Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I rise in support of this bill. I am just amazed at what I am hearing from my friends on the other side of the aisle. I have been on the Energy and Commerce Committee for the past 13 years, and I have been on the Telecommunications Subcommittee for most of that time. We have had hearing after hearing after hearing involving the DTV transition. It may be technically true that we haven't had a specific hearing on this bill, but we have had hearings ad nauseam on the whole issue.

And what are we talking about? We are talking about a 115-day delay. We are not talking about a 10-year delay. We are saying 115 days--3 months, 4 months--to give us time to put our house in order so that people's televisions don't go blank. I don't think that is so unreasonable. I am amazed at the opposition to 115 days.

Now, I support this bill. I do it reluctantly because the transition to DTV will offer great benefits to our Nation. In recent weeks, it has become crystal clear that what I have been saying for years on the Energy and Commerce Committee is true--that we have not provided nearly enough resources or education for this transition to be successful. So, if we wait 115 days so it will be more successful, what is the problem?

For the past two Congresses I have introduced the Digital Television Consumer Education Act. The legislation would have avoided the problems we are seeing right now. It would have educated the public about the transition, and it would provide additional funding for the converter box coupon program which, as we all know, is out of money.

Currently, there are almost 2 million people on a waiting list for converter box coupons. This means 4,000 people in my district are waiting for coupons. It would be unacceptable for us to force the transition upon so many of my constituents and your constituents and those of everybody else in this Chamber, when it's clear they are not ready.

If we continue with the transition, millions upon millions of television screens in this country will simply go dark.

Again, I don't support an indefinite delay. This is a finite delay. This is a one-time delay. I won't support a further delay. But 115 days is not so terrible. When the transition occurs, which we know it needs to occur, TV pictures nationwide will become crystal clear; technology companies will be able to roll out new-generation wireless services that far outpace what we have today and, most importantly, as was mentioned, first responders will be able to carry interoperable communication devices that they badly need right now.

So, the benefits to the transition to digital are clear. The harm, however, that we would cause by forcing the transition on an unprepared Nation is equally clear. So let's wait the 115 days, let's do it right, and let's support S. 352.

Mr. Speaker, just a few days ago, there was a despicable attack on the largest synagogue in Caracas, Venezuela, which was orchestrated and very, very disgraceful. Twenty members of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee wrote a strong letter to President Hugo Chavez asking him not only to condemn this but to take strong steps to prevent it. The fact of the matter is it is Hugo Chavez's actions which led to this. He created the atmosphere which led to this, a climate of fear and intimidation against the Jewish community in Venezuela. This has to stop.

When you single out the Jewish community and ask them to condemn Israel and tell them that they must do it, this creates this kind of at atmosphere. This is government sponsored, as far as I'm concerned. We will continue to monitor it.

We will not leave the Jewish community to stand by itself there. We will be with them every step of the way. And we will not allow Hugo Chavez to continue to intimidate those people. There are 25,000 people, ten of them have left. We're going to monitor the situation very carefully.

I thank my friend from Massachusetts for yielding to me.

Madam Speaker, I stand in strong support of the economic recovery legislation before us today.

My own State, New York, has been hard hit by the recession. The collapse of the markets on Wall Street have left gaping revenue holes that have contributed to our $15.4 billion State budget deficit.

In this economic crisis, high unemployment and rising costs have put a huge strain on many American families. This legislation contains a series of programs to provide relief, including helping workers train and find jobs, extending unemployment benefits, and increasing food stamp benefits.

I'm so proud that we will protect health care coverage for millions of Americans during this recession by providing an estimated $87 billion in additional Federal matching funds. This will help States like New York maintain our Medicaid programs in the face of massive State budget shortfalls over the next 2 years. I have long fought hard for increased F-MAP funds and am grateful that the stimulus will provide some much-needed relief to our States as they struggle to maintain access to needed services. And as we marked up the bill last week in the Energy and Commerce Committee, I was very, very proud that we had the monies in this bill.

We will also reduce our dependence on foreign oil by making investments aimed at dramatically increasing renewable energy production and renovating public buildings to make them more energy efficient. In this bill we will invest wisely in U.S. development of advanced vehicle batteries and battery systems through loans and grants so that America can lead the world in transforming the way automobiles are powered. We will also have tax credits for private homeowners for new furnaces, energy-efficient windows and doors, and insulation.

So this is a great bill, and, Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support S. 328, delaying the digital television transition. It has become clear in recent days and weeks that the country simply is not ready for the transition.

For years, I have been saying that we are not providing enough resources or enough education for the public. That is why for the past two Congresses, I have introduced my Digital Television Consumer Education Act. This legislation would provide far more education about the transition, and would add $200 million to the converter box coupon program to get coupons to the 2 million people on the waiting list.

I do want to ensure that this delay is only a one-time event. If we keep delaying and delaying, we will never see the benefit of the transition. Television viewers will not get to see crystal clear images of their favorite programs, we will not enjoy the technological advances that will be rolled out by wireless companies, and most importantly, our first responders will not get the interoperable communication devices they so desperately need. But with the condition that this will be a one-time delay, I will support S. 328.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill. I am so proud that under our new administration we'll finally enact a comprehensive, robust reauthorization of the SCHIP program which will provide health care to over 11 million low-income children. No more playing politics with our children, no more Presidential vetoes of this bill. We are finally going to do what is right for our Nation.

It simply makes economic sense to cover the uninsured. When we fail to provide our citizens with primary and preventive care, routine health problems compound into emergency conditions.

New York, my home State, operates a separate stand-alone program under SCHIP called Child Health Plus. As of December 2006, nearly 400,000 children were enrolled and receiving comprehensive health care coverage in the program. As the third largest SCHIP program in the Nation, New York reduced the number of uninsured children in the State by 40 percent. We are only one of seven States to do that. And New York's program has increased enrollment by over a quarter of a million children since the start of SCHIP. SCHIP also contributed to a nearly 30 percent increase in children enrolled in Medicaid.

This is necessary. It is good. We should all support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the only New Yorker on the Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and I believe so strongly that our dependence on foreign oil is one of the greatest challenges that our Nation has ever faced. It threatens our national security, it threatens our economy, and it threatens our environment. Oil prices have recently drifted downward, but we cannot afford to let that lull us into a false sense of complacency.

I am the founder and co-Chair of the Oil and National Security Caucus, which is designed to raise awareness of the economic and security implications of America's growing dependence on foreign oil. The Caucus consists of Members of both parties united by the common goal of developing and promoting practical bipartisan ways to progress toward energy independence.

America's mission is clear: We must work to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we must grow our economy by protecting existing jobs and creating new ones, and we must build a clean energy future that benefits all citizens.

I will also seek the development and implementation of an oil savings plan. The United States consumes 25 percent of the world's oil, yet possesses only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. We imported 30 percent of our oil just a few decades ago. Today, we import more than 60 percent.

I introduced a plan in 2005 with Congressman Kingston as part of our Fuel Choices for American Security Act, and again in 2007 as part of our Dependence Reduction Through Innovation in Vehicles and Energy, which is called the DRIVE Act, to require oil savings of 2.5 million barrels per day by 2015, and increasing annually to 5 million barrels per day by 2025. In 2009, this year, I will introduce and work again to enact similar legislation to help break our addiction to foreign oil. I will also encourage the production of flex fuel vehicles by seeking passage of the Open Fuel Standards Act, which I am the leading sponsor of.

The United States transportation sector is 97 percent reliant on oil, and

it accounts for two-thirds of our Nation's overall oil consumption.

Every year, 17 million new cars are sold in the U.S., and for the most part these cars only run on gasoline. To remedy that, I introduced the Open Fuel Standards Act last year with three of my colleagues, Reps Jack Kingston, Steve Israel and Bob Inglis--and you can tell it's bipartisan again. The Open Fuel Standards Act would require 50 percent of new cars sold in the United States by 2012 and 80 percent by 2015 to be flex fuel vehicles, meaning they can run on ethanol, methanol and gasoline, similar to what all cars have in Brazil nowadays, and it would only cost about $90 or $100 per car to do this. We should be doing it now.

To help supply America with alcohol-based fuels for flex fuel vehicles, I plan to facilitate the importation of ethanol by introducing the Imported Ethanol Facilitation Act, which was introduced by Representative--now Senator--Udall.

We also need to make a serious push to electrify the transportation sector for American consumers and to create new green jobs while doing it. Very little of our electricity is generated from oil, so using electricity as a transportation fuel enables the full spectrum of electricity sources to compete with petroleum; that includes wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, nuclear, and coal, among others.

I fully support our Governor, Governor Paterson's ``45 by 15'' program, whereby New York will meet 45 percent of its electricity needs by 2015 through improved energy efficiency and clean renewable energy. This program will help drive economic revitalization and help protect our environment.

As Congress deliberates an economic recovery bill, I believe that now is the time to jump-start investment in electric transportation. The production of electric vehicles in the United States will involve huge numbers of green manufacturing jobs. Plug-in hybrid cars is something we should consider. There are many, many things that we can do, and when we do the economic stimulus package, we should keep this in mind.

As we move towards greater use of various types of electric vehicles, there will be increased demand for the advanced batteries that will power those vehicles. We must ensure that we can meet the demand for production of these batteries here in the United States.

We must also fund the Green Jobs Workforce Investment Fund authorized under Title 10 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. I will make a continued effort to secure funding, as well as additional funding for related policies, to help American manufacturers produce advanced lithium ion batteries, hybrid electrical systems, and other components and software designs.

So let me say, in conclusion, that I am committed to breaking our dependence on foreign oil and doing so in a way that grows our economy and builds a clean energy future for all Americans. I will continue to press these matters in the next weeks ahead, and I believe in our economic stimulus package we should keep this in mind.

I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution. I support the right of democratic Israel to defend itself against terrorism by Hamas.

We know that missiles have been raining down on Israel, more than 7,000 in the past few years, and that the Palestinians, Hamas, are using its people as human shields. We say to Hamas you will not be allowed to use terrorism as a negotiating tool. The hypocrisy of the negotiating community

and the U.N. and demonstrators around the world, we say to those people, you will not hold Israel to a different standard than any other country when it comes to protecting the safety of its citizens.

To those who say that Israel is using disproportionate force, is it disproportionate to want to protect your citizens from terrorist attacks? We want to see two states, a Palestinian state and an Israeli state, living side by side, a Jewish-Israeli state, an Arab-Palestinian state. We want to see that. Hamas does not, Israel does.

There are three things that Hamas needs to do before it is a player in the international community. It needs to recognize the right of Israel to exist. It needs to abide by previous agreements signed by the Palestinians, and it needs to reject terrorism as a negotiating tool.

There is strong and bipartisan support in this Congress for the democratic State of Israel, and we stand by Israel when it has tried to defend its citizens from being attacked by terrorism. That is why we have bipartisan support, and that is why the United States will always stand with the democratic nation of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon in support of the beleaguered people of the State of Israel. I rise in support of the only democracy in the Middle East. I rise in support of the country in the Middle East that has the same values that our great country, the United States of America, has, principles of democracy and principles that are so important to every man, woman and child.

The people of Israel have for 60 years been vilified by undemocratic powers and by powers that would wish to destroy it. For the past several years, day in and day out the people of Israel have had to endure rocket attacks coming from the terrorist organization that runs Gaza called Hamas. Israel is supposed to just accept these attacks on its citizens and do little or nothing about it if you would listen to the United Nations, if you would listen to the international community, if you would listen to these hypocritical demonstrations going on in London and all the Arab capitals and everyplace else, and even some in the United States.

Every country, every government's primary responsibility is to protect its citizens, and the people of Israel and the Government of Israel should not be held to any other standard than that.

The terrorist organization that runs Gaza called Hamas, bought and paid for by Iran, thinking that it can use terrorism as a way of somehow getting its state, must understand that in order to gain acceptance of nations in the free world, that it needs to renounce terror, that it needs to recognize Israel's right to exist, and that it needs to abide by all previous resolutions that were signed by the Palestinian Authority. It doesn't do it because it's a terrorist state. It doesn't do it because its vow is to destroy the Jewish State of Israel. It doesn't do it because, like Hezbollah and like Osama bin Laden and like al Qaeda, it thinks it can use terrorism to establish its aims and goals, but it cannot.

We stand in a bipartisan fashion with the people of Israel because if we in the United States had missiles being fired onto our innocent civilians from states across the border, we would move across the border and try to stop those terrorists from killing our people. That's what Israel is doing.

Many of us on the Foreign Affairs Committee this morning met with the Israeli ambassador and we saw a tape where Israel takes great precaution to try to prevent civilian casualties. But what Hamas does is it builds its bomb factories and it builds its terror weapons in the heart of the densely populated areas of Gaza and uses its own people as human shields. And so when the Israelis destroy these missile-making and bomb-making terror factories, innocent civilians very unfortunately get killed. But it is the Palestinians that support Hamas. It's the Hamas organization that is responsible for these killings. Israel has an absolute right to defend itself.

Now, we all want a cease-fire. We all want peace in the region. And we all know that ultimately peace will come when there is a two-state solution, an Israeli Jewish state and a Palestinian Arab state. The problem is most Israelis do accept the fact that there ought to be a Palestinian state, but the Palestinians, Hamas, does not accept the viability of Israel as a Jewish state.

And so let's put things in perspective here. If you have people that want to destroy you and want to kill you and don't recognize your right to exist, how can we have peace in the region?

We ought to note that Israel pulled out of Gaza several years ago and left Gaza to the Palestinians. And what did it get in return? It got missiles fired on its citizens in Syrot and other places in return for Israel leaving Gaza. The Palestinians used to say, well, it's the occupation, that's what drives everything. What occupation is there in Gaza? There is none. Israel has left Gaza. And the people of Gaza could have built a democratic government living in peace with its neighbors; instead, they chose to embrace terrorism and try to kill as many Israelis as they can.

So, in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, let me say that support for Israel in this Congress is strong and it is bipartisan and will remain so because we understand that the democratic nation of Israel has a right to exist, and the government of Israel has a right to protect its citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 3 o'clock and 14 minutes

p.m.), the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, January 8, 2009, at 10 a.m.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bill.

I will vote for this bill because it is important financially to my home State and City of New York, and frankly to the country. To those who say let the greedy Wall Street pigs go down without money from the taxpayers, I say, if they go down, we all go down. This won't only affect them, it will affect all of us. Jobs will be lost, people will not be able to get loans, IRA's, 401K's, pension plans, and retirement savings would be jeopardized, banks will fall, our economy would slip into deep recession or even depression.

Madam Speaker, the American people have told us to stop the partisan bickering in Washington. The American people want us to come together to solve problems. And that is what we, Democrats and Republicans have done in this bill.

Is this a perfect bill? Of course not. I would have liked to have seen a bill structured differently. I would have liked to see more emphasis in helping the average person who may be facing bankruptcy or foreclosure. I would have liked to see an economic stimulus package designed to help middle class people in the bill. But this bill has to pass both Houses and get signed by the President, so compromises had to be made.

Our democratic negotiators have done a good job in modifying the original bill put forth by the Secretary of the Treasury. This bill now enables the taxpayers to recoup the money from Wall Street in 5 years, if the taxpayers are not fully paid back. There is now much more oversight at our insistence. Excessive compensation is curtailed for CEO's, and the money is not being dispersed all at once. We are also able to help some people being foreclosed upon.

Madam Speaker, I am not thrilled with this bill, but passing it is the right thing to do for my city, my State, and my country. Wall Street drives so much of the New York economy and the economy of the United States as well. Today Madam Speaker, we have only 2 choices: vote for this bailout bill or do nothing. We cannot wait another few months, weeks, or even days to try to craft something else at this late date. If we wait, I fear that the very underpinning of our Nation's finances would very well be in great jeopardy. In that light, Madam Speaker, I will hold my nose and vote for this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 371 which strongly supports and immediate and just restitution of, or compensation for, property illegally confiscated during the last century by Nazi and Communist regimes. As a cosponsor of this important resolution, I believe that while we must recognize steps forward, countries in central and eastern Europe that have not already done so must return confiscated properties to their rightful owners or, where restitution is not possible, pay equitable compensation.

In that vein, I would like to draw the attention of the House to one particular situation in Hungary. Since the end of the Cold War, Hungary has developed into a vibrant democracy, a member of the European Union, an important NATO ally, and a key friend of the United States.

Yet, even with this great progress, Hungary's record on restitution for Holocaust victims is mixed, at best. Take the case of Martha Nierenberg, an 84-year-old U.S. citizen who lives in New York State. Her grandfather amassed one of the preeminent art collections in Hungary, consisting of some 2,500 paintings. After the Nazis occupied Hungary, some of those paintings were personally seized by Adolf Eichmann, the infamous implementer of the Final Solution, for shipment to Nazi Germany. Others were taken by the Hungarian government in collaboration with the Nazis and wound up after World War II in state owned museums in Budapest.

Mrs. Nierenberg's mother began asking Hungary for the return of some of the paintings in 1996 and upon her mother's death, Mrs. Nierenberg began to request their return, as well. Hungary refused to return the paintings, even though there has been no question that the paintings belonged to Mrs. Nierenberg's grandfather and to her mother after his death. As a result, Mrs. Nierenberg was forced to sue in Hungary for the return of 12 paintings. She won initially in the lower court (which returned one painting to her), but the Hungarian government challenged the ruling, requiring her to endure 7 years of appeals. She finally lost the final court case earlier this year, on technical grounds.

The Washington Principles adopted in 1998, and supported by the Hungarian government, require governments holding Holocaust property, such as Hungary, to arrive at a fair and equitable resolution of claims to the property. But, Hungary has not followed those principles and has not tried to reach a fair and equitable resolution of Mrs. Nierenberg's claims.

The appearance, sadly, is that the Hungarian government wants to ``run the clock'' on Mrs. Nierenberg, hoping that she will give up or die. But she will not give up, and Mrs. Nierenberg's children are as determined as she is to recover what is rightfully theirs.

What is most shocking to me about this case is how quickly countries are able to disassociate their war-time complicity in the Nazi Holocaust from their holding of the war-time booty. During World War II, Hungary expelled 440,000 Jews, most of whom perished in Auschwitz. Ironically, Adolph Eichmann, who stole some of the Nierenberg paintings, was chief of the team of ``deportation experts'' that helped the Hungarian authorities send their country's Jewish population to its demise.

Madam Speaker, Hungary has no moral claim to Mrs. Nierenberg's paintings and, should, at long last, do what is right. Therefore, as a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 371, I urge the Hungarian government to return the paintings, at once, or work out a just resolution of this case with Mrs. Nierenberg in accordance with the Washington Principles.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an Israeli organization that has dedicated itself to assisting the victims of terrorist attacks and other life-threatening situations, and making sure that those who pay the ultimate price receive a proper Jewish burial.

ZAKA Search and Rescue is an organization of 1,500 volunteers who live and work throughout the State of Israel. At a moment's notice, they are prepared to drop everything and rush to the scene of a traffic accident or terrorist incident. Wearing their trademark yellow vests and weaving through traffic jams on motor scooters, ZAKA volunteers are often the first to arrive on the scene. They provide first aid to victims until emergency medical personnel arrive on the scene. When an incident results in fatalities, ZAKA volunteers perform the grim but necessary work of collecting and

preserving victims' remains so they can be buried according to Jewish law, and helping family members cope with the tragedy.

ZAKA volunteers are widely recognized and respected throughout Israel for their devotion to the difficult duties they perform. During 2007, they participated in more than 18,000 life-saving or search-and-rescue incidents. More than 2,000 times they were involved in activities to honor the dead after fatal accidents or attacks. Because of their professionalism, they have forged close working relationships with police and other emergency responders.

ZAKA has also expanded its work to respond to accidents and catastrophes around the world. They helped identify Jewish victims of the deadly Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004 in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia. They helped return the remains of victims of plane crashes in Russia and Namibia. They helped save 2,000-year-old Jewish catacombs in Italy. And they helped rescue and preserve sacred Jewish Torahs in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

I had the privilege of speaking at a lunch last week here in Washington honoring ZAKA and its founder, Yehuda Meshi Zahav. ZAKA's motto is ``Saving those who can be saved, and honoring those who cannot.'' They live up to this motto every day. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to this great organization, and to the many volunteers who give selflessly of their time to help those in need in Israel and around the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise to extend my warmest wishes to the Taiwanese people in anticipation of the celebration of their National Day on October 10, 2008.

For nearly 30 years, the U.S. and Taiwan have shared an official commitment of friendship and cooperation. Not only is the bond between our peoples very strong, but the framework established by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act continues to provide a solid foundation for the close relations between our two countries. Our ties have been particularly strengthened by the Taiwanese-American community, which has made pivotal contributions to American social, economic, and political life.

When I recently visited Taiwan, I met with newly elected President Ma Ying-jeou and learned about the great development in his country. I witnessed first-hand the success of Taiwan's robust democracy and vibrant economy. This year, Taiwan has risen to become the U.S.'s ninth largest trading partner. Through the maintenance of strong dialogue and collaboration, our nations will surely continue to benefit from the mutual advantages we offer one another.

Taiwan also plays a critical role in the shared goal of maintaining peace and stability

in the Asia-Pacific region. Today, Taiwan's relations with the People's Republic of China have expanded--particularly through direct flights and expanded tourism and investment. Moreover, the Taiwanese economy continues to see steady rises in its Gross Domestic Product, GDP, trade surplus, and foreign reserves that show the benefits of embracing democracy and a market-based economic system.

As we approach Taiwan's National Day, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Taiwan for its friendship and wishing the Taiwanese people continued prosperity and success.

I thank the chairman for yielding to me, and I rise in strong support of this legislation. For the United States, passage of this legislation will clear the way to deepen the strategic relationship with India, open significant opportunities for American firms, help meet India's surging energy requirements in an environmentally friendly manner, and bring India into the global nuclear nonproliferation mainstream.

This agreement marks the culmination of a decade-long process of India's emergence on the national stage and the Indian Government's effort to steer a more pragmatic and realistic course in foreign affairs. We have common strategic interests with India, and this will enhance these interests.

India's energy demand is expected to grow nearly 5 percent per year for the next two decades. We should be a partner in that.

When the Congress passed the Hyde Act, we recognized India's refusal to transfer nuclear technology to others. These unique circumstances make this change in U.S. nonproliferation policy possible. We're now poised to reap the benefits of ending India's nuclear isolation.

Eligibility to civilian nuclear cooperation is an essential step toward bringing India fully into the global effort to prevent onward transmission of nuclear weapons know-how.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I thank my colleague and good friend from New York.

I rise to support this very important bill. Iran continues to defy Security Council resolutions by continuing to develop its nuclear program. The U.S. and our allies in the U.N. Security Council have recognized the danger that would be posed by a nuclear Iran and have repeatedly demanded that Iran suspend uranium enrichment.

To change Iran's course, the U.S. must increase pressure with every appropriate diplomatic and political tool. U.S. sanctions have already helped to discourage investment in Iran, and further pressure may yet convince the regime in Iran to comply with international obligations and drop its nuclear program.

This bill will counter Iran's illicit nuclear weapons program by sending a clear message that if Iran does not end its quest to obtain nuclear weapons, and its support for terrorism, it will face strong economic sanctions. The legislation imposes sanctions that will undercut Iran's nuclear program and support for terrorism.

Moreover, the legislation reaffirms our commitment to multilateral diplomacy to increase pressure on Iran to beef up its program. Finally, it explicitly states that nothing in the act authorizes the use of force against Iran.

I urge my colleagues to support this very important measure.