Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 414. It is an appropriate naming of a post office on behalf of a gentleman who for 96 years was a champion of statehood for Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico is not just a territory, Puerto Rico is in fact the largest of all the territories, having a population that would give it at least four Members of Congress if it were to become a State.

Although he never succeeded in bringing statehood to Puerto Rico, he kept the hope alive and the belief alive by the Puerto Rican people that in fact they were Americans, and that as Americans one of their options would be statehood.

As a prominent businessman, he founded the Western Bank and was the owner of a very prominent newspaper in Puerto Rico.

He was born on November 17, 1902, and throughout his career he championed many activities beyond statehood. He was one of the founders of the New Progressive Party. He served in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from 1932 to 1940, where he became the youngest Speaker and later was elected to the Senate.

We remember Mr. Mendez here today, and name this post office on behalf of him at the request of our Delegate from Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuno, who unfortunately could not be here today, but who in fact found this to be the most appropriate person to name the post office after because of his long years of service to the territory of Puerto Rico and to the aspirations of the Puerto Rican people.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote.

Motion to Table Offered by Mr. Obey

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and service of Oceanside Police Officer Dan Bessant, who was killed in the line of duty on December 20, 2006.

A 3-year police department veteran, Officer Bessant was fatally shot while responding to a fellow officer's call for assistance on a routine traffic stop in Oceanside, California. It is intolerable that such a fine young man should be taken from those he loved in the prime of his life to a senseless act of youth violence.

Just as he did on that fateful day, Officer Bessant spent his life of 25 years committed to serving the public--first as police cadet, then as a Police Community Safety Assistant, and finally as an Oceanside Police Officer. Each day of Officer Bessant's service made Oceanside a safer place.

Officer Bessant will be remembered as a dedicated officer, passionate for his work and eager to improve the community where he was born and raised. His family and friends will remember him as a proud, new father and devoted husband. By all, he will be recalled for his unwavering honor and courage.

On this day, Congress should remember Officer Bessant's passion for law enforcement and his endless devotion to Oceanside. May God bring peace to his wife Katelyn, 2 month-old son Wyatt, and his family, friends and colleagues.

Madam Speaker, today as we prepare to pass House Concurrent Resolution 5, which will express support for the designation of Hire a Veteran Week, I would like to highlight two people, who have built a Web site that has assisted many of the military heroes and veterans from my Congressional District find employment upon their return home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

In February, 2005, Mark and Tori Baird created the Web site www.hiremarines.com to serve Marines at Camp Pendleton, CA, who were seeking to find either part-time or full employment after bravely serving our Nation. This site quickly caught on with local employers and media, and soon the Baird's received e-mails from military personnel across the country that wanted to use their site. After 6 months, www.hiremarines.com was expanded to included servicemen from all branches of the Armed Forces, both in Southern California and beyond, and the name of the site was changed to www.hirepatriots.com. As a U.S. Army veteran, I have a sincere appreciation and respect for the military personnel who serve in our Armed Forces. Veterans posses special qualities and skills that make them ideal candidates for employment, and the Congress should do everything that it can to encourage more employers to hire them.

Many of the brave men and women who have served the United States so gallantly and selflessly in the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq since September 11, 2001, are beginning to return home to be reunited with their loved ones. They will soon be reentering the workforce or searching for their first jobs outside of military service.

H. Con. Res. 5 is an important effort to highlight this issue. I hope it will encourage other citizens to follow in the example of Mark and Tori in either hiring veterans, or providing assistance to those that are currently seeking jobs.

This is a small thing to do for these brave men and women who defend our safety and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend over 300 Members of the House violated the House rules. They did so not with malice or any intent to violate the rules, but they did so because of the hubris of the leadership of the House.

Today, Mr. Speaker, the rules of the House prohibit Members from taking nongovernmental aircraft by any organization, any corporation that has a lobbyist. Mr. Speaker, I might point out that there are lobbyists for United Airlines, Delta, U.S. Air and a litany of other airlines. These rules are unfair, unreasonable and unenforceable, but they have not yet been changed; and under a closed rule, it was a take- it-or-leave-it on the entire package.

Mr. Speaker, I submitted for the House H. Res. 92 in order to clarify and reform these foolish, foolish rules that were instituted without any debate, without any hearings, and even without much notice. I would ask the House to seriously consider, Is it time to begin being honest and reputable? Isn't there a time to not break the rules and say, ``But everyone's doing it''?

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 521 to rename the post office in Rock Island, Illinois, for Congressman Lane Evans.

The Congressman was born in 1951 in Rock Island, Illinois. Mr. Evans grew up the son of a firefighter and joined the Marines out of high school and fought in the Vietnam War. After that, he earned an undergraduate degree from Augustana College and a law degree from Georgetown.

Just 4 years later, he found himself in the House of Representatives, a Democrat representing a largely Republican 17th District of Illinois, where he quickly developed a reputation as an advocate for regular Americans.

Known in his district, which covers Moline, Rock Island, Quincy, Decatur, Galesburg, and parts of Springfield and the Quad Cities, for excellent constituent services, he also fought hard for working families and especially for veterans. He became chairman of the Vietnam-Era Veterans Caucus here in the Congress, where he pushed for legislation particularly to improve health care for vets and those with disabilities such as post-traumatic stress syndrome. That disorder today still affects many Americans of that era. He also supported legislation to eliminate land mines and assist land mine victims, and later he helped those affected with Gulf War syndrome.

After Hurricane Katrina, long into a debilitating disease, he fought hard to make things right for those people affected so desperately by the hurricanes.

Even after being diagnosed in 1995 with Parkinson's, he continued to serve for another six terms in the House and served with great distinction, never giving up the fight.

In his final term, the Congressman and I had the pleasure of flying for over 14 hours across the United States and all the way to Iwo Jima to commemorate the 60th commemoration of that great battle. He did so at a time in which he needed a physician's assistant, in which he was uncomfortable at all times, and in which most men afflicted with Parkinson's would never have considered such a trip. He did so because, first of all, he was a Marine. He did so, secondly, because he cared so much about this country and about the battles that men and women had fought for this country.

I will remember Congressman Lane Evans for that trip. For someone who went above and beyond what the public saw to do what was right and what was important, even while putting himself in tremendous potential physical harm for those long hours in an aircraft is something that most Members with less afflictions would not have done.

I will remember him, and I ask that all Members vote positively on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure that I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), one of the Members who knew Lane Evans both as a staff member here on the Hill and then as a fellow colleague.

(Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman).

(Mr. BOOZMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, in response to the gentleman from American Samoa, I too agree with you that a post office is just a good first down payment for somebody who did so much for veterans; and I, for one, look forward to finding a veterans facility somewhere in the United States or a hospital for veterans that would be fitting and appropriate for the man who would be the chairman of the Veterans' Committee were he still in the Congress.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of another down payment on thanking President Gerald Ford for his legacy, a legacy that really began, flourished and was all about this body. We are recognizing Gerald Ford as the 38th President of the United States because he did spend 2\1/2\ years as our President. But, uniquely, the man born in 1913 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was, in fact, a man of the House.

During his entire tenure in the House, he did not enjoy time in the majority. Yet his goal was to be Speaker of the House. He had no higher calling, never sought one, but accepted the one that was cast upon him.

At the time that he was selected to be Vice President of the United States, we were already mired in the Vietnam War and disgrace had been brought upon the Vice Presidency. It was Gerald Ford who came in impeccably honest, undeniably a man of the people and a man who was only for the people.

That is how he was selected, that is why he was selected, it is why the Senate and the House thought he was the only man for the job. Who would have known that just a short time, 10 months later in fact, he would find himself cast into an even larger role, another role that he did not ask for.

Yet that was who Gerald Ford was, a man who came out of athletics and out of university to serve in the United States Navy in 1942 because it was the right thing to do. He had represented a district that would have returned him to the House to this very day if, in fact, he were still alive.

Instead, he answered a call, a call that each of us in the House has answered by coming to this body. That was the call of service to the United States.

As I support this naming of this post office in the place he loved, in the place he skied, in the place that he called home for his immediate period after leaving the White House, I do so as the second man of the House that we are recognizing here today, first Congressman Lane Evans and then Congressman/President Gerald Ford.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to echo the praise of Senator Gale McGee. The gentlewoman from Wyoming has unfortunately been detained and will not be able to speak on the floor, but she authored this bill because, in fact, he did have a long career of service to this body in the sense of the Congress, and it is appropriate to name this post office after the Senator.

Certainly it is clear that the Congress often names post offices and other bodies after their own Members. But I think today on all three of these bills we picked appropriate candidates, candidates who, in fact, exemplify what this body on both sides of the Dome are about, a body of dedication and service by people who come here to work in a bipartisan way, who come here to make America better, who bring the values of their home State here but who recognize the value of the entire country is what we seek when we come here to meet together to debate and to vote.

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

Madam Speaker, Sergeant Major Bell was born in Washington, DC, on 17 January 1957. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on 28 February 1977 in Boston, MA. Upon completion of recruit training at MCRD Parris Island, SC, he was assigned to AA V School at 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion Camp Lejeune, NC. Upon completion of school he reported to Company D for duty as an AAV crewman.

In February 1978, Sergeant Major Bell was ordered to Company D, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Brigade, Kaneohe Bay, HI for three years. In November 1978 he was meritoriously promoted to Corporal and deployed with Battalion Landing Team 2/3 on West PAC 79 as a crew chief. In October 1980, he was promoted to Sergeant.

In April 1981, Sergeant Major Bell was transferred to School's Battalion, Assault Amphibian School, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, CA where he served as a crew chief and classroom Instructor. During this tour of duty he helped implement a new course of instruction for the LVTP7A1 family of vehicles. In March 1984, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant and attended the Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academy in Quantico, VA.

In June 1984, Sergeant Major Bell was transferred to the 3d Marine Division for duty with 1st Track Vehicle Battalion, Okinawa, Japan. He served with both Companies A and B and deployed to Thailand, Korea and the Philippines.

In May 1985, Sergeant Major Bell returned to CONUS and was assigned to the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA, for duty with 3d Assault Amphibian Battalion. He served in a variety of billets from section leader to Company Gunnery Sergeant. Promoted to Gunnery Sergeant in January 1990, he was transferred to Marine Corps Security Forces Battalion, Diego Garcia and assumed the duties as Guard Chief and Training Staff Noncommissioned Officer in Charge. In March 1993, he was assigned to Company A, 3d Assault Amphibian Battalion and deployed with 13th MEU (SOC), Battalion Landing Team 1/9, West PAC 93-94, as the AAV Detachment Platoon Sergeant.

Selected to First Sergeant in April 1994, Sergeant Major Bell's assignments as a First Sergeant included: Company C and H&S Company, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (April 1994-March 1996); United States Naval Academy Company, Marine Barracks 8th and I, Washington D.C. (April 1996-May 1997) where he was subsequently selected for promotion to Sergeant Major. He was assigned to the Assault Amphibian School Battalion, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, CA, as the Battalion Sergeant Major from June 1997-March 1999. In April 1999, he was reassigned as the Squadron Sergeant Major for HMM 268, MAG 39, 3d MAW, MCAS Camp Pendleton, CA, where he deployed with the 11th MEU as the Air Combat Element Sergeant Major.

In April 2002 Sergeant Major Bell was reassigned to the 11th Marine Regiment where he deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In July 2003, he was assigned as the Sergeant Major of 1st Marine Division and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II from Feb 2004-Mar 2005. He was assigned to his current billet as Marine Corps Installations West Sergeant Major on 24 February 2006.

Sergeant Major Bell's personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal w/2 Gold Stars, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/2 Gold Stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon.

Sergeant Major Bell is married to the former Ms. Crystal Nadine Bynoe of Boston, MA. They have three sons, Sherman (31), Shannon (29), and Wayne Jr. (22), and five grandchildren Temarah (9), Julius (8), Micah (4), Jayden (2), Nia (1).

On behalf of the people of the United States whom Master Sergeant Bell spent a career serving, I thank him for his service and commitment to the defense of our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the remarkable achievements of singer, writer, and producer Andrea Bocelli.

Growing up on his family vineyard in Lajatico, Tuscany, Mr. Bocelli displayed a talent for music from an early age. Andrea developed a passion for opera recordings and dreamed of following in the footsteps of celebrated Italian tenors. A graduate of the University of Pisa, Mr. Bocelli practiced as a state appointed defense attorney for a short time before leaving behind a legal career to pursue his musical dream.

The best-selling classical soloist of all time, Mr. Bocelli has experienced unprecedented international success. He has staged concerts at the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids in Egypt, and the Statue of Liberty. Andrea has performed at Olympic closing ceremonies and over the devastation of Ground Zero. He has sung for kings, queens, princes, premiers, prime ministers, presidents, and Popes. The recipient of numerous awards, Mr. Bocelli has been globally recognized for his achievements in music and for his philanthropic efforts.

Andrea Bocelli has used his talents and stardom to bless many lives. Partnering with worthy charities like The Vision of Children Foundation, an organization committed to the eradication of hereditary childhood blindness, Mr. Bocelli has raised millions of dollars to help children all over the world. Funds raised by his benefit concerts have gone towards research to improve the lives of the visually impaired and aid the families of children who require organ transplants.

Mr. Speaker, whether influencing lives with his musical talents or inspiring countless individuals to overcome adversity, Andrea Bocelli is honored and admired for his many accomplishments. We recognize and commend him today for his extraordinary dedication and service.

Mr. Speaker, this is one of those dark-of-the-night type pieces of legislation, and I am going to oppose it not because I haven't had to personally lay off three committee staff as I went from the majority to the minority on my subcommittee, but in fact because it is not well thought out. It has not gone through the legislative process it should, and it is not a precedent we want to set haphazardly.

The United States Congress is often accused of not even paying into Social Security when in fact for decades we have been part of it. The American people have a lack of confidence that we are run in a uniform and predictable way, and this is just another example of exactly that.

We don't provide moving expenses, we don't provide per diem or reimbursements that other branches of government do; and yet, on a selective basis, without a cost assessment, we are being asked to throw in something.

As a Member of the majority, the party that is in fact going to be laying these people off, I appreciate the sympathy of the minority in this effort, and I am not without some appreciation for what they are offering, but if they are going to do this, let us do it in a thoughtful, legislative fashion and let us absolutely make sure that it is something that will pass the test of the American people as a uniform policy for government employees of this body.

So I ask that this bill be defeated and a thoughtful and proper bill be brought back to the floor.

Mr. Speaker I rise today in remembrance of a talented Californian, David Hermance, who passed away on November 25, 2006 at the age of 59. David was both an innovator of technology and an admired friend of the environment.

Although best known for his recent work with hybrids, David championed advanced-technology vehicles throughout his four decades in the auto industry. After 26 years of dedicated service to General Motors, David joined Toyota in 1991 to become the North American Executive Engineer for Advanced Technology Vehicles.

Through his dedicated work, he became known as the ``father of the American Prius.'' His efforts have educated Americans and Congress alike on the enormous potential of advanced technology vehicles, such as hybrids. David's unique ability to explain the inner workings of complex technologies to all audiences made him the most respected American voice on hybrid technology. Today, consumers and environmentalists alike laud the products he has advocated for years.

On this day, Congress should remember David Hermance's vision for a better tomorrow. May God bring peace to David's family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this important piece of legislation. As we come to the close of the 109th Congress, many have used the term ``do-nothing Congress.'' This bill, certainly on a bipartisan basis, is a ``do-something bill.''

We have in this country for a very long time have had people, women in this case, dying needlessly of undiagnosed cancers. I want to thank Chairman Burton, Ranking Member John Dingell, his staff, and particularly my cosponsors, Mr. Levin very much in particular, who championed this bill in a previous Congress, and he and I worked together tirelessly with Congressman Dan Burton, Kay Granger and Rosa DeLauro in this Congress to get bipartisan support. This bill has far more than half the Congress as cosponsors. It has been worked out, and we are very hopeful this will still become law in this Congress.

With that, I want to take no more time than to once again say that in this Congress there are some things we did as a bipartisan body that I am very proud of. This is one of them. And I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working so tirelessly to make this a reality

I rise today to urge support for my bill, H.R. 1245, ``the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2005,'' otherwise known as ``Johanna's Law.''

Every seven minutes a woman is diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer. In 2005, over 80,000 women were diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer and over 27,000 women died. The most common gynecologic cancers include cancer of the ovaries, cervix and uterus.

Too many women are dying because they were diagnosed too late. Education and early detection are the keys to saving women's lives and reducing these statistics. If diagnosed in the early stages, the 5-year survivability rates are as high as 95 percent.

Gynecologic cancers, when detected early, can often be prevented from becoming fatal. Since all women are at risk--no matter their ethnic background or socioeconomic status--it is critical that we find a way to inform women about the steps they can take to maintain their health.

Due to the private and intimate nature of these cancers, oftentimes women are uncomfortable or embarrassed discussing issues surrounding gynecologic cancers with friends and family. Thus, it is vital that we have a national dialogue to provide accurate and timely information to the public and the medical community.

By simply educating women about these cancers, we have an opportunity to save lives. The messages are simple: learn the symptoms, have an annual exam, know your family history and talk to your doctor. Unfortunately, most women do not know the signs or the symptoms surrounding gynecologic cancers. Thus, we need an aggressive national education and awareness program that brings together the appropriate federal agencies, the medical community, and the private sector. Passage of H.R. 1245 will help make this a reality.

There is a lot of excellent information provided by both the private and government sectors--specifically by the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and the National Cancer Institute--and I commend their efforts. Tragically, most women and families look at these Web sites or pamphlets after cancer is diagnosed. The information needs to get out before diagnosis of a gynecologic cancer.

Education and awareness is an appropriate federal role. Education, coupled with research on improved diagnostic tools and cures, will lead to reductions in cancer deaths. While science and research are needed for long term success, education and awareness can save lives now. Education empowers women to make the best choices regarding their health care.

Last year, I discovered first-hand how important early diagnosis and education can be. My Legislative Director, Paige Anderson, was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She is one of the lucky ones--she stands here today as a cancer survivor. However, it was not until after diagnosis that she learned about HPV, cervical cancer and the importance of yearly pap smears and pelvic exams. Unfortunately, her story is not unique.

Paige's journey led me to work with Representatives Sander Levin, Dan Burton, Kay Granger, Rosa DeLauro and introduce H.R. 1245, ``the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2005,'' which has 257 bipartisan cosponsors.

``Johanna's Law'' has afforded me the privilege and honor to meet and work with an amazing group of survivors, patients, doctors and families who have lost loved ones to these awful cancers.

As I've spoken and met with other Members and staff on H.R. 1245, it is surprising how little is known about gynecologic cancers. In fact, most do not know that a pap smear only helps diagnose cervical cancer. This test does not screen for uterine or ovarian cancer. Most do not know that there are early warning symptoms for ovarian cancer. This is why we need H.R. 1245, so we can fill the void that currently exists.

I would like to take this time to thank several people who have been instrumental in passing this bill. I greatly appreciate the time and effort that Chairman Barton and Ranking Member Dingell have spent on this bill. We could not have passed this bill without the help of Committee and Leadership staff on both sides of the aisle.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1245.

Mr. Speaker, as Congress leaves for the upcoming November elections, I would like to raise an issue that will gain more attention over the next few months--a U.S.-Russia bilateral agreement on Russia's membership in the World Trade Organization. As someone who is watching the U.S.-Russia WTO negotiations very closely with a keen interest in the outcome, I think it is important to acknowledge the obstacles that remain. While a successful U.S.-Russia WTO agreement can be imagined, the reality of the current situation is that both sides are still apart on key issues. I urge my colleagues to keep a watchful eye on these negotiations, which will have important consequences for U.S. industries, workers and consumers.

Some say Russia has made progress in its actions, commitments and negotiations with the United States over the past year. However, both countries were unable to meet the goal of concluding WTO talks at the July Group of Eight meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia. The new goal for the completion of negotiations is when Presidents Bush and Putin meet at the November 2006 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Vietnam.

The United States and the global community will ultimately benefit when Russia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization. Although Russia's economy in a developing stage in many respects, its economic progress since the end of the cold war and potential for growth are positive trends. The complete integration of Russia into the global economy is an important step that will help Russia and its trading partners. It will also help to support the continuation of positive U.S.-Russia relations.

However, at this stage, significant obstacles to Russia's WTO accession remain and must be addressed. Russia's behavior in a number of areas and its lack of concrete commitments on important issues is contrary to the spirit of free trade and the WTO and must be reversed. In essence, the WTO is a set of rules and commitments and a forum for dispute resolution, factors that make it fundamentally different than most international organizations with extended bureaucracies. In this manner, these rules and commitments must be honored if the WTO is to have any meaning whatsoever.

Russia is failing to uphold standards that many in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere believe are essential for WTO accession. The area of intellectual property is a prime example.

Due in large part to Russia's failure to enforce its anti-piracy and intellectual property protection laws, 421-2 of my House colleagues joined me in passing a resolution in December 2005 (H. Con. Res. 230) that called on Russia to provide adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights, or it risk losing its eligibility to participate in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program and to ensure that intellectual property is securely protected in law and in practice to demonstrate that it can meet international commitments like the WTO.

Earlier this year, House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) and Ranking Democratic Member Charles Rangel (D-NY) as well as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-MT) co-signed a letter to President Bush stating that they will not support Permanent National Trade Relations for Russia unless Russia takes definitive action to address current issues.

In the energy sector, the Russian government's interference in the market and de facto renationalization of selected assets calls into question its commitment to free and fair trade. The Council on Foreign Relations, task force on Russia listed a number of disappointing trends in Russia's energy market, including ``the revocation of longstanding Exxon Mobil licenses for the Sakhalin natural gas fields and the destruction of the Yukos Oil company as part of a reassertion of state control over the energy sector.'' The report also mentioned the cut off of natural gas supplies to Ukraine in response to its pro-western orientation. With U.S. oil and natural gas prices reaching record highs, it is very important that we develop a tough, but open, energy trade policy with Russia.

The United States remains concerned about access to the Russian banking, financial services and insurance markets, all of which are substantially restricted for foreign companies. The U.S. is advocating on the opening of bank branches, but Russia has repeatedly insisted that foreign banks be required to open a full subsidiary, not a branch, when entering Russia. In the insurance industry, Russia does not allow foreign insurance companies to underwrite and reinsure mandatory forms of insurance, including motor vehicles, health and government institutional insurance. Before Russia passed legislation in late 2003 to expand foreign ownership to 25 percent, the EU had considered the Russian insurance industry essentially closed.

According to the President's 2006 Trade Policy Agenda and 2005 Annual Report, the U.S. remains concerned about market access for poultry, pork and beef in the wake of a June 15, 2005 agreement with Russia. The issue of how the agreement is being implemented, specifically questions that a U.S. quota could be used by other countries, is currently under discussion.

The United States is currently in the midst of its bilateral negotiations with the Russian Federation to agree to Russia's membership and participation in the World Trade Organization. The United States is one of only a few nations remaining that must conclude a bilateral WTO agreement before Russia formally accedes to the WTO.

As this process continues, it is critical that Congress consider Russia beyond specific commercial issues and commitments on trade issues. Congress should consider that Russia's is regressing in its movement towards a more democratic society and free market

economy because both issues have important ramifications for our trade relationship.

As a member of Congress who serves on the House Judiciary and International Relations Committees and Chairs the Energy and Resources subcommittee of the Government Reform Committee, I am engaged in the formulation of policy on intellectual property, U.S. foreign policy, and energy issues. Therefore, I see the U.S.-Russia trade relationship from a variety of perspectives. I also see the important relationship between market and democracy trends and Russia's WTO accession process.

I urge my colleagues to pay attention to these larger trends, some which are disturbing, as you consider Russia's progress on WTO negotiations with the United States and the eventual consideration of the Jackson-Vanik legislation and granting of PNTR to Russia. Russia must be held accountable under a WTO agreement that protects free and fair trade.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6160, the More Border Patrol Agents Now Act of 2006.

This legislation takes an important step toward making our borders more secure and our country safer. More agents along our Nation's borders will lead to better enforcement of our immigration laws. The President's commitment of 6,000 more Border Patrol agents in the next 2 years is a good start to enhancing border security, but if these agents cannot be easily hired, or if current Border Patrol agents are lost to other employment, this enhanced security cannot be maintained.

Personnel concerns should not be a factor limiting the effectiveness of the Border Patrol.

H.R. 6160 addresses some of these concerns. By streamlining the hiring process and offering recruitment and retention bonuses, H.R. 6160 takes steps to ensure that the Border Patrol will be an effective first line of defense at our borders.

Numerous times, I have met with Border Patrol agents in and around my district in Southern California. On several occasions, the issue of the age limit for new hires has been brought up. Currently, the Border Patrol is covered under law enforcement retirement provisions, meaning new hires must be under the age of 40, unless they presently serve or have previously served in a position covered by federal civilian law enforcement retirement.

This precludes retired members of our armed forces from employment by the Border Patrol if they are 40 years of age or older. Because of this arbitrary provision, the Border Patrol is unable to hire extremely qualified individuals, many of whom would need little further training to be effective Border Patrol agents. It is my hope that Congress will address the age limit issue so even more qualified agents can be hired.

I want to thank Mr. Rogers for his leadership on this issue. I would also like to thank Chairmen King and Davis and both the Homeland Security and Government Reform Committees for responding to the needs of the Border Patrol Agency so it can better secure our Nation's borders.