Both Houses of Congress have recently endorsed Taiwan's desire for a wider international role, specifically membership in the World Health Organization and in the United Nations. Taiwan is a responsible citizen of the world and friend to the United States. I heartily congratulate its 23 million citizens on the celebration of their National Day, October 10, 2003.

Mr. Speaker, until you actually spend time in Israel, it is hard to truly understand what it is like to live with the daily reality of terrorism.

The horrific explosion this weekend makes it hard to remember that this summer was a time of relative quiet.

People on both sides of the conflict were able to venture out of their houses. Palestinians went to the beach for the first time in years. Israeli cafes and restaurants were crowded. Tourism was up. But, unfortunately, in many ways that quiet was more illusion than reality.

During the Hudna, 27 civilians were killed, and 133 were injured. Over 180 terrorist attacks, including 120 shooting attacks, were launched against Israeli citizens. At the same time, Israeli security forces prevented more than 40 attacks, including suicide bombers.

Given the volume of attacks, perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised that during our brief one week visit this summer our lives were touched by two separate terrorist incidents. But, we believed in the ceasefire and the possibilities it seemed to offer.

One incident occurred after we visited an area along the border between Israel and Lebanon.

The very next day, a sixteen year old boy was murdered by a missile fired over the Lebanese border, close to the place we had strolled the previous day. A day earlier, a few yards in a different direction and the missile could just as easily have hit one of us.

A few days later, we visited Hadassah Hospital and met a doctor who had been up all night saving the life of a woman. She had been driving on a highway with her family when a sniper's bullet pierced her car.

The doctor's expertise gave her another chance at life, but she will spend years recovering from her wounds.

9/11 awakened Americans to the ease with which terrorists can reach us. Our schools, our homes, our water and our air are so vulnerable. It just takes one angry person with a weapon.

This weekend one angry person stole the lives of 19 people in Haifa. Some of them were Arabs, some of them were Jews. Hatred does not distinguish.

At a time when violence seems to be taking over the region, it is hard to remember the optimism that so many of us felt this summer.

As the largest delegation of Members of Congress ever to visit Israel, we had the opportunity to meet with many of the people who are key to the peace process. They were hopeful that better times lie ahead, and so were we.

But peace cannot come as long as Arafat continues to call for a million martyrs. Peace cannot come as long as Palestinian children are taught to idolize terrorists. Peace cannot come as long as Palestinians refuse to crack down on terrorist groups.

Terrorism wages war against children, old people, the defenseless. Terrorism seeks to destroy the most vulnerable.

In a free and open society such as Israel's, the only response to terrorism is a determination to go on. In Israel we saw extraordinary creativity, energy and freedom.

Despite their daily brush with terrorism, Israelis are determined to lead ordinary lives. In their very normalcy, they pose a daily challenge to terrorists.

Let us hope that in the future they will not have to try so very hard to lead normal lives. Let us hope that freedom will prevail over terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) for her leadership, and I rise in strong opposition to this rule and the underlying bill.

Contrary to what proponents have claimed, this bill has nothing to do with late-term abortions or with banning one specific procedure. Instead, this bill bans the safest procedures physicians perform, starting as early as 12 weeks of pregnancy. It also lacks any exception for the health of a woman.

The Supreme Court settled this debate 3 years ago when it struck down a nearly identical Nebraska ban for the same two reasons I mentioned, and the Supreme Court warned that this type of legislation would have, and I quote, ``tragic health consequences,'' end quote.

More women will suffer serious medical complications including infertility, infection, and even death because of your actions today.

The question here is not whether this bill is unconstitutional; the question is, why are you passing an unconstitutional bill that is so dangerous to the health of your wives, daughters and friends?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 43rd anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus. It was on this day in 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.

It is truly one of my greatest pleasures as a Member of Congress to participate in the life of this community, and the wonderful and vital Cypriot friends that I have come to know are one of its greatest rewards.

This year, Cyprus' Independence Day occurs at a time of great hope for the people of Cyprus and significant advances in U.S.-Cyprus relations.

Since the last celebration of Cyprus Independence Day, Cyprus has experienced events of major historic importance. On April 16, 2003, Cyprus signed the Accession Treaty to the European Union at a special ceremony in Athens, Greece. Cyprus is slated officially to join the EU in May 2004.

Later this month, we will welcome a new Ambassador of Cyprus, Mr. Euripides Evriviades, a career diplomat with a distinguished record. He will succeed Ambassador Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, who has left after five years of exemplary service during a remarkably eventful time for Cyprus and in our bilateral relations.

However, the commemoration of Cyprus' Independence Day this year, as in the past, is clouded by the fact that 37 percent of the Mediterranean island nation's territory continues to be illegally occupied by the Turkish military forces, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

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.

In fact, Cyprus was among the first nations to express its solidarity with the United States immediately following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Cyprus has taken many concrete and active steps to target the perpetrators, collaborators and financiers of terrorism. For example, Cyprus has endorsed and implemented all resolutions and decisions of the U.N. Security Council, the EU and other International Organizations pertaining to the fight against terrorism.

Unfortunately, Cyprus is not without its own difficult history. 37 percent of this nation is still occupied by a hostile foreign power, and it has been for almost thirty years.

On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, and to this day continues to maintain an estimated 35,000 heavily armed troops. Nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots, who fell victim to a policy of ethnic cleansing, were forcibly evicted from their homes and became refugees in their own country.

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.

Earlier this year, the Turkish occupation regime partially lifted restrictions on freedom of movement across the artificial line of division created by Turkey's military occupation. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have crossed the UN 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. The U.S. has expressed its unwavering support for a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem and I wholeheartedly agree. The relationship between Cyprus and the United States is strong and enduring. We stand together celebrating democracy and freedom, hopeful that a peaceful solution will soon be negotiated and a united Cyprus will join the EU.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding to me, for organizing this Special Order, and really for her outstanding leadership not only on behalf of veterans, but in so many areas of deep concern and importance to our Nation.

I join her and many of my colleagues, well over 366 colleagues, to be specific, in calling for an end to the disabled veterans tax. The government decided many years ago, in 1891, to take disability benefits from retirees, to take it away from our veterans when they retired. It was wrong then, it is wrong now, and we need to change it.

Common sense tells us that there is a tremendous difference between what you receive for retirement and what you receive for a disability. If you are disabled, you have an injury. You may live in pain for the rest of your life, and you are entitled to that disability benefit. Veterans are likewise entitled to their retirement.

To show how outrageous this policy is, you could have a veteran who was injured and they decide to retire because of that injury. They then get disability benefits. But if another veteran who is injured decides to serve 20 years before he retires, when he or she retires, they only get their retirement. They do not get the disability benefit. In the private sector, if you have a disability, you get a disability benefit. If you retire, you get your retirement.

So this is a tremendously unfair policy, particularly when there are so many men and women risking their lives for our security. As we stand on this floor, they are in harm's way in Afghanistan and in Iraq, and we should change this unfair policy.

I must say that like many Americans I had a yellow ribbon in front of my apartment building for Ryan Dixon, my neighbor, who, in my opinion, is a great hero. He was part of the Special Forces. He served in Iraq. Thank God, he came back safe and he was not injured. But there are many other men and women who are injured, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, and they are entitled to their disability benefits.

Our Nation's veterans deserve nothing less than the benefits which they are entitled to, and we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude for their service to the Nation. It is time that we showed them our thanks by correcting this unjust and very unfair law. So I urge the majority, finally, to show its commitment to providing relief to the veterans across the country who rely on these critical benefits to live.

I really feel that it is a disincentive for people to stay in the military, to know that they will not receive their just retirement and disability benefits. So I call upon my colleagues, and particularly the leadership on the other side of the aisle, to bring this bill to the floor so that we can correct this injustice to our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, to the city of New York, the New York Yankees are truly more than just a baseball team.

For 100 years, they have captured the imagination, brought New Yorkers together and given our city of champions a championship spirit.

The numbers speak for themselves: 26 World Series won. 38 Hall-of- Famers. 6 consecutive division titles--and counting.

From Manhattan to Moscow, The Bronx to Beijing, you're likely to see someone wearing the distinctive Yankees ball cap wherever you go.

The world over, everyone knows the Yankees. But my most cherished Yankees memory, and the one that confirmed the uplifting, inspirational power the Yankees have was in the aftermath of the tragic attacks of 9/ 11.

It was the City's darkest hour and New Yorkers' most harrowing experience. Collectively, New Yorkers rallied around their neighbors, their leaders--and their championship teams.

That year, the Yankees put on an exhilarating, magical performance in the World Series, constantly fighting back from the brink of defeat to push the series to the limit.

That year, the Yankees' post-season performance was the first bit of good news many New Yorkers had received in weeks.

For that, and so many other memories, I am thrilled to join with my colleagues here and millions of New Yorkers back home in congratulating the New York Yankees for 100 years of thrills, excitement and excellence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic's independence from the Soviet Union.

In 1991, the world underwent dramatic changes as communism was finally overthrown in the Soviet Union and millions of people got their first tastes of democracy. The autumn of that historic year saw many of the former Soviet Republics declare their independence and begin the process of self-governance.

Armenia has made amazing progress in rebuilding a society and a nation in the face of dramatic obstacles. The United States must continue to support Armenia's commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and a market economy, and I am proud to stand with Armenia in so doing. While we should look forward to the future, we must never forget the struggles of the Armenian people throughout their history.

I look forward to the strengthening of the diplomatic and economic ties between the United States and Armenia so that the people of both nations can forge an alliance that will never be broken. I offer my sincerest congratulations to Armenia on the anniversary of its independence.

Mr. Speaker, I returned from Israel this summer inspired by its ability to resist terror. On September 11, Americans learned what it was like to lose friends and neighbors to fanatics on a suicide mission. Israel has been living with terror, and during this trip we got a glimpse of their daily reality.

A day after our visit to the border between Israel and Lebanon, a missile killed a 16-year-old boy near where we had been. When we toured Hadassah Hospital, we met with a doctor who had stayed up all night saving a woman's life. She had been struck by a sniper's bullet. Both attacks came during the so-called cease-fire, a time no one was supposed to die.

We have a lot to learn from Israel about improving communication, coordination and intelligence. After 9/11 we were supposed to have a governmentwide database on terrorism. Two years later, there are nine Federal agencies maintaining 12 different lists of terrorist organizations.

Israel is our greatest ally in the Middle East. It deserves our heartfelt support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2482, the Iraqi Freedom from Debt Act, but first I would like to respond to the gentleman's statement that Democrats want to raise taxes. That is not true. The Kerry-Biden bill calls for a repeal of only the top 1 percent. This would result in $600 billion, and this would pay for the $87 billion for the challenge in Iraq. Some Democrats support that. I am one of those, but I disagree with the statement from the gentleman who preceded me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise really in support of one of the administration's spokesmen, Mr. Paul Bremer, and he said that it would be a mistake to lay any more debt onto the backs of the Iraqi people, and he wisely added that there would be no way that the Government of Iraq will be able to pay Iraq's current debt. Mr. Bremer estimates that Iraq owes over $100 billion to other nations as a result of Saddam Hussein's irresponsible borrowing, and how can we expect Iraq to begin paying on this debt when the challenges of funding reconstruction are so steep? The Financial Times reported: ``Even assuming a resumption of oil exports at 2 million barrels a day, Iraq's debt-to-export ratio would exceed 700 percent, the highest in the world. Clearly, Iraq cannot rebuild its economy, establish conditions for growth and development and,'' also, ``service all its outstanding debt.''

It is impossible to imagine that the people of Iraq will be able to reconstruct a future if they are forced to pay for their own oppression by paying back odious debt accrued by this regime for his 34 palaces and other expenses that helped his immediate family and circle and not the people of Iraq.

We learned from World War II reconstruction that the most effective way to ensure regional security and facilitate a friendship with the people of a once-hostile nation was to provide debt cancellation and new aid for reconstruction. We learned this lesson the hard way after World War I when Hitler campaigned for his election on a platform that included working towards the cancellation of the debts Germany accrued during reconstruction after the First World War. The allies did not want to repeat that mistake after World War II, and let us learn from this history and provide the same support to Iraq by urging for creditors to cancel Iraq's debt.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are priority creditors, creditors that will be paid first, and leaders in the creditor community. It is our responsibility as key stakeholders at the World Bank and IMF to encourage these institutions to take the first step for debt cancellation for Iraq. The IMF and World Bank are owed relatively little by Iraq, only about $150 million. So while it would not be a burden on the institutions, because $150 million to these organizations is not a lot of money, this act of generosity could leverage reduction of the debt of Iraq by other creditors.

The IMF and World Bank are meeting at this moment in Dubai discussing Iraq and the debt of the most impoverished countries in the world. Join me in calling on these institutions to take action on Iraq's debt by cosponsoring H.R. 2482, the Iraqi Freedom from Debt Act. It is a bipartisan legislation that I introduced with the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), and it states that the U.S. should work within the IMF and World Bank to encourage the institutions to reduce debts owed by Iraq. It also contains a ``Sense of Congress'' urging countries around the world to reduce debt. Without reducing Iraq's debt, our investment of aid and loans in Iraq will simply be recycled into debt service payment to other creditors.

When Ambassador Bremer spoke before this Congress, he supported this legislation and this effort, and when I joined with the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) in Iraq, visiting Baghdad and Tikrit and Mosul, we met with Ambassador Kennedy, his deputy. He likewise supported this legislation as a step in the right direction.

In order to rebuild Iraq, we must forgive this debt, most of which is odious, for purposes that did not help the Iraqi people. So I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Iraqi Freedom from Debt Act and work towards rebuilding Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time and for her leadership on so many important issues before this body.

I rise in strong support of the underlying bill, but in opposition to this closed rule, a rule that does not allow a straight up-or-down vote on an amendment that the New York delegation supported that would not have taxed grants to individuals and businesses that suffered because of 9/11. It is really beyond me to understand why the majority continues to block efforts to correct what is an injustice and why they continue to unfairly tax the victims of 9/11. We have heard many discussions before this body on taxes, taxes that they want to eliminate and make permanent, on estate taxes, on this, that, and the other. Well, now the majority has found a tax that they do like, and that is taxing the people who took a hit for the country, the victims of 9/11.

I want to share with my colleagues that this is the latest in a series of actions by the New York delegation. The New York delegation has written the IRS and the Secretary of the Treasury. We have written the President. We have written to the Speaker of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), and the leadership of the other body. We have introduced bipartisan legislation. The Committee on Ways and Means is aware of the challenge, and the Congressional Research Service has issued a memo on this unfair tax.

We went in front of the Committee on Rules before and tried to add it as an amendment to H.R. 1308, the increased child tax credit bill. And just last week, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) and myself tried to add this amendment to the Transportation-Treasury bill, and it was ruled not germane. But in the Committee on Rules last night, when they discussed it, the Parliamentarian had made a statement that it was entirely germane and could have been taken up by this body.

So the end results continue to remain that the victims of 9/11 are still being taxed, and it is just unfair for these cash-strapped individuals and businesses to take another financial hit from this disaster, a financial hit that the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated to be over $268 million.

The IRS is taking back $268 million in Federal aid that the President pledged to New York City and Congress appropriated. We should be sending aid to victims, not taking it away.

The IRS decision has also had a ripple effect on other Federal benefits that survivors of 9/11 may receive. Since many agencies rely on the IRS's definition of gross income, some recipients' eligibility for programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, these programs likewise may be in jeopardy and taxed.

I would like to bring it down to what it means to an individual life with my constituents. I would like to take the example of Olga Diaz. She was the owner of a hair salon in the World Trade Center. She estimates that she lost $300,000 in the attacks and received a Federal grant of $37,000, a fraction of her loss. She now owes over $10,000. She owes a third of her grant of $37,000 back to the Federal Government. And she states that she learned about the taxation of the grant ``after I invested it in rebuilding my business and I am now struggling to find ways to pay.''

I yield to the gentleman from California.

We, as a body, as the gentleman knows, appropriated and approved with the President $21.4 billion.

My office issued a report along with the Speaker of the City Council last week that 7 billion of those dollars have come to New York City, and that allocated or planned is roughly $19 billion. So we are short from the $21 billion.

Yes.

Reclaiming my time, I am outraged by this information. I thank the gentleman for letting me know about it. Certainly investing in human lives and trying to make them whole again after they have lost so much, in my opinion, is far more important than a timber subsidy.

I repeat, $268 million is being taken from the individuals and the businesses, most of which are small businesses, back into the Federal government. And to make matters worse, the IRS did not tell these people until the eve of the tax date so that they spent the money, as Mrs. Olga Diaz did, investing in trying to get her business going again. Now they are coming in and taking a third of her grant, which is just a fraction of the grant that was owed to her in her $300,000 loss.

So this is very unfair, and I do not believe that it is the intent of this body to tax these grants. I hope that in a subsequent bill or amendment it will be made in order or the bill from the delegation may come to the floor to correct this.