Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the gentleman's bill, H.R. 1302, the Global Poverty Act of 2007. We certainly have serious needs and poverty right here in our own country. The suffering of the world's extremely poor, however, is beyond the imagining of most Americans.

Many Americans might be shocked to know just how many men, women and children around the world die each hour of every day simply because they are too poor to obtain food, shelter or basic medical care. While we quite often see the fatal impact of famines or natural disasters, we rarely see the images of the ongoing suffering caused by persistent hunger and chronic poverty.

The bill seeks to better organize the approaches to fighting poverty that are employed by the Agency for International Development and other agencies in our own government. It would seek to accomplish that by calling on the President to create an overall strategy for these efforts.

I note that the sponsor of the bill, my good friend, Mr. Smith from Washington, agreed to an amendment adopted by our Foreign Affairs Committee that made two important changes. First, while referencing foreign aid and debt relief as components of a strategy to address global poverty, the bill now makes it clear that the strategy that the President would draw up would not have to be based on the assumption that the United States foreign aid and debt relief will always continue to rise.

The United States certainly has been generous in its provisions of foreign aid and debt relief. But no one can predict whether those two types of assistance will always rise.

Moreover, to address poverty comprehensively, the President may want to focus on expanding other types of interactions with countries suffering from widespread poverty, such as promoting trade, promoting investment, for example.

The bill, in the amended text before us today, Mr. Speaker, will allow the greater flexibility in deciding what might work best at a given time, in the particular circumstances, rather than insisting that he devise a strategy that assumes that more foreign aid and debt relief are always required.

Secondly, the bill, as amended, requires that the President submit to Congress a report on the implementation of the strategy once every 2 years, rather than once a year, as originally intended. And I appreciate the sponsor of the bill agreeing to that change. The change in the frequency of the reports, of the submission of the reports, Mr. Speaker, will enhance the substance of the periodic reports as significant statements on the progress being made under a global poverty reduction strategy.

Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that Mr. Smith's bill will promote a greater focus on how we might best provide assistance to those in dire poverty overseas, while ensuring a realistic view of the resources and the means available to us to provide such assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, if I might, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), the ranking member of the Committee on Financial Services and an original cosponsor of the resolution before us.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, Hurricanes Felix, Dean, and Henriette delivered a devastating toll to the countries of Mexico, the rest of Central America, and the Caribbean. Between the three hurricanes, nearly 200 lives were lost, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, and thousands of homes were destroyed.

I join my colleagues today to express our sincere sympathy and support for the people who have suffered as a result of these destructive storms. The resiliency of the people of these nations to overcome the tremendous power of these catastrophes has been truly tested. When Hurricane Felix hit on September 4, Honduras and Nicaragua were still in the midst of rebuilding following the effects of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Especially vulnerable to natural disasters due to their dependence on agricultural exports and the potential for damaging mudslides, the historic occurrence of two category 5 storms in 1 year had an overwhelming impact for several of the countries in this region.

I commend the courage that our neighbors in Mexico, the rest of Central America, and the Caribbean continue to demonstrate in their efforts to overcome the damage wrought, and I admire the courage and the contributions made by relief agencies, private citizens, and the international community to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Felix, Hurricane Dean, and Henriette.

Our prayers are with the family and friends of those who were harmed by the perils of this terrible storm season.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 557, introduced by my friend Congressman John Campbell of California and his Democratic coauthor also from California (Mr. Berman).

The activities of the United Nations Human Rights Council during its first year in operation has been a travesty, but it should not come as any surprise to us.

Over the summer the council, which embraces serious human rights abusers as members, celebrated its first birthday by giving gifts to repressive dictators and Islamic radicals. It stopped unfinished investigations into human rights conditions in Cuba and Belarus and created a permanent agenda item relating to Israel, the only country singled out for such scrutiny.

Darfur, apparently the Human Rights Council sees no problem in southern Sudan.

North Korea, no evil there. China, according to the U.N. Human Rights Council, there are no human rights abusers in that workers' paradise. The bloody repression in Burma, in Zimbabwe, the council members have never heard of these actions. Unfortunately, these are exactly the consequences that many of us expected given the flaws inherent in the council's creation. For example, there are no criteria for membership in the council. Certain regional groups also are given greater power than democratic countries. And special sessions are easier to call, with Israel being the target for condemnation.

The council's structure and agenda are hopelessly compromised by political manipulation. The only country, again, singled out for actual condemnation has been the democratic State of Israel, which was the subject of three special sessions and 75 percent of all council resolutions and decisions expressing concerns about human rights conditions.

In June, because of such outrages, the House adopted an amendment that I proposed to the State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill which prohibited United States funding for the council. Mr. Campbell and Mr. Berman's resolution before us today presents this body with another important opportunity to protest the farce, the insult, the travesty, the sad joke that the U.N. Human Rights Council has become.

I urge unanimous support for its adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the author of this measure, the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend my good friend, Rabbi Fred Klein, for his uplifting prayer that he delivered for us this morning, as well as for his tireless efforts to strengthen the Jewish community in my home district of South Florida.

Rabbi Klein serves as the Director of Community Chaplaincy at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and is the Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami. In these roles, Rabbi Klein offers counsel to the physically and mentally ill in their greatest times of need.

I have long been aware of Rabbi Klein's commitment and contributions

to academia, to the Jewish community, and the social welfare of all of South Florida. But his greatest achievement, Mr. Speaker, is his family, including his four children, Moshe who is 11, Shuli who is 9, Benny is 6 years old, and Aryeh almost 4.

The opening prayer that Rabbi Klein delivered today reflects his intellectual fiber, as well as his determination to improve our community and our country. I thank Rabbi Klein for his invocation, and I look forward to working with him in the years ahead.

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

Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to be an original cosponsor of this important resolution, and I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), the author of the resolution, as well as the chairman of our Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Lantos, for their leadership in bringing this resolution quickly to the floor today.

This resolution allows the Members of this House the opportunity to extend our profound condolences to the people of Greece and to their government over the tragic losses endured during the recent fires in Greece which have claimed the lives of scores of people.

The human toll in casualties, injuries and loss of property is difficult to bear, with an estimated 4,000 people having lost loved ones, homes and, indeed, even communities.

Moreover, hundreds of thousands of acres of Greek forests and farmland have been obliterated. And all of this, Madam Speaker, has occurred as a result of the more than 3,000 forest fires that have broken out in Greece since June.

This massive tragedy has been bravely shouldered by the people of Greece. The heartfelt thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragedy and with all of the people of Greece.

United in friendship, the United States and Greece have stood together on the same side of many of the world challenges throughout the last century. It is appropriate, therefore, that we provide assistance and support to our friend and ally in this hour of need.

I, therefore, urge my colleagues to support this resolution and, in so doing, express their condolences and pledge their support for efforts to relieve the suffering endured by the people of Greece as a result of the tragic fires that have ravaged their nation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I thank the gentleman for his remarks, and I thank the honored guests who are with us today. We grieve for the people today, and we stand with them in this time of sorrow ready to help.

With that, I yield back the balance of our time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3062, the Pacific Island Economic and Educational Development Act. The island nations of the South Pacific, which include longstanding friends of the United States, face continuing challenges in development and education.

I want to commend the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment (Mr. Faleomavaega) for his leadership in introducing this legislation and for working with us in the committee to refine it during the committee process.

Because the amended text deals with authorizations, not mandates or appropriations, it signals congressional interest in deepening our cooperation with the people of the Pacific Islands, while also allowing executive branch agencies appropriate discretion in carrying out such programs.

The text before us will increase the amounts authorized for U.S. educational and cultural exchanges with South Pacific nations to $1 million in each of the next 2 fiscal years, establish a Fulbright exchange program for Pacific Island students, and underscore the interests of the United States Congress in making appropriate USAID technical assistance available to Pacific Island governments.

I thank the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for accommodating some of our suggested changes. I am pleased to support the amended text.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of Senate bill 377, the United States-Poland Parliamentary Youth Exchange Program Act.

This bill, introduced by Senator Lugar, and already passed by the Senate in March, would establish a formal parliamentary youth exchange program for American and Polish secondary students. The purpose of this exchange program is to demonstrate to the youth of Poland and to the United States the benefits of friendly cooperation based on our shared political and cultural values.

The United States and Poland have enjoyed close bilateral relations since the end of the Cold War. Poland has supported U.S.-led efforts to fight global terrorism, has contributed troops to coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and has cooperated closely with the United States to promote democracy and human rights around the world and to reform the United Nations.

By focusing on the source of our common future, our young people, this bill will further cement the friendship and the ideals that our two nations already

share. Therefore, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this worthwhile endeavor.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today also in support of House Resolution 34, which honors the Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa; and an outspoken advocate for peace, equality, and human rights around the globe.

While Archbishop Tutu is regarded by some as a controversial figure, he is universally recognized as a hero in the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa. There he served as a beacon of hope, committed to peace and unity in an era marked by violence and oppression. He passionately advocated for nonviolent opposition to the racist apartheid regime while campaigning internationally for the imposition of economic sanctions against South Africa.

And even in the face of the most egregious human rights abuses reinforced by draconian laws, including the Population Registration Act of 1950, the Group Areas Act of 1950, the Lands Act of 1954 and 1955, and the Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act of 1970, he inspired disenfranchised South Africans to believe that one day justice would prevail and freedom would come.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

In recognition of his efforts to peacefully protest an immoral and unjust system while leading some 20 million South Africans toward freedom, Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. In presenting the award, the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized that the repression of the apartheid regime was so brutal that ``a violent rebellion would be an understandable reaction.'' However, he stated, that on a broad front a campaign that is being fought with the weapons of spirit and reason, a campaign for truth, freedom, and justice, the contribution that Desmond Tutu has made and is still making represents a hope for the future. He is an exponent of the only form of conflict solving which is worthy of civilized nations.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Following the dismantling of the apartheid regime and the conduct of South Africa's first democratically contested multi-party elections in 1994, Archbishop Tutu was appointed to share South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Tasked with investigating the gross human rights violations that had occurred over the preceding 34 years, it was feared that the TRC would reopen old wounds and once again plunge the country into crisis. However, Archbishop Tutu used this platform to urge forgiveness and reconciliation rather than revenge for past injustices. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that South Africa's TRC now serves as a model for post-conflict resolutions around the globe. And at nearly 76 years of age, Archbishop Tutu has not slowed down a bit. Given his continued advocacy for peace and human rights in Africa and beyond, it is appropriate that this body honor him again today.

I would like to thank the sponsor, Ms. Jackson-Lee, for introducing this important resolution and for agreeing to changes so that it reflects a celebration of his upcoming 76th birthday, which will be celebrated by all of us on October 7.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving us the opportunity to bring House Resolution 34 to the floor today. And I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on its passage.

With that, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I would like to first rise in support of House Resolution 508, introduced by my good friend, Mr. Saxton of New Jersey, and I would like to congratulate him for offering this resolution before us today because the United States security objectives in the Asia-Pacific region could not be achieved without the staunch support of our friends and allies in Tokyo. The United States-Japan alliance is, as this resolution recognizes, the cornerstone of regional stability and prosperity.

When Pyongyang tested a nuclear weapon last fall, we relied heavily on our good friend, Japan, which was then serving as president of the U.N. Security Council. Together, we achieved passage of Security Council Resolution 1718 condemning North Korea's reckless action and imposing a series of sanctions. We must continue to work with Tokyo to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis in order to ensure regional peace and stability.

Japan has also been an irreplaceable partner in support of our efforts to fight global terrorism. Also, in the year 2002, Tokyo graciously offered to host the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan following the ouster of the Taliban regime.

We are also very grateful to Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Forces for continuing to provide logistical support in the Indian Ocean to coalition efforts waging the international war on terrorism.

Most recently, the Japanese Diet approved a 2-year extension of the Special Measures Law in Iraq which provides continued funding for the reconstruction of a peaceful and stable Iraq. It was also recently reported that three Japanese banks have stopped engaging in any new business with Iran, and that Japanese financial institutions are restricting loans and rejecting an Iranian request to pay for oil imports in currencies other than dollars.

We are proud of the U.S.-Japan alliance and deeply grateful for the friendship of the people of Japan. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution, Madam Speaker, which is of vital importance to the security of both the United States and Japan.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the author of this resolution, Mr. Saxton of New Jersey.

Madam Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I strongly support House Resolution 575, which commends the people and the Government of Jordan for their commitment to democracy. Today, much of the Middle East is sadly pervaded by tyranny, radical and extremist Islam, terrorism and hatred of the United States and Israel. However, Jordan continues to stand out as a nation committed to moderation, to modernity, to democracy and to peace with the United States and Israel.

Madam Speaker, Jordan has taken the road less traveled in the Middle East, demonstrating to other nations the benefits of embracing democratic principles as the norm. Since 1989, Jordan has held four elections for its parliament, and King Abdullah has committed to holding the next set of elections by November of this year. Under a new election law passed in February, Jordanians went to the polls in late July, for the first time, to elect the mayors and the councils of every city and town in that country.

Jordan has also recognized that democracy is much more than just holding elections. The Jordanian Government is acting to establish the rule of law, to build a civil society, to build strong institutions and to broaden political participation to meaningfully engage citizens from all walks of life.

One example of this commitment, Madam Speaker, is the decision of the Government of Jordan to lower the voting age from 19 to 18 and to mandate that women fill at least 20 percent of council seats. This is a positive first step, and I hope that it will lead to further reforms and political participation.

King Abdullah himself has courageously spoken out and led the way for reform. King Abdullah recently stated, ``We in Jordan, and many others throughout the Middle East, are working hard to create a civic environment in which our people will thrive. The basic requirement is an inclusive, democratic civil society, one that guarantees rights, delegates responsibilities, honors merit, and rewards achievement. The foundation stones on which we build are peace and stability, basic civil and political rights, essential services, freedom of expression and the rule of law.''

Madam Speaker, a stable, peaceful and free Middle East is in the interests of the United States and indeed the entire world. And while much remains to be done, Jordan is serving as a model for other nations. It deserves our friendship and encouragement.

House Resolution 575 is particularly important. It expresses the House's desire that Jordan's progress toward democracy continues and flourishes as a model for other Arab countries. It also commends King Abdullah and the Jordanian people for upholding women's rights and enhancing the participation of women in the political process.

Finally, Madam Speaker, it reaffirms the special relationship that exists between the citizens of our two nations, as well as our ongoing commitment to helping Jordan, should it so desire, in promoting democratic reform.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this measure, Madam Speaker, and I urge

my colleagues to render their full support for its adoption.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

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

We all agree that the United States can be a leader on a number of global and environmental issues and we seek to find innovative ways to address these challenges.

This bill is not the answer. It is merely a compilation of regulation, increased funding, and the creation of additional layers of bureaucracy.

Title II of this bill, the Foreign Affairs title, sets up a new office structure at the State Department to focus on climate change, but it ignores the fact that we already have an office in the Department's Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science that deals with these very issues. The bill is silent on how many new personnel will be needed for this new office and at what cost.

This legislation also seeks to ignore the current efforts in the existence of the senior climate negotiator and special representative by creating a new duplicative decision. Title II, section C, of this bill proposes a new, federally supported organization entitled the International Clean Energy Foundation, which would duplicate the grant- making work of the State Department, USAID, and the United Nations.

The bill authorizes $100 million over 5 years for this Foundation and essentially guarantees that the Foundation will exist forever.

In fact, following passage by the Foreign Affairs Committee of a bill which became title II of H.R. 3221, we received an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office which says that just the Foreign Affairs title of the bill would cost $772 million over the years 2008 to 2012. That is $772 million over 5 years.

A few short months ago, we had a debate in the House on the Intelligence authorization bill, which contained a provision mandating that the intelligence community use its resources to develop a National Intelligence Estimate on the issue of global warming. We thought that the majority would wait to receive an assessment of the nature and extent of the problem, as well as a range of factors contributing to the problem before having the House vote on this bill. But this was not to be.

As public servants, our overarching responsibility should be to do no harm. This legislation, I agree, runs contrary to that principle.

We all share a desire to do more to exert U.S. leadership in the environmental realm. We must be careful not to fool ourselves into believing that throwing money at the problem and adding layers of bureaucracy are truly effective ways of addressing this issue.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the bill, and I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished colleague from Virginia, the ranking member on the Committee on Agriculture, Mr. Goodlatte.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to my dear friend from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo). He is the ranking member of our Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, and he offered a substitute amendment in the committee to fix the foreign policy provisions in the legislation before you.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remainder of my time.

My colleagues have said that the administration had neglected this issue of low-level bureaucrats. We have an Under Secretary of State, an Assistant Secretary of State, and a Special Representative at the Department of State, all engaged in global climate diplomacy. I would say that we have been quite involved.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, what concerns me most about the amendment is its requirement for a report by the Secretary that includes a strategy to help developing countries to adapt to climate change, and I quote, ``including the provision of United States assistance to developing countries and an identification of existing funding sources, and a description of new funding sources that will be required specifically for such purposes.''

Mr. Chairman, it's one thing to have the executive branch agencies compose a strategy, but it's quite another to encourage, if not require, such agencies to find new ways to justify further increasing U.S. foreign assistance to these countries.

This strategy would come after the section of the bill, section 2202, which already calls for $200 million every year from the year 2008 to the year 2012 to be allocated for U.S. assistance and programs in developing countries that ``promote clean and efficient energy technologies.''

I believe that there is a positive intent behind this amendment, and I commend my colleague, Ms. Solis, from California for offering it. But it would be a better proposal if it did not have a requirement that the report from the Secretary of State include a strategy that basically instructs the Secretary to tell us how to spend more money.

So I hope that our colleagues would reject this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize an organization which is leading the fight against vision loss. Hope for Vision was founded to assist individuals dealing with the loss of vision, and to raise much needed funding for scientific research on retinal degenerative and other blinding diseases, so that future generations will not have to cope with this tragic issue.

I have the distinct pleasure and honor of being involved in this wonderful organization, and serve as an honorary member of the Board of Advisors. I also am proud to call several integral members of this organization including the Lidsky family, my friends. I have known Carlos and Betty Lidsky for many years and their son, Isaac, an attorney here in Washington, serves as the Chairman and President of Hope for Vision.

At the age of 12, Isaac was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a retinal degenerative disorder. However, this did not slow Isaac down. He attended New World School of the Arts in Miami before receiving a bachelor's and law degree from Harvard University. While at Harvard, he met his wife, Dorothy, who has become a passionate advocate for the vision-impaired.

This family has been deeply impacted with degenerative retinal diseases and they have fought to ensure this horrible condition receives the proper attention and research needed to find a cure. Their tenacity and courage in the face of such adversity and heartbreak is commendable. Inspired by their dedication and hard work, we are working towards a cure.

The Lidsky family has always been an outspoken advocate to raise awareness for issues surrounding inherited vision diseases. Vision loss is a problem which affects millions of Americans. More than 80 million Americans have a potentially blinding eye disease: 3 million have low vision; 1.1 million are legally blind; and an additional 200,000 are severely visually impaired. However, research efforts into vision loss and blindness have already started to pay dividends. For example, scientists have provided vision to the blind through microchip technologies, and clinical trials have started with pharmaceutical treatments to combat vision loss.

Research grants provided by Hope for Vision are providing our scientists with much needed funding to further progress on these initiatives. An example of this progress is the partnership between Hope for Vision and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, located at the University of Miami in my Congressional District. These two organizations have teamed up to provide the best vision care possible for South Floridians by advancing research and treatment capabilities with two new innovative programs. With the help of the Department of Defense, they have developed the Miami Project for Ophthalmic Innovation to use the remarkable military technological advances to bring new therapies to patients. The goal of this project is to bring together ideas and people from diverse backgrounds to implement research projects aimed at enhancing military ocular health capabilities. It will directly benefit our brave men and women serving in uniform, our veterans, as well as the millions of other Americans who suffer from blinding eye trauma and disease.

Another initiative is the newly-created Center for Hereditary Retinal Diseases at Bascom Palmer, which owes its very existence to Hope for Vision. Its goal is to identify every individual in the state of Florida with an inherited eye disease and to provide them with genetic testing, counseling, and innovative treatments.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is recognized as one of the world's finest and most progressive centers for eye care, research and education. This year, U.S. News & World Report's survey rated Bascom Palmer the Number 1 eye hospital in the country. Its dedicated staff provides excellent vision care to more than 200,000 patients annually at their facilities across South Florida.

I am also proud to be a founding member and co-chair of the Congressional Vision Caucus. This organization is a bipartisan coalition dedicated to strengthening and stimulating a national dialogue and policy on vision-related problems and disabilities. Our responsibility is to raise awareness about the increasing number of Americans at risk for age-related diseases, preserve and protect eyesight, and ensure adequate resources are directed towards the research, prevention and treatment of eye disease.

I have worked together with my colleagues in the South Florida Congressional delegation to ensure that Hope for Vision has the funds necessary to continue their work to discover treatments and cures for degenerative retinal diseases. As the baby boom generation reaches retirement age, vision loss will become an increasingly familiar issue for many American families.

Once again, I would to congratulate Hope for Vision on its successes, and look forward to working with this organization as it continues to address an issue of growing importance.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 763 on final passage of S. 1, the Open Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007; rollcall No. 764 final passage of H.R. 180, the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act; and rollcall No. 765 on final passage of H.R. 2347, the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, I am not recorded because I was delayed while tending to constituents in my congressional office. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all three bills.

Mr. Speaker, Hope for Vision was founded to assist individuals dealing with the loss of vision and to raise much-needed funding for scientific research on retinal degenerative and other blinding diseases so that future generations will not have to cope with this tragic issue.

I have known Carlos and Betty Lidsky, leaders in Hope for Vision, for many years, and their son Isaac, an attorney here in Washington, serves as the Chairman and President of Hope for Vision.

At the age of 12, Isaac was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a retinal degenerative disorder. However, this did not slow Isaac down. He attended New Walls School of the Arts in Miami before receiving his bachelor's and his law degree from Harvard University. While at Harvard, he met Dorothy, who has become a passionate advocate for the vision impaired.

On Saturday, September 8, this organization will hold an event in south Florida to ensure that this horrible condition receives the proper attention and research needed to find a cure. Their tenacity and courage in the face of such adversity and heartbreak is commendable. Inspired by their dedication and hard work, we are working towards a cure.