Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a long-time community servant, a dedicated teacher and historian, and my friend, Miss Johnnie Whitelaw.

In more than 20 years of knowing Johnnie, I have grown to see how important she is to our community in Dyersburg and how much she is loved by her friends, former students and neighbors throughout West Tennessee. An active leader of the Dyer County Democratic Party, Johnnie was also a teacher and librarian from 1972 to 1991.

Even after retiring, however, she did not give up on one of her greatest loves--collecting oral, photographic and written first-hand accounts of history so that we and future generations will forever understand the history of West Tennessee and the stories of its people. Her contributions will truly be appreciated for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I hope you and all our colleagues will join me in congratulating Miss Johnnie Whitelaw on her upcoming honor from the Dyer County branch of the NAACP, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Community Resource Development and Order of the Eastern Star, organizations which understand how valuable Miss Johnnie's contributions have been to our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the long, distinguished career of an esteemed educator, a dedicated public servant, a tireless community leader and my friend, Richard Chesteen, PhD.

Richard's academic career began almost 50 years ago. He earned his Associate's Degree from Holmes Junior College, his Bachelor's Degree from Delta State University, then his Master's Degree and Doctoral Degree in Political Science at the University of Mississippi. We have been fortunate to have him as a professor and faculty leader at the University of Tennessee at Martin, in the heart of northwest Tennessee, since 1969.

Dr. Chesteen's leadership has always stretched beyond the edge of the UTM campus. He has held active positions in scores of government and political organizations in Weakley and Obion counties and throughout Tennessee. Richard has served on the Obion County Commission, the Obion County Regional Planning Commission and the Obion County Democratic Party.

Statewide, Richard was a candidate for governor in the 1994 primary, where he earned a reputation for working on thoughtful solutions toward the problems facing our state at that time. Over the years, he has also served on the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, the Tennessee County Services Association and Tennessee Cares,

an organization to help single parents with the educational support they need to get back into the workforce. These are just a few of an extensive list of ways Richard has served our community and state.

Even as he looks toward retirement, Dr. Chesteen is not giving up on his dedication to education. He has helped found the Richard Chesteen Endowment for Government Internships at the University of Tennessee Martin to offer more first-hand opportunities for today's political science students, who will be the leaders of tomorrow, both in this great chamber and in other leadership positions throughout our country.

Madam Speaker, I hope you and our colleagues will join me in congratulating Richard Chesteen and his family on his retirement, thanking him for his tireless service and honoring his work with the new Endowment for Government Internships.

Madam Speaker, as slow as I talk, I'll talk fast.

No political leadership in the history of this country has done what these people have done at the White House and here in the Congress in the last 6 years. When they say they oppose raising taxes, let me tell you, they have placed the largest adjustable rate mortgage on the American people in the history of humankind.

Just in the last 72 months this country has borrowed more money in a shorter period of time than ever in its history. We're presently borrowing from foreigners a little over $20 million an hour.

When in the name of all that is holy are you going to stop? We are trying to pay our bill and you won't let us. The Republicans in the Senate won't let us.

When you place a $50 billion debt on every man, woman and child in this country to protect less than 10,000 people who are exploiting a tax loophole, and this is exactly what's happening here, when in the name of all that's holy are you going to quit? When China forecloses us?

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Madam Speaker, this rule embodies a fundamental principle of responsible stewardship of this country, and that is to live within our means and pay our bills.

There are some folks around here who apparently don't believe the laws of arithmetic apply past the steps of the Capitol or the front door of the White House. Well, they do. And there's some who've said deficits don't matter. Well, if that was true, we'd just borrow what we need to get along and forget about it, not have any Tax Code at all. Everybody knows that that is ludicrous.

What we have witnessed over the last 72 months is something that has not occurred in the history of this country since 1776, and that is the willful and knowing plunge into debt by our continued refusal to pay our bills.

When they say we can pass the AMT fix and we don't have to pay for it because it was never intended on these folks, and therefore, it doesn't exist, if I said that in Tennessee, they would say that fellow's been in Washington too long; we've got to get him home. That is absurd.

The arguments to justify borrowing more money right now for all future generations plus us, to me, are the worst of political rhetoric.

Somebody's going to pay this bill. We have asked the CBO, and they say if we don't pay for it, instead of $50 billion, with the interest carry, it will be $80 billion. And so it's not unlike a credit card, and we have a Nation's credit card here.

I think we are looking at warning signs all over the world. When people begin to talk about the dollar, when the dollar has fallen to where it is, to when people say maybe the euro is a better alternative for us right now than the dollar, these are warning signs that this country cannot and must not continue down this fiscal path.

All of us took an oath to uphold the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I think there's financial vulnerability that has been created and in a way that has never been done before.

Go to the U.S. Treasury Web site. This administration and this Congress over the last 6 years, before last year when we started trying to pay the bills, borrowed more money from foreign sources than all 42 administrations before it put together. That's not a political argument; that was the numbers. And the more we do, the more the interest is. We have transferred over $700 billion in interest payments to people around the world. This year we have removed, basically from the tax base that we had in the summer of 2001, $131 billion, by CBO's calculations, every year.

When we don't pay the bills when we pass these measures, when we don't pay for them, what we are basically doing is enacting a tax on the American people in the form of interest payments that cannot be repealed. That is wrong. It is, I think, a violation of our oath of office to continue to argue that we can pass bills without paying for them.

I thank Mr. Cardoza and the Rules Committee for bringing another bill here, and I hope our colleagues here in the House and the Senate will understand what we're trying to say.

Madam Speaker, thank you very much, and I will be brief because we have a lot of Blue Dogs here tonight that are going to speak to this issue, and they will elaborate on what I have to say.

The PAYGO rule, as we have here now as Mr. Ross pointed out, is basically what all of us do in our private lives. We live within our means. We pay our bills, and we hope we have some left to invest in the future. This

government has done none of that. And some people around here have argued about the AMT situation that you alluded to, that we don't have to pay for that because it wasn't intended to affect these people; therefore, it doesn't exist. If I said that in Tennessee, they would say that fellow's been in Washington too long. Only in Washington would somebody even dare make a statement as ludicrous as that is.

We've also heard people here in this town say deficits don't matter. Well, if deficits don't matter, why don't we abolish the tax code and just borrow what we need? Of course deficits matter; they matter to all of us.

Some people around here think the laws of arithmetic stop at the steps of the Capitol and the front door of the White House. Well, they don't, and this is why.

As we are plunging this country into debt that's been done on a massive scale in the last 6 years, that no political leadership in the history of this country has gone there, we are transferring more and more of our assets to foreign-held powers. We transferred over $700 billion in the form of interest payments overseas just in the last 72 months.

They talk about, well, we don't have to pay for this because we didn't intend it. Somebody's going to pay for it. There's no free lunch. People have been looking for a free lunch since the dawn of civilization. It does not exist, and I would contend that if we are going to keep our moral authority to govern as stewards of this country, then the time and place where we are now, elected to public office, if we do not reverse this and start paying our bills, we will undermine, I believe, that and we'll also undermine this country.

I think this is a defining moment for us, and we're going to fight. Davy Crockett was from my district. We're going to make this an Alamo- type situation around this issue because this is a critical tool of this Congress and the American people in order to act financially and responsibly.

I can't thank the Blue Dogs enough for their devotion to this idea of we're going to leave this place better than when we found it, and that's what this is all about.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the recent professional honor bestowed on my former high school classmate and good friend, Dr. Ronald H. Kirkland.

A practicing otolaryngologist for nearly a quarter of a century, Ron was elected as the 2008 Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Medical Group Association, AMGA, located in Alexandria, Virginia.

AMGA represents more than 300 medical groups, including some of the Nation's largest, most prestigious integrated healthcare delivery systems. AMGA members deliver health care to more than 50 million patients in 42 States, including 15 million lives.

Dr. Kirkland is the past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jackson Clinic Professional Association in Jackson, Tennessee, a multi- specialty group practice of more than 130 physicians in 25 specialties and sub-specialties in 14 West Tennessee locations.

In addition to his medical career, in which he was twice selected by his peers as among the ``Best Doctors in America'' and once as one of ``America's Top Physicians,'' Ron has held leadership responsibilities in a variety of educational, medical, religious, business and political organizations.

Ron received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and completed residencies both there and at the Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a member of the American Medical Association and the Tennessee Medical Association, and is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. Ron also served his country in the U.S. Army as a counter-intelligence officer in Vietnam.

Madam Speaker, Dr. Kirkland and his colleagues bring a unique perspective on coordinated care for chronically ill patients, health information technology, and quality care to our continuing debate on health policy. I look forward to working with my friend Ron Kirkland during his tenure as Chairman of the Board of Directors at AMGA.

Mr. Speaker, trade is not a political issue; trade is an economic issue. The economics of this agreement are such that Peru, if you voted for the Andean trade preference, already has access to our markets without regard to tariffs and duty. This is the other side of the coin and will allow us to immediately export into Peru cotton, soybeans, soybean meal, crude soybean oil, beef, wheat, sorghum, peanuts. This is the other side of the Andean Trade Preference Act. So if you believe, as I do, that in this country we can grow more food than we can consume, we can make more stuff than we can buy and sell to each other, then it's not a political argument; it's an economic fact of capitalism that whoever is engaged in that excess production is going to lose their job because we cannot eat all the food we can grow and we can't buy and sell to each other all the stuff we make.

So how do we save jobs in this country? By exporting manufactured goods and agricultural products that we can grow and that we can make. This allows us to do better than current law.

Now, if you want to vote ``no,'' what do you get? You get status quo. I thought that's what we were trying to change. We don't like status quo. We want more jobs in America. How do you get more jobs? You get more jobs by allowing people who are engaged in excess production to sell it to somebody else out of this country. That's what it's about.

There is one more aspect that I would like to touch on briefly, the national security aspect. South America is going to go one way or the other. I was just in Colombia, South America this last weekend. Chavez and Venezuela is against this. Are you with Chavez or are you with America? That really is basically what I am trying to talk about.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 234) calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to respect the human rights of refugees from North Korea.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume in speaking on behalf and in support of this resolution.

I would first like to thank our colleague, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, Ed Royce of California, for introducing this resolution.

North Korea is quite literally, as we know from satellite images, one of the darkest places on Earth. One can see that when these images are taken from space at night. It has an underdeveloped economy which cannot supply even the most basic utilities. People there live under this darkness.

It's well-known that the North Korean regime regularly uses imprisonment, forced labor, torture and execution to intimidate the people into submission. Therefore, many try to flee their country each year, thousands crossing into northeastern China.

Some are driven by starvation or desperate poverty. Some flee because they fear persecution for their thoughts and beliefs.

I would say that given this situation most North Koreans, given the choice, would leave. So the regime clamps down ruthlessly to stop this flow of refugees.

Yet, the sad fact is that those who successfully make it may face further human rights abuses by the Government of the People's Republic of China. Beijing is fearful of attracting too many refugees. So it tries to disincentivize the North Koreans.

The government sometimes imprisons these people who cross into China; and in an attempt to avoid its responsibilities under the United Nations Conventions and Protocols that govern the status of refugees, to which the PRC is a signatory, China falsely labels North Korean refugees as economic migrants.

This cynical excuse Beijing uses to thwart the legitimate needs of these refugees will not allow the U.N. High Commissioner of Refugees access to northeastern China to assess the welfare of the North Koreans who are there.

The disturbing truth is that those in China go to great lengths to attract North Korean refugees through sex and labor trafficking.

H. Con. Res. 234 calls on Beijing to stop this awful charade and live up to its moral and legal obligations. It further demands that China stop repatriating North Korean refugees; that it honor the United Nations Conventions and honor the status of refugees; and that it provide unfettered access to the U.N. High Commissioner on this subject.

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution.

North Korea is quite literally one of the darkest places on Earth. Satellite images show us that North Korea at night is covered in an eerie black, in sharp contrast to the bright lights emanating from the lively, modern cities that dot the rest of North East Asia.

This dramatic image is stark evidence of North Korea's backwards, underdeveloped economy, which cannot supply even the most basic utilities.

But it is also a cold reminder of the horrific conditions that the North Korean people, who live under the cover of this darkness, must endure.

It is well known that the North Korean regime regularly uses imprisonment, forced labor, torture, and execution to intimidate the people of North Korea into submission.

It is no wonder that so many North Koreans attempt to flee their country. Each year, thousands and thousands cross the border into Northeastern China.

Some are driven by starvation or desperate poverty. Some flee because they fear persecution for their thoughts, beliefs, or simply because a member of the regime has arbitrarily labeled them a risk.

Pyongyang knows that given the choice most North Koreans would leave, and so the regime clamps down ruthlessly to try and stop the flow, making an already dangerous trek even more perilous.

Yet, the sad fact is that those who successfully brave the hazards of the border crossing face further human rights abuses by the government of the People's Republic of China on the other side.

Beijing is fearful of attracting too many refugees, and so it brutally tries to create disincentives for North Korean refugees.

The government imprisons North Koreans who cross into China, subjecting them to terrible conditions and abuse, only to repatriate them to North Korea, where they face likely torture or execution.

In an attempt to avoid its responsibilities under the United Nations Conventions and Protocols that govern the status of refugees, to which the PRC is a signatory, China falsely labels North Korean refugees ``economic migrants.''

Using this cynical excuse Beijing stubbornly refuses to provide for the legitimate needs of these refugees and will not allow the U.N. High Commissioner of Refugees access to Northeastern China to assess the welfare of North Koreans there.

The disturbing truth is that there are those in China who go to great lengths to attract North Korean refugees, through sex and labor trafficking.

H. Con. Res. 234 calls on Beijing to stop this awful charade, and live up to its moral and legal obligations. It demands that China stop repatriating North Korean refugees, that it honor the United Nations Conventions that govern the status of refugees, and that it provide unfettered access to the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees so that these people who have suffered so terribly can finally receive the protection and fair treatment they so richly need and deserve.

I strongly support this resolution and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to Mr. Moran of Virginia.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 573) recognizing and commending the efforts of the United States public and advocacy groups to raise awareness about and help end the worsening humanitarian crisis and genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) for his efforts in this regard and to say

a few words, so I will yield myself such time as I may consume before I recognize the gentleman from Virginia.

The genocide in Darfur has taken a horrific toll on that region. Well over 60 percent of the villages have been destroyed, 2 million people displaced, 400,000 killed, and 200,000 driven into refugee camps in neighboring Chad.

Thanks to the work of tens of thousands of Americans, the genocide has not been ignored. All over the country, local communities have been organizing and mobilizing with regard to this issue.

In response to the call for divestment from Sudan, 20 States have adopted divestment from Sudan policies and another 20 have it under consideration; 58 universities and colleges have adopted policies to divest pension funds from Sudan and another 47 are pursuing similar policies.

In addition, 10 cities, eight international and religious organizations and eight countries have either adopted policies or are in the process of so doing, while seven major international corporations have ceased doing business with the government in Sudan.

While this Congress, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Bush have described atrocities in Sudan as genocide and hold the Sudan overwhelmingly responsible, the international community has yet to come together to put an end to the genocide.

I want to commend the American people for not giving up on this issue. The U.N. is deploying peacekeepers. Foreign and civil society groups are also involved.

Muslim pop stars from around the world recently came together at a charity concert for Darfur. The head of the sponsoring organization, Islamic Relief, said, ``British Muslims must unite and raise their voices over the issue of Darfur.''

We cannot allow our voices to remain silent. Therefore, I urge all of our citizens and activist organizations to continue speaking out on Darfur and to continue pressure for economic sanctions and real civilian protections.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield as much time as she might consume to the gentlelady from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 726) calling on the President of the United States and the international community to take immediate steps to respond to and prevent acts of rape and sexual violence

against women and girls in Darfur, Sudan, eastern Chad and the Central African Republic, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

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

I want to thank Congresswoman DeLauro for this important resolution that focuses again on one of the most heinous crimes of war known to humans: the rape of women.

In the process of the Darfur genocide, women and girls have been targeted specifically. And I will let her speak more about this, but when women living in refugee camps, for example, were asked why they went to fetch water and risk rape rather than the men, they answered, If we let the men go, they will be killed. It is better for us to be raped than for our husbands to be killed.

It goes on and on, Mr. Speaker, but I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the author of the resolution, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 740) condemning in the strongest terms the attacks on African Union peacekeepers that occurred in Haskanita, Darfur, Sudan, on September 29, 2007, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

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

Let me thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee for introducing this resolution, which condemns the recent vicious and deadly assault on African Union forces.

On September 29, 2007, an estimated 1,000 members of a heavily armed group of Darfur rebels overran a small African Union base in Haskanita in Darfur. Ten peacekeepers were brutally killed, seven wounded, and 50 others are missing. Seven of those killed were Nigerian soldiers. The other three were unarmed military observers and civilian police officers from Mali, Senegal, and Botswana. With consideration of this resolution today, the U.S. Congress sends its condolences to their respective governments and to their families who have made the ultimate sacrifice in a war far from their native soil.

While the nations of the world deplore the war in Darfur and have provided significant humanitarian assistance to refugees and displaced persons, we still have not demonstrated the will to end this crisis. The United Nations is intensely lobbying countries to provide helicopters for a U.N. African Union peacekeeping force, one of many obstacles to starting the mission. According to recent reports, no country has made a credible offer to provide the 24 transport and attack helicopters needed for the 26,000-strong force.

This lack of helicopters, in part, accounts for the deadly attack on AU troops.

After Rwanda, the world said, never again, never again would we stand by and let another genocide take place; yet we continue to fail in Darfur. For over 4 years now, we have failed.

Today, our Congress calls upon our allies and friends to help put an end to this nightmare. We call on the Sudanese Government, its militia and rebel forces to take up seriously peace negotiations in that part of the world.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I am pleased to yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 747) recognizing the religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

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

Our colleague and my friend, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, introduced this resolution that seeks to recognize the significance of the festival of Diwali. Diwali is celebrated as victory of good over evil for some, and as a remembrance of liberation for others. Ultimately, it is a day of joy celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains throughout the world, particularly by Indians and Indian Americans.

With more than 2 million devotees of these faiths in our country, this resolution honors this holiday and those who cherish its message.

There are few religious holidays that are celebrated by a multitude of faiths, and it is a tribute to the diversity of India and to our country that we have such a rich religious heritage in our societies. By celebrating Diwali, we also are celebrating this diversity, a shared value that has brought the United States and India closer together through the years.

Much has been said about our two countries being natural partners in this world; and the importance of having multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and, indeed, multi-religious societies cannot be overemphasized.

For these reasons, I look forward to celebrating this festival and strongly support the resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I recently led a bipartisan House delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly meetings in Reykjavik, Iceland, from October 5-October 9. The co-chair of my delegation was the Hon. John Shimkus. In addition, Representatives John Boozman, Jo Ann Emerson, Jeff Miller, Dennis Moore, Ralph Regula, Mike Ross, David Scott, Ellen Tauscher, and Tom Udall, and staff, worked to make these meetings a success in the examination of a number of front-line NATO issues.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly brings together members of parliament from all 26 allied states. In addition, observer delegations from such countries as Russia, Georgia, Macedonia, Croatia, and Albania bring a wide range of views to the table in discussion of issues of interest to Americans and Europeans. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly breaks into committees for presentation and discussion of reports by the parliamentary delegates. These sessions provide an opportunity to gauge the issues of greatest interest to NATO governments, and give our own Members not only the chance to voice their own views, but to understand the debates occurring in such key countries as Germany, France, and Britain.

There were several key issues that surfaced in the different committees. NATO's mission in Afghanistan was perhaps the most important. The future of Kosovo, now in the final stages of its quest for independence, was another. Enlargement of the alliance, an important subject of discussion at the coming NATO summit in Bucharest in April 2008, drew considerable attention. Other issues evident in the different committees were Russia's relations with the alliance, energy security, and missile defense.

I have been chairman of the Committee on Economics and Security, and was re-elected to that position in Reykjavik. I will take the opportunity to mention that Rep. Boozman was also re-elected to serve another year as a rapporteur in that committee. Together with a Lithuanian member of parliament, he presented a well-received report on the rise of an east Asian economic system. There was also a report on trends in allied defense management in burdensharing. The report triggered a vigorous discussion of NATO's effort to stabilize Afghanistan. Forces from the United

States, Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands bear the brunt of the fighting there, and there was an appeal for other member governments to contribute more troops and other resources. While there is widespread agreement in the alliance that stabilization of Afghanistan is a critical step in the effort to subdue terrorism, some governments with capable forces remain reluctant to put their troops in harm's way.

The Political Committee also saw a contentious debate over Afghanistan. A Canadian delegate ably presented a report calling for a reduction in caveats--the restrictions that some governments place on the use of their forces--and for more troops. There was also a report on NATO's efforts in the conflict against terrorism. The report laid out the good cooperation between the United States and the European Union in law-enforcement efforts to undercut terrorist financing schemes and to intercept terrorists as they move about the world; it also noted that NATO as an institution can bring political pressure to bear on governments around the world that support or turn a blind eye to terrorist activity on their soil. Another subject of vigorous debate was a resolution on the NATO-Russian relationship. The resolution was rightfully critical of Russia's efforts to intimidate such allies as Lithuania through cutoffs of energy supplies, and such friendly governments as Georgia by support for rebel groups within those governments' territories. The Russian delegates defended the actions of their government, and tried to water down the resolution. Mr. Ross and Mr. Udall strongly supported the key points of the resolution, which passed with nearly unanimous support from the delegates from the allied states. Mr. Ross was elected as a rapporteur in the Political Committee, and will present a report on NATO and Iran at the spring meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin.

The Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security saw the presentation of reports on Montenegro's role in the Balkans, and on the protection of critical infrastructure, such as oil pipelines and communications networks, in allied states. There were also two presentations by outside speakers that drew considerable interest. Mark Lowenthal, a former staff director of the House Intelligence Committee and later the Counselor at the CIA, made a well-defined presentation on intelligence, terrorism, and civil liberties. The delegates followed his presentation with a discussion of appropriate oversight of intelligence operations by parliaments in the effort to protect personal freedoms. Next, an Icelandic government minister gave a presentation on an emerging issue: as climate change causes the melting of part of the Arctic ice pack, claims by a number of states to seabed resources and the right to move through the ``Northwest Passage'' have begun to emerge. Transit through the Northwest Passage, if feasible, could reduce the voyage of petroleum tankers from the North Sea, for example, to Asia by approximately 4,000 miles. NATO governments have begun a quiet debate over how to provide security for ships using northern routes around Iceland and through possible sea lanes north of Canada.

Two members of our delegation assumed offices on the Committee on Civil Dimension of Security. Jo Ann Emerson was re-elected a vice-chair of the subcommittee on democratic governance, and Dennis Moore was elected vice-chair of the full committee.

The Committee on Science and Technology heard reports on a range of issues, the most interesting being a report on climate change, and another on proliferation of missile technologies. The discussion on climate change, given the setting in Iceland where glaciers are reportedly melting with unforeseen rapidity, was vigorous and thoughtful. The discussion on proliferation led to a debate over missile defense. Rep. Tauscher made several crisp, clear interventions that outlined the U.S. debate over a prospective missile defense against Iran. She also provided a telling critique of a Russian delegate's wandering and often inaccurate presentation on elements of U.S. defense policy. The committee voted not to adopt the Russian delegate's report.

The Committee on Defense and Security also heard a debate, contentious at times, on NATO operations in Afghanistan. The British delegate who presented the report called on allied governments with minimal resources committed to Afghanistan to work to persuade their publics of the importance of the operations of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and to contribute more troops. The alliance needs more helicopters and combat troops, especially for rapid-response actions, in the areas of the country where the Taliban are active. There was also a report on the efforts of NATO's three candidate states--Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia--to receive invitations to enter the alliance at the upcoming Bucharest summit. It is evident that the three governments have made considerable progress in defense reform, but some European parliamentarians questioned their progress in democratic governance. It is by no means a certainty that all three governments will receive invitations at Bucharest. There was also a report on the trip to Afghanistan by a number of parliamentarians, including Rep. Shimkus, on the progress to date of the ISAF mission. Rep. Shimkus also gave a well-received report on NATO-EU coordination in security matters. He analyzed the positive steps in such coordination, as well as some of the shortfalls, including the difficulties encountered in NATO's efforts to provide security to the EU's important police-training mission in Afghanistan. Rep. Shimkus was elected a vice-chair of the subcommittee on transatlantic defense and security cooperation, and Rep. Tauscher was elected the chair of the subcommittee on future security and defense capabilities.

It should also be noted that Rep. Emerson was elected a vice- president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to fill out the term of the late Paul Gillmor. This is a senior position that reflects her dedication to the Assembly's work and her evocation of the importance of the alliance to the United States.

One of the more valuable aspects of Assembly meetings is the opportunity afforded for side meetings with senior U.S. and European officials. Before we left for Reykjavik, we had a briefing on allied matters from our ambassador to NATO, Victoria Nuland, and from Daniel Fried of the State Department and Dan Fata from the Pentagon. Each outlined clearly some of the key issues facing the alliance. In Reykjavik, we had a private discussion with Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the NATO Secretary General; we discussed Afghanistan, enlargement, and Kosovo's future, as well as other issues. The U.S. ambassador to Iceland, Carol van Voorst, and her staff provided insight into and advice on U.S.-Icelandic relations. We also held a private meeting with the Macedonian foreign minister, Antonio Milososki, where there was a good discussion of his country's efforts to qualify for NATO membership. Before our departure for Reykjavik, staff also held a meeting in Washington with representatives of the Croatian government to discuss Zagreb's efforts to qualify for membership. It must be said that one of the great values of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is the opportunity to meet our counterparts from the parliaments of allied states. The chance to learn national and regional perspectives provides our own delegation with insights into key allied issues, and how we might resolve a range of questions of great importance to U.S. security.

I wish to add that this was the first meeting in many years that we were without our friend, the late Rep. Paul Gillmor. He had been my delegation co-chair since the beginning of the 110th Congress, and we conducted many meetings together, in harmony and friendship. He served in a number of offices in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and was always the voice of reason and judiciousness. He was widely admired, not only here in the United States, but by his Assembly colleagues across the political spectrum. There was a moving tribute to his memory during the plenary session of the Assembly on October 9. He will be greatly missed.

As always, our military personnel played an important role in the success of the delegation's trip. The air crew came from the 1st Airlift Squadron, which is part of the 89th Airlift Wing located at Andrews Air Force Base. They are all on active duty. In addition, three Air Force active duty personnel and one reservist served as our congressional escort team. All worked long hours to ensure that our trip went smoothly. I thank them for their hard work and their dedication to duty.

Madam Speaker, on the occasion of his retirement from the United States Air Force, I want to recognize SMSgt Tom Newton for his 24 years of dedicated service to our country. In his most recent assignment, he serves as the Superintendent, Office of Legislative Liaison, Secretary of the Air Force, where he is responsible for Air Force legislative matters and facilitating worldwide Congressional travel. As you know, Madam Speaker, Sergeant Newton has professionally served as your escort for two Congressional delegations this year and a dozen other delegation trips around the world since 2004.

Prior to June 2004, he was the Chief, Workgroup Manager for Headquarters Security Forces, Pentagon, responsible to the Director for network security, antiterrorism, force protection, and supporting Operation Global Eagle. From 1998 to 2001, Sergeant Newton was the Information Management Superintendent for the Force Structure, Resources, and Assessments (J-8) Directorate, Joint Staff, Pentagon. He served as Deputy Executive and facilitated multiple Joint Warfighting Capabilities Assessments on behalf of the Director. Prior to January 1998, he served as Instructor, Information Management Craftsmen Course at Keesler AFB in Mississippi, where he earned Master Instructor Certification. Sergeant Newton began his illustrious career at the 4th Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, where he directly supported the 4404th Provisional Wing during Operation Desert Storm/Shield.

Madam Speaker, I join my colleagues in expressing our sincere appreciation to SMSgt Tom Newton for his outstanding service to both legislative branches and our United States Air Force. We wish him the best as he transitions into a new career. Senior Master Sergeant Newton is a true professional and a credit to himself and the United States Air Force.

CODELs for SMSgt Newton

2004

CODEL Bilirakis--Athens, Greece/Venice, Italy (7-16 Nov).

2005

CODEL Shimkus--St. Louis, Missouri (26-28 Jan).

CODEL Bilirakis--Brussels, Belgium/Paris, France/London, UK

(18-28 Feb).

CODEL King--Vienna, Austria/Aman, Jordan/Tel Aviv, Israel/

Cairo, Egypt/Rabat, Morocco (30 Jul-7 Aug).

SPEAKER Hastert--Glasgow, Scotland/Luxembourg (15-20 Sep).

2006

CODEL Hefley--San Diego, California (25-29 Jan).

CODEL Hefley--Brussels, Belgium/Paris, France/London, UK

(17-28 Feb).

CODEL Goodlatte--Denver, Colorado/San Angelo, Texas (7-9

May).

CODEL Young--Alaska (29 Jul-6 Aug).

2007

SPEAKER Pelosi--Jerusalem, Israel/Damascus, Syria/Riyadh,

Saudi Arabia/Lisbon, Portugal (29 Mar-7 Apr).

CODEL Tanner--Lisbon, Portugal/Tunis, Tunisia/Rabat,

Morocco (24 May-3 Jun).

SPEAKER Pelosi--New Orleans, Louisiana (12-15 Aug).

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to also add my thanks to Mr. Abercrombie and Mr. English and Mr. Castle, Ms. Schwartz, and particularly to

you, Mr. Chairman. The point of this is that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen, marines, are not dying in the name of the Republican Conference or the Democratic Caucus. They're dying in the name of the United States of America. We owe them a unified Congress to help them. This bill is a unifying factor here that starts us on the road to behaving as Americans first and political partisans second. Their sacrifice demands nothing less than that.

I have a sense of urgency about this that I'm afraid did not come through in the hearing, particularly from Ambassador Crocker. Not that I'm criticizing him. I think he's doing a fine job. And I have no higher regard for anybody in uniform, past, present or future, than General Petraeus. But the sense of urgency I have is to bring us together so that we can move in a meaningful, constructive way, as Congress, to play a role in the civilian leadership aspects and management of this conflict.

As has been noted previously, it requires the Pentagon to, in some way, bring Congress in in a meaningful way really on the strategy of the war for the first time.

As I said earlier today, the strategy of waiting for the Shia and Sunni in Iraq to try to work, sit down and work something out in a central government in Baghdad is a less than viable option when our men and young men and women are patrolling the streets of Baghdad dying every day and we're asking the taxpayers of this country to spend $3 billion a week for people who half the time boycott their sessions. And to say that we're going to do this until maybe they can get together is not, in my judgment, something that we can endorse.

And so, Mr. Speaker, the original authorization, which provided basically two things, one is to remove the threat posed by the then- Government of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, who has been captured, tried, convicted and executed, and to enforce the U.S. resolutions with respect to the weapons of mass destruction having been accomplished, it's not the war that we haven't won; it's the peace that we're having trouble with. And I want us to get together as a Congress to move forward to win the peace. That's what our mission is now.

And the strategic mission that the administration had been following, the civilian leadership is not working out too well; 4\1/2\ years later, one can't leave the Green Zone without getting one's head shot off. I think we need the Congress to engage in a constructive, meaningful way. I think this vehicle will allow that to happen. And therefore, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and all of those people who had anything whatsoever to do with it. A big bipartisan vote today, I think, will begin this unification process we so desperately need in this country.