Floor Statements

I would like to thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding me time and for her courageous leadership of the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation. I wasn't here 10, 20, or 30 years ago while the debates about health care ebbed and flowed, but I am here today. And as an old friend said to me today, there are not too many times in politics that you get to do something monumental, and this is the day.

We have the opportunity today to vote for a health insurance reform bill to improve the quality of life for millions of American families. It will also control costs, improve Medicare, and reduce the deficit.

If we do nothing, the health care system will continue to work better for the insurance companies than it does for the American people. Our plan gives people in my hometown of Sacramento more consumer protection and puts medical decisions back in the hands of patients and their doctors. Insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions or from rescinding policies from people once they're sick.

I've heard so many personal stories from my constituents who are struggling to make ends meet and who are burdened by the current insurance market. Tim Sullivan called my office 2 days ago. Tim is a small business person who lives day to day in fear of losing his insurance because, as someone who has glaucoma, his rates are going up and up every single year. Tim called me to ask why the current system discouraged entrepreneurs, average Americans with a brilliant idea who can't go out on their own because they can't afford their own insurance.

For millions of Americans like Tim, we have created insurance exchanges that will help him get the same buying power as big business or a Member of Congress.

Elizabeth Bell recently graduated from college and does not yet have a full-time job with benefits. She reached the age where she was dropped from her parents' plan and now has to pay expensive monthly premiums. Elizabeth wrote to ask, What would I do if I didn't have insurance?

For Elizabeth and millions of Americans like her, our health care bill allows young adults to stay on their parents' plans through their 26th birthday.

The current system is not working for Tim or Elizabeth or millions more Americans in districts throughout our country. And if it is not working for them, Mr. Speaker, it is not working for me. And that is why I'll be proud to cast my vote for the bill before us today.

Madam Speaker, I rise in tribute to Bill Powers as he is honored with the prestigious Carino Award from the California Alliance for Retired Americans. A tireless advocate for seniors', renters', workers' rights and health care for all, Bill is more than deserving of this acknowledgment. On behalf of the people of Sacramento and the Fifth Congressional District of California, I ask that all my colleagues join me in honoring his service and many remarkable accomplishments.

For over forty years, Bill Powers has advocated for the protection of the rights and lives of those whom policymakers far too often tend to forget. As a founding member of the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA) and as their lead volunteer lobbyist, Bill has helped CARA grow into a strong organization that ensures seniors and health care issues are at the forefront of policymakers' minds. As the lead volunteer advocate in Sacramento, Bill has trained and mentored dozens of CARA members who have followed him into advocacy.

The Carino Award was created to honor individuals and organizations who have demonstrated their commitment to improving the quality of life for seniors and their families. Bill is most deserving of this honor as he has continuously gone the extra mile to improve the quality of life for seniors, families and working people. After retiring from the Western Center on Law and Poverty, Bill began volunteering with the Gray Panthers, Older Women's League, AARP, and the Congress of California Seniors before becoming a founding board member with CARA.

Prior to his work with seniors' organizations, Bill had a passion for affordable housing. Before he moved to Washington, DC, Bill helped to build the first affordable housing development in Germantown, Philadelphia. While working in our nation's capital, he advocated for increased affordable housing at a national level by working for the National Housing Law Center and the Housing Assistance Council. Today, he continues his advocacy with the California Coalition for Rural Housing.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the numerous contributions made by Bill Powers during his lifetime of service to the people of our nation. Throughout his career he has worked to further causes he believes in and has touched many people's lives. As he enters the next phase in his life, and his wife Gloria; three children Anne, Susan and Steve; and six grandchildren, gather to celebrate his inspiring commitment to justice and fairness, I ask all my colleagues to join me in thanking my friend, Bill Powers, for his public service, and to wish him success in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significant benefits our health care bill will have on American women. Simply put, the health care bill will provide more security, higher quality care, and is a better deal for America's daughters, mothers, and grandmothers.

In the current health care system, women often face higher health care costs than men and multiple other barriers to obtain health insurance. Fewer women are eligible for employer-based coverage, and comprehensive coverage in the individual health care market is often unavailable, prohibitively expensive, or excludes key services that women need. As a result, many women are either uninsured or underinsured and simply cannot afford their health care costs. This affects individual women, their families, and their businesses.

For all these reasons, it is imperative that we pass health insurance reform legislation and provide all Americans with the quality health care they deserve at a cost they can afford. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to joining my colleagues in doing so this week.

Thank you very much, dear colleague, and I really appreciate being the cochair with you. We certainly have the passion for our senior citizens, and I believe that most of America understands that, too. But I rise today to recognize significant benefits that the emerging health care bill will have on American seniors.

Simply put, the health care bill will put forth, provides a better deal for America's seniors than our current system. Our health care plan takes great strides towards improving the quality of care our seniors receive.

For starters, our bill eliminates copayments and deductibles for preventative services under the Medicare program. This is crucially important because we know that many seniors are not getting the preventative care they need and are often foregoing tests because they're too worried about the costs.

The sad fact is one out of every five women over the age of 50 has not had a mammogram in 2 years. Also, more than a third of adults over the age of 50 have never had a colonoscopy. Without our bill's investments in primary care and its improved access to preventive care under Medicare, beneficiaries will continue to lose access. We are going to reverse this trend with the bill we pass this week.

Madam Speaker, we all know that preventative care is good for the health of individual patients and it's good for the overall health of our system, but without doctors to treat Medicare beneficiaries, the entire system structure, the systemic structure just collapses. That is why our legislation creates a more immediate pathway for more primary care doctors, the doctors that stay with you for a lifetime and know your medical history.

Primary care doctors are the backbone of Medicare and of our system in general, and our bill gives medical students incentives to go into primary care. These include grants for primary care training as well as incentives under Medicare for primary care doctors to practice in areas that currently have a shortage.

Right now, we know that we need many more primary care doctors in this country. The shortage is exacerbated by the high cost of education, which pushes more and more medical students into specialty fields and strains Medicare. Today, about 12 million Americans lack access to primary care doctors in their community, but by providing immediate support for primary care physicians, we can help minimize these shortages and restore the promise of Medicare.

Our bill also emphasizes coordinated care so that people can avoid unnecessary tests. It provides incentives for

doctors to work together to provide seniors with high quality care that every American needs and deserves.

This bill is about strengthening Medicare for America's seniors and restoring the confidence that we have in our health care system. We know that we have the best doctors and hospitals in the world. In my hometown of Sacramento, we have models of care coordination and chronic disease management that are the envy of other cities across this country.

But when seniors, especially in Sacramento, are splitting pills because they can't afford to refill their prescriptions and skipping meals to make ends meet, this system is not working. And one of the surest ways to help us get back on track is to close the doughnut hole that affects millions of seniors every single day.

Between 2009 and 2010, monthly prices in the doughnut hole increased by 5 percent or more for half of the 10 most popular brand-name drugs. This means that brand-name drugs in the doughnut hole became more expensive relative to the medical care of other goods. And this is not just a recent phenomenon.

Between 2006 and 2010, prices for popular brand-name drugs in the doughnut hole went up more than 20 percent. This means that America's seniors are being forced to spend a greater percentage of their fixed, disposable income on brand-name drugs. This is why it is so important for us to pass the health insurance reform bill, which will start closing the doughnut hole this year and completely close it within 10 years

Madam Speaker, American seniors deserve more than the status quo. Our plan for health care reform will extend the solvency of Medicare, lower seniors' costs for prescription drugs by beginning to close the doughnut hole, improve the quality of seniors' care with better coordination among doctors, cover the cost of preventive care for Medicare patients, and expand home- and community-based services to keep people in their homes.

America's seniors deserve the best possible health care we can provide. And that's what our health care plan will do, ensure access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I thank my wonderful colleague, and I yield back time to her.

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1137 and ask for its immediate consideration.

For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

General Leave

I also ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1137.

Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1137 provides for consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2847, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act. The rule makes in order a motion offered by the Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, or his designee, that the House concur in the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment with the amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution.

The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the motion, except those arising under clause 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides the Senate amendment and the motion shall be considered as read. The rule provides 1 hour of debate on the motion equally divided and controlled by the Chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Madam Speaker, in today's economy, many families are struggling to make ends meet. As we know, the economic recession began in 2008 as a direct result of reckless and irresponsible financial decisions. We are still dealing with the wreckage today. Over the last few years, I have heard countless stories of people struggling to put food on the table, pay their mortgages, and provide for their children, and millions of America's seniors are making decisions every day to skip meals or cut their pills in half just to survive.

California and, in particular, my constituents in Sacramento, have been greatly impacted by this economic crisis. Many of my constituents were and continue to be victims of predatory home loan lending, unfair credit card practices, payday loans, and other forms of unscrupulous business practices. They turned to Congress for help, and we responded with the CARD Act. And the ink was hardly dry on that legislation before credit card companies tried to find loopholes to arbitrarily raise credit card interest rates and fees on consumers.

This Congress also passed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which will bring much-needed oversight and accountability to Wall Street. This bill also creates a new consumer financial protection agency to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive financial practices. Meanwhile, small businesses are seeking assistance to help make payroll, retain their employees, and pay for the skyrocketing costs of health insurance. These are the reasons why it is time to once again put the American people first and provide them with the support they need from their Representatives in Congress.

We need to pass the jobs bill before us today as a significant step towards helping hardworking Americans get back to work. The American people are hurting, and the top priority of this administration and this Congress must be

jobs, jobs, jobs. In December, the House passed a jobs package, the Jobs for Main Street Act that would make $156 billion in targeted investments in our economy. The projects supported by this bill will improve our highways and transit infrastructure, renovate schools, and help small businesses rebuild, support job training initiatives, and affordable housing programs.

While the jobs package we are considering today is not as broad as the version passed by this House, it is an important step in the right direction and one we cannot afford not to enact. Today's bill is one that I hope will be the first of a series of job creation proposals that we will consider in the coming weeks and months because the reality is that the unemployment rate in this country is at an unacceptable level of 9.7 percent, and this bill will help incentivize employers to start hiring immediately. Already the Recovery Act, put forth by congressional Democrats, has saved or created more than 2 million jobs. That is according to CBO. The Recovery Act has clearly helped us rebound from this recession and saved us from the brink of another Great Depression.

The Recovery Act has greatly benefited my district and the entire Sacramento region, providing almost $700 million for dozens of projects. Such projects include $21 million for improving and enhancing Sacramento's levees from flood protection, public transportation facilities, developing clean energy technology, and hiring 30 new officers at the Sacramento Police Department. It is also helping struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure, investing in new community health facilities, and the list does go on and on and on. My constituents can see where and how every dollar is being spent in our district by visiting my Web site.

One of the most important results of the Recovery Act is that it helps school districts minimize budget cuts. However, as the economy declines, school districts are now considering shorter school years, larger class sizes, and looking to lay off teachers. We cannot let this happen. So our path towards economic recovery must continue to invest in our Nation's workforce to spur additional job creation, innovation and long-term economic growth. And by supporting the rule and the underlying bill, we will do just that.

I have heard from small business owners who are eager to be connected to business counseling and resources, to learn more about financing opportunities, SBA loan products, and government contracting opportunities. There is a great demand for immediate and real assistance for our small businesses to get back on their feet and for workers to get back into the labor market. Over the last few months, I have held two small business workshops to help existing small business owners understand the recovery legislation, obtain financing, and find new opportunities for government programs. And I have seen firsthand how eager people are to start working again or get retrained in new fields and to take an active part in our country's economic recovery.

The proposal before us today offers a key strategic tax incentive for employers to hire new workers. The proposal would exempt employers from paying Social Security taxes through the end of this year for hiring new workers who have been out of work for at least 60 days. If the newly hired workers remain on the payroll for at least a year, the bill provides an additional $1,000 income tax credit to employers. This new hiring tax credit could spur as many as 250,000 jobs, according to leading economists. To help small businesses, the proposal offers an immediate writeoff, up to $250,000 for equipment purchased this year. To invest in additional transportation infrastructure, the proposal extends the Highway Trust Fund, otherwise known as SAFETEA-LU, for 15 months to pay for transportation projects ready to break ground.

Using the rule of thumb in highway contracting where every $1 billion in transportation spending creates about 35,000 jobs, this $77 billion investment means that more than 2 million jobs will be retained or created, including high-quality jobs in the construction and building trades.

Finally, the bill expands the Build America Bonds Program to allow investors to claim Federal subsidies up to 45 percent of the borrowing cost for bonds issued for public works projects.

There is no doubt that this package will incentivize and spur much- needed job creation and economic growth in our neighborhoods and communities. And to my colleagues, concerned, as I am, that this bill does not go far enough to create jobs, I want to be clear that this is the first in a series of steps we will be taking to continue to get the economy back on track.

Together with the continued economic assistance of the Recovery Act, we are laying the groundwork for continued job creation and future economic growth to lead us to our prosperity.

It is my hope that this Congress continues to find new ways to get Americans back to work, stabilize our economy, and help rebuild our middle class. This is not the end of our work, but it is a critical step forward for the American people. I, therefore, urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I would like to say this job creation package has been discussed in the headlines and the Halls of Congress for weeks now. In addition, the pay-fors that are proposed here have been debated numerous times in the House previously. There are no surprises here.

Madam Speaker, I just want to say that I just received this amendment as well this morning. It is fairly short, 15 pages, double-spaced. I read it, and it took less than 10 minutes for me to see that the amendment was fully paid for.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar).

Reclaiming my time, Madam Speaker, I want to say that the motion to concur with the amendment that is made in order under this rule is a very simple one that will bring the bill into compliance with statutory pay-as-you-go rules. It changes very little, as Mr. Oberstar says, with the underlying bill which was intended to create jobs and spur hiring by America's small businesses. Delaying this package of job-creation measures today would delay our ability to get Americans back to work. Time is not on our side, which is why we have to act quickly here today.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, before I yield to my next speaker, I just want to point out my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are quite concerned that we are using same-day authority before the end of a session. In the 109th Congress, when the Republicans were in the majority, the Rules Committee reported two same-day rules in March and early April. These were hardly end-of-the-session times, Madam Speaker, and they had nothing to do with reviving our economy. These particular same-day rules were about the Federal Government interfering in a case of Terri Schiavo. Now, without reopening that divisive debate, I just want to say that the issues we are dealing with today under this same- day rule are important to the lives of millions of Americans.

With that, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Madam Speaker, I just want to say, while this bill distributes some highway funds in a way that disproportionately benefits a handful of States, it's important to remind my colleagues that these concerns will be addressed in subsequent legislation.

With that, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I want to say this again, that I believe it's important to note that the chairman of the authorizing committee has reached an agreement with the House and Senate leadership on the contentious highway funding issue that was included in the other Chamber's jobs package.

I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Madam Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Texas if he has any remaining speakers.

I reserve my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, calling up and passing rules using same-day authority is a legitimate legislative tool, with precedent. In the 109th Congress, when the Republicans had the majority, when they passed the fiscal year 2006 budget resolution, same-day authority was used to bring it before the House. During debate on that rule, the then chairman of the Rules Committee called it ``a very fair rule.'' That was followed by Mr. Dreier's assertion that ``Members have had a great deal of time over the past several weeks and months to focus on this issue. Let us continue what we have done throughout this great 109th Congress--get the work of the American people done.''

Madam Speaker, getting the work of the American people done is exactly what we aim to do today by passing the jobs bill under an expedited procedure. Creating jobs must be our top priority, until we get our economy completely back on track and put more Americans back to work.

The legislation we are considering today had bipartisan support in the Senate, with 13 Senate Republicans voting for this much-needed jobs package. That bill was not even paid for. Well, the House version is and has full PAYGO language included.

The jobs package includes key provisions to spur job creation and investment in our workforce. It includes a new jobs payroll extension, offering employers exemption from paying Social Security payroll taxes for hiring new workers who were previously unemployed. This specific provision is estimated to create an additional 250,000 jobs alone. The bill also provides relief to small businesses by allowing them to write off more of the costs of their 2010 expenditures.

The package extends the Highway Trust Fund for 15 months for existing highway programs to allow for billions to be invested in infrastructure projects and make a real difference in communities across our country.

The bill also expands the Build America bonds to allow States and local governments to borrow at lower costs to finance infrastructure projects and put more Americans to work.

Together with the ongoing investment by the Recovery Act, this jobs package will further incentivize and spur job creation and economic growth in this country. This Congress must continue to invest wisely in proposals that will train our workers, create new, good-paying jobs, grow our economy, and rebuild the middle class.

Madam Speaker, we must lead by example and demonstrate our continued commitment to help our middle class families, our seniors, and the economy move forward. With that in mind, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize February 19, 2010 as a day of remembrance, on the occasion of the sixty-eighth anniversary of Executive Order 9066.

February 19th will forever be a reminder of the injustice and racial prejudice of World War II internment. This day marks the anniversary of a momentary erosion of America's core principles--a time when over 120,000 Americans were denied their civil rights and imprisoned against their will. At the same time, this anniversary represents our nation's incredible ability to reaffirm our commitment to protecting the freedoms of all Americans.

Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, our government succumbed to apprehension and hysteria by targeting many of its own citizens who had nothing to do with the attacks. Executive Order 9066, which was neither justified nor necessary, was issued as a way to assuage growing fears that Japanese-American citizens constituted a threat to national security. This unfortunate decision was shaped by panic and prejudice, and demonstrated that courageous political leadership in this most trying of times was lacking. By commemorating and remembering the failure of our government to uphold the Constitutional rights guaranteed to every American, future generations will hopefully avoid repeating these past mistakes.

Over 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were sent to internment camps and wrongly imprisoned. And though our country's participation in World War II may have ended in triumph, the mistreatment of Japanese, Italian, and German Americans cannot be excused.

In the decades following Executive Order 9066, we have taken several substantial steps to study, remedy, and learn from the negative legacy of the internment while preserving the heritage of those affected. The directive was officially repealed in 1976, and a commission was formed to study the impact of relocation on Japanese Americans. In 2008, we celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act, which was a major step forward in righting the wrongs perpetrated during this difficult period in our nation's history. It is for these reasons that I rise today to call on all Americans to reaffirm our commitment to inalienable, constitutionally-provided rights. This dark period in our history must always be remembered critically, while also appreciated, as a symbol of our ability to acknowledge and rectify mistakes. As I look back to this time in our nation's history and see how far we have come in the intervening years, I see great hope for our future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Monday, January 18, 2010, as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, and to thank Mr. Platts and my fellow Co-Chairs of the National Service Caucus for introducing this resolution.

Dr. King taught our nation about compassion and tolerance. He inspired us to look past

our differences. He challenged us to speak out against hate and injustice, wherever and whenever we saw it, and to embrace the common elements that unify us all.

Madam Speaker, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service and the resolution before us encourages all of us to continue his fight; to make our country a better, more equal place for our children and grandchildren.

This year more than ever, let us recommit ourselves to strengthening our communities and our nation.

Hundreds of volunteers will be participating in service events in Sacramento and communities across the country this coming Monday.

I look forward to doing my part and encourage my colleagues to join me as we honor the life and work of Dr. King, by giving back to our communities and supporting the underlying resolution.

Madam Speaker, on the afternoon of December 11, 2009, I was unavoidably detained and failed to record my vote on rollcall vote 966. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on the Bachus substitute amendment to H.R. 4173.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment, along with Representatives Kathy Castor and Betty Sutton, that calls on the mortgage industry to help place more responsible homeowners into more affordable terms under the Making Home Affordable program.

Sadly, after more than 2 years since the beginning of the foreclosure crisis, much needs to be done to help Americans facing the threat of foreclosure. Leading economists expect another uptick in foreclosures, estimating nearly 5 million homeowners could face foreclosure over the next 2 years.

Madam Chair, my home district of Sacramento has been devastated by this crisis. I have been to foreclosure workshops over and over again. I have seen the hardships and the looks of desperation. The Making Home Affordable Housing program offers a host of financial incentives to the mortgage industry to help homeowners modify their loans to more affordable terms. It is expected to help nearly 4 million homeowners. Unfortunately, to date, the mortgage industry has yet to demonstrate its commitment to help homeowners. In fact, since the inception of the program nearly 1 year ago, the mortgage industry has placed only 31,000 homeowners into a permanent, affordable loan modification.

Madam Chair, no one here is looking for a bailout, but families need honest assistance. The amendment my colleagues and I are offering today requires mortgage industry participants in the Making Home Affordable program to report basic information on a monthly basis.

Under the amendment, mortgage industry participants would have to report the number of loan modification requests received, the number being processed, the number that have been approved, and the number that have been denied. It would also make that information available to the public through the Treasury Department's Web site.

Madam Chair, it is clear that greater transparency is needed to ensure that all parties are working toward the common goal of helping homeowners. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to my colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to my other colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Sutton).

Madam Chair, how much time do I have remaining?

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the Sacramento Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, the Matsuyama Sacramento Sister City Corporation, Teri Takai and Randell Iwasaki for their contributions to California, Sacramento, and their leadership to Japanese-Americans across the nation.

The Sacramento JACL was formed on October 31, 1931, after the Sacramento Chapter of the American Loyalty League reorganized itself to become the Sacramento Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League.

Through their programs, the Sacramento JACL is dedicated to advancing the civil rights of all Americans, deterring hate crimes across the Nation, and helping to lead the Japanese-American community for social and economic advancement. At their annual dinner on November 19th, they will honor two outstanding individuals and one fine organization, Teri Takai; Randell Iwasaki; and the Matsuyama Sacramento Sister City Corporation.

On December 6, 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the appointment of Teri Takai as chief information officer for the State of California. As a member of the Governor's Cabinet, she advises him on the strategic management and direction of information technology resources as the state works to modernize and transform the way California does business with its residents and visitors.

Teri also currently serves as practitioner chair of the Harvard Policy Group on Network-Enabled Services and Government. Before serving in the State government, Teri worked for Ford Motor Company for 30 years, where she led the development of the company's information technology strategic plan.

Randell Iwasaki currently serves as the director of the California Department of Transportation, which employs 23,000 people and has an operating budget of $14 billion.

Working for CalTrans for almost 25 years, Randell spearheaded a number of transportation engineering innovations in California including the use of old tires in rubberized asphalt, the installation of LED red lights saving the State taxpayers more than $2 million a year in power costs, and the conversion of the CalTrans equipment fleet to clean burning fuels.

A licensed civil engineer, Randell also serves on a number of national transportation panels and committees helping to develop transportation strategies and innovations such as pavement technology that reduces highway noise.

The Matsuyama Sacramento Sister City Corporation was formed on August 17, 1981, when then Sacramento Mayor Phil Isenberg and Mayor Tokio Nakamura of Matsuyama, Japan, signed the historic sister city agreement.

Since 1981, various organizations from Sacramento and Matsuyama have formed intercontinental relationships for social and economic prosperity. Most notably, the Boy Scout exchange program is one of the Sister City's most successful programs where Scouts from Sacramento visit Matsuyama in even years and the Matsuyama Scouts visit Sacramento in odd years.

Other than a short pause just after September 11th, the Matsuyama- Sacramento Boy Scout exchange program has taken place each year since 1981. Sacramento plans to send its next delegation to Matsuyama in 2010.

Madam Speaker, I hereby recognize and honor the Sacramento Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, and the people and organization they are honoring Thursday night: the Matsuyama Sacramento Sister City Corporation, Teri Takai and Randell Iwasaki. Their contributions to the people of California have been immense. I ask all my colleagues to join with me in wishing them continued success.

I thank the gentleman from Maryland, who has been such a leader in all of this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3360, the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act, legislation that I introduced earlier this year. I want to thank both Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Cummings for the good work their committees have done on this bill and for their tremendous support to enact this critical legislation.

There is an urgent need for the reform I have outlined in the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act. For far too long, American families have unknowingly been at risk when embarking on cruise vacations. Unfortunately, the status quo has allowed cruise ships to operate under foreign flags of convenience, and they are not required under U.S. law to report crimes occurring outside of our territorial waters. But leaving our territorial waters does not mean that cruise ships should be allowed to operate without basic laws that protect American citizens.

My legislation requires that all crimes that occur aboard cruise ships be reported to the Coast Guard and to the FBI. Without proper screening processes and accountability, these reprehensible and violent acts will be allowed to continue. Unclear lines of jurisdiction are no longer an excuse for risking the safety of millions of Americans who board cruise ships each year.

I first became aware of the need for increased protections for Americans when one of my constituents, Laurie Dishman, wrote to me for help in April of 2006. Laurie was a victim of a sexual assault while on a cruise vacation. She was given no assistance by the cruise line in properly securing evidence of the assault, no assistance in identifying her attacker, no assistance in prosecuting the crime once back on shore.

Devastated, Laurie reached out to me, and I immediately called for hearings on this issue and began to work on this legislation. Our hearings made apparent the gross inadequacies of current cruise safety provisions; and with ongoing news coverage of recent rapes on cruise ships, it is clear that this legislation is urgent and necessary.

My legislation establishes stringent new standards to ensure the safety and security of passengers on cruise vessels. Its reforms include reporting that vessel personnel be able to preserve evidence of crimes committed on the vessels and provide appropriate medical treatment to the victims of sexual assaults. Security, safety, and accountability must all be strengthened to hold criminals accountable and end the cycle of serious crimes on cruise ships.

This has been a long, difficult road for all cruise victims and their families, and this legislation is truly a result of their courage, their dedication, and their conviction to prevent further crimes from happening. These reforms are long overdue, common sense, and are supported by the Cruise Line Industry Association and was included in the Coast Guard Authorization Act that passed this year.

I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this important legislation and join me in paving a path for a safer future for all cruise passengers.