Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the work of Heritage Foundation for Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries, HFPJC-Avoyseinu in preserving Jewish cemeteries in Europe and to offer recognition to RWA Slovakia for their humanitarian contribution to the protection of a Jewish cemetery in Marcelova, Slovakia.

I have the highest respect for HFPJC and its efforts to preserve Jewish cemeteries throughout Europe. The Nazis not only destroyed the Jewish population of Europe during the Holocaust, but they left Jewish cemeteries in ruin. The fall of the iron curtain and

the brutal rule of the communists in Eastern Europe only further desecrated the final resting places of millions of Jews. HFPJC is trying to right the wrongs of the preceding decades by working with communities throughout Europe to preserve the graves of their ancestors.

In my work with HFPJC on preservation of cemeteries in Slovakia, I have learned about the Marcelova Jewish Cemetery Project and the role the RWA Slovakia company played in enabling the cemetery's preservation. I would like to share this important story of generosity and interfaith understanding with the House.

The Marcelova Jewish cemetery site, after the Holocaust, became a deserted wasteland and passed from community to municipal to private ownership. RWA corporation owned the Marcelova Jewish cemetery lot for at least the past decade. As a burial ground, the Marcelova cemetery is sacred to people of the Jewish faith. HFPJC, acting on behalf of some highly concerned Marcelova descendants, attempted to secure the return and appropriate preservation of the cemetery before it is accidentally desecrated through construction or development.

After individual meetings between both the Marcelova mayor and several managing officers of RWA, in which all displayed exceptional courtesy, consideration, and understanding of the humanitarian significance of the issue, RWA agreed to allow the fencing and preservation of the cemetery site, adjoining their office complex. I have seen photographs of the restoration of the cemetery and would like to offer my highest commendation to RWA Slovakia for their work with HFPJC to preserve the Marcelova Jewish cemetery.

Madam Speaker, this is a generous and humane gesture on the part of RWA Slovakia, and is worthy of public recognition. Therefore, with this statement in the Congressional Record of the House of Representatives of the United States, I officially commend the RWA Corporation of Slovakia for its preservation of the Marcelova Jewish cemetery.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 385, which condemns the attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July 1994.

I led an official congressional delegation to Buenos Aires in February and visited the leaders of the Argentine Jewish community. I saw the site of the devastating July 18, 1994, bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association. I will never forget the sadness I felt laying a wreath of flowers on the memorial to the 85 victims of the terrorist attack and will always keep in the forefront of my mind the need to bring to justice the perpetrators of that horrible crime.

Mr. Speaker, overwhelming evidence links the attacks to the government of Iran, and the execution of the bombings to Hezbollah, a terrorist organization based in Lebanon. The state prosecutor of Argentina announced this conclusion on October 25, 2006, stating that the AMIA bombing was ``decided and organized by the highest leaders of the former government of Iran, whom, at the same time, entrusted its execution to the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.'' He specifically alleged that the attack was approved by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamene'i and Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former leader of Iran and the current chairman of Iran's Assembly of Experts and Iran's Expediency Council.

On November 9, 2006, an Argentine judge issued an arrest warrant for Rafsanjani and others for their involvement in the AMIA bombing. One year later, the General Assembly of INTERPOL issued six Red Notices, circulating the Argentine warrants in an effort to extradite the indicted Iranians.

One of the perpetrators of the AMIA bombing was Hezbollah operative Imad Moughnieh. Moughnieh was not only responsible for the act of terror in Buenos Aires, he also carried out the dastardly attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983. This brutal terrorist was reportedly killed in Syria on February 12, 2008. While I do not know who carried out the attack on Moughnieh, it seems that justice has been done.

It is unconscionable that the entire leadership of the government of Iran was involved with the terror campaign in Argentina. We must not let the world's lead sponsor of international terror continue to get away with its criminal deeds.

I stand with the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, and the government of Argentina, which has stepped up the pace of the AMIA investigation. The United States must continue to work with Argentina and provide any help it needs as it seeks to bring the terrorists to justice.

I stand with the peace-loving Jewish community of Argentina which, despite the horror which befell them 14 years ago, remains vital and strong. Their survival is a testament to the human spirit which will not succumb to the reprehensible designs of an evil few.

And I stand with the freedom-loving peoples around the world who know the horrors of terrorism and will not rest until the perpetrators have been apprehended and convicted in a court of law.

Again, I strongly support H. Con. Res. 385, a resolution of which I am a cosponsor, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

I thank the gentleman, and I rise in support of S. 2607, the DTV Transition Assistance Act.

I agree with everything that all my colleagues have said, and I certainly agree with Mr. Boucher that we really need to help facilitate the digital transition, which is what this bill does. This has been a long time coming, and we're now coming down to the wire. We have only 223 days until analog TV signals will go dark.

In the Energy and Commerce Committee several years ago, I joked and said when people turn on their TV sets on February 17, 2009 and their TV goes dark, many of our political futures will go dark if we don't have a good transition along the way. Since we began this process several years ago, I have been saying repeatedly that we need to make this transition work. That's why I introduced legislation, the National Digital Television Consumer Education Act. My legislation would help to educate consumers about the effects of the digital transition and what they need to do to prepare for it.

So I do agree with Mr. Boucher that we're ill-prepared. Even if people know that it's coming, we also have to make sure that they know how to set up their TV for digital broadcasts.

People need to know how to set up their television for digital broadcasts. They need instructions on how to get the coupons that the government is providing to enable them to get these converter boxes, they need to know where to purchase the converter boxes, how to set them up, and many people need these instructions in languages other than English.

These are very, very huge challenges, and we are not spending nearly enough money to rise to the occasion. This bill is a good bill, but we need other legislation as well to help facilitate the digital transition.

In February, every American must be able to turn on their television and watch a crisp digital broadcast. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and other bills we will be providing to ease the digital transition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support for H.R. 6331, the ``Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.''

As a senior member of the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I have worked hard throughout my career in Congress to pass commonsense healthcare measures. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues on the underlying legislation. H.R. 6331 prevents the pending 10 percent payment reduction for physicians in Medicare, enhances Medicare preventive and mental health benefits, and improves and extends programs for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

Our physicians are the backbone of our communities and we must guarantee that they are fairly compensated for the good work they do. By eliminating the physician payment reduction and through the other measures included in H.R. 6331, we can ensure our patients' continued access to quality care.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply trouble by some of the rhetoric on the other side of the aisle. It is absolutely disgraceful that the Republican leadership has been urging a ``no'' vote in part because we are strengthening the Medicare program in this bill. There have been comments from the Republican side opposing the expansion of the Medicare Savings Program, MSP, in this bill--a program specifically designed to provide a extra assistance to low-income seniors who desperately need it. Republicans also oppose he expansion of Medicare's coverage of preventive services in this bill. We all know that improving access to quality health care, such as by providing preventive services will save millions of Medicare dollars down the line. It is backwards thinking to simply wait till seniors' healthcare erodes beyond repair before we take action.

Democrats will stand by our Medicare beneficiaries and doctors and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6331 today. Republicans should do the same. Anything different is simply unconscionable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today not in opposition to this legislation, but simply to talk for a moment about the problems of the

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6028. And I would like to commend Chairman Berman for his leadership on this important legislation that authorizes full funding for the Merida Initiative.

In my subcommittee, as Chair, we held three hearings on the Merida Initiative, so we've covered it really quite extensively. And I'm more convinced than ever that this is such an important bill and such an important proposal.

Recent events in Mexico make the Merida Initiative more crucial than ever. Just last month, the chief of the Mexican federal police was brutally murdered at his home. Shortly thereafter, the deputy police chief of Ciudad Juarez, a city smack on the border with the United States, was shot dead.

The narcoviolence in Mexico is not only undermining the safety and security of our friends to the south, but it is fueling the drug trade and violence here in the United States.

As Western Hemisphere Subcommittee chairman, I worked with Chairman Berman in developing this legislation and was pleased to contribute two key parts. First, the Central American piece of this legislation authorizes a much greater amount of assistance for the subregion than the Bush administration proposed. The initial $50 million for Central America was really a drop in the bucket when you look at the whole thing and the needs that are necessary, especially considering that 90 percent of the cocaine shipped from the Andes to the U.S. flows right through Central America.

H.R. 6028 sets aside at least $15 million per year for youth gang prevention programs. That was something that I care very much about as well. With approximately 70,000 gang members in Central America, and the transnational connections linking gang members there to the United States, this is a vast improvement over the administration's proposal. I hope we have learned by now that failing to adequately invest in prevention programs will only hurt us in the future.

I was also pleased to work with the chairman on a provision in H.R. 6028 which establishes a Merida coordinator at the State Department. My staff and I have too often been frustrated by the inability to obtain information on Merida activities or to figure out who was responsible for what, and what would fall under Merida. The Merida coordinator will keep track of all U.S. government assistance, which fulfills the goals of the Merida Initiative.

Madam Speaker, the Merida Initiative is moving on two legislative tracks; this authorization bill, and the supplemental appropriations bill. I understand that the Mexican Government has expressed concerns with certain language in the Senate supplemental proposal. It is my hope that the final product will include important human rights provisions while respecting Mexican sovereignty and the spirit of partnership in which the Merida Initiative was designed. Our relationship with our neighbors to the south is very important, and we need to work with them in a collaborative way and in a partnership.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you again for your leadership on this important legislation and your commitment to the governments and people of Central America and Mexico.

I urge my colleagues to support this crucial legislation. And I want to again say that it's important not only to have funds in there and language in there for Mexico, but for Central America, Haiti and the Dominican Republic as well.

It's also important that we look at the whole situation of guns. Guns that are manufactured in the United States are smuggled over the border, and 90 percent of the guns that are collected come from the United States. And they fuel narcotrafficking, they fuel violence, they fuel the drug trade, and we need to do something about that. So I am pleased that my provision, the Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act, was incorporated into this language to look at this problem, to deal with this problem, and understanding that what we do in the United States goes hand in hand with what happens south of our border as well.

So again, Mr. Chairman, I thank you. I thank the ranking member, with whom I've collaborated on so many things through the years.

Madam Speaker, Anne LoMedico has reached the ranks of the growing number of centenarians in the United States. As she reaches 100 years, on July 26, 2008, she can look back with pride. Anne has lived through the most prolific era in world history.

Anne was born in our very own Bronx, New York. She is a mother of two, grandmother of 7, great-grandmother of 16, and great-great grandmother of 9.

She is a hard worker who isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. From the age of 18 to 67 Anne worked at a bookbinder company. She entered the field as a machine operator and in no time worked her way to a supervisory position. Anne was never one to sit and wait for things to happen. She took initiative and in by doing so, as a union delegate she was once honored with a gold pin from the Bookbinder Union.

Anne is a very active member of her Senior Club at the Nyack Senior Center; she raised the most money out of anyone in the 2007 Walkathon fundraiser. She can also be accredited for helping women in her community who have recently been widowed, get out of the house and into the center of life.

Anne attributes her long life to her strong faith in God, the fact that she believes in eating right, exercising, and not smoking. Before she started driving, Anne would walk from the West Side of Manhattan to the East Side twice a day to go to work. She has watched her children grown and has seen the world change. We thank God for allowing Ms. LoMedico to remain with us and share her years of experience with us all.

I offer her my sincere wishes for the happiest of birthdays and congratulate her for a long and successful life.

Madam Speaker, Barbara Korner throughout her life, interwoven with the strands of wife, mother, and teacher are patterns that appear and reappear: Her devotion and love for the Sinai Free Synagogue makes Kehillah Kedosha (sacred congregation) a way of life in all that she does.

She reaches out to all, teaching the youngest, Beresheet Bunch, to welcoming the eldest at services; to honoring the most revered as chair of the Congregant of the Year dinner dance. She initiates new relationships and strengthens existing ones in the Women's Spirituality Circle, as well as giving herself to fundraising projects such as Honey for Rosh Hashanah.

Whether serving food during a concert, shopping for bagels for an adult education brunch, or selecting beautiful Judaica for the shop, she brings friendship and caring to the synagogue community.

She has a long history of volunteerism at Sinai Free Synagogue, and the Free Synagogue before that. She has been honored with the Congregant of the Year Award, having served as Religious School Board co-chair, Hospitality Chair for the successful congregational dinners, and co-chair to the Jewish Festival.

She was born in New York City to Ruth and Murray Zucker, and graduated from Hunter College. She taught at P.S. 100 for her entire career and met her husband Ira there. They married in 1970 and have three children, Matthew, Shelbey and Ari, and three grandchildren Daniel, Maia and Gabriel.

Barbara Korner is a vital part of the leadership at the synagogue and the community at large, with her enthusiasm, her artistic flair, and her strong sense of tikkun olam in everything she does. She has made Sinai Free Synagogue into a community, and helped to strengthen the Jewish community in Mt. Vernon.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 which includes the renaming of the Ellis Island Library on the third floor of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum as the ``Bob Hope Memorial Library.''

Bob Hope is an American institution and was one of our greatest entertainers. Most Americans remember Bob Hope for his work in the entertainment business as well as for his USO shows for American soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen fighting overseas.

What few know is that Bob Hope was an immigrant from England. Like many of the other 16 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island, Bob Hope and his family arrived in America in 1908 with little but the American dream. Bob Hope described himself upon arrival as ``a 4-year-old boy in knickers who had no idea of the opportunities that lay ahead.''

Bob Hope held a special place in his heart for Ellis Island and, in 1990, when the Ellis Island Restoration Commission suggested naming the third floor of the museum in his honor, he stated that it would be ``one of the single most important highpoints in his career.''

The library will be a daily reminder to Ellis Island's visitors of the great contributions of one of our Nation's most renowned immigrants and of the opportunities of the American dream. While Bob Hope did not live to see this project completed after more than 15 years, we honor his memory by passing this legislation today.

It is my hope that the National Park Service and the Ellis Island Restoration Commission will work together to make the Ellis Island Museum, including the Bob Hope Memorial Library, a place to remember the 16 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island and an interactive destination to honor the memories of and learn more about some of America's most famous immigrants, such as Bob Hope.

Madam Speaker, as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and a member of the Health Subcommittee, I thank my friend, the distinguished chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, for allowing me time under his leadership.

I am a proud cosponsor of this bill. I am pleased to see it moving forward after more than a decade of advocacy.

While researchers' ability to identify genetic markers for diseases has given hope and promise to millions of people regarding how to make more informed choices about their personal behavior, the promise of this breakthrough is hindered, as many of my colleagues have said, by well-founded fears of how information may be abused in the employment and insurance industries.

While many states, including my own home State of New York, have laws which prohibit discrimination in health insurance, and by employers based on genetic testing and information, it is clear that the laws are not fully comprehensive and that Federal action is necessary, certainly to make it more uniform across all 50 States.

Fear should not be a deterrent to knowledge. Disregarding available tests for fear of discrimination prevents citizens from making smarter, personalized choices about their own well-being. We know too much to subscribe to one-size-fits-all medicine. And once again, it should be our physicians, not our insurance companies, who influence our health care decisions.

This is a wonderful bill, very much overdue for enactment, years and years and years in the process. It's supported by hundreds of patient advocate groups, and will make a true impact on the health care of our Nation.

I urge all my colleagues to support the bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H. Con. Res. 322 and to offer my warmest congratulations on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.

On May 14, 1948, the people of Israel proclaimed the establishment of the sovereign and independent State of Israel. Since this proud and historic day, Israel has proven itself to be a vibrant democracy and a true friend of freedom. Throughout, the United States and Israel have had a special friendship; an unbreakable bond between nations whose relationship is much deeper than mere allies of convenience.

During its six decades of existence, the Israeli people have faced the most grave threats from hostile neighbors and have bravely defended themselves against repeated terrorist and military attacks. Yet, despite the years of war, terrorism, and diplomatic and economic isolation by enemies far and near, the Israeli people have never turned away from their vibrant, pluralistic democracy that guarantees freedom of speech, association and religion.

Indeed, the modern State of Israel has built a new and dynamic democratic society and created a thriving economic, political, cultural and intellectual life. It is a nation of immigrants, as is the United States, which has benefited from the diversity of its population.

Throughout my career in Congress, I have consistently made a strong and close relationship between the United States and Israel among my highest priorities. As the only true democracy in the Middle East and our closest ally in the region, I firmly believe that we must support Israel as it faces the many serious threats to its very existence. We must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel when it is under attack and support its right of self-defense even when the rest of the world turns away.

As we approach the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding, I am reminded not only of the close strategic ties between our countries, but of how much our two nations have in common. Through Democratic and Republican Administrations, alike, the bonds between us have only grown stronger. As Israel enters its seventh decade, let us resolve ourselves to make security and prosperity of the State of Israel a key priority here in the House of Representatives while we continue to promote a warm and unshakable friendship between the U.S. and Israel.

Once again, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 322 and offer my warmest congratulations to the Israeli people on the 60th anniversary of their independence.

Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I rise to condemn the fact that former President Jimmy Carter on Friday is going to Damascus to meet with the senior Hamas leader. This is really a disgrace, and, frankly, I think that Jimmy Carter embarrasses himself by doing so.

Hamas is a terrorist organization. It is designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union. Hamas has been responsible for the murders of 26 Americans, and I would like to read the names and I would like to submit into the Record this list of the 26 Americans that have been murdered by Hamas:

Yitzhak Weinstock of California, Nachshon Wachsman of New York, Sara Duker of New Jersey, Matthew Eisenfeld of Connecticut, Ira Weinstein of New York, David Boim of New York, Yael Botwin of California, Leah Stern of New Jersey, Malka Roth of New York, Judith Greenbaum of New Jersey, Marla Bennett of California, Benjamin Blutstein of Pennsylvania, Dina Carter of North Carolina, Janice Ruth Coulter of Massachusetts, David Gritz of Massachusetts, Rabbi Eli Horowitz of Illinois, Dina Horowitz of Florida, Alan Beer of Ohio, Tzvi Goldstein of New York, Goldie Taubenfeld of New York, Shmuel Taubenfeld of New York, Tehilla Nathanson of New York, Yitzhak Reinitz of New York, Mordechai Reinitz of New York, David Applebaum of Ohio, and Nava Applebaum of Ohio.

Twenty-six American citizens killed by Hamas, and yet Jimmy Carter would shake the hand of the leading Hamas terrorist with blood on his hands. Shame on Jimmy Carter.

Today Jimmy Carter was in the West Bank and met with another Hamas leader and laid a wreath at the grave of Yasser Arafat. Isn't that really something?

Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist, does not renounce violence and terrorism, and refuses to abide by all previous agreements signed by previous Palestinian Governments. And yet Jimmy Carter would shake the hands of murderers and terrorists with blood dripping from their hands. It's no wonder that the Daily Star in Lebanon has an article today saying ``Jimmy Carter, a Fool on a Fool's Errand.'' It's surely disgraceful. This is a new low.

Jimmy Carter wrote a book, ``Palestine: Peace not Apartheid,'' and fabricated portions in that book. I spoke with the former leader of the Carter Center, who said he was with Jimmy Carter on a number of these meetings and the accounts that Jimmy Carter wrote in his book were absolutely incorrect and falsified because he was in the meetings with Jimmy Carter and took notes.

So I just want to say that I think all freedom-loving people ought to condemn any kind of meetings with terrorists. To meet with terrorists only encourages them to do more terrorism so that they can be players. It's truly a sad day when a former President of the United States will shake hands and greet the leading terrorist, the leader of the leading terrorist organization, Hamas, a man who was responsible for the deaths of 26 Americans, countless more, with blood dripping from his hands. It is truly a shame. I believe that we should all condemn it.

I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

I thank my friend from Florida, and I want to return the compliment. It has been a pleasure working with him in doing everything we can to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, two democracies with shared values and shared beliefs, and it's been a pleasure working with my friend from Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I want to join my colleagues in saluting Israel on its 60th anniversary. And I want to also salute the strong bond and ties between the United States and the State of Israel. We have shared values, we have shared concerns, and we have had a wonderful, close ally-to-ally relationship for the past 60 years, and we want it to continue for another 60 and way beyond.

I think it's important, at this time, to reflect the fact that Israel was created in the ashes of the Holocaust, and that the United States and Israel, sharing in common bonds, there is also a moral imperative for us to continue to stand by that beleaguered State.

I think it's also important to say that we must not put pressure on Israel

to make unilateral concessions in her quest for peace. It takes two to tango, and we need to have both sides make concessions and work together.

Let's remember that Israel left Gaza. Israel left Southern Lebanon. She was willing to do land for peace, but, instead, got land for war. So we have to be very careful and not put pressure on Israel. Celebrate her 60th anniversary. And long may the close relations between our two countries continue.

I thank our distinguished chairman for yielding to me.

Madam Chairman, I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, named after our dearly departed two great House Foreign Affairs Committee chairmen that I had the pleasure of serving under, Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to pose a major threat to the health of the global community, from the most severely affected regions of sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, as the chairman mentioned, I'm the chairman of the Subcommittee of the Western Hemisphere, to the emerging epidemics of eastern Europe, central Asia, south and southeast Asia, and Latin America.

I also want to take this time to pay tribute to our colleague who is in the Chamber, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who has worked so hard in combating global AIDS, probably harder than anyone else in the Congress. I'm delighted that she's here, and her hard work has not gone unnoticed.

While most widely recognized for reviewing our commitment to global AIDS relief, H.R. 5501 reauthorizes provisions on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, all deadly diseases of poverty. The Lantos-Hyde Act is a decisive step forward for global health, particularly for our efforts to control tuberculosis.

I want to take a moment to specifically address the tuberculosis provisions included, as the chairman mentioned, as my bill H.R. 1567, the Stop TB Now Act which passed the floor earlier this year, was largely incorporated into this bill, and I'm delighted about that.

The World Health Organization reports that 1.5 million people died of tuberculosis in 2006, with another 200,000 dying from HIV-associated tuberculosis. The multi-drug resistant and extensively drug resistant TB, known as MDR and XDR, poses a grave risk to global health. A contagious airborne disease, TB knows no barriers or borders and can only be successfully controlled in the United States by controlling it overseas.

This Lantos-Hyde Act declares TB control a major objective of U.S. foreign assistance programs. In support of WHO targets, the bill prioritizes halving TB deaths and disease, cutting them in half, and achieving a 70 percent detection rate and an 85 percent cure rate by 2015.

The Lantos-Hyde Act prioritizes the Stop TB Partnership's strategy, which includes expansion of the successful treatment regimen for standard TB, treatment for individuals infected with both TB and HIV, treatment for individuals with drug-resistant TB, and enabling research and development of new tools.

Recognizing the deadly synergy between TB, an opportunistic infection, and HIV, the Lantos-Hyde Act authorizes assistance to strengthen the coordination of HIV/AIDS and TB programs. TB is the leading killer of people with HIV/AIDS.

May I ask for an additional minute?

And the explosion of drug-resistant TB in sub-Saharan Africa threatens to halt and roll back our progress in combating both diseases.

The legislation supports key TB-HIV activities, such as providing AIDS patients with TB screening and treatment, and providing TB patients with proper counseling, testing and treatment for HIV/AIDS.

Finally, the legislation authorizes assistance for the development of new vaccines for TB. The current TB vaccine is more than 85 years old and is unreliable against pulmonary TB, which accounts for most of the worldwide disease burden. New TB vaccines have the potential to save millions of lives and would lead to substantial cost savings.

Studies modelling the 10-year economic benefits of a vaccine that is 75 percent effective have estimated worldwide savings in medical costs of $25 billion or more.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill. This is a very, very important bill.

Madam Speaker, for the past 8 years children in Babies and Children's Hospital of Columbia Presbyterian, Bronx Lebanon, Jacobi Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital, Lincoln Medical Center, Montefiore Medical Center, St. Barnabas Hospital, and Our Lady of Mercy Hospital have had their holidays brightened with gifts from the Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale Toys Campaign.

Heartfelt gestures such as these have raised some from the despair of illness in a hospital during the holiday season to bring them hope and laughter. Toys are also given to children of more than 180 families living in homeless shelters in the Bronx.

This mitzvah, this kindness for those who are in need at that most special time of the year for joy and happiness, has earned the Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale Toys Campaign the Community Organizational Award from the Riverdale Jewish Community Council.