Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 664) and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 332) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 3, 2006, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its concurrence in House Concurrent Resolution 332, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on Wednesday next.

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today reauthorizes a historic piece of legislation first enacted in 1994. The Violence Against Women Act has served as the major source of federal funding for programs to reduce rape, stalking, and domestic violence.

Since this legislation was enacted, we have seen dramatic increases in the resources available to victims of exploitation and abuse. Since 1995, states have passed more than 600 laws to combat domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and all states have passed laws making stalking a crime. Since 1996, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has answered over 1 million calls. It receives over 16,000 calls a month and provides access to translators in almost 140 languages.

Hundreds of companies have joined the fight against abuse and created programs to help victims of violence. Despite this tremendous progress, however, there is much more work to be done to end domestic violence.

Today's reauthorization extends key provisions of the original Violence Against Women Act and provides new tools to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It also provides new tools to combat violence against children and youth.

Mr. Speaker, violence against women and children destroys the roots of society. Every one of us has a moral obligation to fight this evil and protect its victims. I urge my colleagues to stand up for the innocent and support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time yielded by the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, today the House will vote on legislation that continues the commitment Congress made in 2001 to safeguard our Nation's economy in the event of another catastrophic terrorist attack. Chairman Oxley and Chairman Baker and their staffs deserve enormous credit for the hard work throughout this process, because just last week the House passed a bill which presented a balanced and very responsible approach to continuing the TRIA program.

It provided for the availability of terrorism insurance, encouraged the development of private capital, and required full mandatory taxpayer reimbursement of Federal assistance granted to the insurance industry.

While the House version included more forward-looking market-based provisions than the final bill that we have before us today, passage of this legislation nonetheless remains necessary.

The potential for another terrorist attack is frightening enough, but hamstringing our Nation's ability to recover finally is unthinkable and irresponsible. Without action today, our economy would suffer. This bill is about more than our insurance industry. Businesses large and small depend upon the availability of this insurance.

We must provide certainty to our manufacturers, our builders, our bankers, retailers, Realtors, developers and others; and we are dedicated to securing our country against the physical and economic consequences of another terrorist attack.

I appreciate so much Chairmen Oxley and Baker's hard work on this issue, Congressman Kanjorski as well. Congress must continue to work to find a permanent solution enabling the private market to better provide terrorism insurance, and I am sure we will continue to seek that solution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise, today to honor an organization that has been a staple of empowerment for Washington, D.C. women who serve in the field of government relations.

This year is the 30th anniversary of Women in Government Relations. WGR is a nonpartisan organization that educates and advances women in this field. WGR helps women be smarter, stronger, and more influential in the work they do.

Surprisingly, the field of government relations is fairly new to women. In fact, WGR was founded only about 30 years ago when women were struggling to network in a male-dominated field.

I honor WGR today because it provides educational and networking opportunities for its members and the community. These women serve our country by representing public interest groups; federal, state and local government; corporations; trade associations; and many others.

I am proud to say that I join many of my colleagues here in Congress as an honorary member of WGR. I rise to applaud WGR and encourage the organization to continue its important mission of advancing and empowering women.

Congratulations to WGR for its service to our nation for the past 30 years and for many more years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith so much for his leadership on this issue which is so important to both of us. It is near and dear to our hearts. I want to express my gratitude and just say how grateful I am to have worked with him and Chairman Sensenbrenner on the coordination of these efforts to bring this most important issue to the floor.

When I first learned about trafficking in human beings, I could not believe that slavery or the slave trade still existed. I remember asking, what do you mean women and children and young boys are being bought and sold? This is the 21st century; how can this be happening? And the answers that I got were very grim.

I found out from John Miller, the very esteemed Ambassador at the State Department's Trafficking in Persons Office, that as many as 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders every year, including the borders of the United States of America.

The trafficking of people is a $9 billion industry. It has recently tied illegal arms dealing as the second fastest growing criminal activity in the world. The legislation before us today will increase our Nation's ability to bring diplomatic pressure to bear on countries who actively or tacitly engage in this heinous practice.

More than that, however, this legislation reflects our Nation's commitment to abolishing the unlawful sexual exploitation of women and children and boys occurring within our own borders. A Nation that stands for the freedom and dignity of every human being cannot tolerate the degradation and exploitation of the innocent occurring on its own soil.

To eradicate sex trafficking in our Nation, we must focus on eradicating the demand for sex trafficking, and I am pleased that this bipartisan legislation that I authored with my good friend and colleague from New York (Mrs. Maloney) has been incorporated into the legislation before us today.

This is not a partisan issue, Mr. Speaker. There is no politics in sex trade. And when this body is constantly portrayed as bitterly partisan, it is a joy to provide one more example that this is not always the case.

The End Demand for Sex Trafficking Act has received extraordinary support from a diverse and passionate coalition of anti-trafficking and human rights organizations. This measure will combat unlawful trafficking in this country. For the first time, we are going to address demand in our own country.

The provision in the final measure which will require U.S. embassies around the world to report on and monitor countries' efforts to reduce the demand for sex trafficking will be a key motivator overseas as well, because the results of these investigations will be included in the Trafficking in Persons report released by the State Department each year for all the world to see and for our own government to use if sanctions are required.

Mr. Speaker, as the President noted in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly in 2003, there is a special evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent and vulnerable. Today, the House will be able to take an important step toward eradicating this special, special evil. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and thank, once again, the chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 580) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and in support of the Deficit Reduction Act. The legislation we have before us is built on the simple notions of reforming government and achieving savings.

If ever there was a vote in recent history that defines the difference in the two parties--this is it.

We are the party of reform, the party of a more efficient government--the other party is one of more government, more spending, and more taxes.

The Democrats have tried to use catchy rhetoric to describe what we are voting on today. They don't want to talk about the facts.

The front page of last Tuesday's Roll Call said it all . . . ``This fall is not the time for Democrats to roll out a positive agenda,'' said a House Democratic aide.

Instead of a positive agenda, they have resorted to using words like ``cuts'' and ``slashing programs,'' and called this important plan ``rotten to the core.''

But once you peal back the rhetoric and look at what is in this legislation, you realize why they only have cute slogans.

They don't want to talk about reforms that will save and strengthen Medicaid.

Reforms largely taken from proposals offered by the bipartisan National Governor's Association that was led by Democratic Governor Mark Warner.

They don't want to talk about supporting first responders by giving them bandwidth they so desperately need.

They don't want to talk about a 50 percent increase in LIHEAP.

They don't want to talk about ensuring that benefits paid for by taxpayers don't go to illegal immigrants.

And of course they don't want to talk about lowering the cost of student loans.

I could go on and on--but in the end, this legislation delivers common sense reforms that will achieve real savings and reduce the deficit.

What about that, Mr. Speaker, is rotten to the core?

Mr. Speaker, on vote No. 533 regarding final passage of H.R. 554, the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, my vote was inadvertently not recorded. Had it been recorded it would have shown an ``aye'' vote to reflect my strong support for this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, on vote No. 535 regarding a Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 2744--the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006--my vote was recorded in a manner inconsistent with my intent. Let the Record show that my vote should have been recorded as ``nay'' not ``yea.''

Mr. Chairman, I would like to congratulate the chairman and Mr. Baker and Mr. Frank and Mr. Ney and the many Members who have worked so hard on this issue for years now.

This is a strong bill that creates a world-class regulator for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal home loan bank at a time when one is much needed.

I rise today, Mr. Chairman, because I am concerned about specific provisions in the manager's amendment which could have unintended consequences on members of our senior population and the ability of nonprofits to work together to serve low-income communities. Specifically, Mr. Chairman, I would like to receive some assurance from you that you will work with me on these issues as we move toward a final bill in conference. And first I would like to work to clarify language in the amendment so it does not disqualify nonprofits from participating in the Affordable Housing Fund if they transport their own senior housing residents to the polls. That is with the understanding that many of these seniors have no other option to get to the polls but for their own nursing home's transportation facilities.

I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

I thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Secondly, I would like to see clarification that the intention of the language in the manager's amendment pertaining to ``overlapping board membership'' was not to disallow single individuals from serving on the board of two organizations. Rather, the language was sought to disqualify affiliated organizations from participating in the fund where clear control of one organization is maintained by another which is participating in election activities.

I am not in need of any further time, and I thank the chairman for his understanding of these issues.

Mr. Speaker, throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Ohio has shouldered an enormous share of the sacrifice, but no one has shouldered a greater share than the Marines and families of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment, based in my hometown of Columbus. On August 3, 2005, this brave group of soldiers lost nine of their brethren in western Iraq. Since its deployment in March, Lima Company has lost fifteen of its 160 men.

The 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines' reputation is legendary. First activated on May 1, 1943, ``3/25'' captured a key airfield at the Batte of Iwo Jima in the Pacific. The battalion fought heroically in the battles of Kwajalein Atoll, Saipan, Tinian, and Colonel Justice Marino Chambers received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery as Commander of the 3/25 at Iwo Jima. After being deactivated at the end of WWII, the battalion was reactivated in January of this year, and headed to Iraq in March.

It truly is impossible for us to fully comprehend the dangerous mission these valiant Marines have undertaken in Iraq. They've been tasked with the most strategic yet risky assignments, often moving from town to town, door to door, in search of armed insurgents along the Euphrates River. And as desperate insurgents have been staging more frequent and deadly attacks on our armed forces, Lima Company endured the brunt of these attacks on that fateful day in August and laid to rest nine brave soldiers.

When confronted with a loss as great as this, we all search for some perspective, trying to balance the sacrifices made by these brave Marines with the vital mission our soldiers are carrying out in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We take some solace in knowing that because of the commitment and dedication to freedom by America's soldiers and those of our allies, more people in the Middle East region are living in freedom under democratically elected governments than at any point in the history of this region. We have witnessed free elections in Palestine and the election of a leader committed to achieving lasting peace. Saudi Arabia has held elections, and Syria has ended its occupation of Lebanon. Libya's nuclear program has been dismantled, and Egypt is allowing for challengers to compete in a public election against the sitting president. This democratic domino effect portends a safer, freer future for the people of the Middle East and the rest of the world.

As Lima Company returns home to Ohio, the Iraqi people are about to embark on a monumental endeavor--casting a vote on their very own Constitution--drafted by officials they selected just ten months ago in a free and fair election. I have to think that the crossing of these two meaningful events is not coincidental. There is far too much symbolism. This Constitution is a tangible and lasting symbol of freedom and liberty in a part of the world that for centuries has known neither, yet without the brave sacrifices of Lima Company, and all of America's armed forces, they would probably never know. Thank you, Lima Company, for your bravery, heroism, and sacrifice. We welcome you home.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. It is great to be speaking on a rule once again.

Mr. Speaker, the Violence Against Women Act is one of the great legislative success stories of the last 10 years, and today the House of Representatives has the opportunity and the duty to strengthen and improve current law to further protect women across the country from exploitation and abuse.

Since 1994, VAWA, as we affectionately refer to it, has been an invaluable tool in the law enforcement arsenal as well as a crucial resource for victims. I know, Mr. Speaker, because I was on the bench before its passage. So whether it is obtaining a protection order, talking to an advocate or prosecutor, or just making our streets safer for women, we have seen monumental changes in how we protect the vulnerable from violence.

Since 1995, States have passed more than 600 laws to combat domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. All States have passed laws making stalking a crime. And since 1996, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has answered over 1 million calls for help. But even though tremendous progress has been made in addressing the dark and devastating issues of sexual assault, incest, rape, and other forms of violence against women and children, crime continues.

Let us never forget, Mr. Speaker, that children in homes where domestic violence is present are more apt to grow up to be abusers themselves or more likely to remain in a relationship when they are abused. It is a cyclical problem, and it needs to be intercepted, and it needs to be stopped.

Today's reauthorization measure extends core programs and makes improvements to enhance our ability to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It also seeks to combat the problem of violence against our youth on campuses by allowing funds to be used for innovative antiviolence programs on college campuses all across America. And for the first time we have a law that addresses cyberstalking and the horrid abuses of the Internet.

By persevering in this fight, we will see justice not only by stopping those who prey on the defenseless but also by assisting and empowering those in need.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this rule and the bipartisan legislation underlying it so that women and children across America can live in a safer and more secure world.