Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today when the sun comes up on America, there are all too many people who spend all too much time criticizing and apologizing for this Nation, trying to verbally tear it down. But what frightens us most is those people who spend way too much energy and way too much time trying to do harm to innocent Americans as they go about their day-to-day lives, carrying their children to piano recitals, to Little League practice, just going to work. It just makes common sense that we would want to know what they were trying to do, because if we know, we have at least a chance to stop it.

This is a bipartisan bill that we should have had a year ago. We certainly should have had 4 months ago. Thank goodness we have it today. The only unfortunate thing is those who will benefit the most will never know it, because they never became victims because we were able to stop those terrorist acts before they took place.

Mr. Speaker, in 1961 President John F. Kennedy laid out a bold challenge, to put a man on the moon in less than 10 years. At the time, people called it unreasonable and absurd to put a man where no human had stepped before, using technology that hadn't even been developed yet, and to do it in less than 10 years seemed impossible.

But what we saw come out of that decade was a Nation that continued to defy the odds and achieve the seemingly impossible. When Neil Armstrong opened the door of Apollo 11 and set foot on the surface of the moon, he embodied the very essence of America, combining our hopes, our dreams and our determination. Americans rose to the challenge and changed the course of history.

Today we face a new challenge. The national average for a gallon of gasoline is now $4.07. Gas prices have risen nearly 75 percent since the Democratic majority took control just a year and a half ago. And this isn't a coincidence.

The majority's policy since taking power has been to restrict domestic energy production and increase taxes and regulations on U.S. energy suppliers. Simple economics tells us that limiting the supply of oil will increase costs. At a time when families in my district and across the country are struggling every day to cope with skyrocketing prices and a slowing economy, this is outrageous and irresponsible.

We continue to get the bulk of our energy fossil fuels, and 60 percent of that comes from foreign nations that, in many cases, do not share our interests. This is not just an economic problem. It's a national security crisis that demands both short and long-term solutions. We must increase our oil supply in the short-term, but we must also launch a national effort to harness American innovation if we hope to succeed in the long-term.

Like the first Manhattan Project that was established to insure the security of our Nation during World War II, today our national security depends on our ability to produce reliable sources of energy to fuel our economy and our national defense, independent from other nations.

That's why I've introduced a bold new initiative that will put us on the path to energy independence. The New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence, H.R. 6260, challenges the United States to achieve 50 percent energy independence in 10 years, and 100 percent energy independence in 20 years tape, and establishes a commission to lay out a plan to get there. A lot of people had talked about it, but it was time to put forth a bill and do something about it. That's what H.R. 6260 does.

Additionally, the bill sets out seven major goals that will put our Nation on this path. The New Manhattan Project will bring together the best and brightest minds in our Nation and encourage American innovation by awarding major cash prizes to anyone who successfully reaches one of these goals.

Specifically, Americans will be challenged to develop ways to double CAFE standards to 70 miles per hour, while making these vehicles affordable to consumers; improve home and energy efficiency by 50 percent on a wide scale, develop a solar power plant that costs no more than a coal-consuming power plant; make the production and use of biofuels cost-competitive with standard gasoline fuel; safely and cheaply store carbon emissions from coal-powered plants; safely store neutralized nuclear waste; and lastly, to produce sustainable electricity from a nuclear fusion reaction.

The processes to reach these goals are neither simple nor cheap, and many Americans may think them impossible. To make it possible for the inventor, researcher or company that achieves any of these goals, my proposal would provide significant cash prizes to the first person who reaches each of these goals. And to assist those who have promising ideas in these areas to help our country achieve energy independence, $10 billion will be set aside for grants to fund promising lines of research. In total, this bill would supply the same level of resources on the same scale as the original Manhattan Project, which is a total of $24 billion.

It is, in fact, possible that even after the major investments proposed in this bill, we may not be 100 percent energy

independent. But even if one of these goals is achieved, the impact would literally transform the energy sector. And if every one of these ambitious goals is reached, our country would be free from our addiction to foreign oil, and we will have guaranteed our economic and national security tape for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, tonight is a rather historic night because as people might be watching this at home, or if they happen to still be in this great, historic Chamber, if you look around, this room is draped with history. Unfortunately, when people look at this great assembly hall in which so many great debates and great pieces of legislation have passed, what they have become accustomed to seeing is if you are on this side of the aisle whenever there is anything that goes wrongs, there are fingers pointed on that side of the aisle in trying to blame everyone sitting over here. Of course the folks on that side of the aisle are turning over here and pointing their fingers in this direction. If anything good takes place, the folks on this side of the aisle want to stand up and take credit for those things that are good, and folks on that side of the aisle want to do the same thing. And folks sitting at home begin to question and ask whether we can ever get anything done, whether we can ever come together as a body. Well tonight, that is what we do. Republicans and Democrats come together to talk about something that is the cornerstone of the American experience, and that is the rich history of faith that we have had in this country that has helped create our greatness, helped sustain us and that many of us who will speak here tonight for this next hour believe will continue to sustain us in years to come.

Mr. Speaker, right behind you tonight is a great phrase. It says ``In God We Trust.'' As you stare out all around this magnificent room, you see some of the greatest lawgivers history and the world has ever known. But the ones you see across this room, you see just half of their face, their half profile except the one directly in front of you which is Moses who we recognize as perhaps one of the greatest lawgivers of all.

And throughout our country we have been steeped in an enormous history of faith that starts all of the way back with the commission that Christopher Columbus had when they talked about the grace of God; the first colonial grant to Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584, the grace of God was mentioned in there. The first charter of Virginia in 1606, it referenced knowledge and worship of God. The Mayflower Compact in 1620, it talked about having undertaken for the glory of God. The Declaration of Independence we all know and can cite that those inalienable rights were endowed to us by what the writers of that document said were their creator.

The first act of Congress, 1774, they asked a minister to open with prayer, and they read four chapters of the Bible. And during the Civil War we are told that soldiers on both sides, Union and Confederates, that religion was the greatest sustainer of morale.

Of course we know numerous stories of the great faith of men and women as they were in slavery and fought to get out of that horrible institution.

In 1815, over 2,000 official government calls to prayer had been made by States in the Federal Government, and thousands more have been made since then.

In 1864 Congress added ``In God We Trust'' to the American coinage.

In 1870, the Federal Government made Christmas an official holiday.

In 1931, the Star Spangled Banner was our national anthem, including the phrase ``in God is our trust.''

In 1954 we added the phrase ``one Nation under God'' to the Pledge of Allegiance.

And in 1956, Congress by law made ``In God We Trust'' our national motto. And, of course, we all know the significant role that faith and religion and the church played in the civil rights movement.

Tonight, Mr. Speaker, for the next hour you will hear some of the greatest leaders in our country and certainly in this body who will come forth not as Republicans and not as Democrats, but come forth as Americans to talk about what we think is the core value system that we have been proud of in this Nation, and that is the rich history of faith that we have.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield to my good friend, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre).

Mr. Speaker, we just appreciate the leadership of Congressman McIntyre on all of these issues of faith. Mike, thank you so much.

And I'd like to now recognize another great leader on faith issues across the country from the State of Arkansas, Congressman John Boozman.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the congressman from Arkansas for his great leadership on this; and now recognize another leader from the State of New Mexico, Congressman Steve Pearce.

Mr. Speaker, we thank the gentleman from New Mexico. And now another great leader in the Congress of the United States from the State of Maryland, Mr. Roscoe Bartlett.

Thank you, Mr. Bartlett, for those great words.

And now another leader on so many of these issues from the State of North Carolina, Congressman Robin Hayes.

Mr. Speaker, and now from Minnesota, another leader on many of these issues, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

Mr. Speaker, now I would like to recognize another good friend from the State of South Carolina (Gresham Barrett).

Thank you for those words of wisdom.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the gentleman from Michigan (Thaddeus McCotter).

Thank you, Congressman McCotter.

Mr. Speaker, now I would like to yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo).

I'd now like to recognize from the State of Colorado, Ms. Marilyn Musgrave.

Thank you, Marilyn, for those words, and now I'd like to yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).

Thank you, Rob, and now, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize another great leader in the House of Representatives from the State of Texas, Congressman John Carter.

Thank you, John, and now, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize someone who has led us in so many of these issues for so many years from the State of Michigan, Congressman Vern Ehlers.

Thank you, Vernon.

Mr. Speaker, now I would like to recognize, from the State of Colorado, Mr. Doug Lamborn.

Thank you, Doug.

Now I'd like to recognize Mr. David Davis from Tennessee.

Thank you. Now I would like to recognize from Arizona, Mr. Trent Franks.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for our time. I know that our time is expired. We have a few other gentlemen that I hope will be recognized later by the House. But, Mr. Speaker, thank you for your patience.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

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

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 56 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at 9:30 a.m.

Thank you, Congressman Wolf.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the privileged resolution offered by my good friend from Virginia, but I just want to make clear of one thing. This is not just about computers in the House of Representatives. This is about computers and information technologies all across the country.

China is among the most aggressive countries spying on the United States. The FBI has stated that China is and will continue to be America's greatest counterintelligence problem during the next 10 to 15 years.

FBI Director Mueller has testified before House committees that China's intelligence collection in the U.S. is substantial and ongoing. The extent of Chinese espionage operations targeting the United States should worry every single Member that we have here.

And Madam Speaker, the reason it's so important is they don't use the same techniques that a lot of countries do, they use a much wider scope. And we understand that economic and industrial espionage cost American businesses nearly $60 billion in 2005.

Director Mueller has stated that China has established more than 3,000 front companies in the United States whose purpose is to conduct espionage on Americans. And America's national security, intellectual property secrets, trade secrets, and infrastructure secrets are all at considerable risk.

If you look at your own computers, and not just the illegal access, but next to the United States, the largest number of hits that my computer has in my office is from China; 14,000 hits. I guarantee you I don't have many constituents that are residing in Beijing, but it could have something to do with the fact that I serve on the Armed Services Committee and chair the China Caucus.

Let me give you two other examples. Chi Mak was a Chinese spy who worked for a United States defense contractor. In 2005, an FBI wiretap caught him discussing how to smuggle an encrypted computer disk to China that had intelligence information that could potentially jeopardize the U.S. Navy.

Secondly, we had Katrina Leung, which public sources have indicated operated as a double agent for China and the United States and contaminated probably two decades worth of U.S. intelligence relating to China as well as crippling the FBI's Chinese counterintelligence program.

She accessed such sensitive intelligence through entrapment of a senior FBI agent. Both examples illustrate serious threats to America's security, and they're the ones we know about from public sources.

I have introduced H.R. 3806, the SPIES Act, to help strengthen penalties against these serious foreign espionage threats. We cannot continue to fight today's espionage threats with yesterday's laws. Yet while we continue to name post office after post office in this body we can't find the time to consider this legislation.

Mister Speaker, we must be mindful of the dangers of dismissing a known, ongoing security threat. Turning a blind eye will not address this issue, and I appreciate my colleague for calling our attention to this important issue that affects the House of Representatives and the country at large. I fully support the resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, consistent with Republican earmark standards, the following are detailed fInance plans for each of my requested projects in the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009, H.R. 5658.

Requesting Member: Congressman J. Randy Forbes.

Bill Number: H.R. 5658.

Account: Military Construction, Navy.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Address of Requesting Entity: Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA,

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment to create an advisory panel between the Department of Defense and the State Department.

Under the leadership of Chairman Skelton, Chairman Berman and Chairwoman Lowey, I believe we've taken the first of what I hope will be many steps to reform the Interagency process.

As Chairman Skelton said yesterday, reforming the way our Federal agencies cooperate is not going to happen in 1 year.

We have 19 Federal departments that have Cabinet-level authority, each with their own mission, culture, and priorities. But whether it is coordinating a uniform and united response to a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina, whether it's organizing counterterrorism efforts between the CIA, FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, or whether it's coordinating food safety efforts between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security, it's critical that our agencies are not restricted by regulations or cultures that lead to distrust rather than one of cooperation.

The American people expect their government agencies to work together to be responsive and effective in carrying out the duties of government: keeping America safe, enforcing justice, and providing assistance in times of crisis. Americans expect this to be the case in our government's dealing, both at home and around the world.

So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, which establishes an advisory panel between two of our largest departments. This panel will identify ways those departments can collaborate more effectively to address national security challenges we face.

I want to thank Chairman Skelton for his leadership and his commitment to this issue.

It's my pleasure to rise in strong support of this bill tonight. I also want to express my feelings about what a rare moment this is in Congress when you can have a committee like this where the members on both sides of the aisle have such friendships, where they are able to work together in a bipartisan solution to defend this country, and where they can pass a bill of this magnitude unanimously, and that is due in large measure to the leadership of our chairman, Chairman Skelton, also to the leadership of our ranking member, Duncan Hunter, and to the chairman of our Readiness subcommittee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz).

We've heard a lot of people today talk about the great leadership of Duncan Hunter. The truth is that we could stand here all night and we wouldn't say enough because there is and has been no greater champion for the men and women that we have in uniform and for the national defense of this country than Duncan Hunter. Duncan, we appreciate your great work.

This is a good bill. This bill provides more than $550 million in funding above the President's request to address much-needed equipment, repairs, and maintenance that will particularly help the National Guard and the Reserves. When you add that to the additional depot maintenance provided in the bill, it's a great step towards restoring readiness.

Additionally, the bill provide $650 million to increase funding to repair aging barracks for the Army and Marine Corps. We also send a clear message that this committee and this Congress is going to fully fund and implement the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round by the September, 2011 deadline, and we are not going to forget the communities that are impacted by BRAC, especially those that will have large increases of students because we are going to provide the new Federal education funds immediately rather than making them wait for the next year.

While so many of the provisions make this a good bill, there are two points where I think we can do better, and I hope we do so in the conference with the Senate. In the first case, this bill explicitly prohibits public-private competition for 3 years, competitions that could have saved the military billions of dollars and avoided costs which they could use for additional weapons, additional personnel, additional benefits. The government does not have a monopoly on good ideas. If a company can prove in a fair and open competition that it can do the government's work for less, that company should have the opportunity.

In the second case, there is a very well-intended provision to ensure we have world class facilities at the new Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Unfortunately, the more we have learned about the impact of this provision, the more I am concerned that it would result in broken construction contracts and delays that would cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in redesign and construction costs, with no tangible benefit to our servicemen and women.

With those exceptions, I am extremely proud of this bill, and I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, as it will do much to restore the readiness of our military.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in order to honor a true American patriot who has devoted his entire adult life to the service of his country. Today, the Army is proud to dedicate the Automation Training Facility of the Army Quartermaster Center and School in the name of retired GEN Richard H. Thompson at Fort Lee, Virginia. General Thompson's career reflects 43 years of outstanding service to the Army and to the Nation. General Thompson is distinct in the quartermaster career field, as he is the only soldier in that career field to ascend from the rank of Private all the way to the rank of a full, four-star General.

Upon completion of the Quartermaster Officer Advanced Course at Fort Lee in 1960, General Thompson served overseas before returning to the United States in 1961. He served multiple posts as a staff officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics for the Army, eventually reaching the position of Deputy Chief. In 1984, he was promoted to General and given command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, a post he held until his retirement in 1987.

General Thompson is highly regarded as a pioneer in Army logistics. During the 1980s he helped modernize the Army's logistical operations. General Thompson is also credited with updating and improving the Army's logistics capabilities for the military's post-cold-war operations. This included his leadership in the expansion of newer automated equipment and techniques, and in the integration of those components throughout the joint services. He was inducted into the Quartermaster Hall of Fame in 1991.

As the representative of the citizens of Virginia's 4th District--and home to Fort Lee--it gives me great pride to honor and thank General Thompson for his dedicated service to the United States of America. Please join me in congratulating him and Fort Lee on the dedication of the Automation Training Facility of the Army Quartermaster Center and School in his name.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Cpl. Thomas Herrera, who enlisted in the United States Army on September 12, 2007. Cpl. Herrera's notable career spans 18 years, and his record of achievements during this period reflects greatly upon himself and upon the organizations with which he has served.

A native of Austin, Texas, Cpl. Herrera has followed a diverse career path of increasing responsibility culminating in his enlistment into the U.S. Army. Mr. Herrera is currently serving as Corporal at Fort Lee, Virginia. Previously, Cpl. Herrera served in the Army National Guard in the States of Massachusetts and Nevada from 2006-2007, when he began active Federal service. From 1987-1990, he served in the U.S. Air Force.

From 1990-1991, Cpl. Herrera worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census as a Computer Operator. Following this, he took a position as Human Resource Assistant for the Governor of Texas from 1991-1996. Cpl. Herrera left government service in 1996 to begin a near ten-year journey in academia, earning commendable credentials that prepared him for his future military and government service.

In May 2001, Cpl. Herrera graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a BA in Government Politics. In May 2002, he graduated from the Southern Methodist University with a MLA in Liberal Arts/History. Finally, in December 2005, Cpl. Herrera concluded his academic journey with an MA in Criminology & Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Cpl. Herrera has also taken it upon himself to become fluent in Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Russian. Additionally, he has a working knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

Cpl. Herrera is married to the former Kasi Ann Roberts of Jacksonville, North Carolina. They were married on March 10, 2006 and have one daughter, Emma Belen Herrera, born on February 2, 2006. Mrs. Herrera's parents reside in Sherman, Texas. Although Cpl. Herrera's parents are deceased, he has close family that reside in Austin and Dallas, Texas.

Throughout his life, Cpl. Herrera has overcome poverty and hardship in an effort to meet incredible personal goals and objectives.

Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Corporal Thomas James Herrera, for his commitment to academic and professional success. He is a remarkable public servant who has served our Nation and epitomized the dedication and professionalism that make our military a model all over the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize my pastor and dear friend, Rev. Charles L. Moseley on the occasion of his retirement from nearly 40 years of service as pastor of Great Bridge Baptist Church in Chesapeake, VA.

Charles Moseley was born in Camden, SC, the fifth child and only son of Fred and Julia Moseley. Growing up in a small town, Charles felt the influence of his godly mother and father. One evening in October 1949 after a revival service at First Baptist of Camden, while Charles and his friends were watching an eclipse of the moon, he felt the call of God to full-time Christian ministry.

Charles started his higher education achieving his associate of arts degree from Wingate Jr. College in January 1952. He went on to receive his bachelor of arts degree in English from Coker College in January 1954. Continuing to be led by the Lord, Charles then entered Southeastern Seminary at Wake Forest, NC, and graduated with a bachelor of divinity in January 1958. He later earned a master of divinity from Southeastern Seminary in the early 1970s. Throughout these years of college, Charles continued to see God's hand on his life in many ways through financial help, mentoring from professors, and preaching in churches in the area.

During his time at seminary, Charles preached in many churches but was led to pastor two churches in Dillon County, SC. He would travel between the two churches on Sunday preaching at one at 10 a.m. and the other at 11 a.m. It was during this time in December 1956 that he met his future wife, Louise Martin. At the time, Lou was serving as education director of the First Baptist Church of Dillon, SC. They were married in June 1957.

As a senior at seminary, many offers from churches came for him to serve as pastor but Charles was not led to any of them until he received an offer from a small church in Valdese, NC, in early 1958. Abee's Grove Baptist was a small country church located in the mountains of North Carolina with a Sunday morning attendance between 100 to 150 people.

Pastor Moseley and his family left this church in 1962 to begin a ministry at the First Baptist Church of Carthage, NC. Located near Pinehurst, NC, First Baptist was a dignified little church with a beautiful pipe organ, stained glass windows and friendly congregation.

From the beginning of his studies, Charles had the desire to be a chaplain in the Air Force but that was not the Lord's path for him. He did however, serve in the National Guard and proudly retired from the U.S. Army Reserve with 23 years of service.

Even in the beginning of his ministry, Charles had always thought he would be the pastor of a small church, never imaging that the Lord would lead him to shepherd a large, vibrant, and growing church. However, in 1969 Charles and his family felt the call to Great Bridge Baptist Church, a church of 650 members in a rural area near Norfolk, VA. Throughout his ministry at Great Bridge Baptist, Pastor Moseley has always maintained that he is a pastor first, serving his people wherever their needs are. His greatest desire is to be a servant reaching out to his congregants during their most important times-- marriage, birth, death, crisis, sickness, sorrow, fear, joy.

When asked what he would say is a highlight of his ministry at Great Bridge Baptist, Pastor Moseley recalled that one of the greatest of his delights is experiencing someone coming to know the Lord. The blessing of leading a person to know Christ as his/her Savior is the joy of his life.

Madam Speaker, in the nearly 40 years of service at Great Bridge Baptist Church, Pastor Moseley has steadfastly led his congregation in the footsteps of Christ, touching thousands of lives with the joy and peace of the Lord. Through the many years that my family and I have attended Great Bridge Baptist, I have come to know Rev. Moseley as a model of selfless service and great spiritual leadership. Today we thank him for his service to us and most importantly his service to the Lord and we ask God's special blessing on him and his family as they pursue the joys and challenges of this next phase of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding and for his leadership on the Armed Services Committee throughout the years.

I rise today in strong support of the conference agreement for the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. I also want to take a moment to thank Chairman Skelton and Mr. Hunter for their leadership and hard work in getting us to this point.

This conference report is the culmination of 102 House Armed Services Committee hearings, a comparable number of informational briefings and untold hours of debate and discussion with our friends in the Senate. This bill reflects our strong and continued support for the brave men and women of the United States armed services, and I thank both of these gentlemen for moving forward a robust, bipartisan Defense authorization bill.

I also want to thank Mr. Ortiz, my subcommittee chairman and good friend, for his outstanding leadership of the Readiness Subcommittee.

This conference report provides funding authorization and support for our military and civilian personnel serving in the global war on terrorism while at the same time seeking to reverse declining trends in readiness.

Major highlights include: It provides $18.4 billion for the Army and $8.6 billion for the Marine Corps to address equipment reset requirements. It provides $980 million for critical National Guard equipment. It authorizes $1 billion for the Strategic Readiness Fund. It establishes the Defense Materiel Readiness Board. It requires quarterly rating and reporting of National Guard readiness for homeland defense missions. It provides a 3.5 percent pay increase to our men and women in uniform. It increases the end strength in the Army and the Marine Corps to improve readiness and meet the threats of the 21st century. It authorizes $2.8 billion in military construction funding to support these end-strength increases. And it authorizes funding to examine the national security interagency process. As many of you know, this is an issue that is overdue for reform, and many of us are pleased to see this begin to be examined more closely.

Mr. Speaker, we are all very aware that our continued global presence and ongoing combat operations are taxing current readiness levels. We also know that all of the military services are facing aging equipment inventories and are in need of recapitalization and modernization funding. Striking the balance between sustaining readiness today and ensuring a healthy, ready force tomorrow is a vast and complex challenge. This conference report strikes a good balance between sustaining what we've got while ensuring a well-trained, all-volunteer force with modern equipment will be available in the future.

This conference report deserves your support.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to, at this time yield so much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio, Congressman Chabot, who was an original cosponsor of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join those voices in support of H.R. 3791, the Securing Adolescents from Exploitation-Online Act of 2007, otherwise known as the SAFE Act.

Child pornography is a profitable, global criminal enterprise and is growing rapidly in technical sophistication in response to efforts to detect and disrupt these criminal operations. It is despicable in its scope and in its vicious victimization of children.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that 50,000 child predators are online at any time searching for potential victims. The Internet is a virtual playground for sexual predators, who satiate their desire for child pornography with relative anonymity.

H.R. 3791, the SAFE Act, would, first of all, strengthen the requirements applicable to Internet service providers to report violations of child pornography laws, and second, provide limited liability to ISPs, telecommunications carriers, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in connection with the reporting to law enforcement agencies of child pornography violations.

This legislation is a good first step in addressing the problem of child pornography. However, there is much more that needs to be done. In February 2007, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Smith and I introduced H.R. 837, the Internet SAFETY Act of 2007, a comprehensive proposal to provide law enforcement with the tools and resources needed to deal with the problem of child pornography. Unfortunately, the majority has chosen not to consider this vital proposal. I am hopeful that the majority will bring H.R. 837 up for consideration by the Judiciary Committee and then to the House floor.

Our children deserve as much protection as we can provide. They are vulnerable victims of the child pornography industry. We need to do more. A first step is good, but we cannot stop here. We must keep moving forward to keep our children safe.

Mr. Speaker, 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 H.R. 1759, the Managing Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act of 2007.

I want to first commend my colleagues from California, Congresswoman Bono and Congressman Schiff, for their hard work on this legislation.

My colleagues from California know all too well the devastation that arson causes. The wildfires that burned across much of southern California in October killed 14 people and injured as many as 70 others. The fires touched over a half million acres from Los Angeles to the Mexican border and displaced 513,000 people from their homes. Costs in San Diego County alone were projected to exceed $1 billion.

Sadly, just 2 weeks ago, another fire in Malibu, California destroyed 35 homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents. Two of the October fires, the Santiago fire in Orange County and the Buckweed fire in Los Angeles, we now know were set deliberately.

Many arsonists begin by starting small fires and then escalate to larger and larger fires to increase their sense of excitement. Unfortunately, only 17.1 percent of arson offenses result in convictions nationwide because the evidence needed to convict these arsonists is often destroyed in the fire.

As arsonists become more sophisticated in their technique, identifying them and prosecuting them becomes more challenging. Each year, an estimated 267,000 fires are caused by arson. In recent years, arson has been used to burn churches and protest urban sprawl. But the ongoing threat remains those who set fires to get a rush and feed a compulsion.

We may never be able to fully prevent wildfires, but we can implement tools to help prevent arsonists, particularly serial arsonists, from eluding law enforcement and escaping punishment.

The MATCH Act creates a national arson registry and requires criminal arsonists to report where they live, work, and go to school. In addition, the bill requires the national database to include finger and palm prints and an up-to-date photograph. The MATCH Act will assist law enforcement officials with identifying and apprehending arsonists, particularly serial arsonists and eco-terrorists.

I want to once again thank Congresswoman Bono and Congressman Schiff for working with the committee staff to make a number of important bipartisan changes to the original bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California, Congresswoman Bono, who has worked so hard on this matter and seen firsthand the effects arsonists can have.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I support House Resolution 826 to condemn the vicious act of hanging a noose with the intent to intimidate and terrorize. Our country's tragic history of brutal, racially motivated lynchings will be forever associated with the vile symbol of the hanging noose.

The noose was used to instill fear in African Americans during our Nation's struggle to protect the civil rights of all Americans. During our country's period of reconstruction following the Civil War, the infamous Ku Klux Klan and others used lynching to strike fear into the hearts of African Americans. Lynchings were used to dehumanize their victims, who were often horribly tortured and disfigured before they were hung by a mob.

Today, everyone should recognize that the stark image of a dangling noose, intended to intimidate and terrify, should be condemned in the strongest of terms. And those who are ignorant of the terrifying history of the symbol of the dangling noose must be educated, such that they understand its grotesque history and come to never see its use as a harmless prank.

There have been a disturbing number of recent incidents in which nooses have been found under suspicious circumstances. Those incidents are being investigated, and must be investigated. But we should also be aware that some of these incidents may have been motivated by the perverse desire for publicity. On Sunday, the Baltimore Sun reported on a hoax in which a firefighter who reported finding a knotted rope and a threatening note with a drawing of a noose in an East Baltimore station house last month had placed the items there himself.

We also know of an instance in which another symbol of hate, a swastika, was drawn on the door of a Jewish student at George Washington University, but she later confessed to drawing the swastika herself after she was caught doing so on a security camera.

We should recognize today that those who use symbols of hate for any improper reason, including to get attention for one's own cause, are contributing just as much to an atmosphere of intimidation as those who do so motivated by hate for another group.

Finally, I want to note that while I support this resolution, one of its provisions states that any use of the noose symbol as a means of intimidation that constitutes a crime ``should be vigorously prosecuted.'' That provision should be viewed in light of the Department of Justice's policy on the Federal prosecution of juveniles.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I would be happy to agree to that.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege now to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, on this bill that I think is supported by virtually every Member of this house, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

With that advice, I would just like to again encourage all of our Members, and I believe everybody stands in support of this resolution, and I hope they will all vote in favor of it.

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