Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of myself and my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Christopher Smith, as we have introduced a resolution condemning the transport of certain types of nuclear waste, commonly known as mixed oxide fuel, containing plutonium and uranium, through international waters. And we urge the countries that produce the waste to keep such nuclear waste within their borders.

Madam Speaker, last month two British-flagged vessels left France with 1.8 tons of plutonium bound for Japan. They are scheduled to arrive in port at some point this month. From what has been made public, the shipment is to travel via the Cape of Good Hope, across the southern Indian Ocean, then through the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, and then through the southwest Pacific Ocean, and finally to Japan.

The plutonium itself is contained within what is commonly known as MOX fuel, a toxic mixture of plutonium and uranium oxide. The MOX will be used by Japanese electric utilities to power their nuclear energy plants.

Madam Speaker, mixed oxide fuel containing plutonium and uranium is legal. The release of even a small amount of it during transport over thousands of miles of open sea, whether as a result of accidents or malicious intent, would cause serious health and environmental harm to surrounding areas. That has always been made clear.

But MOX poses a far more ominous threat. With the right technology, it can be reprocessed into weapons-grade material. And according to reputable estimates, enough plutonium is contained in the MOX currently headed towards Japan to produce more than 200 nuclear bombs. Every Member of this Chamber, Madam Speaker, knows that al Qaeda and its networks would like nothing better than to get their hands on enough fissile material to build a nuclear explosive device or a radiological bomb, however crude, and to detonate it where it can do the most harm. We and our allies around the world have committed our best intelligence, military and civilian officials, to work around the clock to eliminate the possibility of that ever happening.

And yet by permitting the transport of MOX over open seas, obviously we are providing terrorists one more avenue of attack for getting access to the nuclear materials they have so long coveted.

Indeed, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency said that the risk of hijacking a ship carrying nuclear materials, while small, could not be ruled out.

Madam Speaker, piracy has become an obvious problem around the globe. So far this year just in the waters of Somalia alone, pirates have attacked 61 ships. More than a dozen of those vessels remain in the pirates' hands to this very day. One of them, a Ukrainian cargo ship, actually contained military equipment--33 battle tanks.

Madam Speaker, I have no doubt that everyone here remembers the recent hijacking of the Maersk Alabama off the Somali coast, and the heroic actions of Captain Richard Philips and his crew of 21 members. The ship was captured by four Somali pirates on April 8 last month. The captain surrendered himself to ensure the safety of his crew, only to end up in a lifeboat with the pirates for 4 days while the FBI attempted to negotiate his release.

Thankfully, Captain Richard Philips was rescued on April 12, but our Navy SEALs, justifiably, had to kill three of the hostage-takers. In the aftermath of that event, Somali pirates have issued threats to specifically target American interests in this region.

We know that it doesn't cost much to hire a band of Somali pirates and that they are not fussy about their clientele. While the ships in question may not sail over Somali waters, they will likely pass through the Straits of Malacca, the vital link between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

But make no mistake, those straits are plied by their own bands of pirates. Indeed, according to the International Maritime Bureau, these and nearby waters have been ranked the world's most dangerous sea routes. In the year 2004, 40 percent of all pirate attacks in the world took place in the Straits of Malacca and nearby Indonesian waters.

Of course, terrorists need not hire pirates to do their dirty work. In the year 2002, al Qaeda operatives rammed a boat rigged with explosives into a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen.

The two particular vessels transporting the MOX from France to Japan, the Pacific Pintail and the Pacific Heron, are not without protection. They are armed with five 30 millimeter Naval cannons. In addition, a group of armed police officers from the United Kingdom Office of Civil Nuclear Security is on board.

However, a study done by the U.S. Department of Energy concludes that due to the risk of attack on nuclear shipments, there is a need to provide ``continuous backup support for the vessel by military security assets.''

In 1992, a shipment of 1.7 tons of MOX nuclear material from France to Japan was escorted by a Japanese Coast Guard vessel. This time, the public does not know what sort of a dedicated Naval vessel or vessels are escorting the ships.

The Pentagon concluded in its own assessment of sea shipments of plutonium that ``even if the most careful precautions are observed, no one could guarantee the safety of the cargo from a security incident, such as an attack on the vessel by small, fast craft, especially armed with modern anti-ship missiles.''

Madam Speaker, thus the transport of this nuclear waste poses not only the environmental hazard we have long been concerned about, but also a nontrivial terrorist or even nuclear danger as well.

I ask my colleagues, is the practice of transporting these lethal nuclear waste materials across international waters worth the risk? I say absolutely not.

It's time for the countries of the world that produce nuclear waste to keep it within their own borders. That will be a first step.

Madam Speaker, make no mistake, transport of nuclear materials even within a country's borders poses serious risks. Nuclear fuel is dangerous stuff. According to the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, ``A person standing 3 feet from unshielded irradiated fuel would receive a lethal radiation dose in 10 seconds.'' Moreover, the shipping containers in which radioactive waste are transported over land typically are designed to withstand, at most, a 30-mile per hour crash into an immovable object.

I am certain that every Member of this Chamber studiously obeys the speed limits, but I am not aware of too many highways with a speed limit of 30 miles an hour. What I find particularly disconcerting is that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not tested these shipping casks. Instead, the commission depends on the reliability of computer simulations.

A Nuclear Information and Resource Service fact sheet also states, ``The more severe an accident, the more likely that radioactive material would be released into the environment.'' A low-

speed accident could unseat a valve or damage a seal, releasing radioactive particulates into the environment. The same event could crack the brittle metal tubing around the fuel.''

In response to a 2001 Baltimore rail accident involving dangerous chemicals, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said, ``Everyone needs to recognize that transporting dangerous materials is very difficult. The leaking hydrochloric acid in Baltimore is nothing compared to the high-level radioactive waste proposed for the Yucca Mountain site 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. A speck the size of a pinpoint would kill a person. What we should do with nuclear waste is leave it where it is.''

Madam Speaker, even just within our own domestic borders, we have become a deeply divided nation concerning the storage of nuclear waste materials within our own country. Years ago in its so-called infinite wisdom, Congress decided to build a multibillion-dollar storage facility at Yucca Mountain in the State of Nevada. Were the people or the residents of Nevada ever given an opportunity to have a say in the process, despite strong objections from its congressional delegation and State government officials?

If I were a resident of Nevada, I would certainly object to the whole idea of other States shipping their nuclear waste and materials into my backyard. The question that comes to mind, Madam Speaker, what town, what city, what rural farm areas are going to be used or designated for shipments by truck, by train, by car, by airplanes? What guarantees are there that these shipments are not going to be subjected to terrorist attacks or even by accident?

Remember the oil spill of Valdez in Alaska, Madam Speaker? Everybody said it was absolutely safe to conduct such shipments of oil. Well, it happened, and the same thing can also be said if nuclear waste materials were shipped from other States to Yucca Mountain in the State of Nevada.

Madam Speaker, I could not agree more with our majority leader, Senator Harry Reid, expressing his concerns. I urge my colleagues to join me and Congressman Smith in calling for an end to this even more dangerous and in my opinion needless practice of shipping MOX nuclear waste materials over the open oceans. I ask my colleagues to support House Resolution 402.

Mr. Speaker, I could not help but be quite moved by the earlier comments made by our colleagues in this Chamber on both sides of the aisle. I was very touched.

I did not know Jack Kemp personally, but I did have the privilege of meeting him at the airport a couple of years ago. I offered him my hand to say hello, and I felt his genuineness truly, truly extending his hand in friendship; and, knowing that, felt a close warmth in knowing that this was a real human being.

Mr. Speaker, I know that Jack Kemp was one of the great quarterbacks in the memory of the NFL. I just felt I wanted to share with my colleagues that in this NFL draft alone, we have 9 Polynesians making the NFL draft this year, the greatest number among my people that were drafted by the National Football League to play this great professional game called football in America.

Now, our first love actually, Mr. Speaker, was rugby. But now I tell my young people to play football because it pays more money.

I do want to say that in remembering that Jack Kemp was a quarterback and he became an economist, to the extent that a self-taught person that really understood the basics of economics, and I was very impressed with that. I do want to say that in line with what my colleagues have said, the gentleman from California and my good friend from New York (Mr. Rangel), I could not help but say, yes, this was truly a man of character, and we ought to follow his example.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 80, authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha the Great.

First, I want to thank the chairman of the House Committee on House Administration, my colleague Mr. Brady, for managing this important legislation, and I thank also my colleague and dear friend from the other side of the aisle from California for his support of the bill. I also want to commend my colleague, the gentlewoman from Hawaii, Congresswoman Hirono, for her leadership as the author of this proposed legislation and, of course, my colleague Mr. Abercrombie for his support as well.

Mr. Speaker, the Kamehameha Lei Draping Ceremony in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol has been hosted by the Hawaii congressional delegation and Hawaii State Society of Washington, D.C. since 1969. For almost 40 years now we have conducted this ceremony each year on or about the second week of June to coincide with the celebration of King Kamehameha Day in the State of Hawaii. We do this every year.

Mr. Speaker, the King Kamehameha statue has now been moved to Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, and in doing so, section 103 of Public Law 110-437, it now requires the enactment of a congressional resolution to authorize this special ceremony to take place to honor King Kamehameha the Great.

Mr. Speaker, as my good friend, the gentleman from Hawaii, had commented, I didn't appreciate where the King Kamehameha statue was placed in Statuary Hall. It was somewhat behind the bus, so to speak. And somewhat, in my own personal opinion, it was demeaning. Sometimes I've come to see in Statuary Hall a bunch of chairs surrounding the statue. And in my personal opinion, Mr. Speaker, I'm so happy now it's being moved to Emancipation Hall.

Mr. Speaker, King Kamehameha was one of the greatest Hawaiian warrior kings known among the Polynesian people. After some 2,000 years of tremendous rivalries among the warring chiefs of the Hawaii Islands, it was prophesied among the Hawaiian priests that there will one day be born a high chief who will be a slayer of other high chiefs and he will unite all of the Hawaiian Islands under one rule.

King Kamehameha fulfilled that prophecy, after almost 10 years of fighting against other rival chiefs of the Hawaiian Islands. King Kamehameha was taught the ancient arts, the martial arts, known among the Hawaiian people as lua.

He also learned military tactics and the art of warfare from his warrior chief, Kekuhaupio. He was able to lift the ancient Naha Stone, as referred to by my colleague, Mr. Abercrombie. This stone weighed 4,500 pounds and is still in the City of Hilo, if anybody wants to see how big this stone was.

Mr. Speaker, King Kamehameha was about 6 feet, 8 inches and weighed almost 300 pounds. So if you were a warrior, you better watch out if you see King Kamehameha coming at you.

King Kamehameha was a true warrior king, because he would always be in the front line leading his warriors in combat. And he was ferocious in battle, and he had no fear for his life.

One of his favorite sports to prove agility and combat readiness was the ability of a warrior to dodge spears thrown at you at the same time. King Kamehameha was able to do this with six spears thrown at him at the same time.

See if you can do that, my good friend from California.

He would grab two spears, parry the other two spears, and let the other two go by him. That's how you do it, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, King Kamehameha unified the islands and established peace and stability. He was shrewd in building prosperity for his people by encouraging agricultural development and promoting commercial trade in Europe and even with the United States. While he was open to new ideas, he was cautious and circumspect in the old way.

At the time King Kamehameha instituted, as noted by my good friend Congresswoman Hirono, the Law of the Splintered Paddle, or Mamalahoe, as among the Hawaiian people, which protected elderly men and women and children from any harm as they'd travel along the roadside.

Mr. Speaker, the first King Kamehameha Day was proclaimed on June 11, 1871, by his great grandson, King Kamehameha V. The proposed legislation recognizes the United States is built upon diversity, and we all share the same ideals of freedom and democracy and a commitment to justice for all

people. These ideals embody the legacy of King Kamehameha the Great.

It is only fitting that we honor, not only honor the birth date of this great Hawaiian warrior king, but we continue to have the special ceremony of draping hundreds of flower leis on his statue, on the statute that now stands prominently in the Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend President Nursultan Nazarbayev on his offer to host a nuclear fuel bank in Kazakhstan administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which the United States would expect to meet the highest international standards for safety, security and safeguards. It is my understanding that the U.S. Department of State has welcomed President Nazarbayev's announcement, and is prepared in principle to support this offer. In fact, even today, Secretary Hillary Clinton is meeting with Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin, and I understand that this important measure is on their agenda.

I am pleased by these series of events, especially in view of history. From 1949 to 1991, the Soviet Union used Kazakhstan as its nuclear testing ground, exploding more than 500 nuclear bombs and exposing more than 1.5 million Kazakhs to nuclear radiation. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Kazakhstan inherited the world's fourth largest nuclear arsenal and the second largest nuclear test site. While Kazakhstan could have retained enough highly enriched uranium to produce 20 nuclear bombs, President Nursultan Nazarbayev, in cooperation with the United States, and under the auspices of the Nunn- Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, voluntarily dismantled and shut down the nuclear test site at Semipalatinsk.

Kazakhstan has since signed with the United States amendments to a bilateral agreement on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction which has moved the two nations towards a new level of cooperation in preventing the threat of bio-terrorism.

As a Pacific Islander, I have a special affinity for President Nazarbayev and the people of Kazakhstan. From 1946 to 1958, the United States detonated 66 nuclear weapons in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) including the first hydrogen bomb, or Bravo shot, which was 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Acknowledged as the greatest nuclear explosion ever detonated, the Bravo test vaporized six islands and created a mushroom cloud 25 miles in diameter. If one were to calculate the net yield of tests conducted by the U.S. in the RMI, it would be equivalent to the detonation of 1.7 Hiroshima bombs every day for 12 years. Regrettably, the U.S. has never fully made right the suffering of Pacific Islanders who, then and now, face severe health problems and even genetic anomalies for generations to come.

Through His Excellency Kanat Saudabayev, now Secretary of State for the Republic of Kazakhstan, I learned of President Nazarbayev's historic leadership in the cause of nuclear nonproliferation and, since my visit to Semipalatinsk, I stand with him in calling for

a nuclear weapons free world. Of all nations, Kazakhstan has the most legitimate voice, as no other nation has been courageous enough to disarm. Frankly speaking, when it comes to strengthening the global partnership for a nuclear weapons free world, President Nazarbayev has set the standard for other nations to follow.

As Strobe Talbott, President of the Brookings Institution, recently noted, ``the goal of eventually abolishing nuclear weaponry is written into the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), which the U.S. Senate ratified nearly 40 years ago.'' And yet what have the members of the nuclear club done to disarm? In many ways, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, which includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the People's Republic of China are the worst examples of how the world should deal with nuclear challenges, but I remain hopeful that the U.S., under the leadership of President Obama, will form a strong alliance with Kazakhstan in moving the world forward on this issue.

Kazakhstan has also made great strides towards democracy, earning the support of 56 member nations to head the OSCE in 2010. Today, Kazakhstan has become the most stable and prosperous nation in Central Asia, and is the first country in the Commonwealth of Independent States to be granted market economy status by the United States. With more than 130 ethnic groups and 40 faiths living in peaceful coexistence, Kazakhstan is also a model for religious tolerance.

By its actions, Kazakhstan has proven itself to be a key ally of the United States and, as such, I welcome Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin's visit to Washington, D.C.

I do want to thank my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey, as our distinguished chairman also of our House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 230, to recognize the historical significance of the Mexican history of Cinco de Mayo. I commend my colleague, the gentleman from California, for introducing this legislation, as it truly does serve as a reminder that all the people of our great Nation, regardless of their race, color, or even gender, have enriched our diversity in our cultures and are worthy of respect as a Nation.

Mr. Speaker, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the battle of Puebla. On May 5, 1862, outnumbered and outgunned Mexican forces, determined to protect their land, successfully defended the town of Puebla against French soldiers and its transferred ruler by the name of Ferdinand Maximilian, who was an archduke from Austria and a puppet of Emperor Napoleon III of France.

For Mexico, this day has come to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism in the history of Mexico. It is a celebration of the virtues of individual courage and patriotism of all Mexicans and Mexican Americans whose ancestors are from Mexico and are part of the rich diversity of our Nation.

It also serves as a reminder of the cultural, spiritual, and economic ties between the people of Mexico and our great country.

Mr. Speaker, I want to share with my colleagues the life and history of a particular leader who, in my humble opinion, is the greatest hero in Mexico's history--a true statesman whose name is inextricably linked with the name Cinco de Mayo. His name is Don Benito Juarez, President of Mexico from 1862 to 1863, and 1867 to 1872.

President Juarez led the Mexican people in their fight for independence during this crucial period of their history. President Juarez was the first Mexican President of indigenous Indian descent-- indigenous Indian descent.

His parents were members of the Zapotec tribe, prevalent in the provinces of the State of Oaxaca in Mexico. An orphan at age 3, young Benito Juarez worked in the cornfields and as a shepherd until the age of 12. When he went to Oaxaca City at the age of 13 to attend school, he could not read, could not write or couldn't even speak Spanish. He was adopted by lay members of the Franciscan Order who taught the young Juarez reading, writing, arithmetic and Spanish grammar. He later entered the Franciscan seminary in Oaxaca and studied Aquinas and other great Catholic philosophers, eventually turning his attention instead to the study of law. President Juarez was educated in the law in preparation for a political career.

Mr. Speaker, in his first political position as a city councilman, he was noted as a strong defender of indigenous Indian rights. He participated in the revolutionary overthrow of Santa Anna in 1855, becoming the minister of justice and instituting reforms that were embodied in the constitution of 1857. During the Reform War of 1858 to 1861, President Juarez led the liberals against the conservative faction of Mexico's Government. The liberals succeeded only through popular support and the unwavering determination of President Juarez, and he was elected President in 1861.

Mr. Speaker, to fully understand the quality of the leadership of Mexico at the time in the person of President Don Benito Juarez, one can compare him to, arguably perhaps, the greatest President in our own country's history, President Abraham Lincoln. Both leaders, in fact, presided over their countries in times of crisis, demonstrating great courage and perseverance in the fight for freedom. Both grew up in poverty and studied law. Both fought against bigotry and racism. In fact, President Lincoln and President Juarez were contemporaries who held each other in high regard. In fact, in 1858, upon hearing of Juarez's struggles in Mexico, President Lincoln sent him an encouraging message expressing hope ``for the liberty of your government and its people.'' Even in the midst of our own Civil War, President Lincoln provided arms and munitions to President Juarez to support the Mexican people in their fight against France. When the U.S. Confederacy sent an emissary to Mexico to enlist support for their cause, President Juarez jailed the man for 30 days before sending him away, a clear sign of support for President Lincoln's cause at the time.

Mr. Speaker, today, the United States and Mexico share close ties. We also share the ideals of freedom and democracy. Because of our shared values and the tremendous contributions made by Mexican Americans, I think it is fitting and most proper for us in Congress to recognize the historical struggle of the Mexican people for independence against French colonial rule.

It is ironic, Mr. Speaker, that we have the gentleman by the name of Lafayette whose portrait is right over here who came here as a French patriot to help us fight against British colonialism, and the only foreigner here with the patriot right next to our Founding Father, George Washington. It is ironic that in the history of Mexico, Napoleon, being the ruler that he was, sent Maximilian to continue French colonial rule in Mexico, and so now we had to kick the French out in order to give the Mexican people their freedom.

Again I thank the gentleman from California, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, my good friend, for his leadership and initiative for introducing this bill.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my good friend from New Jersey for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 111, the legislation which expresses the sense of Congress recognizing and extending warm congratulations to the State of Israel for the 61st anniversary of its independence. First, I want to commend the chief sponsor, Mr. Scott Garrett of New Jersey, for introducing this important resolution celebrating this occasion on Israel's 61st birthday. I also want to recognize the cosponsors for their strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 111.

Mr. Speaker, on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was founded when Israel declared independence and was extended diplomatic recognition by the United States. We must acknowledge the importance of the actions made by the United Nations in the 1940s in creating the Jewish State soon after the horrific atrocities committed by the Nazis during World War II where they killed some 6 million Jews and imprisoned and viciously tortured many more in concentration camps.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation honors the anniversary of the reestablishment of the sovereign and independent modern State of Israel and commends the leaders and the people of Israel for their remarkable achievements in building a strong and thriving democracy in the Middle East, while being threatened constantly with terrorism and war. The United States shares an affinity with the people of Israel, where we have a strong partnership based on democratic values that emphasize the importance of inalienable rights through the protection of the rights of individuals, maintaining the freedom of the press, providing for freedom of religion, having open and fair elections and, importantly, maintaining the rule of law. As the only democracy in the Middle East, we must commend Israel for their steadfast commitment to upholding democratic principles.

Mr. Speaker, Israel is at the forefront of modern technology, and has continued to expand its advancements in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. I want to acknowledge Israel's efforts in preventing and combating diabetes in the Pacific Islands. This is an epidemic which has drastically impaired the people of the Pacific Island nations. Israel has continued to work with the people of the Pacific Island nations either through direct or technical assistance, and I must recognize them for their support of the least fortunate in this part of the world. This resolution reiterates Israel's significant global contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I want to praise the efforts of President Obama and his administration for making the Israeli Middle East peace process a high priority of this administration. This was reaffirmed when President Obama appointed Senator George Mitchell as Special Envoy for the Middle East process in his second day of office. Like President Obama, I believe that it is critical that Israel share a lasting peace with its neighbors in the Middle East and that a two-state solution, an Israeli state and a Palestinian state, will provide for peace and security in this important region of the world.

Mr. Speaker, I want to end on an important note. At the National Prayer Breakfast held this year, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who is now the Quartet's Special Envoy to the Middle East, gave the most remarkable keynote address. In his speech, Prime Minister Blair mentioned a conversation he had with his Palestinian tour guide during his tour of Israel. At the Mount of Temptation in Jericho, and this is meant in humor, Mr. Speaker, his Palestinian tour guide said, ``Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, why did they all have to come here?'' This

speaks volumes of the importance of this region when three of the most important religions of the world have a common cultural and religious history with the great city of Jerusalem.

I believe today, as did the late prime minister and a great hero of mine, Yitzhak Rabin, that there will be a resolving and lasting peace between the Palestinians and Israelis who are in fact direct descendants of Father Abraham.

I keep telling my Arabic and Israeli friends: You guys are first cousins, why do you keep fighting each other? You are all sons and daughters of Father Abraham.

I want to convey my personal congratulations to the people of Israel in celebrating their 61st anniversary, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for this opportunity to speak out in full support of this proposed legislation. Not only am I a cosponsor but I want to commend especially my colleague and friend, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.

Mr. Speaker, this issue is serious. Forty percent of the world's population, some 6 billion people living in this world, are still impacted and affected by this serious disease--malaria. On top of that, some 800 million people living on the continent of Africa, 90 percent of the people living in Africa, are also affected by this serious disease.

I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his initiative and leadership in proposing this legislation and sincerely hope that in our efforts in working through the authorizing committees that we will build on what the gentleman, the chairman of our subcommittee, has done to bring to the attention of our colleagues and to the American people the importance of what we need to do as a country to help get rid of this serious disease.

I want to commend my good friend from New Jersey for working quietly and patiently but with tremendous effort in working with our colleagues in addressing the serious problems of malaria.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I want to again thank my good friend from New Jersey for his leadership and for the work that he has done in trying to get rid of this dreaded disease.

Mr. Speaker, on March 6, 2009, two ships named the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Heron left the port of Cherbourg in France bound for Japan. The total cargo onboard the purpose-built ships amounts to 1.8 tons, or 1,800 kilograms, of plutonium mixed-oxide nuclear fuel, which according to Greenpeace, is enough to produce 225 nuclear bombs. Scheduled to arrive in May, the shipment is to travel via the Cape of Good Hope, the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, and the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The latest shipment of plutonium mixed-oxide nuclear fuel is part of an ongoing process involving several major countries in Europe and Japan, whereby Japan usually supplies spent fuel from commercial reactors in return for MOX nuclear fuel from Europe. Using a procedure known as reprocessing, plutonium and uranium are extracted from highly radioactive products contained in the spent fuel. Most of the extracted plutonium, along with the nuclear waste, will eventually be returned to the country of origin.

Mr. Speaker, this latest shipment of MOX fuel complements earlier shipments of spent fuel, about 170, from Japan to Europe. As usual, plans for this latest shipment, the largest so far, were covered in shrouds of secrecy, without prior consultation or notification of en route states. Yet any action involving the ships or their cargo could have catastrophic consequences on the environment and the populations of en route states. Moreover, with the increasing threat of piracy, the transported plutonium MOX fuel could easily fall into the hands of terrorists.

This unnecessary and unjustifiable shipment provides another example of the unacceptable risks and adverse impact the use of nuclear power and nuclear materials have on the environment and the lives of those involved. It demonstrates once again the best example of arrogance and imperialistic behavior of some major countries at the expense of others.

In 1995, I accompanied Mr. Oscar Temaru, the current president of French Polynesia, on the Greenpeace Warrior, which took us to Moruroa to protest French nuclear testing. At the time, while the world turned a blind eye, the newly elected president of France, Jacques Chirac and the French government broke the world moratorium on nuclear testing and exploded eight more nuclear bombs at the Pacific atolls of Moruroa and Fangataufa in Tahiti. Adding insult to injury, President Chirac stated that nuclear explosions would have no effect on the ecological environment.

Mr. Speaker, history shows that for some 30 years the French government detonated approximately 218 nuclear devices at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in French Polynesia. About 10,000 Tahitians are believed to have been severely exposed to nuclear radiation during French nuclear testing.

Our own U.S. Government contributed to this grim history of nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Indeed, one may argue that it was the nuclear testing program in the Marshall Islands that set the precedent for France to follow suit and use the Pacific Islands as testing grounds for nuclear bombs. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 67 nuclear bombs in the Marshall Islands, including the first hydrogen bomb, or the Bravo shot, which was 1,300 times more powerful than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. Acknowledged as the greatest nuclear explosion ever detonated by the United States at the time, the Bravo shot decimated six islands and produced a mushroom cloud 25 miles in diameter. It has been said that if one were to calculate the net yield of the tests conducted by our government in the Marshall Islands, it would be equivalent to the detonation of 1.7 Hiroshima nuclear bombs every day for 12 years.

Mr. Speaker, such was the magnitude of the devastation that threatened the Marshall Islands. In addition to the annihilation of the surrounding environment and ecological system, the U.S. nuclear testing program exposed the people of the Marshall Islands to severe health issues and genetic irregularities for generations to come. It was so serious that we had to move our nuclear testing program, this time conducted underground in the deserts of Nevada. What happened was that this nuclear cloud that came from the Pacific Ocean went as far as Minnesota and Wisconsin, with contaminants later found in milk products coming out of Wisconsin as well as Minnesota.

Mr. Speaker, something needs to be done about the shipment of this nuclear waste from Europe to Japan. I sincerely hope that my colleagues will help me develop legislation.

Mr. Speaker, on March 6, 2009, two ships named the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Heron, left the port of Cherbourg in France bound for Japan. The total cargo onboard the purpose-built ships amount to about 1.8 tonnes (1800 kilograms) of plutonium mixed-oxide (MOX) nuclear fuel, which according to Greenpeace, enough to produce 225 nuclear bombs. Scheduled to arrive in May, the shipment is to travel via the Cape of Good Hope, the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand and the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The latest shipment of plutonium mixed-oxide nuclear fuel is part of an ongoing process involving several major countries in Europe and Japan, whereby, Japan usually supplies spent fuel from commercial reactors in return for MOX nuclear fuel from Europe. Using a procedure known as ``reprocessing'', plutonium and uranium are extracted from highly radioactive products contained in the spent fuel. Most of the extracted plutonium along with the nuclear waste will eventually be returned to the country of origin.

This latest shipment of MOX fuel complements earlier shipments of spent fuel, about 170, from Japan to Europe. As usual, plans for this latest shipment, the largest so far, was covered in shrouds of secrecy without prior consultation or notification of en-route states. Yet, any accident involving the ships or their cargo could have catastrophic consequences on the environment and the population of en-route states. Moreover, with the increasing threat of piracy, the transported plutonium MOX fuel could easily fall in the hands of terrorists.

This unnecessary and unjustifiable shipment provides another example of the unacceptable risks and adverse impact the use of nuclear power and nuclear materials have on the environment and the lives of those involved. It demonstrates once again the best example of arrogance imperialistic behavior of some major countries at the expense of others.

In 1995, I accompanied Mr. Oscar Temaru, the current President of French Polynesia, on the Green Peace Warrior which took us to

Moruroa to protest French nuclear testing. At the time, while the world turned a blind eye, the newly elected President of France, Jacques Chirac and the French government broke the world moratorium on nuclear testing and exploded 8 more nuclear bombs at the Pacific atolls of Moruroa and Fangataufa in Tahiti. Adding insult to injury, President Chirac stated that nuclear explosions would have no effect on the ecological environment.

History shows that for some 30 years, the French Government detonated approximately 218 nuclear devices at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in Tahiti. About 10,000 Tahitians are believed to have been severely exposed to nuclear radiation during French nuclear testing.

Our own U.S. government also contributed to this grim history of nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Indeed, one may argue that it was the U.S. nuclear testing program in the Marshall Islands that set the precedent for France to follow suit and use the Pacific Islands as testing grounds for nuclear weapons. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands including the first hydrogen bomb, or Bravo shot, which was 1,300 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Acknowledged as the greatest nuclear explosion ever detonated by the U.S., the Bravo shot decimated 6 islands and produced a mushroom cloud 25 miles in diameter. It has been said that if one were to calculate the net yield of the tests conducted in the Marshall Islands, it would be equivalent to the detonation of 1.7 Hiroshima nuclear bombs every day for 12 years.

Such was the magnitude of the devastation that threatened the Marshall Islands. In addition to the annihilation of the surrounding environment and ecological system, the U.S. nuclear testing program exposed the people of the Marshall Islands to severe health issues and genetic irregularities for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, at this critical point in our history when the global community is confronted with tough decisions concerning energy resources for future generations, it is important to remind ourselves of the lessons of the past.

I am inspired by President Obama's recent decision concerning the storage of nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. In cutting funding to the Yucca Mountain project, President Obama made good on a campaign promise. But more significantly, he reignites the debate on a controversial issue: how to move and store the Nation's radioactive wastes?

To understand the President's recent decision, I am reminded that as a U.S. Senator in 2007, he then wrote in the Las Vegas Review- Journal that ``states should not be fairly burdened with waste from other states.'' Moreover, ``every state should be afforded the opportunity to chart a course that addresses its own interim waste storage in a manner that makes sense to that state.''

From the above statement, one may infer that President Obama's decision to terminate funding to the Yucca Mountain project underlines the high risks and danger involve with the storage and transportation of nuclear wastes and nuclear materials.

Mr. Speaker, I believe a similar framework should apply to the international treatment of nuclear waste and nuclear materials. Each nation should be responsible for its own interim waste storage and avoid shipments of nuclear waste and nuclear materials across oceans and territorial waters of other nations.

I support a moratorium on all international shipments of nuclear fuel and nuclear waste until the international community has in place an agreement to ensure the protection of our oceans and the environment, economy and population of coastal and small island states. Such an agreement should include prior notification and consultation of en- route states before shipment of all hazardous and radioactive materials, environmental impact assessments, a satisfactory liability mechanism and protection from terrorism attacks.

Until such system is in place, Europe, Japan and all nuclear states, should keep their nuclear materials and waste in their own backyard, and not endanger the lives of others.

[From USA Today, Mar. 17, 2009]

Responsibility? Yucca Choice Squanders $8B Investment

We usually applaud politicians who keep their campaign

promises, but one we were hoping President Obama would forget

was his pledge to end the 22-year effort to build a nuclear

waste repository inside remote Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

Like it or not, the nation needs nuclear power as a carbon-

free bridge to a future in which wind, solar and other

options will power computers and TVs and charge plug-in

hybrid cars. It makes sense to dispose of spent nuclear fuel

in a single place instead of at more than 100 nuclear plants

around the country, where it is now. Yucca was the presumed

central location until the president's ``new era of

responsibility'' budget would eliminate virtually all

funding. Never mind that environmental objections to the

project have long seemed strained and the logic for going

forward strong.

Now the government has to find some other way to fulfill

its contract with nuclear utilities to take the waste off

their hands. Since 1983, the government has levied a fee on

every kilowatt hour of nuclear-generated electricity--guess

who's been paying that, ratepayers--to finance a national

disposal site. The feds have collected about $30 billion and

spent almost $8 billion on the Yucca Mountain site. So much

for that investment.

During the presidential campaign, candidate Obama said he

wanted no new nuclear plants until there was some place to

store the waste, a stance that seems ominous now that he's

killed off the only central disposal site. When we asked the

Energy Department if that means no new nuclear plants until

there's a successor to Yucca Mountain, we got a carefully

hedged non-answer: ``The president remains committed to

resolving key issues including nuclear waste, non-

proliferation and plant security.''

Yucca's demise shouldn't be an excuse to delay new nuclear

plants. Storing spent fuel at existing plant sites is a

second-best solution, but it's a safe enough stopgap until

the nation agrees on a permanent disposal site. Once spent

fuel has cooled enough to move, it's typically stored

outdoors in steel pods that weigh 100 tons or more, emitting

little radiation and virtually impossible to destroy or

steal.

The president and the nuclear industry now want a group of

experts to convene to decide what do next. An idea to revisit

is reprocessing spent fuel, which President Carter banned out

of security concerns that seem much less compelling 30 years

later. Reprocessing allows fuel to be re-used and shrinks the

ultimate amount of spent fuel--but what's left still has to

go somewhere.

One potential site is in New Mexico, which in the past

decade has quietly accepted more than 7,000 shipments of

radioactive material from the nation's nuclear weapons

facilities and buried them in a salt bed almost half a mile

below the desert in the southeastern part of the state. By

law, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant can't accept spent fuel

from nuclear power plants, but some state officials have

agitated for a second facility there as a backup for Yucca.

It might be an alternative worth pursuing.

Killing Yucca is a big political win for Senate Majority

Leader Harry Reid and other Nevada lawmakers who've long

opposed the storage site. But that victory empowers not-in-

my-backyard politicians in every state to dig in their heels.

And, whether it's waste dumps or wind farms or oil refineries

or air routes, they do--the national interest be damned.

When Obama lifted the ban on stem cell research last week,

his press secretary said the president made it clear that

``politics should not drive science.'' Unfortunately, that's

exactly what happened here.

Yucca Plan Poses `Grave' Risk

(By Harry Reid and John Ensign)

We applaud President Obama's bold decision to scale back

the budget for the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste

dump. Permanently ending the project is right not just for

our state but for our entire country.

The peril of storing 70,000 tons of the nation's toxic

trash just an hour's drive from Las Vegas rightly worries

Nevadans, and all Americans would face a grave threat from

this bad idea.

The reasons for ending the taxpayer boon-doggle are

plentiful: supporting data that relies on flawed science;

estimated costs of nearly $100 billion; and the egregious

error of burying waste that could, with American innovation,

be less dangerous and even be turned into energy.

The Department of Energy's plan to store deadly nuclear

waste at Yucca ignores even the most glaring facts, such as

the major earthquake fault lines running across the storage

site. Many Americans are unaware that DOE concedes that water

will flow through the dump, eventually carrying radiation

into Nevada's groundwater.

Yucca Mountain, simply put, is bad policy that is wrong for

America.

America still needs a scientifically sound and responsible

policy to deal with nuclear waste. More taxpayer money dumped

into the Yucca Mountain project is more money wasted that

could have been invested in securing waste on nuclear plant

sites in dry casks, while researching new technologies such

as reprocessing. There are solutions.

That is why we are working together and with our colleagues

on bipartisan legislation to form a commission exploring

alternative approaches. The Obama administration and the

nuclear energy industry have expressed support for reviewing

our nation's approach to nuclear waste so we will no longer

be stuck with the current failed policy.

Forming such a commission would be only a first step away

from Yucca Mountain. It's an important and necessary step,

though. The effort will require input not only from our

nation's foremost authorities on nuclear energy and nuclear

waste, but also from policymakers, environmental experts and

public health and safety advocates.

The time is now to put Yucca Mountain to rest and work

together to deal with nuclear waste concerns while also

protecting the health, safety and security of all Americans.

We look forward to working with President Obama and all

stakeholders in resolving our country's nuclear waste issues.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and bid farewell to my friend, Ambassador Tae-Sik Lee, who since 2005 has represented his country, the Republic of Korea, in Washington.

Ambassador Lee first served as a diplomat in Washington in the early 1980s and later earned a degree from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. After serving in numerous posts in Seoul and other world capitals, his return to Washington nearly four years ago was in many ways a homecoming.

While I would like to dwell on Ambassador Lee's series of distinguished positions in service to his country--Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ambassador to the Court of St. James in London, Ambassador to Israel, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Director-General of the International Trade Bureau and Deputy Executive Director of Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization--the limited time I have will not do justice to his distinguished service. However, I wish to point that during his tenure as Ambassador to the United States, the alliance of our two countries has grown stronger and deeper.

For instance, in 2007, the United States and South Korea signed a Free Trade Agreement that will result in significant, measurable benefits to businesses, workers, and consumers in both of our countries.

Last November, Korea successfully joined the Visa Waiver Program, which makes travel between Korea and the United States much easier for tourists, business leaders, family members, students, and others.

Additionally, by an act of Congress, Korea's Foreign Military Sales status was elevated to the equivalent of NATO+3. This change in status will have a positive impact both in terms of military readiness and enhanced interoperability of our two countries' armed forces.

Throughout Ambassador Lee's time in Washington, South Korea and the United States have remained steadfast in efforts to solve the North Korean nuclear problem and to ensure continued peace, stability, and prosperity in the Northeast Asia region. Ambassador Lee also skillfully managed often vexing and sensitive historical issues ranging from ``Comfort Women'' to the Dokdo Islands.

Also during Ambassador Lee's tenure, the Congress passed resolutions that included celebrating the U.S.-Korea alliance, welcoming President Myung-Bak Lee to Washington in April 2007 and calling for justice on the ``Comfort Women'' issue. All these important accomplishments underscore Ambassador Lee's thoughtful diplomacy and willingness to engage Members of Congress, no matter how challenging the issue at hand.

Ambassador Lee did not limit his work to our nation's capital. He often traveled throughout the United States and, on many occasions, spoke to groups of American veterans of the Korean War, offering the gratitude of his people and thanking them personally for their service and sacrifice.

The strong friendship between the United States and the Republic of Korea has been immeasurably enhanced by the professionalism, cordiality, intelligence and friendship of Ambassador Lee.

Madam Speaker, while Ambassador Lee goes on to new responsibilities and new experiences, I ask that my colleagues join with me to offer our thanks and congratulations as we bid the Ambassador a fond farewell. We wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

I thank the gentlelady.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 44, the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act. I certainly want to thank Chairman Nick Rahall of our Natural Resources Committee, Congressman Don Young, and Doc Hastings from Washington for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor for consideration.

I especially want to thank the chief sponsor, the current chairwoman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife, my good friend and colleague, Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo, for her tireless efforts to continue to raise this important issue, now this form of legislation, before our Members for consideration.

Mr. Speaker, in World War II, Guam, as a U.S. territory, was occupied by the Imperial Japanese military forces for nearly 3 years until the U.S. Armed Forces liberated Guam and its people in 1944. After World War II, the U.S. Congress in 1945 passed the Guam Meritorious Claims Act which authorized the Secretary of the Navy to appoint a claims commission in an effort to compensate the residents of Guam for their sufferings during the war.

Almost six decades later, Mr. Speaker--this is 60 years now--Congress established the Guam War Claims Review Commission to determine whether there is parity of war claims paid to Guam residents in 1945 as compared with awards made under other Federal laws to similarly affected U.S. citizens or nationals in territories occupied by Japanese forces during World War II.

In 2004, the review commission submitted its report which became the focus of the Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing last year. And it was further clear that awards were needed. Moreover, the commission recommended that Congress acknowledges both the suffering of the people of Guam during the enemy occupation of Guam during World War

Is it your understanding that we are about to spend some $15 billion to transfer some 9,000 Marines from Okinawa and some 40,000 dependents to be placed in Guam because of its military importance to our Nation's security interests?

What is the gentlelady's estimates in terms of the value of all of the military installations that we now have in place in Guam.

Twenty billion, thirty billion? Anderson Air Force Base, the naval bases; all of the military presence that we have in Guam?

You would say in the billions?

And would you suppose to suggest that maybe all we're asking for is some couple of pennies compared to the billions that we have? And where are the people of Guam in terms of the sacrifices that they've had to make; the lands that have been taken, one-third of Guam is now controlled by the military?

I'd like to ask the gentlelady also is it true that since the closing of Subic Bay and Clark Air Force base that Guam then

became vitally important, even to this day, to the defense of our national security interests in this region of the world?

I thank the gentlelady.

And I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from California, for complementing and for supporting this legislation.

My good friends and Mr. Speaker, this is not a Republican or a Democratic bill. It is a bill in the interests of the needs of our fellow Americans who suffered tremendous atrocities in the hands of Japanese military forces during World War II. And all we're asking here is fair, fairness and equity, and for justice to the people of Guam.

Mr. Speaker, I do want to commend the chairman of our Natural Resources Committee, Mr. Rahall, and the ranking member, Congressman Hastings, and especially my good friend, the chief sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Grijalva, and a cosponsor, Congressman Dale Kildee. I know that our colleague Tom Cole would have loved to also have been an original cosponsor of this bill. Congressman Cole from Oklahoma is the only Native American Member of Congress that we have. He is a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation from the State of Oklahoma.

Mr. Speaker, the name Geronimo evokes and brings to light other issues and I think something that we ought to be reminded of in light of our government's relationships and our treatment of the Native Americans, or American Indians.

Geronimo, or as he was known when he was born, Goyathlay or Goyaale, his name means in the Chiricahua Apache language ``one who yawns.'' Interestingly enough, Geronimo was born in 1829. In 1851, a company of some 400 Mexican soldiers raided the Chiricahua campsite while Geronimo and his fellow warriors were away.

And as a result of this raid on their settlement, his wife, his children and mother were killed. The Chiricahua Apache--and, by the way, I wanted to note also, Mr. Speaker, that the place where Geronimo was born is now in Clifton, what is now known as the town of Clifton in Arizona, and I suspect this is probably why my colleague from Arizona wanted to make sure that there's proper recognition for this great Chiricahua Apache chief.

What was stated here in the history, that his wife, his children, and his mother were killed by the soldiers, Mexican soldiers, the Chiricahua chief, Mangas Coloradas, sent Geronimo to join Cochise's warriors to fight and seek vengeance against the Mexican Army. In one of the many battles he fought, he repeatedly attacked Mexican soldiers with a knife, despite all the firing and the bullets that came his way, and so much so that the Mexicans were praying then for their own safety to their patron saint, Saint Jerome, or I suppose in Spanish it's Geronimo, and this is how the name Geronimo started ever since. Just wanted to give a little sense of history.

Mr. Speaker, Geronimo was a military leader. He conducted raids in settlements along the Mexican and U.S. borders. And in geographical terms, you're talking about areas that stretch from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and even what is now known as Mexico. Thousands of soldiers from both the U.S. and Mexican military forces tried to catch him for years and were unsuccessful in doing so, some 10 years, until finally Geronimo surrendered, only because, I suspect, of lack of food supplies and provisions and support for his little band of warriors and families.

Geronimo was transferred to a military prison in Florida, and then it was at that time that the noted General Nelson Miles who, after years of trying to capture Geronimo, wrote in his journals a very interesting observation concerning this great Chiricahua warrior chief. And I quote from General Miles' journal. ``Everyone in Washington had now become convinced that there was no good in this old chief and he was, in fact, one of the lowest and most cruel of the savages of the American continent.'' That's not a very positive descriptive, I must say, of how people in those days described Native Americans.

And in another part of General Miles' journal, he said, and I quote, and this is referring to Geronimo again, ``He was one of the brightest, most resolute, determined looking men that I have ever encountered. He had the clearest, sharpest, dark eye I have ever seen, unless it was that of General Sherman.''

Mr. Speaker, Geronimo was eventually transferred to a military prison at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he died on 17 February 1909, and that's the premise of this resolution in celebrating the hundredth anniversary when this great Indian warrior chief passed away in 17 February 1909. The resolution before us, Mr. Speaker, honors this great Chiricahua Apache warrior.

And I'm reminded, when you mention Geronimo, you also have to mention other great Native American warrior chiefs. I can think of Crazy Horse and Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, among the famous warrior chiefs of the Lakota or the Sioux Nation. I can think of Cochise, also a Chiricahua Apache warrior chief, or Quanah Parker, a Comanche chief, or Tecumseh, a chief of the Shawnee Nation, or Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Nation, or Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag tribe, and I suspect that this is where the name of the State of Massachusetts had its origin from this great Indian, Native American tribal chief from the Wampanoag tribe. I can think also of Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe, as well as Black Hawk of the Sac tribe.

All of this, in essence, Mr. Speaker, and I want to share this with my colleagues. This resolution calls for a spiritual healing among the Apache people

stemming from the captivity and the mistreatment of their ancestors under past policies of the U.S. Government. As I have said several times on this floor, Mr. Speaker, in terms of our treatment or mistreatment of Native Americans, ever since this country was founded, our first policy was to kill all the Indians. Then the next national policy was to assimilate all the Indians, make them part Americans. And then the next policy was let's not recognize them as Indians, and then they had to go through some procedures to be recognized as an Indian tribe.

So it's really sad, when you think about it in those terms, Geronimo, yes, was a great warrior chief, but also a sad legacy, in some aspects, of our country's treatment of the Native American people. And I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I think it's worthwhile to remember and to consider the life and the story of this great Apache Chiricahua chief, Goyathlay, or Geronimo.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Paramount Chief A. U. Fuimaono and express my deepest condolences to his children and family on the occasion of his funeral services which are being held on September 26, 2008.

Paramount Chief A.U. Fuimaono was my mentor, and I will always feel indebted to him for everything he taught me. To say that he was like a father to me is an understatement. Paramount Chief Fuimaono gave me his complete trust right from the beginning of our relationship, when he selected me to be his Administrative Assistant for his Washington DC office from 1973-1975. That was when he became the first elected Representative from American Samoa to Washington.

This great man was one of the traditional leaders who instilled in me the passion of being a real and true Samoan in a fast changing world: a world filled with political conflicts and cultural contradictions. This was at the time when American Samoa was suddenly immersed in the national arena of social structuring, traditional maintenance and political identity.

It was a time of upheaval for the people of American Samoa in many ways, as they tried to embrace changes and influences from outside, yet retain their uniqueness as Samoans at the same time. It was also during that time that Fuimaono stood up and was recognized as a natural leader; and he was a champion in areas of economy, politics, culture and religion.

One of his most memorable and early advices to me then, and it still sounds like it was just yesterday, was: ``Eni, the palagi are convinced that for us to move forward, we as Samoans must first learn to crawl, then also learn to walk, before we can run. I tell you right now, we do not have the time to learn how to crawl; nor do we have the luxury to walk. We have to run and run hard with them with whatever we have, whatever we can come up with so we could understand and play their game; otherwise, it would be too late and we would lose and be left out.''

From the point forward, it was like a baptism by fire for me; like jump in, what are you waiting for; we have a lot to do. But Fuimaono also pointed out that the simplest way to go about tackling our challenges was by having an undying faith in God. Fuimaono firmly believed in God's love, and he used that as the basis of everything he did. He emphasized the importance of being Samoan as a reality check in the often turbulent moments of national and global politics.

I will not go into Paramount Chief A.U. Fuimaono's outstanding record as a pillar in government, private sector, the culture that was so dear to him, and the church his faith so firmly treasured. Those will always speak for themselves in defining the distinctiveness of the man.

But if there is anything I want to emphasize about his character, it is the immense wisdom he shared with me throughout the years I worked for him, and the many times he nourished and encouraged me first as a congressional staffer in Washington, and eventually as the delegate from American Samoa years later.

His simple yet honest and direct approach to all issues forged the basis of my professional life in Washington. Fuimaono's determination for the development of American Samoa and yet his sensitivity to protecting the Samoan culture pushed me to strive for that delicate balance that can still define us as Samoans yet allows for us to be an equal participant under the complex, political system of the United States government.

So when I heard the news of the Paramount Chief's death, there was no question in my mind that I needed to go home, and be there, and honor his memory, even with the demanding schedule Congress is faced with as it works to address the national financial crisis we are now facing. I owed it to Fuimaono's children and his family to be in Samoa, if only for a day, to pay my personal respects and acknowledge my indebtedness to the one person who started it all for me.

I am most grateful and humbled that this great man had the patience and tolerance to help me develop confidence and pride in being Samoan. And if there is a last thing I would say of Paramount Chief Fuimaono, it is the fact that if it wasn't for his trust and belief in me, I would not be where I'm at and the person that I am right now.

Madam Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not also mention two other gentlemen, Roy J.D. Hall, Jr. and Michael F.J. Kruse, who over the years Uncle Fui had taken on as his own sons, like me. Roy J.D. Hall, Jr., has become a very successful corporate lawyer and also currently serves as counselor to the Honorable Lolo L. Moliga, President of the American Samoa Senate. The Honorable Michael F.J. Kruse is currently the first Samoan-appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of American Samoa.

I am sure there are many others whose lives have been deeply influenced by this great Samoan leader, but I can only speak for myself and for Roy and for Mike, who now contribute significantly to the needs of our Samoan people. We grieve on his passing and, again, I express my sincere condolences to Paramount Chief A.U. Fuimaono's children and family, and may God through His Everlasting Peace, grant His healing grace sooner on the grieving families and people of Samoa.

I thank the distinguished chairman of our committee and also commend our distinguished ranking member of the committee for their leadership and support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, on every level it is long overdue and I believe it's long overdue that we should strengthen our relations with India. It has been stated many times before, India lives in one of the world's toughest neighborhoods, and the U.S. is the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy. It is time for the United States and India to live together as friends and partners committed to promoting the values we share.

We have come a long way, and I am pleased that Congress will now vote in favor of supporting the use of India's civil nuclear cooperation which will lift millions out of poverty and will help us begin to address the global energy crisis which now confronts us.

Two major factors that I think I want to share with my colleagues and I think it's important in this agreement, the fact that it has the IAEA's approval and the fact that 45 members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group has also given approval to this agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7081, the United States- India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, and commend Chairman Howard L. Berman of the House Foreign Relations Committee for his leadership in bringing this deal to the floor for an historic vote. Without his support, this deal would have gone nowhere. I also want to thank the gentlelady from Florida, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, our senior ranking member of the committee, for her leadership and support.

Before agreeing to allow this bill to move forward, Chairman Berman insisted that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offer assurances that, in a change of policy, ``the United States will makes its highest priority at the November meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) the achievement of a decision to prohibit the export of enrichment and reprocessing equipment and technology to states that are not signatories of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). I fully agree with Chairman Berman's decision, and applaud him for making sure this agreement is interpreted in a manner consistent with the intent of Congress as expressed in the Hyde Act to further restrict international transfers of this sensitive technology.

I also want to pay tribute to our former and esteemed colleagues, the Honorable Henry J. Hyde and the Honorable Tom Lantos, who both served with distinction as chairmen of the House Foreign Relations Committee, and did everything they could to ensure that this day would come and that the U.S. would enter into a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with the Government of India.

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the Indian-American community which has been galvanized in support of this deal. Like House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, ``I commend Mr. Sanjay Prui, President of USIBA, for the important work he has done on the U.S.- India nuclear deal, in cooperation with the Congressional Taskforce on U.S.-India Trade.''

As Co-Chair of the Congressional Taskforce on U.S.-India Trade, I believe, as Chairman Berman has so eloquently stated, we should have no illusions that India will give up its nuclear weapons, ``so long as the five recognized nuclear weapons states fail to make serious reductions in their arsenals.'' But, like Chairman Berman, I also agree that this deal is a ``positive step to integrate India into the global nonproliferation regime.''

On every level, Mr. Speaker, I believe it is way overdue that we strengthen U.S.-India relations. As has been stated many times before, India lives in one of the world's toughest neighborhoods and, the U.S. as the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy, it is time for the U.S. and India to stand together as friends and partners committed to promoting the values we share.

I also recognize, again, the important contributions of former Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns who, as lead negotiator for this agreement, represented our Nation's interest with distinction. I am honored to have worked with Under Secretary Burns during a time when the deal was first proposed to the Congress.

I also appreciate the support of the Honorable Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, who, at the invitation of the Congressional Taskforce on U.S.-India Trade, in cooperation with USIBA, was first on the Hill from the U.S. Administration to brief Members of Congress, staffers, professionals in the field, and the Indian-American community since India was given a waiver by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) on Saturday, September 6, 2008.

We have come a long way, and I am pleased that Congress will now vote in favor of supporting U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation which will lift millions out of poverty, and will help us begin to address the global energy crisis which now confronts us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Renewable energy and Job Creation Tax Act of 2008, and publicly thank the Honorable Charles Rangel, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, for extending 30A tax credits to American Samoa for an additional 2 years as a means to protect the jobs of some 5,000 of our tuna cannery workers.

Given the unparalleled financial crisis America is now facing, I especially appreciate the support of my colleagues in the House and Senate. On behalf of the people of American Samoa, I thank you for extending these tax credits which are essential to stabilizing the operations of our canneries and economy.

In these challenging times, I remain hopeful that local tuna canneries will also put measures in place to supplement what the Federal Government has once again done for them, especially since American Samoa's economy

is more than 80 percent dependent, either directly or indirectly, on the U.S. tuna fishing and processing industries.

I also continue to hope that the American Samoa government will do everything it can to diversify our local economy as I will continue to do everything I can at the Federal level to keep American Samoa's economy and canneries strong.

Again, on behalf of the some 5,000 cannery workers in American Samoa whose jobs I will work to protect at every turn, I thank my colleagues for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I want to especially thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Neal, Chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, for his leadership in getting this bill approved both in committee and by this body.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Tax Act of 2008, and publicly thank the Honorable Charles Rangel, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, for extending 30A tax credits to American Samoa for an additional two years as a means to protect the jobs of some 5,000 of our tuna cannery workers.

Given the un-paralleled financial crisis America is now facing, I especially appreciate the support of my colleagues in the House and Senate. On behalf of the people of American Samoa, I thank you for extending these tax credits which are essential to stabilizing the operations of our canneries, and economy.

In these challenging times, I remain hopeful that our local tuna canneries will also put measures in place to supplement what the federal government has once again done for them, especially since American Samoa's economy is more than 80 percent dependent, either directly or indirectly, on the U.S. tuna fishing and processing industries.

I also continue to hope that the American Samoa Government will do everything it can to diversify our local economy as I will continue to do everything I can at the federal level to keep American Samoa's economy and canneries strong.

Again, on behalf of the some 5,000 cannery workers in America Samoa whose jobs I will work to protect at every turn, I thank my colleagues for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 295, which takes the initiative in extending the appreciation of Congress to both the members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.

First, I want to commend the chief sponsor, Mr. Bilirakis of Florida, for his great efforts in introducing this important bill.

As a former member of our United States Armed Forces, I want to personally convey my gratitude to Congressman Bilirakis and all of the co-sponsors for bringing this vital resolution forth. It is an example of the Congress' dedication to those serving our country around the world and our efforts to assist their families in various ways.

Mr. Speaker, with increased conflicts around the world needing our armed forces' attention, the amount of our active troops has increased exponentially. According to the Department of Defense (DOD), we currently have over 2 million personnel serving. Of that number, there are more than 700,000 households with at least one parent deployed on active military duty. While deployed, the remaining family provides much needed support to their military members through correspondence and packages. Yet, many times, these families do not have the resources to provide the full support they desire. Fortunately, the Department of Defense offers assistance through numerous programs. For example, the Military Homefront aids service members, whether active or retired, and their families with DOD Quality of Life programs. Even with the available programs, more programs are needed in order to provide for both the immediate and extended families of our current and past military personnel.

In response to this growing need, Congressman Bilirakis introduced H. Con. Res. 295 on February 13, 2008. This includes not only the support of the United States Armed Forces, but also support of their families through any physical and emotional ordeals that may arise as their loved ones devote their lives to their country. As the Representative for American Samoa, I realize the great importance of supporting our military families. The Samoan people take great pride in serving our nation and have shown it through our high recruitment numbers. Yet regrettably, we also have the highest casualty rate per capita. Just a few weeks ago, a son of American Samoa, Lt. Col. Max Galea'i was killed while supporting combat operations in Iraq's Al Anbar Province. Last week, I was honored to accompany Max's family, his wife Evelyn and four beautiful children, to American Samoa where Max was laid to rest. The 42-year old commander of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines from the Marine Corps Base Hawaii represented the epitome of a proud military member, and for his dedication and for the dedication of all our service men and women and their families, we must support this bill.

For the sake of their commitment and sacrifice, we must honor our United States Armed Forces by supporting those most important to them, their families. I urge my colleagues to pass H. Con. Res. 295, and I thank you for your support of this very important resolution.