Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize a man from my district, the U.S. Virgin Islands, who is being celebrated as a ``selfless humanitarian.'' Mr. Rhudel A. George is well known in our community as a tireless government worker, an advocate for the small businessman, a teacher and a political organizer. As a friend and supporter that I can always count on, Rhudel is exemplary. We are all encouraged by his work as president of Concerned Virgin Islanders, an advocacy group that is determined to both preserve and invigorate the cultural touchstones that make the Virgin Islands special.

He grew up in the Down Street area of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and graduated in 1956 from the Charlotte Amalie High School (CAMS). He relocated to New York City where he joined the army in 1957 and served honorably for two years, leaving with a rank of Specialist 4th Class. Upon returning to the territory in 1959, he worked in both the private and public sector, while at the same time pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management at the University of the Virgin Islands in 1975. In 1975, he began to work for the V.I. Small Business Development Agency, first as a Field Investigator, and later as a Loan Officer. He was appointed Deputy Director of the

Agency by Governor Alexander Farrelly and rose to the position of Director, where he served until his retirement in 1995. In addition, Rhudel George served as a part-time instructor of business management and accounting at the CAHS Adult Continuing Education Program from 1981 through 1990. He also taught Business Management at the University of the Virgin Islands in 1991. He also served as a panelist with the U.S. Small Business Administration, conducting small business seminars and workshops in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and St. Martin for over 10 years.

Mr. Rhudel George received several prestigious awards for his work, to include being named the Small Business Advocate of the Year from the U.S. Small Business Administration 1990/1991 and a Certificate of Commendation for Service beyond the call of duty after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. He also served his community on various boards and commissions, lending his financial and business management expertise as Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Virgin Islands Port Authority, the Public Employees Relations Board, the Board of Land Use Appeals, the V.I. Small Business Development Agency's Board, the U.S. Small Business Administration Advisory Council for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Rhudel George is currently the President of Concerned Native Virgin Islanders, Inc., an organization that has awarded 15 scholarship awards to deserving high school graduates. Mr. Rhudel George is an extraordinary community minded individual who has lent his expertise when needed. He has been married for 43 years to Lucia Cid-George and has two daughters, Semele and Sionne.

Thank you for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of the rule and of H.R. 5501, a bipartisan bill to reauthorize and expand the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

I want to particularly applaud the increase in funding from $15 to $50 billion over 5 years, and the inclusion of the Caribbean countries in this reauthorization.

In this regard, I want to especially thank and applaud my colleagues, Mr. Fortuno, who introduced the Caribbean amendment, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who cosponsored it, as did I, Chairman Donald Payne, who included the increased funding and whose work with Congresswoman Barbara Lee ensured that these provisions were included, as well as Chairman Rangel, who began the Caribbean effort 4 years ago.

The expansion to include all Caribbean nations as focus countries was greatly aided by the hard work of Caribbean Health Ministers whose collective and tireless efforts raised awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. I also want to thank the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) not only for their support of this bill, but for the important leadership role that they have and continue to take to address HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region.

Over the past 5 years, PEPFAR has literally saved the lives of more than one million people and has had a significant positive impact on those most affected by and most at risk for HIV infection, women and girls.

Congresswoman Lee and I had the opportunity to visit several PEPFAR sites and partners in South Africa late last year and saw the great work that they are doing. It was also clearly evident, though, that more was needed.

The additional funding will help to expand the number of focused countries under PEPFAR. It will help to ensure that the innovative and effective efforts that have been launched not only continue, but help other hard-hit nations get access to the resources they desperately need to address HIV/AIDS within their borders.

While two Caribbean nations, Haiti and Guyana, are, as they should be, currently prioritized as focus countries under PEPFAR, there are 14 other nations in this region, which is second only to sub-Saharan Africa in terms of HIV/AIDS prevalence, in need of help. In the Caribbean today, AIDS is one of the leading causes of death in the 15- 44 age group.

Many Caribbean nations not currently receiving PEPFAR assistance absorb millions of dollars in debt every year. Leaders in the Caribbean maintain that high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates can overwhelm the region's health care capacity, destabilize economies, and compromise Caribbean nations' sociopolitical infrastructure. In fact, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, the Honorable Albert Ramdin, stated in January of last year that ``HIV/AIDS, if not effectively and urgently tackled, poses a clear threat to the sustainable development, social stability and human security of the Caribbean.''

Making all Caribbean countries eligible is clearly the right thing to do. H.R. 5501, while it includes the region, lays the foundation to have the 14 Caribbean nations specifically listed in the bill that will be sent to the President for his signature.

I urge all of my colleagues to support the rule and to support H.R. 5501, rightly named to honor the service of Chairman Hyde and Chairman Lantos.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of H.R. 5501--a bill which will reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR. I want to thank and applaud my colleagues, Congressman Fortuno who introduced the Caribbean amendment, Congresswoman Clarke who cosponsored it as did I, Chairman Payne and Congresswoman Lee who ushered it and many other parts of the bill through the committee.

Congresswoman Lee and I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa around World AIDS Day last year to visit PEPFAR sites and participate in and see the work they were doing first hand. There was great work being done, but the need for more was also clearly evident.

The success of PEPFAR is well documented. With the support offered through PEPFAR over the last 5 years, many of the world's hardest hit nations have been able to launch integrated HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care programs that have prevented new HIV infections, brought life-saving medications and other treatments and services to those living with HIV. As a direct result, PEPFAR has literally saved the lives of more than 1 million people and has had a noted and positive impact on those most affected by and most at risk for HIV infection: women and girls.

In fact, in the 15 focus countries, more than 6 in every 10 of the individuals with HIV currently on antiretroviral treatment as a result of direct PEPFAR support are women and girls.

Given the continued burden of HIV/AIDS in the world's most vulnerable nations, there is no doubt that this critically important bill not only should be reauthorized, but that it should be increased. We were pleased that the President indicated a willingness to increase it in his State of the Union message this year. And I want to especially recognize Chairman Payne for successfully increasing the fund to $50 billion over the next 5 years.

This additional funding will help to expand the number of ``focus countries'' which currently are prioritized under PEPFAR. Additionally, it will help ensure that the forward-thinking and effective HIV/AIDS- related efforts that have been launched not only continue, but that other nations that are hard hit by this pandemic will have access to the resources they desperately need to address HIV/AIDS within their borders.

Mr. Speaker, despite the many successes associated with PEPFAR, we know that there is an entire region--the Caribbean--which has been and remains in desperate need of assistance in battling against HIV/AIDS. While two Caribbean nations--Haiti and Guyana--are, as they should be, currently prioritized as focus countries under PEPFAR, there are 14 other nations in the region that together comprise the second-hardest hit region in the world; second only to sub-Saharan Africa in terms of HIV/AIDS prevalence.

Mr. Speaker, in the Caribbean today, AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among adults aged 15-44 years of age. In some countries in the region, AIDS is the leading cause of death among individuals in this age group; a disturbing reality, because AIDS is taking its ultimate toll on Caribbean residents during their most productive life years, thus compromising many Caribbean nations' economic, social and political growth and stability.

Adding to the region's challenges with HIV/AIDS is the well- documented high population mobility. We know that many Caribbean nations--whose commitment to and effectiveness in addressing HIV/AIDS is stifled not because of the absence of political will, but because of the absence of resources--offer universal access to HIV/AIDS medications, care and other services.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, many Caribbean nations, not currently receiving PEPFAR assistance, absorb millions of dollars in debt every year providing treatment and care not only to their residents with HIV, but to all individuals on their shores seeking HIV/AIDS care and treatment.

These Caribbean nations have been doing what is right not only to address HIV/AIDS head on, but to lay the groundwork to beat this pandemic. And so, I rise today to encourage all of my colleagues--on both sides of the aisle--to support this legislation, which lists these 14 Caribbean nations as ``focus nations,'' to support these nations' efforts to prevent new HIV infections and to expand access to life- saving AIDS medications to those living with HIV infection.

Mr. Speaker, because of all of the above, I want to especially single out Congressman Fortuno for his leadership on this issue and shepherding this amendment through the committee process and ensuring it became a part of the final bill. I also want to recognize Chairman Rangel who was the first to begin this process 4 years ago.

This amendment might not have been possible without the hard work of nearly a dozen Health Ministers in the Caribbean and their collective and tireless efforts to raise awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and to include 14 Caribbean nations as ``focus countries'' in this bill. I also want to thank the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS, PANCAP, not only for their support of this bill, but for the important leadership role that they have and continue to take to address HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region.

Mr. Speaker, as the only African-American physician in Congress and as the only representative from the English-speaking Caribbean, I can tell you--firsthand--that based on the surveillance data reported in the latest UNAIDS report, we know that the entire Caribbean region without adequate and targeted support from PEPFAR, is now and will continue to experience the same devastating impact from HIV/AIDS documented throughout nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Ambassador of and Health Ministers in Caribbean countries to the United States maintain that high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates can overwhelm the region's health care capacity, destabilize economies and compromise Caribbean nations' sociopolitical infrastructure.

In fact, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States Albert Ramdin stated in January 2007 that, ``HIV/AIDS, if not effectively and urgently tackled, poses a clear threat to the sustainable development, social stability, and human security of the Caribbean.''

The time to act is now; now is when we should support a bill that not only will tackle on of our most pressing international public health challenges, but that will do so in a manner that is medically, epidemiologically, regionally and fiscally responsible today. I, therefore, urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5501 so that it may pass in the House of Representatives and so that we may lay the path necessary to ensure that during conference, the 14 Caribbean nations listed in this bill are included in the bill that is sent to the President for enactment. It not only is the right thing to do, but it is the smart and responsible thing to do.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Congressional Black Caucus alternative budget which exercises fiscal and moral responsibility. And I thank Chairwoman Kilpatrick and Congressman Scott for their leadership.

The President's budget contains disastrous cuts which the base Democratic budget goes a long way to restoring. But people who have been left out of the health, education and the economic mainstream need more to ensure the equality, fairness and justice which our country has promised.

The CBC budget does this while balancing the budget and bringing back a surplus. Our budget will strengthen our Nation's overwhelmed and under-resourced health care system, extend the Children's Health Insurance Program, strengthen Medicaid and Medicare, save and expand programs to build the diverse work force we need, and increase health information technology.

We fund more vital services for people with HIV/AIDS, increase funding to our National Center and rural, infant, mental health and other critically needed programs.

Very importantly, for the first time, the CBC budget creates a Health Equity Fund, a bold but long overdue step that would fund the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007 and begin to eliminate the health disparities that claim the lives of 100,000 African Americans and other people of color every year. And we do this by providing tax relief where it is needed, recalibrating taxes so that they are fair, and we put that money where it is needed most.

Mr. Chairman and colleagues, the time is now to pass a budget that balances tough decisions with fiscal and moral responsibility and reflects the needs of all Americans and not just a privileged few.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in full support of the Congressional Black Caucus' alternative budget--Tough Choices--Right Priorities: Exercising Fiscal and Moral Responsibility. Thank you, Chairwoman Kilpatrick and Congressman Scott, for your leadership.

The President's budget contains disastrous cuts which make it blatantly clear that his priorities are out of sync with African- Americans and all Americans.

The base Democratic budget is a good budget. It goes a long way to restoring the cuts and eliminations the President proposes, but people who have for so long been left behind and left out of the health care mainstream and others, need more to ensure the equality, fairness, and justice which this country promises to all.

The CBC alternative budget provides additional critical funding to health, education, crime prevention, economic opportunity and more, this while still maintaining sound fiscal policy, providing moral leadership while balancing the budget and bringing back a surplus in five years.

As a physician and as the chair of the CBC Health Braintrust, I want to focus on the health care fixes the CBC budget provides.

The CBC budget alternative will strengthen our Nation's overwhelmed and under-resourced health care system, champions critically important health care needs, and fills the gaps in health care access and quality that detrimentally affect our Nation's health care providers, and the overall health care system. It expands the State Children's Health Insurance Program to insure the majority of the Nation's 9 million uninsured children and strengthens Medicaid and Medicare. It also saves title VII programs to build the diverse workforce we need; it implements health information technology to improve continuity and safety of care.

We fund the Ryan White Program including ADAP, National Minority AIDS Education and Training Centers, and the other vital services for persons with HIV/AIDS; increase funding to the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities at NIH and save rural, infant, mental health and other critically needed health programs that the President wants to terminate.

Mr. Chairman, very importantly, for the first time, the CBC budget creates a health equity fund. It is a bold but long overdue step that would finally put our money where our mouth is and finally fund the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007 and begin to eliminate the health disparities that literally claim the lives of 100,000 African- Americans and other people of color every single year--bringing wellness within the reach of millions of innocent, hard-working Americans who are now in poorer health, un- and under-insured, and more likely to become disabled or die prematurely from preventable causes during what ought to be their most productive years.

Mr. Chairman and colleagues, the time has come for us--as lawmakers-- to pass a budget that delicately balances tough decisions with fiscal and, more important, moral responsibility in a manner that reflects the needs of all Americans and not just a privileged few.

The alternative CBC budget does just that and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the passage of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 1424)-- a bill that will fill the longstanding gaps in mental health care in this Nation and that will end the unfortunate disparate treatment that patients seeking mental health care currently receive.

Mr. Speaker, as a physician who practiced for more than two decades prior to coming to Congress, I have seen what happens to people who are afflicted with mental illnesses like bi-polar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia who do not receive appropriate, consistent care.

Studies confirm that mental health is integral to the holistic health and wellness of all people. Additionally, under-addressed mental health care issues are not just issues that affect the individuals who live with mental disorders; they also affect their friends, families, and communities. And, today, statistics show that 1 in 17 Americans suffer from a serious mental health disorder and that these disorders are the primary cause of disability in the United States among people 15 to 44 years of age--during their most productive life years.

Despite the enormous impact that mental illnesses can and do have on millions of Americans every day, good treatment works. But, of course, the treatment options available to patients comes with a cost and one that up until now has had to be borne largely by the consumer. It is important to recognize though that the cost of mental health problems-- when they are un- and under-addressed--becomes staggering.

The good news is not only that over the past eight years, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) has made ``parity'' coverage for mental health care available to Members of Congress and 8.5 million other Federal employees, but that there has been no significant cost increase to this parity requirement in FEHBP. Based on this and further analysis, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that H.R. 1424 would have a miniscule impact on premiums--just two- tenths of 1 percent.

For the sizeable proportion of Americans that suffer from more than one mental health disorder at a given time, this bill will be critical in improving mental health care access, options, and treatments available to patients seeking services.

Certainly, there is no better time than now to ensure that patients seeking treatment for mental illnesses are able to do so in a system that champions mental health parity, where care is accessible and not subject to reimbursement limitations by insurers or group health plans. This bill is exactly what is needed to finally bring equity and fairness into the mental health care system in this Nation and to finally make the health care that individuals can receive comprehensive.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I also want to add that as the chair of the CBC Health Braintrust, I have long been concerned by the racial and ethnic disparities in mental health and in mental health care that detrimentally affect the millions of innocent, hardworking Americans, and have long championed and supported legislation to reduce such disparities.

The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act is a bill that will help reduce the disproportionate burden of mental health and mental health care disparities on African Americans and other people of color.

Mr. Speaker, the burden of mental illness on the health and productivity in the United States and throughout the world has long been underestimated. This is a situation that demands and needs immediate action, for all children and adults who live with mental illness. Enacting strong mental health parity legislation will improve the health status of individuals who suffer dire health consequences as a result of their mental illness and pushes us one step closer to achieving health equity.

I am pleased that the House passed H.R. 1424. Now we can move forward to eliminate all disparities in health care by passing H.R. 3014, the Healthcare Equity and Accountability Act.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in, of course, strong support of H.R. 1143, legislation I introduced to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a new arrangement, a lease with the owners of Caneel Bay Resort in my congressional district.

I want to also thank Chairman Rahall as well as Chairman Grijalva for not only supporting the passage of this bill, but for traveling to my district to see for themselves the importance of Caneel Bay to the island and to the people of St. John.

Mr. Speaker, Caneel Bay traces its roots to Laurence Rockefeller's coming to the island of St. John in 1952. He purchased the then- existing resort facilities and also acquired more than 5,000 surrounding acres to protect the area. In 1956, he donated the additional land to create the Virgin Islands National Park. At the same time, he created Caneel Bay Resort, comprising 170 acres, which continues to complement and to be environmentally consistent with the natural beauty of the park's setting.

Mr. Rockefeller subsequently decided to transfer the land underlying Caneel Bay to the National Park Service, while retaining the improvements and continuing the Caneel Bay operations. He accomplished this through the execution of a series of unique agreements generally known as a retained use estate, or RUE.

H.R. 1143 became necessary because the RUE is slated to expire in 2023, and its current owners require more than the remaining 15 years to provide the capital and long-term financing necessary to reverse the decline of the facilities over the years and to return it to the grandeur and stature that it deserves.

Mr. Speaker, other than the Virgin Islands National Park, Caneel Bay Resort is perhaps the single most important entity to the tourism-based economy of St. John, and it's also important to the economy of the Virgin Islands in general. It is not an exaggeration to say that Caneel Bay helped to establish the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Island of St. John in particular, as a major tourist destination point, playing a prominent role in the island's economic renaissance of the mid-1900s.

Since its founding in October of 1956, it has been and remains a paradise of choice for generations of families, many of whom return every year.

It's also the largest employer on St. John, employing approximately 475 workers, many of whom spend their entire career spanning two or three decades, and some even more than that as employees of Caneel.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Natural Resources staff director, Jim Zoia, and the staff of the National Parks, Forest and Public Lands Subcommittee, in particular former staff director Rick Healy and current staff director Dave Watkins, for their hard work in making it possible for H.R. 1143 to be on the floor today. I also want to thank the full committee ranking member, Don Young, and subcommittee ranking member, Rob Bishop, and their staffs for their support as well.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill, which is very important to the economy of the Virgin Islands.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007. I would like to commend Chairman Miller and his staff for their work on this bill and their efforts to bring it to the House floor. Following the introduction of a stimulus bill to help boost our Nation's economy, it is only appropriate that we also pass legislation that will boost higher level education and create a stronger workforce. This bill represents a federal commitment to making college more affordable and accessible.

I am pleased that HEA will provide new support for Predominantly Black Institutions and other Minority-Serving Institutions. H.R. 4137 would expand funding for graduate student programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and other minority-serving schools. HEA also makes significant changes to tribal institutions that would allow them to receive the necessary classification in order to obtain basic federal support for the education and training of Indian students and for tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical institutions that are not currently receiving federal assistance.

As a physician and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I strongly support the provisions of H.R. 4137 that will make medical school and training more affordable. HEA will create grant programs to increase nursing school capacity and provide nurses with the scholarships and release time needed to qualify as nursing school faculty. This legislation would also ensure that medical school graduates can afford their residencies and specialized training by including loan forgiveness programs that would remove current financial barriers that affect medical school graduates' choice of specialty, especially those with lengthy residencies.

In addition to supporting the overall bill, I would like to express my support for the Congressman Danny Davis' amendment that would restore the ability to discharge private student loans in bankruptcy. Students with private loans should have some protection when they are faced with economic hardship.

I am pleased to support this comprehensive bill that would provide much needed reform to the Higher Education Act and I urge its final passage.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5140, the Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008. I especially want to congratulate you for your strong leadership, in first reaching across the isle here in the House, then working with the President to secure what I believe is a historic agreement that will bring much needed help to the American people as well as provide a badly needed shot in the arm to our slowing economy.

I also want to express my sincerest thanks to you on behalf of the five U.S. insular areas for insisting that our residents and economies also receive a stimulus. Because of your strong support, Americans in the territories will be treated no differently than Americans in the 50 States, under the bill. If you qualify for a rebate in Rhode Island then you qualify for one in the Virgin Islands.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5140 is both timely and badly needed. As you know, the American economy is in serious peril and our constituents are feeling the impact. Whether it is the skyrocketing energy prices with gasoline costing more than $3 a gallon or the continuing impact of the subprime mortgage debacle, our national economy continues to face the very real possibility of imminent recession.

It is imperative that we act and act now and H.R. 5140 represents a bipartisan approach towards getting our economy moving. It would provide more than 100 million Americans with a recovery rebate; allow 300 million families to benefit from a $300 increase in the child tax credit; help millions of Americans get the tools to avoid losing their homes and; provide small businesses with much needed tax cuts to spur investment and job creation.

Madam Speaker, you and the entire House leadership are to be congratulated for the work you have done in crafting this important bill. I urge my colleagues to support its adoption.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember my friend and colleague, the Honorable Julia Carson.

Everyone loved Julia Carson, especially we in the Congressional Black Caucus and the constituents in her district.

I had an opportunity to travel back to her district with her for a weekend health event, and I witnessed the deep affection and admiration that the people of Indianapolis--of all ages, races and walks of life-- had for her.

Julia had a way of telling a story that would have you rolling with laughter, even on serious or unpleasant things.

This was especially true when talking about herself. She was a regular at our health braintrust and she spoke of herself as being the ``poster child'' for health care and health disparities. Although at its core, it was no laughing matter, she had everyone in the audience cracking up.

As sick as Julia might have been, she never let it diminish her dedicated representation of her district and other work that needed to be done in Washington. And she walked to votes even in the last days that she was here.

It was my honor--as it was for many Members--to assist her as she came to the Floor or a meeting. Years ago, I took it upon myself to call her office and suggest that her staff get her one of those motorized scooter-like vehicles that other Members have used off and on. Who told me to do that? I got a gentle tongue lashing from my friend.

There were many proud moments when we stood with Julia and applauded her achievements, but none more so than the day that Rosa Parks was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor upon the passage of the Resolution she sponsored.

Julia did not even begin to get the kind of attention for her health that she needed until she was elected to Congress and by then her heart disease, mistaken for indigestion, was far gone.

Today, this humble lady who had health care deferred because of her race and gender, has flags at all Congressional buildings flying at half mast in her honor.

The Nation has lost a champion, the House has lost a valued and effective Member, minorities and the poor have lost an ardent advocate and I have lost a beloved colleague and friend.

She has gone to her eternal reward, and may she rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 542 which expresses the unconditional support of the House of Representatives for our brave men and women who serve as members of the National Guard.

Over the past several years, the National Guard has confirmed their willingness to serve our country, often giving up their civilian careers to be deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan or other parts of our country where their particular expertise is needed.

The National Guard has done this all the while fulfilling their traditional duties in times of domestic emergencies, leading recovery efforts in case of flood, fire, hurricane, snowstorm, tornado or civil disturbance.

Mr. Speaker, I am especially proud of the Army and Air National Guard units from my district, the U.S. Virgin Islands, who are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and at other bases and installations across the country. Our entire territory gives its overwhelming support to the 651st GS Maintenance Company in Iraq, D Company 126th Aviation at Ft. Benning, GA, other individual soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, Iowa, Hawaii and Kuwait.

We also remember that two of our Guard, LTC David Canegata and Staff Sgt. Floyd Lake, made the ultimate sacrifice earlier this year when their Blackhawk helicopter went down in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, along with my constituents in the territory, I pray for the safe return of all our men and women in the military.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3079) to amend the Joint Resolution Approving the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

H.R. 3079 is legislation which I introduced, along with Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall, on July 18 of this year. The Insular Subcommittee held two hearings on the matters addressed in this bill.

The first, in April, was an oversight hearing on the current economic, social, and security conditions in the Northern Marianas. The second, in August, was a legislative field hearing held in the CNMI. It was the first time a congressional committee convened officially in the U.S. territory.

H.R. 3079 responds to a number of outstanding issues that have been a concern of this Congress, the people of the CNMI as well, and successive administrations beginning with President Reagan. It is no secret that beginning in the 1990s, the CNMI came under great criticism for its immigration policies which left the territory with a nationwide, if not also an international, reputation.

Undercover investigations by national media, reports by human rights organizations, complaints received from foreign governments, and a report issued by the former chairman and ranking member, George Miller, detailed a miscarriage of CNMI immigration policy which left foreign guest workers open to abuse by their employers.

Though congressional efforts to reform local immigration control throughout the 1990s were unsuccessful, Congress was able to establish a Federal ombudsman office in the islands to educate foreign guest workers of their rights under both Federal and local laws and to liaison between such populations and the CNMI government.

Today, national security is prominent to the argument to extend Federal immigration laws to the CNMI. Located just 40 miles to the south of the CNMI is Guam, her sister territory. As we know, since the end of World War II, Pacific islands have played a significant role in our strategy to secure our Nation. Most notable, however, amongst all such islands is Guam, as it is the home to many military bases.

Currently, an agreement between the U.S. and Japan would add $15 billion to Guam's existing multi-billion-dollar military infrastructure and would relocate to the island the Third Marine Expeditionary Forces, comprising 8,000 active-duty soldiers, as well as the stationing of a Global Hawk surveillance unit, the establishment of a U.S. Army air defense battalion, and other operations critical to U.S. Naval regional presence.

Guam has been described by military officials as the ``tip of the spear.'' As both Guam and the CNMI make up the Mariana Islands chain, if Guam is the ``tip of the spear,'' then the CNMI is part of the same blade. If one would be interested in preserving national security, then you would want to support this legislation.

Lastly, this legislation would provide a nonvoting delegate for the only U.S. jurisdiction in our country without any form of representation in Congress. Similar legislation has been favorably reported by the Natural Resources Committee in three previous Congresses and received no further consideration by the House. It is time that we provide the same level of representation afforded to other U.S. territories.

In closing, H.R. 3079 is legislation necessary on several fronts. The bill would provide a stable immigration policy to rebuild the CNMI economy, augment current efforts to diversify and strengthen the future economy, increase the opportunities and skills of local residents to fill private sector employment needs, safeguard the existing foreign guest worker population from employer abuse, and secure the region in the interest of national security and give the CNMI representation in Congress.

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

Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Congressional Record Chairman Conyers' letter on behalf of the Judiciary Committee and Chairman Rahall's letter on behalf of the Natural Resources Committee regarding this legislation.

December 10, 2007.

Hon. Nick J. Rahall II,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, U.S. House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Rahall: This is to advise you that, as a

result of your agreeing to make requested revisions to

provisions in H.R. 3079, the Northern Mariana Islands

Covenant Implementation Act, that fall within the rule X

jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, we are able

to waive any sequential referral of the bill to our committee

in order that the bill may proceed without delay to the House

floor for consideration.

The Judiciary Committee takes this action with the

understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 3079 at

this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject

matter contained in this or similar legislation. We also

reserve the right to seek appointment of an appropriate

number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving

this important legislation, and request your support if such

a request is made.

I would appreciate your including this letter in the

Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the

House floor. Thank you for your attention to this request,

and for the cooperative relationship between our two

committees.

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.,

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the former Chair and former ranking member of the Committee on Natural Resources, George Miller.

Thank you, Chairman Miller.

Mr. Speaker, might I inquire as to how much time remains?

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3079 is supported by the administration and also received bipartisan support during consideration by the Natural Resources Committee. In addition, since reporting the measure, our committee has worked very closely with the House Judiciary Committee, as you've heard, to address other concerns.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Chairman Rahall for making this issue a priority at the start of this Congress, as well as thank our ranking member, Mr. Young. And we appreciate the collaboration of our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Conyers, Ranking Member Smith and Subcommittee Chairman Lofgren and Ranking Member King, as well as the Judiciary Committee staff.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 3079.

Madam Speaker, as you heard, last Saturday was World AIDS Day, and I join my colleagues to remind us of its goals and ideals and to support the resolution that is going to be introduced by my colleague and good friend Congresswoman Barbara Lee to have this Congress support those goals and ideals.

We also call on our colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both sides of the Capitol to honor this year's World AIDS Day theme, both in this Nation and abroad, to stop AIDS and keep the promise.

As you heard, Congresswoman Lee and I recently returned from South Africa, where we were inspired and motivated by the commitment of the people, young and old, to confront HIV and AIDS.

It was a distinct privilege for me to have been invited to give the keynote address at a World AIDS Day ceremony in Sekhukhune in the Greater Tabatse Region of South Africa. South Africa has the most AIDS cases of any country in the world. And while we were proud to know that it is also the country with the largest PEPFAR program, we and the rest of the world still need to do more.

From all we saw, all of the programs we witnessed that were funded, either by PEPFAR or by private corporations such as Johnson and Johnson and Humana, in Limpopo, in Zola in Soweto, in Pretoria or as it will now be called, Tshwane or in Johannesburg, and from the revised reports we have seen coming from UNAIDS, we greeted World AIDS Day with a sense of hope for all the individuals, the families and the nations in our global community who have for far too long struggled with this pandemic.

And in my keynote I drew comparisons between the HIV and AIDS in sub- Saharan Africa, in the Caribbean whose prevalence rate is second to theirs, in the African American community in

the United States and in my own Virgin Islands, speaking to how people of African descent the world over are so disproportionately impacted by this virus.

But everywhere there are signs, early signs, of change and potentially promising trends, everywhere, including in the Virgin Islands and the rest of the Caribbean, everywhere except in the United States.

The HIV epidemic is more than 25 years old; and despite all that we know and all of the resources we have, the CDC is finalizing a report which will be released early next year that I understand will show that the case rate here in the U.S. is possibly more than 50 percent higher than we previously thought. Given the lack of response from this administration to the requests of the CBC and our community partners, I'm sure that it will show that the highest increases are in people of racial and ethic minority backgrounds.

Again, let me say that the theme for this in the past 2 years has been ``Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise.'' The promise has not been fully kept anywhere, but nowhere has it fallen more short, has that promise been more empty than right here at home in this country of great resources and the most advanced medicines and technologies.

There's another part to the theme, and that is leadership, which is needed more than ever. On our part we need to lead by directing more Federal resources to HIV prevention. Beyond that, our leadership must be open to proven methods of prevention instead of limiting the good we can do and the lives we can save because of ideology and narrow politics. And the prevention we provide needs to be not of the abstinence-only kind, which our government agencies have clearly demonstrated is not effective. Lifting the ban on needle exchange alone would dramatically reduce the transmission of the disease, and developing low-cost barrier methods such as microbicides need to be given as much attention as funding the latest ARVS, but those too need to be made more affordable.

And, Madam Speaker, we need a national plan. It is clear from the fact that we are losing ground while some of the poorest areas of the world are making strides that the leadership we provide must define global as in global epidemic, or global HIV/AIDS as including this country on par with all of the others. We need to restore the 19 percent of funding that has been cut from domestic AIDS in this administration and greatly increase HIV/AIDS funding across the board. We need to fund the Ryan White CARE Act at the level it needs to be funded, more than $1 billion above the current level, to restore and re-fund the Minority Aids Initiative to build capacity in the communities that are hardest hit, and to eliminate ADAP waiting lists, where people who cannot get treatment wait to die.

We need to ensure that we expand access to information, testing services and treatment to ex-offenders who are at great risk for HIV and who after paying their debt return to their communities and families.

And we need to dramatically increase PEPFAR funding while expanding it to include all Caribbean countries and making it more flexible so it can meet the unique needs of the countries that need it.

The global report shows that when we apply the recommendations of social and scientific research and when we support and replicate programs that work, results are seen. It shows that empowering communities that are hard hit by HIV and AIDS by putting the resources, technical assistance and support in their indigenous community and faith-based organizations here and abroad produce great impact.

The most dramatic thing is that people are looking to us for leadership and we can provide it and we can start by supporting Congresswoman Lee's resolution.

Madam Speaker, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And SCHIP is prevention, as well as an important investment in our children and the future of our country.

If we don't make an adequate investment now to provide access to health care for our children, we will pay for it later. When is the White House going to get it?

And it must include all children. So let's not agree with the Republicans to put up barriers to doing that. Democrats opposed citizen documentation in Medicaid and we must oppose it now. It will hurt poor children and children who are racial and ethnic minorities, the children who need it most.

The anti-immigrant rhetoric that is raising its ugly head in this body is hurting our country. We must not let it hurt our children.

Not covering all poor legal immigrant children and requiring excess documentation is un-American. Let's end this today with SCHIP, and let's pass a bill that moves us closer to full coverage and to being the better country we ought to be.

Thank you for your generosity with time. I will not use anywhere near that much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2705, the Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act, as amended by the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

This legislation I sponsored is important to usher in a new regime of how disaster assistance is provided to the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. In addition, it clarifies access to educational programs for the Republic of Palau. Lastly, the legislation makes technical corrections to Compacts of Free Association with the RMI and the FSM as was suggested by the administration.

I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the Committee on Foreign Affairs for their attention to this legislation. Especially I would like to thank the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega); and the subcommittee's ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo). I would also like to thank Chairman Lantos and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their leadership in moving this legislation forward.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 2705.

Mr. Speaker, what we're hearing about the SCHIP negotiations sounds like this Congress is getting ready to literally throw the baby out with the bathwater.

We started with a less than perfect bill that would have covered close to 6 million children who are eligible. We're now heading to just above 3. And the proposed changes threaten to put up barriers that would even lower that number: removing outreach dollars will never get to the children we need to cover. Requiring proof of citizenship will scare naturalized citizens and the poor that we're trying to cover away.

Taking away authority of States to have income disregards will cause children now covered to lose it. Not covering parents will threaten the health of their children, if they're lucky enough to squeeze through the sieve that the House Republicans are trying to create.

Too little money to the States will keep them from even reaching their most modest goals, and trying so hard to get Republican votes may cause the measure to lose key ones from Democrats.

I'm beginning to think it would be better to just extend the current CHIP until we have more people here who are willing to do what is necessary to ensure that our children have access to good health and the better life that we owe them.

Madam Speaker, over 160 National Wildlife Refuges exist along the 95,000 miles of United States coastline and are in danger of being seriously affected by global warming. Scientists all around the world expect sea levels to rise as polar ice and glaciers melt, and oceans physically expand.

As we proactively begin to engage to protect our natural resources most susceptible to global warming, it is crucial to consider our coastal national wildlife refuges under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Though uncertainty exists regarding the projected increases in sea level rise and global warming, we know for certain that global warming is occurring and coastal communities and refuges are already being affected.

Studies currently show that the continuation of historical trends of greenhouse gas emissions will result in additional global warming with current projections that the earth will warm between 2.5 deg.F to 10.4 deg.F by the year 2100. Sea level rise induced by global warming will inundate coastal areas, change precipitation patterns, increase the risk of droughts and floods, threaten biodiversity and offer a host of potential challenges and setbacks to public health. Additionally, sea level rise will force recreational beaches inland, exacerbate coastal flooding, and quite possibly even contribute to the severity of natural disasters such as hurricanes.

Refuges in the Virgin Islands and Hawaii face massive coral bleaching as sea temperatures continue to rise. Scientists predict a rise in sea level over the next century significant enough to drown refuges such as Chincoteague on the Virginia coast, Alligator River in North Carolina, Merritt Island in Florida and the Texas home of the whooping crane, Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge. Anticipated changes in climate and rainfall could alter forest makeup and alpine habitats in Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge in the Northeast; interrupt seabird- nesting success in the Oregon Islands refuge; and dry the prairie potholes in Devils Lake Wetland Management District, a crucial migratory stopover and nesting ground for waterfowl.

A conservation concept unparalleled, the National Wildlife Refuge System started by President Theodore Roosevelt offers a network of places where the needs of wildlife must come first. Without them, many species simply would not survive. Yet, these important areas are increasingly threatened by forces outside refuge boundaries--global warming and sea level rise being among the most threatening.

It is vitally important that we proactively address the effects of global warming and sea-level rise as they continue to confront our Nation's coastal refuges. In this regard, the resolution I introduce today, expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should incorporate consideration of the effects of global warming and sea-level rise into the comprehensive conservation plan for each coastal national wildlife refuge as required by the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act of 1997.

By requiring Fish and Wildlife refuge managers to incorporate consideration of the effects of global warming and sea-level rise, we will not only broaden our overall understanding of how our coastal and marine resources may be affected but also draw more conclusive data which may point to a specific timeframe in which these events are expected to occur.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important resolution.