Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this is one of those moments where the House gets to demonstrate the degree to which we are truly committed to the unfolding of 14th amendment rights to due process and equal protection of the law. We get a chance to determine that today. I believe that people who happen to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender are entitled to the full and equal protection of employment laws.

The principles behind the original draft of ENDA sought to embrace the fullness of a community which has experienced significant undermining of rights in the workplace. None of us can know, unless we have walked in somebody's shoes, but let's imagine for a moment that someone who presents himself or herself as being of another sex or gender, imagine what they must go through in their daily lives. And imagine we who take an oath to defend the Constitution would somehow separate the people from the claims of justice and from the claims of constitutional protection.

We all love this country. We all love being Americans. But to be an American means really standing for those constitutional principles and really understanding that life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are something that everyone should have access to and that everyone should have equal protection of the law and due process.

I am very concerned, as my Republican colleagues are, that the Baldwin amendment can be offered and pulled back without a vote, because if it was given a vote, I would vote for the Baldwin amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I was saying that I share the concern that my Republican colleagues have that we won't have a chance to vote on a Baldwin amendment, because I believe that this is not a Republican or Democrat issue.

I thank the gentleman from Maine for his own leadership.

The U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement continues the destructive trade policies that spur the exodus of good-paying jobs and undermine the ability of working people to protect their living standards.

Our workers and our communities have been hurt by the devastating impacts of our flawed trade policies. Since 2001, over 3 million valuable manufacturing jobs have been lost by U.S. workers due to the unsound NAFTA model of trade analogous to the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement we are considering tonight. Yet the Bush administration insists on continuing to implement the same policies that have off- shored jobs and left hardworking Americans in precarious circumstances.

Common sense suggests that our trade policies must continue to promote and expand Buy American practices that support American competitiveness. Instead, this agreement undermines Buy American programs.

This destructive trade bill requires that all firms in Peru, Peruvian or otherwise, be granted equivalent access to outsourced U.S. Government work and Buy American program contracts as our own U.S. firms. Suggesting that Buy American should include Peruvian

businesses indicates that the multinational corporations are the real beneficiaries of the free trade agreement.

This body successfully fended off the Bush administration's attempts to privatize our Social Security system in 2005. It should follow that this body would hold firm on this principle for other nations as well.

However, there are provisions in the Peru FTA that would allow U.S. firms to exact compensation if the Peruvian Government reverses the partial privatization of their own social security system. Citibank would reap a windfall if Peru did what the U.S. Congress has voted to do, roll back the privatization of Social Security.

Furthermore, the U.S.-Peru FTA threatens the citizens and workers of Peru. The two main labor federations of Peru have expressed opposition to the agreement over concerns for the workers of both of our nations.

As corporations cut U.S. jobs and relocate in search of lower labor costs, the U.S.-Peru FTA threatens to expand sweatshop labor in Peru and casts doubt on the adequate enforcement of worker protections. In a country already fraught by high poverty levels and a growing gap between the wealthy and the poor, the U.S.-Peru FTA will further exacerbate Peru's difficulties with provisions that ultimately promote privatization and deregulation of basic necessities such as water and electricity.

Agricultural provisions of this agreement threaten the well-being of Peru's peasant farmers. These provisions are expected to cause displacement of farmers and increased hunger. Peru has over 7 million citizens living in rural communities, with agriculture helping to sustain one-third of its population. It is estimated that over 4.5 million Peruvians are malnourished and without much-needed income.

I urge the defeat of this trade agreement and standing up for the American worker.

Coca cultivation requires minimal technology, produces four yields annually and is profitable. Because the Peru FTA includes provisions requiring Peru to reduce tariffs on U.S. agricultural products it is predicted that many Peruvian farmers will turn to the illicit cultivation of coca to earn a living.

Experts predict that these agricultural provisions of this NAFTA style deal threaten an increase of undocumented migration into the U.S. This has implications for our immigration system, a system that is already badly in need of humane reform.

Terms in the U.S.-Peru FTA for drug makers will harm Peruvian patients who need lifesaving medications. The provisions ensure that patients in Peru will struggle to afford necessary drugs.

Corporations will be able to challenge domestic environmental and public health laws in international tribunals. This gives corporations the ability to circumvent accountability and undermine laws that exist to protect people and the environment.

Failed trade policies that threaten natural resources and our environment have been the status quo for too long and will only continue under the U.S.-Peru FTA.

Like prior trade agreements, the U.S.-Peru FTA will not bring global prosperity and well-being, but will instead bolster powerful corporations. I urge my colleagues to oppose the U.S.-Peru FTA.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)1 of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privilege of the House.

The form of the resolution is as follows:

Resolved, That Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the

United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors,

and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited

to the United States Senate:

Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of

Representatives of the United States of America in the name

of itself and of the people of the United States of America,

against Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United

States of America, in maintenance and support of its

impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article I

In his conduct while Vice President of the United States,

Richard B. Cheney, in violation of his constitutional oath to

faithfully execute the office of Vice President of the United

States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect,

and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in

violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the

laws be faithfully executed, has purposely manipulated the

intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of

the United States by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of

mass destruction to justify the use of the United States

Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging

to our national security interests, to wit:

(1) Despite all evidence to the contrary, the Vice

President actively and systematically sought to deceive the

citizens and Congress of the United States about an alleged

threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction:

(A) `We know they have biological and chemical weapons.'

March 17, 2002, Press Conference by Vice President Dick

Cheney and His Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown

Prince of Bahrain at Shaikh Hamad Palace.

(B) `. . . and we know they are pursuing nuclear weapons.'

March 19, 2002, Press Briefing by Vice President Dick Cheney

and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem.

(C) `And he is actively pursuing nuclear weapons at this

time . . .' March 24, 2002, CNN Late Edition interview with

Vice President Cheney.

(D) `We know he's got chemicals and biological and we know

he's working on nuclear.' May 19, 2002, NBC Meet the Press

interview with Vice President Cheney.

(E) `But we now know that Saddam has resumed his efforts to

acquire nuclear weapons . . . Simply stated, there is no

doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass

destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to

use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.'

August 26, 2002, Speech of Vice President Cheney at VFW 103rd

National Convention.

(F) `Based on intelligence that's becoming available, some

of it has been made public, more of it hopefully will be,

that he has indeed stepped up his capacity to produce and

deliver biological weapons, that he has reconstituted his

nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapon, that there are

efforts under way inside Iraq to significantly expand his

capability.' September 8, 2002, NBC Meet the Press interview

with Vice President Cheney.

(G) `He is, in fact, actively and aggressively seeking to

acquire nuclear weapons.' September 8, 2002, NBC Meet the

Press interview with Vice President Cheney.

(H) `And we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear

weapons.' March 16, 2003, NBC Meet the Press interview with

Vice President Cheney.

(2) Preceding the March 2003 invasion of Iraq the Vice

President was fully informed that no legitimate evidence

existed of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The Vice

President pressured the intelligence community to change

their findings to enable the deception of the citizens and

Congress of the United States.

(A) Vice President Cheney and his Chief of Staff, Lewis

Libby, made multiple trips to the CIA in 2002 to question

analysts studying Iraq's weapons programs and alleged links

to al Qaeda, creating an environment in which analysts felt

they were being pressured to make their assessments fit with

the Bush administration's policy objectives accounts.

(B) Vice President Cheney sought out unverified and

ultimately inaccurate raw intelligence to prove his

preconceived beliefs. This strategy of cherry picking was

employed to influence the interpretation of the intelligence.

(3) The Vice President's actions corrupted or attempted to

corrupt the 2002 National Intelligence Estimate, an

intelligence document issued on October 1, 2002, and

carefully considered by Congress prior to the October 10,

2002, vote to authorize the use of force. The Vice

President's actions prevented the necessary reconciliation of

facts for the National Intelligence Estimate which resulted

in a high number of dissenting opinions from technical

experts in two Federal agencies.

(A) The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and

Research dissenting view in the October 2002 National

Intelligence Estimate stated `Lacking persuasive evidence

that Baghdad has launched a coherent effort to reconstitute

it's nuclear weapons program INR is unwilling to speculate

that such an effort began soon after the departure of UN

inspectors or to project a timeline for the completion of

activities it does not now see happening. As a result INR is

unable to predict that Iraq could acquire a nuclear device or

weapon.'.

(B) The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and

Research dissenting view in the October 2002 National

Intelligence Estimate also stated that `Finally, the claims

of Iraqi pursuit of natural uranium in Africa are, in INR's

assessment, highly dubious.'.

(C) The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and

Research dissenting view in the October 2002 National

Intelligence Estimate references a Department of Energy

opinion by stating that `INR accepts the judgment of

technical experts at the US Department of Energy (DOE) who

have concluded that the tubes Iraq seeks to acquire are

poorly suited for use in gas centrifuges to be used for

uranium enrichment and finds unpersuasive the arguments

advanced by others to make the case that they are intended

for that purpose.'.

The Vice President subverted the national security

interests of the United States by setting the stage for the

loss of more than 3800 United States service members; the

loss of more than 1 million innocent Iraqi citizens since the

United States invasion; the loss of approximately $500

billion in war costs which has increased our Federal debt;

the loss of military readiness within the United States Armed

Services due to overextension, lack of training and lack of

equipment; the loss of United States credibility in world

affairs; and the decades of likely blowback created by the

invasion of Iraq.

In all of this, Vice President Richard B. Cheney has acted

in a manner contrary to his trust as Vice President, and

subversive of constitutional government, to the prejudice of

the cause of law and justice and the manifest injury of the

people of the United States. Wherefore, Vice President

Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, is guilty of an

impeachable offense warranting removal from office.

Article II

In his conduct while Vice President of the United States,

Richard B. Cheney, in violation of his constitutional oath to

faithfully execute the office of Vice President of the United

States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect,

and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in

violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the

laws be faithfully executed, purposely manipulated the

intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of

the United States about an alleged relationship between Iraq

and al Qaeda in order to justify the use of the United States

Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging

to our national security interests, to wit:

(1) Despite all evidence to the contrary, the Vice

President actively and systematically sought to deceive the

citizens and the Congress of the United States about an

alleged relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda:

(A) `His regime has had high-level contacts with Al Qaeda

going back a decade and has provided training to Al Qaeda

terrorists.' December 2, 2002, Speech of Vice President

Cheney at the Air National Guard Senior Leadership

Conference.

(B) `His regime aids and protects terrorists, including

members of Al Qaeda. He could decide secretly to provide

weapons of mass destruction to terrorists for use against

us.' January 30, 2003, Speech of Vice President Cheney to

30th Political Action Conference in Arlington, Virginia.

(C) `We know he's out trying once again to produce nuclear

weapons and we know that he has a long-standing relationship

with various terrorist groups, including the Al Qaeda

organization.' March 16, 2003, NBC Meet the Press interview

with Vice President Cheney.

(D) `We learned more and more that there was a relationship

between Iraq and Al Qaeda that stretched back through most of

the decade of the '90s, that it involved training, for

example, on biological weapons and chemical weapons . . .'

September 14, 2003, NBC Meet the Press interview with Vice

President Cheney.

(E) `Al Qaeda had a base of operation there up in

Northeastern Iraq where they ran a large poisons factory for

attacks against Europeans and U.S. forces.' October 3, 2003,

Speech of Vice President Cheney at Bush-Cheney '04 Fundraiser

in Iowa.

(F) `He also had an established relationship with Al Qaeda

providing training to Al Qaeda members in areas of poisons,

gases, and conventional bombs.' October 10, 2003, Speech of

Vice President Cheney to the Heritage Foundation.

(G) `Al Qaeda and the Iraqi intelligence services have

worked together on a number of occasions.' January 9, 2004,

Rocky Mountain News interview with Vice President Cheney.

(H) `I think there's overwhelming evidence that there was a

connection between Al Qaeda and the Iraqi government.'

January 22, 2004, NPR: Morning Edition interview with Vice

President Cheney.

(I) `First of all, on the question of--of whether or not

there was any kind of relationship, there clearly was a

relationship. It's been testified to; the evidence is

overwhelming.' June 17, 2004, CNBC: Capital Report interview

with Vice President Cheney.

(2) Preceding the March 2003 invasion of Iraq the Vice

President was fully informed that no credible evidence

existed of a working relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda,

a fact articulated in several official documents, including:

(A) A classified Presidential Daily Briefing ten days after

the September 11, 2001, attacks indicating that the United

States intelligence community had no evidence linking Saddam

Hussein to the September 11th attacks and that there was

`scant credible evidence that Iraq had any significant

collaborative ties with Al Qaeda'.

(B) Defense Intelligence Terrorism Summary No. 044-02,

issued in February 2002 by the United States Defense

Intelligence Agency, which challenged the credibility of

information gleaned from captured al Qaeda leader al-Libi.

The DIA report also cast significant doubt on the possibility

of a Saddam Hussein-al-Qaeda conspiracy: `Saddam's regime is

intensely secular and is wary of Islamic revolutionary

movements. Moreover, Baghdad is unlikely to provide

assistance to a group it cannot control.'.

(C) A January 2003 British intelligence classified report

on Iraq that concluded that `there are no current links

between the Iraqi regime and the al-Qaeda network'.

The Vice President subverted the national security

interests of the United States by setting the stage for the

loss of more than 3,800 United States service members; the

loss of more than 1 million innocent Iraqi citizens since the

United States invasion; the loss of approximately $500

billion in war costs which has increased our Federal debt;

the loss of military readiness within the United States Armed

Services due to overextension, lack of training and lack of

equipment; the loss of United States credibility in world

affairs; and the decades of likely blowback created by the

invasion of Iraq.

In all of this, Vice President Richard B. Cheney has acted

in a manner contrary to his trust as Vice President, and

subversive of constitutional government, to the prejudice of

the cause of law and justice and the manifest injury of the

people of the United States. Wherefore, Vice President

Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, is guilty of an

impeachable offense warranting removal from office.

Article III

In his conduct while Vice President of the United States,

Richard B. Cheney, in violation of his constitutional oath to

faithfully execute the office of Vice President of the United

States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect,

and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in

violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the

laws be faithfully executed, has openly threatened aggression

against the Republic of Iran absent any real threat to the

United States, and done so with the United States proven

capability to carry out such threats, thus undermining the

national security of the United States, to wit:

(1) Despite no evidence that Iran has the intention or the

capability of attacking the United States and despite the

turmoil created by United States invasion of Iraq, the Vice

President has openly threatened aggression against Iran as

evidenced by the following:

(A) `For our part, the United States is keeping all options

on the table in addressing the irresponsible conduct of the

regime. And we join other nations in sending that regime a

clear message: We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear

weapon.' March 7, 2006, Speech of Vice President Cheney to

American Israel Public Affairs Committee 2006 Policy

Conference.

(B) `But we've also made it clear that all options are on

the table.' January 24, 2007, CNN Situation Room interview

with Vice President Cheney.

(C) `When we--as the President did, for example, recently--

deploy another aircraft carrier task force to the Gulf, that

sends a very strong signal to everybody in the region that

the United States is here to stay, that we clearly have

significant capabilities, and that we are working with

friends and allies as well as the international organizations

to deal with the Iranian threat.' January 29, 2007, Newsweek

interview with Vice President Cheney.

(D) `But I've also made the point and the President has

made the point that all options are still on the table.'

February 24, 2007, Vice President Cheney at Press Briefing

with Australian Prime Minister in Sydney, Australia.

(2) The Vice President, who repeatedly and falsely claimed

to have had specific, detailed knowledge of Iraq's alleged

weapons of mass destruction capabilities, is no doubt fully

aware of evidence that demonstrates Iran poses no real threat

to the United States as evidenced by the following:

(A) `I know that what we see in Iran right now is not the

industrial capacity you can [use to develop a] bomb.' Mohamed

ElBaradei, Director General of International Atomic Energy

Agency, February 19, 2007.

(B) Iran indicated its `full readiness and willingness to

negotiate on the modality for the resolution of the

outstanding issues with the IAEA, subject to the assurances

for dealing with the issues in the framework of the Agency,

without the interference of the United Nations Security

Council'. IAEA Board Report, February 22, 2007.

(C) `. . . so whatever they have, what we have seen today,

is not the kind of capacity that would enable them to make

bombs.' Mohamed El Baradei, Director General of International

Atomic Energy Agency, February 19, 2007.

(3) The Vice President is fully aware of the actions taken

by the United States towards Iran that are further

destabilizing the world as evidenced by the following:

(A) The United States has refused to engage in meaningful

diplomatic relations with Iran since 2002, rebuffing both

bilateral and multilateral offers to dialogue.

(B) The United States is currently engaged in a military

buildup in the Middle East that includes the increased

presence of the United States Navy in the waters near Iran,

significant United States Armed Forces in two nations

neighboring to Iran, and the installation of anti-missile

technology in the region.

(C) News accounts have indicated that military planners

have considered the B61-11, a tactical nuclear weapon, as one

of the options to strike underground bunkers in Iran.

(D) The United States has been linked to anti-Iranian

organizations that are attempting to destabilize the Iranian

government, in particular the Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK), even

though the state department has branded it a terrorist

organization.

(E) News accounts indicate that United States troops have

been ordered into Iran to collect data and establish contact

with anti-government groups.

(4) In the last three years the Vice President has

repeatedly threatened Iran. However, the Vice President is

legally bound by the U.S. Constitution's adherence to

international law that prohibits threats of use of force.

(A) Article VI of the United States Constitution states,

`This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which

shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or

which shall be made, under the Authority of the United

States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land.' Any provision

of an international treaty ratified by the United States

becomes the law of the United States.

(B) The United States is a signatory to the United Nations

Charter, a treaty among the nations of the world. Article II,

Section 4 of the United Nations Charter states, `All Members

shall refrain in their international relations from the

threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or

political independence of any state, or in any other manner

inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.' The

threat of force is illegal.

(C) Article 51 lays out the only exception, `Nothing in the

present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual

or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against

a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council

has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace

and security.' Iran has not attacked the United States;

therefore any threat against Iran by the United States is

illegal.

The Vice President's deception upon the citizens and

Congress of the United States that enabled the failed United

States invasion of Iraq forcibly altered the rules of

diplomacy such that the Vice President's recent belligerent

actions towards Iran are destabilizing and counterproductive

to the national security of the United States.

In all of this, Vice President Richard B. Cheney has acted

in a manner contrary to

his trust as Vice President, and subversive of constitutional

government, to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice

and the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrants

impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

Mr. Speaker, I call up the question of the privileged resolution noticed earlier today.

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

Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. Speaker, if this motion to refer fails, does my privileged resolution remain on the floor for an hour of debate and a final vote?

Would it be subject to a vote, then, on the floor?

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a recorded vote on the motion to refer to committee.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of George Solomonoff. For 50 years, he was an admirable spokesman for peace and justice.

As a young man growing up in Cleveland, George was fascinated by the world around him and learned all he could, with a particular interest in Eastern philosophies. This interest would be a great influence in how he led his life, including his views on social justice. Shortly after graduating high school, he joined the Army as a radio operator in Europe, participating in various U.S. campaigns during World War II. These experiences would greatly contribute to his decision to work toward peace.

Most recently, George was an active member in many peace and justice groups, including the InterReligious Task Force, Cleveland Peace Action, Veterans for Peace, and Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice. As a member of the InterReligious Task Force, he organized the annual Cleveland protest against the School of the Americas. He was a constant presence on issues of peace and social justice in the greater Cleveland community, and was an ardent supporter of my legislation to create a Cabinet-level Department of Peace. He is survived by his sons, Dave and Alex; his daughter Nicole; and his brother Raymond. He will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure and privilege of knowing him.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembering the life of George Solomonoff. May he rest in peace, and may his desire for a better world and a better future for humanity live on in all of us.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of my dear friend and mentor, Javier Lopez, M.D., upon his induction into St. Vincent Charity Hospital's Society of Saint Luke, an honor that reflects his immeasurable contribution to the health and well-being of countless individuals and families, from Cleveland, Ohio to Colombia, South America. His compassion and expertise continues to have the greatest impact on the poor of our community, whose lives are uplifted, inspired and made whole again by the healing compassion that defines the life and work of Dr. Javier Lopez.

A highly skilled surgeon and general family practitioner in the Cleveland area for more than 40 years, Dr. Lopez's brilliant medical expertise is equaled by his patience, caring, compassion, and dedication to every patient, regardless of their ability to pay. More than forty years ago, Dr. Lopez journeyed from his beautiful homeland of Medellin, Colombia, to Cleveland, Ohio, to complete his residency at St. Alexis Hospital. The people of North and South Broadway, including myself and my family, were immediately taken by his kind, gentle and humble nature. Dr. Lopez's talent as a gifted doctor could have landed him a successful medical practice in any wealthy suburb, yet he chose to stay in the inner city, on Broadway Avenue, wholly dedicated to treating those who embraced him as a young man so many years ago.

I have been fortunate to have known Dr. Lopez since I was a young man, and even more fortunate to have cultivated a close friendship with him. The positive impact that he has had on my life and the lives of so many others is truly indescribable in mere words. His excellence as a physician is surpassed by none, yet it is his deep sense of humanity that sets him apart from most others. Dr. Lopez continues to be a guiding beacon of hope along Broadway Avenue, uplifting the spirits, hearts and lives of countless individuals, including my own.

Dr. Lopez lives his life dedicated to his faith, his family, and the communities of North and South Broadway and St. Vincent's. His vocation in medicine reflects his unwavering faith and is captured in the biblical reference: ``Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.'' Dr. Lopez offers the same compassion, concern and medical expertise to the forgotten homeless man as he does to the successful attorney. Despite his great achievements in the field of medicine, Dr. Lopez's sense of humanity has always been blind to social or economic status.

Although Dr. Lopez has wholly embraced his Cleveland community, he never forgets the struggles of the people of his Colombian birthplace. An international ambassador of healing, Dr. Lopez continues to lead regular medical missions to Colombia and Honduras, where he donates his time, expertise, medicine and medical supplies to war-torn and impoverished communities, forging healing, peace and hope for a better day. In Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Lopez's lifelong commitment to healing is reflected every day within his modest medical office on Broadway Avenue.

His office still remains across the street from where St. Alexis Hospital once stood, and in 2003, Dr. Lopez became an integral member of the medical staff of St. Vincent Charity Hospital. He immediately garnered the respect, admiration and adoration of St. Vincent Hospital staff members and patients--everyone from the front desk receptionists to the nurses and surgical specialists.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Dr. Javier Lopez, upon his induction into the Society of Saint Luke. Dr. Lopez' medical insight, intellect, grace, wisdom, leadership and friendship--and above all else, his compassion, kindness and heart, continues to raise the lives of so many of us onto a platform of hope, survival, peace and healing.

Dr. Lopez strengthens our entire community by caring for us, and by caring, especially--``for the least of us.'' I am grateful and honored to call Dr. Lopez my friend, and I thank him for enriching my life by his close and consistent presence in it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Joseph A. Sopko, M.D., upon his induction into St. Vincent Charity Hospital's St. Luke Society, for his contributions to pulmonary health education, residency program leadership, and for his community involvement, including his leadership and activism regarding tobacco use prevention.

Dr. Sopko has been a member of the medical staff at St. Vincent Charity Hospital for nearly 20 years. He earned his medical degree at Tufts University and completed his residency and fellowship training at the University of Iowa Hospitals. Dr. Sopko has held several significant roles at St. Vincent Charity Hospital, including: Medical Director of Pulmonary Services; Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit; and educator within the Hospital's medical residency program. Moreover, Dr. Sopko played a critical role in establishing one of the first hospital-wide blood conservation programs in the nation--the Regional Center for Blood Conservation. For his service to students in the residency program, he was awarded the 2007 Teacher of the Year Award, given by the St. Vincent Charity Hospital Internal Medicine Program.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Dr. Joseph A. Sopko, upon his induction into the Saint Luke Society. Dr. Sopko's medical expertise, caring demeanor and strong sense of volunteerism brings strength to St. Vincent's Hospital and superior health care for countless individuals throughout our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Helmut Schreiber, M.D., F.A.C.S., upon his induction into St. Vincent Charity Hospital's St. Luke Society, for his pioneering achievements in the area of bariatric medicine, his innovative techniques in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity, and for his natural talents as teacher and mentor.

Dr. Schreiber has been a member of the medical staff at St. Vincent Charity Hospital for the past nineteen years. He earned his medical degree from Ohio State University, and completed his residency and internship at University Hospitals of Cleveland. In 1999, after working for several years as Director of Surgery at Saint Luke's Hospital, Dr. Schreiber accepted the position of Director of Surgery at Saint Vincent Charity Hospital. Motivated by his deep compassion for patients struggling with obesity, Dr. Schreiber founded the Cleveland Center for Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Schreiber has also served as teacher for residency students and, most significantly, he has provided surgical care to countless individuals in need, regardless of their ability to pay.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Dr. Helmut Schreiber, upon his induction into the Saint Luke Society. Dr. Schreiber's medical excellence, pioneering achievements, and caring and compassionate nature, serves to bring light and hope into the lives of patients, colleagues, family and friends, uplifting our entire community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Charity A. Kankam, M.D., upon her induction into St. Vincent Charity Hospital's St. Luke Society, an honor that reflects not only her superior clinical skills, but most significantly, highlights her daily outreach, care and compassion for the most vulnerable citizens of our community.

Dr. Kankam has been an integral member of the St. Vincent staff for the past seventeen years. She was awarded a medical degree from the University of Toronto, where she completed her residency and fellowship training as well. Dr. Kankam specializes in nephrology and has served as the Director of Nephrology since 1994. She also dedicates her time as a teacher to medical residents and staff. Dr. Kankam's limitless compassion and her dedication to improving the well-being of others reaches from the St. Vincent community to her birthplace, Ghana. When Dr. Kankam learned that Ghana lacked a desperately needed dialysis center, she became the leading organizer in raising funds to build one. Last year, due to Dr. Kankam's determination and focus, a dialysis center was established in Ghana--one of only two in the country.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Dr. Charity A. Kankam, upon her induction into the Saint Luke Society. Dr. Kankam's expertise in the area of nephrology is outshone only by her compassion and kindness, raising the spirits and lives of every patient into the realm of healing, strength and hope.

Madam Speaker, today, I voted for H.R. 3963, which authorizes the State Children's Health Insurance Program, SCHIP. The provisions in the bill would make substantial progress in providing health care for children. It would provide coverage for 3.8 million more children than are covered now and preserve coverage for 6.6 million more. It would help ensure Ohio can expand its program to include an additional 20,000 children. It targets the lowest-income uninsured children for outreach and enrollment, ensures dental coverage and mental health parity.

I voted against a previous version of this bill because it excluded about 600,000 legal immigrants. I voted to raise the issue and show Congress they were wrong to do so. I voted for the veto override to show the President that his objections to government health insurance for low income children were outrageous. Today I voted to make the same statement. I urge him to do the right thing and sign this bill.

I believe all children deserve health care. Unfortunately, today's bill does not do that. It does not even come close. It continues to shun immigrant children in the U.S. who are in full compliance with the law by denying States the option to cover them. It also drastically reduces support for coverage of parents, even though decades of evidence have shown that kids are far more likely to get the care they need if their parents are covered. It bars coverage of illegal immigrants, even if a State determines that it is cheaper and more humane for them to provide routine care than emergency care, which is frequently the case. In short, it sacrifices each of these groups of people as a bargaining chip.

This Congress is spending time and energy arguing over narrowly defined bills that treat a few of the symptoms but fail to address the problems that plague our health care system. Instead, this Congress should deliver the reform America is calling for. We should be moving ahead with H.R. 676, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, which would lower health care costs, provide coverage for everyone for all medically necessary services, and create a single best standard quality of care. America deserves--and wants--nothing less.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 515 in Cleveland, Ohio, on the occasion of their 50th anniversary. In the time Troop 515 has been in existence, it has served to teach young men the value of hard work, citizenship and leadership.

Troop 515 has had over 1,000 scouts in its ranks, with 35 of those scouts rising to the rank of Eagle Scout. Many of these scouts have gone on to serve their communities, influencing social policy and businesses alike. This troop has served the greater Cleveland community as an organization where young men can learn essential skills to serve them in their adult lives.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the Boy Scouts of America Troop 515. For 50 years, Troop 515 has been committed to serving Cleveland and our citizens. I thank them for their service and I wish them another 50 years of vibrant leadership and civic engagement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Lynda Sackett as she retires from her position as Director of Dance at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, Ohio. For the last 40 years, she has touched the lives of thousands of young dance artists as she has worked to establish the Beck Center as a great arts resource for Northeast Ohio.

Lynda began her career in the 1960s in Beck Center's Theatre Education Program. During the 1970s, she helped to create the Dance Education Program and has led that program ever since. Her passion for dance and for the arts led her to get even more involved with the Beck Center, serving as both director of Outreach Education and program director for Visual Arts Education while continuing to lead the dance program.

In her honor, the Beck Center has recently announced the establishment of the Lynda Sackett Endowment Fund for Dance Education. This money will serve to honor Lynda's spirit and dedication to dance by continuing her efforts to reach out to the community and encourage more young people to learn about the art of dance.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Lynda Sackett for her service to her community and to arts education.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Julius Ciaccia, Jr., who recently retired after dedicating over 30 years of service to the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Ciaccia began his career in city government in 1976, and served the city with distinction until his retirement.

I am particularly proud to be honoring Mr. Ciaccia today due to the fact that I have known him personally for quite some time. As mayor of Cleveland, in the year 1979, I appointed Mr. Ciaccia as the Commissioner of the Cleveland Division of Water. He was able to invest over $1 billion in improvements that led to improved drinking water delivery and helped make Cleveland a healthier and more vibrant city during his time in this position.

In addition to his leadership in city government, Mr. Ciaccia has worked on a federal level as well, serving on the board of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) from 1988 to present day; he was president of AMWA between 1996 to 1998. In honor of his exceptional contributions to the improvement of drinking water supply management, he was awarded the prominent President's Award in 1999.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in thanking Julius Ciaccia for all of the hard work, dedication, and pride that he has given the city of Cleveland during his admirable career. He has served the citizens with a zeal for his work that is rarely seen, and for that, he is applauded. I hope you will join me in wishing Mr. Ciaccia the best of luck in his future venture towards becoming the executive director of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of one of our former colleagues, Congressman Charlie Vanik. For 26 years, he was an admirable spokesman not only for the people of his district, but for the nation.

During his time in office, Congressman Vanik was one of Congress's most vocal advocates for human rights. In 1974, he co-authored an amendment to a trade law that required the United States to assess the human rights records of foreign countries before granting them special privileges. This law put pressure on the Soviet Union to allow freer emigration, and as a result, more than 2 million people were able to leave the Soviet Union in search of a better life.

While he was a member of Congress, he never forgot where he came from or the people he represented. During his time in office he helped to pass several federal programs, including the federal school lunch program, that would help the people in his district and throughout the country improve their livelihoods. In addition, he is remembered by his former colleagues as a savvy, gifted speaker who had the ability to make every person in a room smile.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembering the life of Congressman Charlie Vanik. May he rest in peace, and may his service to his country and to this body always be remembered honorably. He is survived by his wife, Betty; his son, Jon; his daughter, Phyllis; and two grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this act. Having great familiarity with the peoples of the Hawaiian Islands and with Native Hawaiians, I understand their concerns that we should have codified a stronger statement of what their rights are as indigenous peoples.

This is really about making sure that language and culture and history are preserved. It also is consistent with the law which created the admission of Hawaii to this Union. I think the date, Mr. Abercrombie could correct me if I am wrong, it was August 21, 1959. That was an important date for this Nation, because it is a day that we embraced not only Hawaii but Alaska. It was a day that we embraced the potential of this country to extend its reach and embrace peoples of many different cultures.

This act is an act that needs to be passed so that we can keep unfolding the real purpose and quality of America.