Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize the Marin Women's Commission for their tireless efforts to help Marin County's women and girls achieve parity. Congratulations to the Marin Women's Commission as it celebrates this milestone of more than three decades of service to Marin County.

Through its leadership, the Marin Women's Commission has raised awareness of the importance and prominence of issues facing women and girls in Marin County and beyond. As a result of their devoted efforts, the needs of women of all ages are being studied, heard, communicated and addressed.

The Marin Women's Commission was created in April 1974 in response to an investigation under the Kennedy Administration that revealed that a staggering number of laws, regulations and traditions actively discriminated against women. Notably, the Marin Women's Commission is the second County Commission established in the State of California in 1974.

In 2003-2004, the Marin Women's Commission established a strategic vision to address four target categories as they relate to women: equity, policy, leadership and access to resources.

The commission works with local government to develop more effective ways to address salary inequity concerns, supports CEDAW and other international violence against women legislation, facilitates annual ``Women Leading Community Change'' summits and develops needs assessments for women and girls. The 1983 Women's Needs Assessment helped establish the Family and Children's Law Center.

The 17 Marin Women's Commissioners represent all five Marin County Districts, and the Commission also boasts strong, strategic partnerships. Such partnerships, with Dominican University, the Marin Chapter of National Organization for Women, the YWCA, the American Association of University Women, and Marin General Hospital's Breast Cancer Center, laid the foundation for an abused women's shelter, which later became Marin Abused Women's Services, the creation of the Marin Women's Hall of Fame, and other programs.

In the years since its inception, more than 300 commissioners have been appointed. The enthusiasm and passion exhibited by these experienced leaders is largely responsible for the Commissions' ability to leverage meaningful change.

Madam Speaker, over the course of 35 years, the Marin Women's Commission, through its strategic partnerships, dedicated advocacy and comprehensive research, has made indelible change. Congratulations on three decades of leadership toward enhancing the quality of life for all Marin County women and girls.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, Representative Mike Thompson, to honor Lin Lipetz, the Sonoma Treasure Artist of the Year. Selected by the city's Cultural and Fine Arts Commission, Ms. Lipetz was chosen for her talents as a teacher and an artist as well as for her contributions to the community.

With an MFA from the University of Washington in ceramics, painting and textiles, a bachelor's degree in art from the University of Washington, and a bachelor's degree from San Jose State University in interior architecture, Lipetz has the academic credentials to back up her long experience as an artist. With drawings and beautifully colorful and joyous paintings ranging from abstract to landscape, she has exhibited frequently, both as a solo artist and with groups.

Her work is in numerous collections, and she has also won honors and grants including Friends of the Crafts in Seattle, Washington; National Endowments for the Arts High School Art Instruction in Missoula, Montana; and the Art Across the Valley Tour through the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.

Her contributions to the City of Sonoma enrich the lives of its residents and add to the vibrancy of its arts community. She teaches painting and intuitive drawing at the Sonoma Community Center, is active with the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art and served as a commissioner on the Cultural and Fine Arts Commission.

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to celebrate Lin Lipetz's selection as Sonoma Treasure Artist of the year. We join the Sonoma community in our appreciation of her talents and her contributions.

Madam Speaker, the last 8 years has taught us a very hard lesson. There is no military solution to Afghanistan. Escalating the war by sending in tens of thousands more troops will not defeat violent extremism in that country.

That's why I have urged President Obama to change the mission in Afghanistan. We must abandon the military-only strategy that has failed us and that we must begin to emphasize humanitarian aid, economic development, reconstruction, better health care and education. These are the tools that the Afghan people need to improve their lives and to reject extremism.

Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times wrote a column last week entitled, ``More Schools, Not Troops.'' His article makes the case for changing our mission very well. In his column, Kristof writes that investments in education, health and agriculture ``have a better record at stabilizing societies than military solutions, which have a pretty dismal record.''

Education is especially important, he says. He argues that ``schools are not a quick fix, but we have abundant evidence that they can, over time, transform countries.''

He gave Pakistan and Bangladesh as examples of that. The United States has spent $15 billion in Pakistan, Madam Speaker, since 9/11, mostly on military support. Yet Pakistan is more unstable than ever and al Qaeda has found a home there.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, once a part of Pakistan, has made major investments in education, especially for girls. This has spurred economic growth, which has helped keep al Qaeda out of that country.

Kristof also writes that ``when I travel in Pakistan, I see evidence that one group, the extremists, believes in the transformative power of education. They provide free schooling and often free meals for students. They offer scholarships for the best pupils. What I don't see is similar numbers of American-backed schools. It breaks my heart that we don't invest in schools as much as medieval, misogynist extremists.''

He then goes on to say that ``for roughly the same cost as stationing 40,000 troops in Afghanistan for 1 year, we could educate the great majority of the 75 million children worldwide who are not getting even a primary education. Such a vast global education campaign would reduce poverty, cut birth rates, improve America's image in the world, promote stability and chip away at extremism.''

Madam Speaker, I hope that President Obama will keep this in mind as he reviews his options on Afghanistan and makes his decisions in the coming weeks. America simply cannot afford to rely on our military power alone, because that strategy plays right into the hands of the extremists. Our heavy military footprint is feeding the insurgency in Afghanistan, not weakening it.

By changing the mission to emphasize education and the other tools that can give the Afghan people a real stake in peace, we can stop violent extremism in its tracks. And we can keep our troops safer and build a more peaceful world for our children and our grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, today to honor the 100th anniversary of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has long served as a spirited defender of the Valley's interests, by encouraging new industry, organizing beautification projects and managing flood control efforts.

The Chamber began the evening of April 10, 1909, when 32 businessmen convened over dinner to discuss how they could stimulate commerce for the benefit of local merchants and professionals.

Membership quickly grew to 100 and the Chamber began their first initiatives, like publishing marketing material and establishing committees to begin tackling an ambitious agenda. In the early years, the Chamber called for transportation improvements and successfully lobbied Congress to protect a local federal facility from closure.

During the Great Depression, the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in addressing needs of a paralyzed business community. To generate renewed interest in the organization, the Chamber hosted an event benefitting street and driveway improvements.

In the subsequent years, the Chamber pioneered many efforts, including the creation of a commuter bus service to San Francisco, the endorsement of a municipal water system, support for State Parks and advocacy for underground utility and telephone lines. Notably, the Chamber raised local matching funds for a job stimulus program that was part of President Roosevelt's New Deal.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Chamber was designated as a farm labor office tasked with steering workers to local farmers. In the years following the war, the Chamber focused on supporting an adequate sewage system, the introduction of local hospital and the adoption of a zoning plan.

By mid-century, the Chamber hosted an industrial conference, boldly escalating efforts to bring new industry to the Valley.

Today the Chamber has expanded its membership to more than 700 leaders who continue to help ensure a thriving economy through advocacy, promotion, networking, education and services.

Operating under the mantra that ``Strong businesses make strong communities'', the Chamber hosts events, publishes a business magazine and offers comprehensive business, community and visitor resources. The Chamber also leads recognition efforts, honoring the business of the year and green businesses.

Madam Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that I acknowledge the 100th anniversary of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce. In years to come, this organization will remain an integral and powerful force that continues to enrich the business community for the benefit of all Sonoma Valley residents.

Madam Speaker, it is with great disappointment that I rise today to address H. Res. 867, a resolution calling on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the ``Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission.''

Like many of my colleagues, I support the rights of countries-- including Israel--to defend themselves. When a democratically elected and peace-seeking nation is forced to take up arms, it is within its rights and obligations to protect its own land and people.

Sadly, the resolution we consider today goes far beyond that principle. H. Res. 867 will only serve to drive a wedge between the parties and will derail the Administration's efforts towards a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.

While the ``Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict'' is far from perfect, it should not be used as a political tool to block the peace process or to promote distrust and division.

Any action Congress takes should serve to promote a negotiated peace that will end the violence that threatens to overtake the region and irreparably scar generations. I fear that the resolution before us today only fans the flames of discord and moves us no closer to the common goal of security and prosperity.

It is my hope that in the future Congress will have the opportunity to consider legislation that is balanced and that--at its core-- promotes a smart security policy for the U.S. and its allies in the region. Unfortunately, this resolution does not.

Madam Speaker, on October 29, 2009, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to record my vote for rollcall No. 831. Had I been present I would have voted: Rollcall No. 831: ``yea''--Expressing support for designation of a ``National Firefighters Memorial Day'' to honor and celebrate the firefighters of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I stood up in the House in late July and said the following words, ``Five American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this week. That brings the death toll in July to 31, making this the deadliest month for our troops since the conflict in Afghanistan began.''

Tragically, Mr. Speaker, July didn't hold the record for long. It was quickly replaced by August as the deadliest month. Now, 55 of our troops have died in October, making this the deadliest month yet.

We can't blame the troops for this, of course. They continue to fight with tremendous skill and with bravery. They do everything our Nation asks of them.

So what's to blame? It's our strategy. It's a strategy which has relied almost exclusively on military action for over 8 years while ignoring the critically important political, economic, and cultural aspects of the conflict. Yet President Obama is now being urged to double down on the military-only policy that has failed us and send in another 40,000 troops.

If we go down that road, what can the American people expect? They can expect higher troop levels, higher casualty rates, and many years of war that can end up costing us over a trillion dollars. Even if we do all that, the odds will still be stacked against us. That's not a strategy for success, Mr. Speaker. I think we can do better.

If we want to succeed in Afghanistan, we must change the way we do business there. Instead of fighting extremists after they have gotten a foothold, let's invest our resources on what would prevent violent extremism from taking root in the first place. That includes economic development, jobs, reconstruction, education, health care, civil affairs, and diplomacy. All would help stabilize Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, a serious commitment to a civilian surge of experts and aid workers to help the Afghan people develop their economy would make a huge difference over there. We must also develop a much better set of rigorous metrics to evaluate progress and report the results to the American people. Then we could develop an exit strategy. We could send the message that our involvement in Afghanistan is not open-ended.

It would also help to reassure the Afghan people that we have no intention of occupying their land, because right now too many Afghan citizens see America as an occupying force. That, more than anything else, Mr. Speaker, is fueling anti-Americanism and the insurgency. We must also do everything we can to assure a credible central government in Kabul to help with humanitarian and other efforts to improve the lives of the Afghan people. These are just some of the elements of smart security that we need to use in Afghanistan.

I have offered a comprehensive strategy for smart security in House Resolution 363, because I firmly believe that it would be a blueprint for victory against extremism in Afghanistan and other parts of the world. Mr. Speaker, by shifting from military power only to smart power, we can help Afghanistan to build a stable and functioning State. We can save the lives of our troops, and we can go a long way toward defeating the extremists who threaten America and the world.

Madam Speaker, on October 28, 2009, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to record my vote for rollcall No. 820. Had I been present I would have voted: rollcall No. 820: ``yes''--Welcoming to the United States and to Washington, DC, His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch on his upcoming trip on October 20, 2009, through November 6, 2009.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ellie Rilla, a woman who has helped lead the way to a new model of sustainable agriculture in Marin County.

Ellie is now taking a much needed sabbatical after 21 years as a University of California Extension Farm Advisor. In those 2 decades, Ellie was one of a handful that brought together the old-time farmers of the region with a new generation and created a unique fabric that has held the farm community together during difficult times for agriculture, and has in fact, helped many not just survive, but grow.

I am proud to say that the quality agricultural products of Marin County are today unmatched for nutritional value, taste, and sustainable production--and much of this is due to the passionate commitment, hard-headed economic realism and collaborative spirit of Ellie Rilla.

Ellie grew up in Mill Valley where it was a short jaunt to the forests and rangelands of West Marin. She began her career as an environmental educator at Circuit Riders, a Sonoma County non-profit that was a leader in environmental restoration, and whose ranks have produced several of the North Bay's most prominent restoration specialists. Ellie still lives in Sonoma County in Sebastopol, a city well-known for its progressive politics and its fine food and wine.

In 1988 she became the UC Cooperative Extension Director in Marin and was immediately welcomed by two of West Marin's farm elders, Boyd Stewart and George Grossi. Coming in the midst of the organic revolution and the creation of California cuisine, Ellie saw the promise of local farmers on the edge of the metropolitan Bay Area producing high quality agricultural products. She became, according to Albert Strauss, the owner of Strauss Creamery, ``. . . an awesome advocate of sustainable agriculture and organic and local dairy farms.'' While big and bland agribusiness and real estate development continued to gobble up small farms elsewhere, Ellie saw that survival lay in producing quality products, and developing in consumer's minds a pride in local, sustainable agriculture.

As organic agriculture entered the mainstream, first with California certification, then with USDA certification, Ellie advised farmers on how to meet the new standards, write business plans and market their products. She also helped farmers and ranchers tackle tough new water quality, through the development of best practices and conservation projects, which continue to evolve today.

It was apparent to Ellie that West Marin's small farms and ranches needed to diversify to survive. While dairies were preeminent, though faltering, 2 decades ago, West Marin agriculture now produces an array of products including olives and olive oil, strawberries, row crops, grapes, free range poultry and grass fed beef. Besides high quality milk, local dairies also produce a variety of cheeses, and even organic ice cream.

Ellie realized that the bucolic beauty of West Marin and farmer's adjacency to the Point Reyes National Seashore were important assets. She became an advocate for ``agritourism,'' an industry in which farms and ranches are opened to visiting guests. ``These stays give their guests a flavor of what it is like to live on a farm, to see how food is produced and gain an appreciation for natural ecosystem,'' wrote Rilla. ``At the same time it provides farmers and ranchers with additional operating income to save their farms from development.'' A tireless promoter of agritourism, Rilla both wrote a book about it and helped develop a UC Cooperative Extension Agritourism Project and website.

On June 30 she will begin a very busy sabbatical with three writing projects. She will be writing an analysis of a state-wide survey into agriculture diversification and agritourism, completing a second edition of her book, Agriculture and Nature Tourism, and updating her decade-old case study of three woman-led farm families. Ellie is then expected to return to the University of California Cooperative Extension program in a year to develop statewide resources for marketing and leadership development.

It's been my pleasure to work with Ellie and to observe the seeds that she has planted in West Marin to sprout, grow and spread, ensuring a bounty for future generations. Thank

you, Ellie for all you have done and all that is still to be accomplished.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak in favor of the robust

public option. I would like to point out that it costs $85 billion less than the next positive public option, that it covers more people, it keeps middle-income workers from either ending up on Medicare or in a situation where they can't afford health care in the health care exchange.

The robust public option, Mr. Speaker, is based on an established rate structure of Medicare plus 5 percent and an existing provider structure. So it is available, it is affordable, and it will be providing quality health care to all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to say the robust public option would be the best option for the people in the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, the Nation's war hawks are unhappy. Their feathers are ruffled. They accuse President Obama of dithering when it comes to sending more troops to Afghanistan. They want the President to shoot first and they want him to ask questions later, but committing our Nation to war is the most important decision that any President can make. The Commander in Chief must think long and hard before doing any such thing. President Obama is making a careful review of the situation in Afghanistan, and he is right to do so.

I've had some disagreements with the President about some of his policies so far, but I strongly support his desire to think things through and consider all of his options before proceeding. So far, the only option the United States has tried for the past 8 years is the military option, and it is painfully clear, Mr. Speaker, that it has not worked. A story in today's Washington Post makes that point. It describes a U.S. official in Afghanistan who resigned his job because he opposed American strategy there. This man is a patriot, and a tough former marine who fought with uncommon bravery in Iraq. But he believes that the presence of American troops in Afghanistan is making the insurgency grow.

I made a similar argument when I voted against the Supplemental appropriations bill for Afghanistan back in May. I warned that continuing the military-only strategy will fuel anti-Americanism, and that's what is happening.

More and more, the Afghan people see America as an occupying force that cares only about itself. Meanwhile, the Taliban is doing a much better job of winning hearts and minds. We've got to turn that around. The best way to do that is to devote most of our resources in Afghanistan to meeting the civilian needs of the Afghan people. That means humanitarian aid, jobs and economic development, education, agricultural assistance, better infrastructure, and protection from disease.

That doesn't mean we should be ignoring the violent extremists in Afghanistan--far from it. We can go after them aggressively by using the highly effective tools of SMART power. SMART power includes better intelligence and surveillance work.

The extremists in Afghanistan can be found in many small networks of individuals and groups who are spread out over the countryside. You need good intelligence to track, penetrate, and disrupt their activities.

We must also build up the civilian police force so they can arrest the extremists. Strong policing is a highly effective counterinsurgency tool because it's right there in the villages where the extremists live.

We must also step up our diplomatic efforts. We've got to do a better job of engaging all the nations in the region that have an interest in stabilizing Afghanistan.

These strategies will work, but they won't satisfy the war hawks. President Obama is right to ignore them. He must also ignore the voices of his own administration, calling for an escalation of the war.

As he rethinks America's role in Afghanistan, I urge him to produce a strategy that relies on the tools of smart security and improves the lives of the people. That is the only real path, Mr. Speaker, to success in Afghanistan.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Olga Murray of Sausalito, California, for her commitment to helping destitute children in one of the poorest countries of the world. In 1984, at the age of 60, Ms. Murray founded the Nepal Youth Opportunity Foundation, NYOF, which assists thousands of children through programs operated by the Nepalese themselves.

The mission of NYOF, which arose from Murray's vision, is to ``transform the lives of impoverished Nepalese children by providing them with what should be every child's birthright--education, housing, medical care, and loving support.'' Inspired by these compelling words, NYOF's programs include homes for neglected and abandoned children, education programs and scholarships from grade school through graduate school, and even random acts of kindness.

But Murray may be best known for her innovative Indentured Daughters program which frees young girls from servitude. Among Tharu farmers, families in poverty sell their girls as young as 6 years old to serve in bondage to higher-caste families around the country where they perform menial labor under difficult conditions and are sometimes beaten and forced into prostitution. Often, the parents believe their daughters will actually be better off. Although the practice is now illegal, the prohibition is not enforced.

Murray's solution is to offer the parents a pig or goat in exchange for not selling their daughters as the animal is worth more if bred or butchered. She also pays the daughters' $100 per year school expenses and has funded construction of 36 classrooms to accommodate them. Murray has saved thousands of young girls this way and inspired Nepalese charities to follow her lead in saving even more.

Murray is a prodigious fundraiser for NYOF, recognized as one of the most effective organizations of its kind. However, it is her personal passion and loving joy for her work and the people of Nepal that are the secret of her success. She has received numerous prestigious awards including Unsung Heroes of Compassion from the Dalai Lama, a medal from the King of Nepal, the Mannington Stand on a Better World Award, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society Frank Brennan Award for Outstanding Service to the Poor.

Madam Speaker, I admire Ms. Murray's commitment to creating opportunities for the children of Nepal. The children of the world are our future, and we can be inspired by people like Olga to make this world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, our chance to make health care available to and affordable for the people of the United States is here. I prefer that we include the robust public option in our final plan because, first, it saves more than $110 billion over any other plan, it covers far more people, and it provides real competition to private health insurers, which in turn will provide lower cost and higher quality for the people that are insured in the United States.

This is what we need. This is what we need to do for the people of our country. And now is the time for us to get on with it and do it.

Madam Speaker, on October 22, 2009, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to record my vote for rollcall No. 805. Had I been present I would have voted:

Rollcall No. 805: ``yes''--Heinrich of New Mexico Amendment.

Mr. Speaker, domestic violence is a widespread problem. Over two million people a year are physically assaulted by an intimate partner, and an additional 1.3 million are the victims of stalking. H. Res. 817 is an important reminder that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and that we need to raise awareness of the problem and its serious consequences for victims and their families.

We know that the majority of these domestic violence victims are women, and they often need leave from work to address the effects of this violence. While the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA, P.L. 103- 3) allows employees to take unpaid leave from work for other situations (e.g. for birth, adoption or to care for a spouse, child under age 18, or parent who has a serious health condition), there is no leave for workers who are recovering from domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, and who need medical attention, legal assistance, counseling, or to participate in other activities that take place during working hours.

H.R. 2515, the Domestic Violence Leave Act, which I have introduced, expands the FMLA to allow workers to take leave to address the consequences of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. It also provides leave to workers so that they can care for a family member-- spouse, parent or child, including an adult child--who is a victim of abuse. In addition, the bill extends all of the protections of the FMLA to ``domestic partners,'' and ``children of a domestic partner.''

Our primary goal must be to stamp out domestic violence altogether. But until then, we need to help those victims who need time off to deal with its effects.