Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Howard Weaver's 40 years of service and journalistic integrity in the newspaper business. Mr. Weaver is retiring from the McClatchy Company leaving a lasting legacy in Sacramento where his leadership and expertise will be deeply missed. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring one of our Nation's finest journalists.

After earning his bachelor's degree in social and behavioral sciences from Johns Hopkins University and his masters in philosophy from Cambridge, Mr. Weaver has spent more then three decades in the newspaper industry. He began his career in 1972 as a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. In 1977 he founded the Alaska Advocate, a statewide weekly newspaper. After the closure of the Alaska Advocate in 1979, Mr. Weaver returned to the Daily News as an editorial writer. He was named managing editor in 1981 and assumed full editorial responsibility in May 1983.

During his tenure at the Anchorage Daily News, the newspaper won numerous awards including being named one of the world's 25 best designed newspapers, best sports section, and best feature writing. Mr. Weaver twice led the Anchorage Daily News to win Pulitzer Prizes. He was one of three reporters whose coverage of the Alaska Teamsters Union during construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline, ``Empire: The Alaska Teamsters Story,'' won the Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for Public Service in 1976. In 1989 he again was awarded prize for his work as editor and a lead writer on the Daily News' ``A People in Peril,'' coverage of alcoholism and suicide among Alaska Natives and has served as a Pulitzer Prize juror at the invitation of the Pulitzer Board four times. Mr. Weaver is the past president of the Alaska Newspaper Association and the Upper Yukon River Press Club and was a Distinguished Lecturer in Journalism at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

In 1995 Mr. Weaver moved to Sacramento to assume the position of assistant to the president for new media strategies at McClatchy Newspapers and was named editor of the editorial pages for the Sacramento Bee in 1997. Most recently he served as vice president of news and is senior editorial executive for the McClatchy Company. In addition, his writings have been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time Magazine. While at McClatchy Newspapers, which publishes 31 daily and more than 50 community newspapers and related Web sites, the editorial pages in the Sacramento Bee were named best in California by the California Newspaper Publishers Association and individual editorials won the Best of the West competition. Mr. Weaver was primarily responsible for the opinion content at the Sacramento Bee and for many years he chaired the editorial board meetings at which the paper's editorial positions were decided. His excellent writing and years of expertise has ensured that Sacramento's residents continue to receive up-to-date accurate information about pressing issues in our communities and across the Nation.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Howard Weaver's distinguished commitment to the newspaper industry and keeping Sacramento's residents informed. Mr. Weaver's outstanding leadership and dedication to journalism has allowed the McClatchy Company and the Sacramento Bee to embrace new venues of media and the Internet. As Mr. Weaver's wife, Barbara, colleagues, family, and friends gather to honor his career, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing him continued good fortune in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me this time.

I rise today to offer, along with my National Service Caucus co- Chairs, of which the gentleman from Pennsylvania is one, a resolution highlighting the men and women who inspire and actively pursue a better country, those who serve the communities on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Since 1994, we have celebrated the King holiday by making it ``a day on,'' not ``a day off,'' observing every third Monday in January as a national day of service. Dr. King's legacy guides us to work for equality and social justice, towards common understanding and shared experiences. Serving one's neighbor, one's community and our country allow every individual in our Nation to walk down the road with Dr. King, looking forward, continually focused on reaching the promised land.

This coming Monday, millions of Americans will participate in thousands of already-planned events across this country. Thousands more will come to our Nation's capital to see history in the making and answer our President-elect's call to service. As we embark on a new era of optimism and hope for a better tomorrow, we should start our journey by not only observing change, but by honoring the legacy of Dr. King and actively creating it.

I commend and join with President-elect Obama and Vice President- elect Biden in calling for a new attitude toward service in our country. When we ask what we can do for our country, the call shouldn't be answered only one day a year.

It is my hope that this year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of National Service marks a starting point that will continue throughout the year and engage millions of Americans in a new commitment to service.

This year's national day of service promises to be larger than ever before. Efforts by the many service organizations, as well as the Presidential Inaugural Committee and the corporation for National and Community Service, have organized like never before. Right here on Capitol Hill, as has been previously mentioned, the organization America's Promise, along with the Corporation for National and Community Service, are sponsoring a food drive to support local food banks. These groups have utilized technology and the Internet to make opportunities easy to find and easy to do.

The fact that this year's King Day of Service is one day before the inauguration of President-elect Obama provides a unique opportunity to reach millions of Americans with a message to serve. I ask my colleagues to join with me in promoting service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and encouraging all of those constituents, both at home and those traveling to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration, to serve.

Thank you once again.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 15) authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire whether the House should impeach G. Thomas Porteous, a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 15.

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

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 15 provides for a continuation of the authority provided in H. Res. 1448, as adopted by the House in the 110th Congress. H. Res. 15 states that in continuance of H. Res. 1448, the House directs the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire whether the House should impeach G. Thomas Porteous, a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the support of this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Heather Fargo's twenty years of service to the people of Sacramento as mayor, council member, and community activist. On November 20th, Mayor Fargo, family and friends will gather to recognize her outstanding work, and I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring one of Sacramento's finest leaders.

Heather Fargo has always had a strong sense of public service. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Planning and Management from the University of California, Davis, and went on to complete the State and Local Government Executive Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Before becoming mayor, she had a distinguished career at the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

For over twenty years, Mayor Fargo has been a strong advocate for the development of the City of Sacramento and its neighborhoods. Early in Mayor Fargo's career in public service, she served as a board member of the Environmental Council of Sacramento, and was one of the founding members of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes urban forestry and shows how trees can make our communities more livable by reducing energy use, cleaning the air, and enhancing social and economic value. As mayor, she has transformed Sacramento into a ``green'' city with national recognition for being an environmentally sustainable city.

First elected to the Sacramento City Council in 1989, Mayor Fargo played an active role in developing Sacramento's Natomas area, and redeveloping our downtown into a place where people can live, work and play. Under her leadership, Sacramento has become a national model for smart growth and infill development.

After being elected as mayor in 2000, Mayor Fargo proved her dedication to Sacramento's future by creating the Sacramento Youth Commission and sponsoring youth mentoring, after school, and truancy prevention programs. She has given children the opportunity to take part in local policy development and express their views to community leaders. Mentors have been recruited to lead high school teens and help prepare them for successful lives after they graduate.

Mayor Fargo implemented several city policies and programs to bring Sacramento's neighborhoods together, and foster a greater sense of community among its residents. This included public participation on major planning projects, informational workshops on city initiatives and effective outreach on key issues including flood protection, emergency preparedness and housing crisis assistance. She also led the successful efforts to increase funding for levee improvements.

Mayor Fargo has helped unify our region through her leadership on the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. As chair of SACOG, Mayor Fargo built relationships with neighboring cities on issues of importance to our region, especially transportation and air quality issues. She also was a leader with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and currently is president of the League of California Cities.

Madam Speaker, as Mayor Heather Fargo, her family and friends gather on this occasion, I am honored to pay tribute to one of Sacramento's most distinguished citizens and community leaders. Her successes have been many, and it is an honor for me to recognize her for her more than two decades of contributions to the people of Sacramento. I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing Mayor Heather Fargo continued success in her future.

I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding me time and I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation.

I listened to my constituents' concerns about this rescue plan and throughout this debate it has become clear that Congress must act to restore our credit markets. If we don't, we risk further putting jobs and the financial security of hardworking Americans at risk. Small businesses will have a difficult time making payroll to pay their employees. Hardworking Americans will see their savings and retirement funds diminish. Americans will have a difficult time buying a home, sending their children to college or just making ends meet. This plan is a revised plan. It's not the same three-page plan the Secretary of the Treasury brought to us. It is not simply a blank check to Wall Street.

I am glad that this plan includes many safeguards that are important to my constituents:

Independent oversight board to ensure transparency and accountability of taxpayer money.

A plan to help foreclosures that are devastating our families, neighbors and communities. And we will also do more beyond this, too. Limits on excessive compensation for CEOs and executives. And allowing taxpayers to share in any profits resulting from the government's help.

Madam Speaker, this is not a perfect plan and I know it's going to be a hard vote, but the risk of inaction is too great.

Madam Speaker, on October 2, 2008, the California Reinvestment Coalition, an organization that works to bring financial and housing services to low-income communities, will be honoring four community heroes for their efforts in making homeownership and financial independence a reality for many of Sacramento's residents. These heroes are: Elaine Abelaye of Asian Resources Inc., Ken Cross of Sacramento Habitat for Humanity, Mike Himes of NeighborWorks Sacramento, and Ron Javor of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring these distinguished individuals.

Elaine Abelaye has demonstrated true leadership and commitment to the social, community and economic development needs of low-income individuals and families in Sacramento. Her leadership has led to the development of the Dare to Dream Entrepreneurship Development and Financial Literacy Education programs for the local Hmong and Vietnamese communities. Elaine has shown true dedication to providing multiple services needed in the Sacramento area. She has truly empowered community members to become a vital part of our changing and diverse society.

Ken Cross has substantially increased production of housing for very low-income households in Sacramento. Under Ken's leadership, Sacramento Habitat for Humanity runs the ReStore, a building material recycler that sells second-hand and donated building materials. He has also been a strong advocate in promoting the policies that produce affordable and inclusionary housing. Ken's personal approach makes him a great advocate for Sacramento's neediest families.

Mike Himes has demonstrated his dedication to helping families achieve successful, long-term homeownership. When the foreclosure crisis began to pound on the door of the region, Mike and his colleagues at NeighborWorks Sacramento led the way to create and promote many different collaborative relationships to assist borrowers. Mike is a smart, patient and outstanding individual who deserves recognition for his many personal and professional contributions. His expertise, strong principles and commitment are shown each time he helps a family.

Ron Javor has worked tirelessly for decades within state government and the community to improve access to safe, affordable and accessible housing for lower-income households. Ron has worked consistently to develop and improve state programs that serve the neediest Californians. As a community activist, he helped found the Sacramento Housing Alliance and serves on many local nonprofit boards. He has been a strong voice in local efforts to ensure that local governments meet their obligations to adequately serve the homeless and lower-income households.

Madam Speaker, because of the efforts of the California Reinvestment Coalition and community leaders like Elaine Abelaye, Ken Cross, Mike Himes, and Ron Javor, low-income communities and communities of color have access to fair and equal housing, banking and other financial services. It is my sincere hope the coalition and the outstanding people noted today will continue to serve the people of Sacramento for many years to come, and mentor the next generation of community leaders.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Protection & Advocacy Inc. for their 30 years of advocacy in California on behalf of the disabled. Following the 1975 reports of abuse and neglect at a State institute called Willowbrook, Congress mandated and began to fund Protection and Advocacy systems across the Nation. In 1978, Protection & Advocacy Inc. was created as a nonprofit to advance human and legal rights of those with disabilities. The spirit and dedication of Protection & Advocacy Inc. still lives in their daily work. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring some of California's finest citizens.

For the past 30 years, Protection & Advocacy Inc. has advocated for Californians with disabilities that had been traditionally underserved. Since their first office opened in 1978 in my hometown of Sacramento, Protection & Advocacy Inc. has grown into 26 satellite offices throughout California. With more than 200 staff members, Protection & Advocacy Inc. provides services and information at community events, trainings and conferences. In order to properly represent the diverse community they serve, the staff members speak 15 different languages and more than half of their staff lives with disabilities themselves. Today, Protection & Advocacy Inc. is the largest disability advocacy agency in the Nation. It will soon be renamed Disability Rights California in order to more accurately reflect their mission.

As a response to congressional findings of abuse and neglect of individuals in residential care facilities, the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act was enacted in 1986. This allowed Protection & Advocacy Inc. the opportunity to provide legal representation to persons with psychiatric disabilities and conduct investigations of abuse and neglect.

Protection & Advocacy Inc, strives to create an inclusive society. In 1993 they became a cross disability advocacy agency when Congress extended their role to protect and advocate for those who were not eligible for services under other programs. Their work now also focuses on improving daily life for people living with disabilities. This includes strengthening access to justice, correcting wrongs, enforcing rights, training individuals on self-advocacy and legal protections, public education, and building collaboration across advocacy groups.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to the Protection & Advocacy Inc's distinguished commitment to the well-being of the disabled community. Over the last 30 years, they have expanded their mission with the changing times and have been true champions of those living with disabilities. As the Protection & Advocacy Inc.'s staff, supporters, and constituents gather together to celebrate the organization's 30th anniversary, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring their outstanding work on behalf of Californians with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my colleague and dear friend Representative Mike McNulty on his upcoming retirement, and compliment his two decades of honorable service in the House, and nearly 40 years serving in elected office. His absence from the House will be felt, and I wish him happiness and success for the future and the successes it is sure to bring.

For 20 years Congressman McNulty has served his New York district with integrity and the utmost concern for his constituents and their communities. In his nearly 40 years serving those communities, Michael has always advocated for intelligent and just solutions to the issues that touch his constituent's lives. As a mayor and New York State Legislator, Congressman McNulty advocated for improvements in substance-abuse education and prevention and fought for his communities' infrastructure and economic improvements. As a member of the House he has continued this advocacy on not only local issues, but humanitarian as well. He has been a leader on issues of human rights, hunger, poverty, and international affairs. In 2006, Mike was re- elected with nearly 78 percent of the vote, a well-deserved affirmation by his constituents of a job and career well done.

Congressman McNulty is a fairminded and level-headed individual who brought a wealth of experience and insight to his seat as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security. His character is one of deliberate and thoughtful decision making, based on insight and a true understanding of his district and our country. He is an ever dependable friend and a colleague I greatly respect.

I had the opportunity to serve last year with Mike as a Helsinki Commissioner, and visited Kyiv, working to further address continued humanitarian issues there. His work, our discussions and the successes we walked away with were exemplary of his high level of understanding and his personal attention to the challenges that the people of the region continue to face.

While I know that Congressman McNulty will be greatly missed by his colleagues here, I also know that his character and passion for a better world will only lend itself to continued service and continued good work.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating Congressman McNulty, and wishing him our best for his future.

Madam Speaker, today we are solemnly commemorating the seventh anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. September 11th changed all of our lives. It is important that we take this opportunity to remember those who lost their lives, and those brave men and women who came to the aid of the victims. We will always be indebted to the first responders, nurses, doctors, counselors and volunteers who have tended to the wounds inflicted by Al Qaeda terrorists just 7 years ago.

As our hearts and national character continue to absorb the pain of that tragic day, we understand that our greatest healings have come from unity. We gain strength through the compatriotism of our fellow citizens, and extend our hands of help as others do the same for us.

Following September 11, 2001, our country saw a meteoric rise in volunteerism, community service and national service program enrollment. When our Nation was at its darkest, the light of unity gave us direction towards a brighter future. Men and women from every walk of life answered the call of history to become active and serve their country in any way they could.

I commend those who have committed their day to giving back. Today, dozens of organizations and thousands of individuals are turning their grief, respect, and remembrance into action and service to their community. This national day of service is patriotism manifested. Service confronts the cynicism and hopelessness of terrorism, and exemplifies our national foundation of justice, equality, and fellowship. The work being done today throughout the country renews the spirit of unity that followed tragedy. A national day of service gives our country a new tradition that I hope will grow for generations to come.

Once again, I want to thank those who have dedicated their efforts to ensuring that our country is protected against and prepared for any future terrorist attack. I also wish to remember those lives lost during the brutal attacks on September 11, 2001. As we pass the Resolution today, we are honoring the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of Americans who so bravely came together after 9/11.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act. For hundreds of thousands of bone marrow failure disease patients across our country, this is a day filled with the promise of a cure.

For their families, this is a day infused with the hope that the power of medical inquiry and research can conquer these deadly diseases.

For those of us in this chamber who knew, respected, and loved colleagues whose lives were taken by these diseases--including my late husband Bob--this is a day to reflect on their legacies and to renew our commitment to the research that will generate treatments and cures.

For medical researchers with ideas about new and innovative ways to combat these awful diseases, this is a day characterized by the certainty that the U.S. House of Representatives stands with them in their quest to beat bone marrow failure diseases.

The legislation I am introducing today is designed to ensure that families in the future will not have to suffer the agonizing uncertainty that my family endured when Bob was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, MDS.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 families receive a bone marrow failure disease diagnosis every year in the United States. Their lives are changed instantly when they learn that a loved one's bone marrow has malfunctioned.

Blood is such a delicate balance of different kinds of cells, and when the marrow that produces our blood stops working properly, the foundation of a human's physical health is sorely undermined. Death is often the end result.

The research produced by this bill will point the way toward a future where a diagnosis of aplastic anemia, MDS, acute myeloid leukemia, or any of the other bone marrow failure diseases is but a hurdle to overcome instead of a likely death sentence.

This is the future that I envision as a result of the Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act.

I thank all of my colleagues in this chamber who have supported, and who will support, this critical legislation. I look forward to working toward its passage, for the sake of bone marrow failure disease patients in every city, town, and community in our great country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and acknowledge the Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center for 30 years of service to immigrants, refugees, and disadvantaged groups in the Sacramento area.

The Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center was founded in 1978 to aid newly arrived Chinese immigrants in dealing with the myriad challenges of immigration and cultural adaptation. Over the last few years, its programs have expanded to help other non-Chinese immigrants, refugees, and other disadvantaged groups that call Sacramento home including those of Hmong, Mien, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, and Russian descent.

The SCCSC assists more than 4,000 clients each year, including 2,400 children in their after school programs. It offers 26 programs, including youth mentoring and counseling, employment assistance, translation, transportation and home health visits for senior citizens, parenting workshops, job skill workshops and paid work experience, and citizenship classes.

The SCCSC has received recognition for its successes, including having received the Gloria Rose Memorial Grant Award from the United Way California Capitol Region for being an agency which achieves outstanding results, and works towards building a stronger, healthier, and more compassionate community. The SCCSC has also received the Spirit of Mentoring Award from the California Mentor Foundation for providing an exemplary community-based mentor program.

Madam Speaker, I wish to congratulate the Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center upon the occasion of its 30th anniversary, and express my gratitude to the center for providing essential services and support to new immigrants, citizens, refugees, at-risk youth, senior citizens, and others in need. The Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center has provided the community with a wide array of opportunities, and I wish its leaders the best of luck as they continue in their service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today joining my colleagues in tribute, sharing kind words and memories of our colleague and dear friend Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

I was deeply saddened when I heard the news of her death. My sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to her son Mervyn, to all her family, and to her friends and supporters during this difficult time. '

Stephanie Tubbs Jones was an inspiration and a tireless advocate for her constituents. She was a fighter. A strong woman of conviction and intelligence, whose values and experience guided her advocacy and fearlessness.

Stephanie broke molds, she broke glass ceilings, and then swept away the stereotypes. Stephanie was never one to be absorbed into the folds of a monochrome following. She was outspoken and proactive, bold in demeanor and action. Her always bright and powerful attire spoke to her outgoing personality, which never shied away from a challenge and approached every day with enthusiasm and confidence. Her skill in crafting intelligent and responsible legislation shows that she viewed the world through this diverse spectrum of color, dismissing the notion that solutions to complex problems can come from a world of simply black and white.

Justice and inclusion were at the heart of her work. In her 10 years in Congress and her lifetime of service she always put justice, opportunity, and equality atop all other pursuits. Stephanie did not come from a life of privilege simply to serve the privileged. She came from a working class community and put her heart and soul into lifting up that community with every step of the ladder she climbed.

I remember how highly coveted she was by the then members of the Ways and Means committee, when joining the powerful committee soon after her election. My husband Bob served on the then committee and recognized in her character the genuine desire to serve her Nation, her constituents, and those whose voices had yet to be fully heard. Her experience as a prosecutor and judge gave her arguments tenacity and her decisions finality.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones effectively represented her Cleveland district for over a decade. Yet she never dismissed the acknowledgment that her success as a groundbreaking figure touched many outside her district's boundaries. Her work looked beyond district lines and party lines to affect, inspire, and speak for those in need of justice and advocacy.

My heart goes out to her loved ones. I know that she will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. Her impact will continue to be felt, not only in her Cleveland district and the U.S. House of Representatives, but by the many individuals who benefited from her service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and send the best wishes of California's fifth district to Kara Lawson and Delano Thomas, two of our country's elite athletes who will represent the United States in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Both Kara and Delano reside in Sacramento, California's fifth district. I hope that my colleagues will join me in wishing these two athletes, as well as all of our country's amazing Olympic talent, the absolute best of luck.

Kara is a star member of the Sacramento Monarchs WNBA team, a team which has seen its fair share of success. Lawson was a key member of the Monarch's 2005 championship team. She is widely known in the WNBA as one of the league's smartest players. In addition to her on court career, Lawson has been involved in sports broadcasting during the WNBA off-season, doing commentaries for men's and women's college basketball games and Sacramento Kings games. In fact, Kara was the first female to serve as a nationwide broadcast analyst for an NBA game. Kara is a continuing inspiration to Sacramento's young women and we are honored that she will represent not only the United States but Sacramento as well, next month in Beijing.

Delano Thomas has been a member of the U.S. volleyball team since May of 2005 and has proven himself as a team leader and points producing force. This well rounded athlete toyed, for a time, with the idea of playing football for the University of Hawaii, and got his start with volleyball, basketball and soccer at Sacramento's John F. Kennedy High School. He pursued collegiate volleyball to become a freshman All American and member of the U.S. junior national team. According to USA Volleyball, ``Delano was the United States leading server at the Pan American Games in 2007 with an average of 0.56 aces per set. He was the fourth-leading U.S. scorer at the Pan American Games with a total of 42 points on 27 kills, six blocks and nine aces.'' I am confident that he will help to push the U.S. to another astounding medal count.

Madam Speaker, while controversy understandably surrounds this year's Olympic games, I applaud our athletes for their accomplishments, pure of political influence and for shear enjoyment of their sport. I also know that Kara and Delano, along with all our outstanding athletes, will be model ambassadors of America's world leadership and our country's foundational philosophy in a country where such freedoms aren't as readily available.

I applaud both of these individuals for their hard work, dedication, athleticism and achieving their goals. I thank them for serving our country as ambassadors and shining examples of American unity. I call on my colleagues to share in recognizing Kara and Delano, and to wish all of our 2008 Olympians a safe, fun, and successful experience.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the unfortunate division of the island nation of Cyprus that began 34 years ago this July.

On July 20, 1974, Turkey dispatched thousands of armed forces to the island of Cyprus. As a result of this action, Cyprus remains divided to this day. 43,000 Turkish troops still occupy a significant portion of the island nation, which is enough for one Turkish soldier per each Turkish Cypriot. The presence of these troops is in spite of the clear preference for a peaceful and mutually acceptable solution demonstrated by all inhabitants of Cyprus. Nonetheless, there are positive indications for the island's future.

The willingness of both Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot leaders to pursue reunification talks is heartening. We in the U.S. Congress were pleased to see that last Friday, July 25, leaders of the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities jointly announced that they have decided to start full-fledged Cyprus settlement negotiations on September 3, 2008, under the good offices mission of the U.N. Secretary-General.

It is essential that these talks result in the reunification of Cyprus as a bicommunal and bizonal federation that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Cypriots. The removal of Turkish forces will allow this process to go forward.

I join with other proponents of a peaceful solution on Cyprus in supporting the recent steps taken by the divided nation's leaders. However, an acceptable political solution will only be possible if the international community continues to press for more substantive reconciliatory actions in the future. While the United Nations has passed numerous resolutions condemning the division of Cyprus, Turkey continues to maintain more troops on the island than the United States has in Afghanistan. This is a clear indication that more must be done by the international community to make clear that the militarization of Cyprus is unacceptable.

As the more than 13 million incident-free crossings of the line dividing the Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot portions of the island attest, the people of Cyprus are hungry for a peaceful reconciliation of their island. So am I. The goal of the United States and of the international community must be the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus, the institution of democratic institutions and practices there, and the peaceful resolution to this decades-old dispute in a manner that respects the human and democratic rights of all the people who call Cyprus their home.

As we move into the 35th year since the division of Cyprus, I urge my colleagues to remember the tragic events of the past on this small island nation. At the same time, I pledge to the people of Cyprus that the United States stands with them in their quest for an expeditious and peaceful solution to the division of their home island.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to Joan Lee, a dear friend, tireless volunteer and community leader who recently passed away. Joan served as the Convener for the Sacramento Gray Panthers and was an admired advocate for seniors and people with disabilities. As her family and friends gather to honor and remember her wonderful life, I ask all my colleagues to join me in saluting one of Sacramento's most well-respected figures.

Joan was a prominent leader in the Sacramento Region, and her death leaves a tremendous void in leadership in the fight for the rights of seniors, people with disabilities and those with mental health needs. Joan's determined and effective advocacy was evident through her early work with the Gray Panthers of California, where she was widely recognized as a thoughtful policy advocate. Later, along with other leaders, Joan helped form and convene the local Sacramento Gray Panthers chapter, which now meets regularly at the Hart Senior Center.

Through her advocacy at the local, State and national levels, Joan became an important ambassador between diverse groups and helped devise strategies for healthcare reform. Joan was a stalwart for progressive causes, and her passion and commitment to these issues resonated in her advocacy. While in her mid-50's, Joan returned to college and earned a degree in Gerontology. She then used her knowledge to fight for the rights of older adults on many fronts, including creating an innovative long term care program in Northern California and successfully advocating for medical schools to have required courses in gerontology.

At the Federal level, Joan often stood next to me and my late husband Congressman Bob

Matsui in the fight against cuts to Medicare. She also was an articulate voice during the implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, offering insights on how to improve the program. Joan was an active member of the OuRx coalition, which links low income seniors with prescription drug discount plans. Furthermore, she never wavered in the fight to preserve the integrity of the Social Security program.

At the State Capitol, Joan became someone who was known in the corridors of power. She served on many policymaking groups, including the Olmstead Advisory Committee. The Committee was in charge of implementing the landmark 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ``Olmstead Decision'' which requires States to take steps to avoid the unnecessary institutionalization of seniors and people with disabilities. From advocating for an accessible and affordable health care system to ensuring Medicare is responsive to our Nation's seniors needs, Joan always stood up for what is right.

Madam Speaker, as Joan Lee's husband Arnie Godmintz, her children John, David and Cleo and her friends gather to honor her wonderful legacy and countless contributions, I am honored to pay tribute to her. I ask all my colleagues to pause and join me in paying respect to an extraordinary loving woman, Joan Lee.