Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Franks amendment and claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Franks amendment. This amendment would increase fiscal year 2009 funding for the Missile Defense Agency by $719 million, back up to the level of the President's budget request. The Bush administration's request of $9.3 billion in fiscal year 2009 for the Missile Defense Agency already represents an increase of $680 million above last year's funded level.

With prudent reductions and selected increases, H.R. 5658 authorizes $8.6 billion in FY 2009 for the Missile Defense Agency, roughly equivalent to the fiscal year 2008 level. We provide increases in funding for assistance geared to current threats, like Aegis BMD, THAAD, the missile defense testing program and missile defense cooperation with Israel, all of these by $185 million. At the same time, we make prudent reductions to longer-term, less-mature systems, like the Multiple Kill Vehicle and the Airborne Laser.

Unfortunately, the Franks amendment would unravel the thoughtful work of the committee. First, Mr. Franks proposes that the offset would come from any Pentagon research and development account, except the Missile Defense Agency, unfairly placing missile defense programs above all other R&D priorities.

Second, it is unlikely that the proposed increase in the funding for the programs outlined in this amendment can be executed in fiscal year 2009.

Third, and perhaps more important, the amendment is inconsistent of section 223 of the fiscal year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires that procurement funds be used for procurement activities, not research and development activities.

Also, as written, the amendment would not allow any of the funding to be used for additional THAAD or Aegis Standard Missile Interceptors, because it provides only research and development funding.

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 5858 provides our warfighters the real capabilities to meet the real threats to our homeland, deployed forces and allies. It also makes prudent reductions to systems geared to less urgent threats, ensuring that other important national defense priorities, such as readiness, strategic programs and nonproliferation efforts, are well-funded.

The House defeated a similar floor amendment last year, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume prior to introducing my colleague from Washington.

I just wanted to correct the record. My colleague from Texas must have very old talking points. The subcommittee increased the money for both THAAD, a $75 million increase above the President's budget, and Aegis BMD, $75 million over the President's budget. So what the gentleman just said is totally incorrect.

I would now like to yield 3 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen), who is a very valuable member of the Armed Services Committee and a member of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.

Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt), a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and the chairman of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), our distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I oppose this amendment for many reasons. I think it is interesting that my colleague from the other side of the aisle sloughs off the fact that we plussed up the President's budget by $75 million for THAAD, $75 million for Aegis. But what he doesn't want to tell anyone is that the President's budget actually cut funding for THAAD firing units, and it wasn't until the majority, the Democrats, went to the administration and said we thought that was a really, really bad idea, and gave the money back to the account. We would have been in a deeper hole.

So I think that my colleague is doing a good job supporting the Missile Defense Agency, but that is not what our job is. Our job is to make sure that we have a balanced portfolio of investments for the American people and our warfighters. This mark does it. I think that is why we have such strong support. I think that it is also important for people to know that Mr. Franks wants to buy more Aegis and THAAD inventory; but under the current law his amendment cannot do that because he is using RDT&E funds. So I ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Tierney amendment. The amendment seeks to reduce funding for the Missile Defense Agency by about $1 billion beyond the $719 million that the committee has already reduced.

I have several concerns with the amendment. Our bill strikes the right balance between the current requirements of the warfighter and the need to invest in future technologies. Our bill increases funding for systems geared toward current threats like Aegis BMD and THAAD, while reducing funding for longer term projects.

Our bill already reduces funding for most of the programs the amendment seeks to cut, like the kinetic energy interceptor, the multiple kill vehicle, and the airborne laser. Our bill makes the different reductions to the proposed missile defense sites in Europe based on the slow pace of diplomacy and the technological immaturity of the proposed system.

The Tierney amendment, on the other hand, is ill-conceived. First, the amendment undercuts deployment of the existing ground-based mid course defense system in Alaska and California.

Second, by eliminating any and all funding for the potential missile defense system in Europe, the amendment would undercut U.S.-NATO cooperation on missile defense against emerging Iranian missile threats to Europe and U.S. troops in the region.

Third, the amendment's additional reduction to ABL could actually lead to more missile defense spending because it would delay the planned shootdown demonstration scheduled for next year, leading to increased costs in 2010.

Missile defense provisions in this bill by the committee were carefully crafted to balance the need to deliver missile defense capabilities that address current threats, and make prudent investments in future capabilities. It pares back spending on immature science projects, like last year's bill did, and includes a host of provisions to improve accountability for MDA programs. That is why, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose the Tierney amendment.

I would like to yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. Chairman, pursuant to section 4 of House Resolution 1218, and as the designee of the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, I request that, during further consideration of H.R. 5658 in the Committee of the Whole, and following consideration of the second en bloc amendment, the following amendment be considered in the following order: amendment No. 22, amendment No. 52, amendment No. 25, amendment No. 32, amendment No. 31, amendment No. 55, amendment No. 56, amendment No. 58, amendment No. 51, amendment No. 4.

Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, during further consideration of H.R. 5658 pursuant to House Resolution 1218, the Chair may reduce to 2 minutes the minimum time for electronic voting under clause 6 of rule XVIII and clauses 8 and 9 of rule XX.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Pearce amendment to H.R. 5658, the fiscal year 2009 defense authorization bill. The Pearce amendment would restore $10 million for the Reliable Replacement Warhead that our bill currently redirects to a more broad-based, advanced certification program. Our bill focuses on sustaining and modernizing the stockpile stewardship program, the core of this Nation's effort to ensure that our nuclear weapons are safe, secure, and reliable.

Before any decisions are made about RRW, we must first answer fundamental questions about our strategic posture and nuclear weapons policies. That's why Congress established the bipartisan Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States in last year's National Defense Authorization Act.

The Commission's report, due in several months, and the nuclear posture review required of the next administration will help frame the looming decisions about sustaining our nuclear deterrent and modernizing the nuclear weapons complex.

One day, something like RRW may be part of a stockpile stewardship program. But no funds were appropriated to conduct the RRW design and cost study last year, and this year's request did not include nearly enough to complete the study. In this context, the committee-approved bill shifts $10 million requested for RRW to advance certification and authorizes the National Nuclear Security Administration to address questions raised by the JASON panel last year about the challenge of certifying RRW without underground testing.

The Pearce amendment offset is also a big problem. The offset is a $10 million cut to the DOD Energy Conservation Investment Program, or ECIP. The Department of Defense uses ECIP to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, increase the use of renewable energy and meet national energy policy goals. And ECIP works. Its projects have a nearly 2-to-1 savings to investment ratio on average. A $10 million reduction would be a 12\1/2\ percent cut to ECIP.

Our bill, H.R. 5658, takes a prudent, sound approach to stewardship of our Nation's nuclear deterrent.

I urge my colleagues to oppose the Pearce amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, at this time I am happy to yield 1 minute to my colleague and friend from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).

Mr. Chairman, I just want to make sure that my colleague from New Mexico knows that we spend--and that anybody listening--we spend over $6 billion maintaining the weapons. So it's hardly not spending any money at all.

At this time, I am happy to yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Indiana, the chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee, Mr. Visclosky.

Madam Chairman, I rise in support of the Foster amendment to H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009.

As chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I am proud to say that my subcommittee's mark already included an increase of $5 million for the Department of Energy's National Technical Nuclear Forensics Program.

And I worked with my colleague, Adam Smith, chairman of the Terrorism and Unconventional Threats Subcommittee in support of an additional $10 million for nuclear forensics for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

So when Representative Foster approached us, we were happy to work with him.

We welcome his amendment, which complements the base bill very nicely by requiring a plan for forensics research and development and requiring the Departments of Defense, Energy, and State to report on how best to create an independent panel of forensics experts.

I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009.

I want to commend Chairman Skelton for his leadership on bringing such a strong bipartisan bill to the floor.

As chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that the bill achieves three broad objectives. It sustains and modernizes the stockpile stewardship program, which insures the safety, security and reliability of our nuclear deterrent. It invests in the development and deployment of ballistic missile defense systems that address near term threats to the United States, our deployed troops and our allies. And it supports significant military space programs in critical phases of development, including the space-based infrared system.

With regard to the nuclear complex, it provides additional funding to address certification issues raised by the 2007 JASON review of the RRW proposal. It fully executes the National Ignition Campaign, and it explores next-generation stockpile stewardship tools. The bill fully funds the request for the defense environmental cleanup and urges DOE to increase the resources dedicated to cleanup in future budgets.

We also fully fund the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, and we stress that the MOX project is a nonproliferation and a national security priority.

For the Missile Defense Agency, the bill authorizes $8.6 billion, a cut of $719 million below the administration's request. The bill reflects our committee's strong bipartisan support for addressing the short, medium, and intermediate missile threats that face our warfighters. It includes several important funding increases. It adds $75 million for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, $75 million for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, $25 million for missile defense target development, and $10 million for the joint U.S.-Israel short- range missile defense program.

The bill authorizes $341 million for the proposed European missile defense site, an increase of more than $100 million over current-year funding but a reduction of $371 million below the administration's request.

The committee has extended conditions contained in the fiscal year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act to help ensure that the pace of any deployment of U.S. missile defense systems in Europe is synchronized with our diplomatic efforts and that the proposed system has been fully tested.

The bill strongly supports our cooperative programs with Israel authorizing $54.1 million for the joint U.S.-Israel short-range missile defense program, an increase of $10 million over the President's request.

It also authorizes $74.3 million for continued development of the Arrow Weapons System.

In military space programs, the bill pushes DOD to focus on near-term warfighter needs, space situational awareness, and space protection. The bill also directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a plan for the Department's bandwidth needs in the near and longer term.

Mr. Chairman, at this time I would like to honor my ranking member, Mr. Everett of Alabama, who is retiring this year. Mr. Everett was previously the chairman of this subcommittee. There is no finer gentleman in the House. He is a man of significant effort, he is a perfect Southern gentleman, and it was my pleasure to work with him over the last few years and this year to have him as my ranking member. I wish him and his wife Barbara and their family all the best in their retirement years.

Mr. Chairman, the bill supports our critical national security priorities, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support its adoption today.

Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire).

Mr. Chairman, at this time I am happy to yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague from Massachusetts (Ms. Tsongas), a new member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard Authorization Act.

In November of last year, the container ship COSCO BUSAN collided with the San Francisco Bay Bridge and spilled 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into San Francisco Bay. The spill was one of the worst environmental disasters in San Francisco Bay history.

I have included language in this bill that would require the Coast Guard to have marine pilots carry their own navigation devices, commonly known as Portable Pilot Units. These devices are an easy and practical way to improve maritime safety and to protect our environment.

I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Cummings, and the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Oberstar, and the ranking member, Mr. LaTourette, for working with us to include this language. I think it's very important language that could prevent these kinds of accidents from happening in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel and to reaffirm the bonds of close friendship and cooperation between the United States and Israel. The birth of the State of Israel gave the Jewish people a land to call their own and serves as a symbol of hope and freedom for all groups who have been oppressed.

The creation of the State of Israel followed the attempted extermination of the Jewish people in the Holocaust. Neighborhoods and Jewish communities were divided and families were shattered, but the identity of the Jewish people as a whole remained strong. The faith, hope, and belief in each other and their heritage kept the eternal flame of the Jewish people burning, even in those grave times of despair.

Following World War II, the Jewish people, having lost six million of their own, had nowhere to go--no land to call their own. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations general assembly voted to partition the British Mandate of Palestine and create a Jewish State. On May 14, 1948, the people of Israel proclaimed the establishment of the sovereign and independent State of Israel, and the United States Government established full diplomatic relations with Israel.

Not only has Israel provided so much to the Jewish people, absorbing millions of Jews from countries throughout the world and integrating them into Israeli society, it has also done much to assist other nations facing natural and manmade crises around the world. Israel regularly sends humanitarian aid, search-and-rescue teams, mobile hospitals, and other emergency supplies, to help victims of disasters around the world.

Just as our brave men and women fight to protect democratic values, Israel, too, fights for its right to exist and to protect its citizens. Every day, Israel bravely defends itself from repeated terrorist and military attacks. In addition, it has established peaceful bilateral relations with neighboring Egypt and Jordan and has made its desire to establish peaceful relations with all Arab states abundantly clear.

The American people feel a strong affinity for the Israeli people based on common values and shared cultural heritage and the United States continues to regard Israel as a strong and trusted ally and an important strategic partner. For 6 decades, the United States and Israel have maintained a special relationship based on mutually shared democratic values, common strategic interests, and the bonds of friendship and mutual respect.

At this time, I wish to congratulate the State of Israel on its 60th anniversary and reaffirm my commitment to maintaining the close friendship and cooperation between the United States and Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1092.

It is with careful consideration that I have chosen to support this rule removing procedural timetables from House consideration of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

A vote on this rule is not a vote on the substance or quality of the Colombia FTA. It is a vote in protest of the President's failure to adequately consult the Congress under well-established protocols.

I was one of only a few members of my caucus to support trade promotion authority in

2002. It is my strong belief that forcing consideration of such measures is not the way ``fast track'' was intended to be utilized.

The President's actions place ultimate implementation of the Colombia FTA in great jeopardy. A failure of the FTA on the House floor would send the worst possible message to our friends and allies in Latin America.

I look forward to working with my colleagues here in Congress, as well as with the administration, to create the conditions for consideration of this important agreement on its own merits.

For too long, the United States has neglected its friends and allies in Latin America, and the Colombia FTA will be a beneficial tool for engagement in the region.

In the midst of growing peace and order in Colombia, removing trade barriers between our two countries will facilitate Colombia's progress and benefit both of our economies.

President Uribe and the Colombian people continue to face a number of challenges, including narco-trafficking and kidnapping by guerrilla groups, continued violence committed by armed paramilitaries, and the need to protect the rights of unions and their leaders. I have great confidence in his abilities, and I look forward to seeing continued progress in this regard.

I also look forward to seeing continued progress and bipartisan support for domestic economic measures, including additional funding to stimulate the economy, to provide support and training for workers, and to address housing, energy, and health care. I urge both President Bush and my colleagues to recommit themselves to these goals, in order to create favorable conditions for consideration of the Colombia FTA.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Infant Crib Safety Act.

I originally introduced this legislation in 1999 at the request of the Danny Foundation, a national nonprofit organization established after the tragic death of Danny Lineweaver of Alamo, Calif. At the age of 23 months, Danny was injured while trying to climb out of his

crib. He caught his shirt on a decorative knob on the corner post of his crib and hanged himself. Though his mother was able to perform CPR the moment she found him, Danny lived in a semi-comatose state for nine years and died in 1993.

But Danny Lineweaver's parents are by no means the only ones to face this heartbreaking and preventable tragedy. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, more than 12,300 infants and children are hospitalized--and more than 40 children die--each year as a result of injuries from unsafe cribs. These children include Amaya Jade Dummar, a 2-month-old who died of asphyxiation when she was caught in the gap between the crib railing and the side of her crib, and Garrett Davis, a 4-month-old who died at his grandparents' home when he became wedged between an added mattress and the vinyl side of his mesh crib.

Madam Speaker. cribs are the only juvenile products manufactured expressly for leaving children unattended, and the design and construction of cribs must ensure that parents can have confidence that a crib is a safe place to leave an infant. Existing CPSC mandatory standards, as well as voluntary crib safety guidelines, have been effective in addressing most safety hazards associated with new cribs. The CPSC estimates that these standards prevent hundreds of deaths annually. However, these standards and guidelines apply only to new cribs, not to the sale or commercial use of second-hand and hand-me- down cribs. Secondhand cribs, many of which predate stringent federal safety standards and have been subsequently recalled, are responsible for the majority of crib-related infant injuries and deaths.

Used cribs can have any number of dangerous features. Missing or broken parts, excessive width between slats, poorly fitting crib sheets, inadequate mattress support, and faulty latches that do not prevent unintentional crib collapse all pose serious risks to infant safety. Nearly 4 million infants are born in the United States each year, but it is estimated that only 1 to 2 million new cribs are sold. This means that millions of infants are being placed in potentially unsafe used cribs. Secondhand cribs can persist for years in the secondary market in thrift and resale stores. Many hotels and motels continue to use second hand cribs that do not meet current safety standards established by CPSC.

In 2007 alone, more than 1.5 million cribs were recalled. It is vital to ensure that these potentially dangerous products are removed from the stream of commerce. Twelve States, including my home State of California, have already adopted legislation that would make it illegal to manufacture or sell a crib that does not meet current safety standards. But children in every State deserve this basic protection.

The Infant Crib Safety Act will save lives, and give peace of mind to the millions of parents who place their infants in cribs every single day.

This legislation will accomplish four main objectives to keep our children and infants safe. First, it will bar crib makers from manufacturing, and commercial users from selling, products that do not meet the most up-to-date safety standards, including voluntary industry standards. As a result, it will keep structurally unsound, lead- containing, and otherwise unsafe cribs out of the stream of commerce. Second, it will prohibit the use of unsafe secondhand cribs in hotels, motels, and inns. Third, it requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to update its standards by including new rules on crib durability. Many cribs are not built to withstand the stresses that active toddlers place on them, rendering older, used cribs even less safe for infants. Durability standards will assure safe usage over time, as well as quickly identify failures in design or hardware that could lead to a hazardous crib.

And finally, the bill requires new cribs to feature labels warning against the use of potentially dangerous soft bedding, to remind parents of the risk of infant suffocation from the use of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals.

Madam Speaker, this measure was approved by the Senate last month as part of comprehensive consumer product safety legislation, and I applaud my colleague from California, Senator Feinstein, who worked to ensure its passage. Now is the time for the House to act on this vital provision.

Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5501, the Lantos-Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008.

The world has achieved more in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the past decade than it has since this deadly epidemic began nearly 30 years ago, due in no small part to the efforts of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), combined with Congressional enactment of the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2003.

As a nation, we have provided care for more than 6 million HIV- infected individuals, including nearly 3 million orphans. We have prevented 150,000 infant infections by providing mother-to-child HIV transmission prevention services for more than 10 million pregnancies. And we have provided anti-retroviral drugs for nearly 1.5 million men, women, and children.

Yet in an era where 40 million men, women, and children are infected with HIV worldwide, and where infections continue at a rate of nearly 6,000 per day, U.S. global leadership on HIV/AIDS--as well as the associated diseases of TB and malaria--remains as important as ever.

I quote Stephen Lewis, the former United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa: ``the international community must now finally keep its word and mobilize for global AIDS treatment delivery . . . it is a moral imperative that global leaders and institutions keep their promises to scale up AIDS services with urgency and increased resources.''

I believe passage of H.R. 5501 displays our commitment to doing just that.

This legislation authorizes $50 billion over the next 5 years, including $41 billion for HIV/AIDS, $4 billion for tuberculosis, and $5 billion for malaria, and is designed to move these programs from the ``emergency'' phase, towards greater sustainability.

In particular, I am pleased to see a strengthened focus on the needs of women and girls, and prevention and treatment programs targeted towards this population--including, for the first time, the provision of HIV/AIDS testing and counseling services in family planning programs. I would note that concerns have been raised that the bill's language would block HIV testing and counseling services from being offered by family planning providers that are not compliant with the misguided ``global gag rule'' policy, and I hope that Congressional intent can be clarified that this is not the case.

I am also supportive of provisions that remove the requirement targeting one-third of prevention funding towards abstinence-only programs. Prevention programs must be evidence-based, rather than ideologically-based.

This legislation doubles, to $2 billion per year, the U.S. contribution to the multilateral Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Global Fund, with its emphasis on stimulating a global commitment under an umbrella organization with a truly international AIDS budget, is the best chance the world has of combating this epidemic. I urge my colleagues and the President to ensure that these new authorization levels are fully funded.

Madam Chairman, I applaud the bipartisan work of the Foreign Affairs Committee, including its new Chairman, Howard Berman, and Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. I also want to recognize and commemorate the leadership of our dear friend, Congressman Tom Lantos, whose commitment to the most vulnerable people worldwide continues to be felt through our work on HIV/AIDS. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5501.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1021, which supports the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month and pays honor to those who promote the teaching of women's history.

I commend the National Women's History Project, which was founded in northern California, for establishing the legacy of Women's History Month; and I thank Congresswoman Woolsey, a fellow Californian, for bringing this important resolution to the floor today.

From the earliest days of our great Republic, women have been marginalized throughout many parts of society. But as our country has developed, so too have the rights and responsibilities of women. In 1917, Jeanette Rankin blazed a path for women in Congress, putting

the first crack in our country's highest glass ceiling. Only 3 years later, our Nation ratified the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing that political enfranchisement in America will never be denied due to gender. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act extended gender protections to the workplace and beyond. And as Members of the 110th Congress, we have the privilege to serve alongside a woman who ably executes this institution's highest office and who is the most senior female in American political history.

However, the journey from disenfranchisement and marginalization is not complete. Women working full time still earn 80 cents to every dollar earned by men. In this House--the greatest representative body in the world--the number of women serving is hardly proportional to the population we represent.

In addressing these persistent inequities, I believe we will be well served by a thorough understanding of the great strides taken by women in the past. A study of women's history is a study of America's path toward greater equality and liberty. The story of women in our country lights the way to the fulfillment of our highest ideals.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution honors the decision made over two decades ago to set aside time for the teaching of women's history, and it highlights the salience of women's history as we chart a course for the future. I commend Ms. Woolsey for her leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to join in affirming the importance of National Women's History Month.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to James Harris, who received the Veteran of the Year award for the city of Dixon, California, on March 15, 2008.

James Harris, known as ``Jim'' by his friends, began his military career in 1961. Harris, now 72, served in the Air Force for 28 years, starting his illustrious career in the Air Force fire protection rescue unit. He retired from active duty in 1989, as a chief master sergeant, but to this day continues his service to those in uniform as an advocate for veterans affairs.

Harris is one of the original members for the Tuskegee Airmen, out of Travis Air Force Base. Additionally, he serves as the chairman of the committee that supports the new national cemetery in Dixon, CA.

In the wake of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a large number of veterans are returning to a nation that is grateful for their service. However, it is men like Harris that ensure veterans past and present receive needed care and are never forgotten.

Jim Harris' selfless service and dedication to duty makes him a valuable asset to active duty personnel serving overseas and also veterans of past wars. Jim once said ``[n]o one really understands war until you've been in one. I feel it is my obligation to support them.'' He uses this as his motivation to continue serving past and present members of the military.

Veterans like Jim Harris were not asked to spend their time supporting the military. He does not do his job to win awards or to be recognized. He does it because of his past service in the military, for his family, and for all of the citizens in this great Nation. He feels obligated to continue to serve and we as a nation take his actions to heart--we will continue to honor those that serve in the military, now and forever.

I am also grateful of Mr. Harris' service as a member of my Veterans Advisory Board, where he provides great counsel on issues of import to all veterans.

Congratulations to Jim Harris on a job well done. We are grateful for your service in the past, present, and in the future. You are a true American hero.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 854, which commends all countries that worked to ratify the amendments to the Bonn Accords to permit open access to the Holocaust Archives located in Bad Arolsen, Germany.

I want to thank my colleague from Florida, Congressman Hastings, for bringing this important resolution to the Floor.

For the last 62 years, records relating to more than 17 million Holocaust victims have been sealed inside the archives at Bad Arolsen, Germany--the largest WWII-era archives in the world. To carry forward the process of rectifying past wrongdoing and to prevent subsequent humanitarian crimes, it is critical that we throw open the doors of dark repositories like Bad Arolsen and allow the light of accountability to shine in.

To open the archives at Bad Arolsen, all 11 members of the International Commission of the International Tracing Service (ITS) were required to ratify the May 2006 amendments to the 1955 Bonn Accords. On November 28, 2007, the final state ratified the amendments, so that Holocaust survivors, their descendents, researchers, and the general public are finally allowed full access to the records housed at the facility.

At a time when anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial persist around the world, a vote for this resolution will serve as an indictment of secretive government practices that facilitated vast crimes, and it will reaffirm that the atrocities experienced by Holocaust victims will be remembered and mourned in perpetuity.

I commend Mr. Hastings for his leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in expressing gratitude to our international partners for ratifying the treaty to release Holocaust records and in congratulating the United States Holocaust Museum, the U.S. Department of State, and the International Red Commission of the Red Cross for their efforts to open the archives.

Madam Speaker, Tom Lantos was one of the kindest, most sincere people I have ever met. It was both an honor and a pleasure to serve the people of the Bay Area with a man of his integrity. His belief in universal human rights for every man, woman

and child defined his career in Congress as well as how he lived his life. America is honored that Tom Lantos chose to be a citizen of our great democracy, and the world is a better place because he fought to make it so. His passing is a loss to the Congress, the Bay Area, and the United States, and everyone who believes in fairness and equality. My thoughts are with his wife Annette and his entire family at this very sad time.

Madam Speaker, I rise with the support of my colleague, Hon. George Miller, in the House of Representatives, to recognize Patrick S. Hughes, Ed.D, who has faithfully served the residents of Solano County since 1990.

Mr. Hughes has dedicated over 18 years to the community. After serving as assistant to the city manager for the city of Vacaville, Mr. Hughes shifted his focus to the community health arena where his innovation and accomplishments have made him a leader in his field.

During his tenure with the Solano Coalition for Better Health, SCBH, Mr. Hughes has implemented initiatives and strategies that promote access to health care, have improved population health, continue to support policy advancement, and increase community organization.

As a result of his work and dedication, great strides have been made in eradicating disparities in health care throughout the community, especially in our youth population.

Mr. Hughes designed and facilitated a comprehensive strategy to enroll children in appropriate health care coverage that is currently experiencing record success. In conjunction with successful fundraising efforts, this helped lead Solano County to the coveted distinction as one of the ``100 Best Communities for Young People,'' as recognized by the America's Promise Alliance, for 2 consecutive years.

Building on his achievements in children's health awareness, Mr. Hughes has also made a commitment to decreasing the disparities in health care within minority communities in Solano County. Under his leadership, a major initiative is underway aimed at eliminating the disparities in health status that impact the African-American residents of Solano County. Attention to these disparities received a concentrated focus with the successful celebration, ``Champions for African-Americans,'' sponsored by the SCBH.

Taking his vision and dedication to the national stage, Mr. Hughes recently completed a 2-year term as president of Communities Joined in Action, a national organization supporting community efforts to increase access to health care.

Mr. Patrick Hughes's many accomplishments have immeasurably improved Solano County and enriched the life of its residents. Mr. Miller and I thank him for his years of public service and wish him success and happiness in his future endeavors.