Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, on March 25, 2009, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my vote for Rollcall No. 151.

Had I been present I would have voted:

Rollcall No. 151--``yes''--Providing for the consideration of the Senate amendments to H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act.

Madam Speaker, the Obama administration is finalizing its strategy for Afghanistan, and it may announce the results of its war review in the next few days.

President Obama inherited the situation in Afghanistan. He is a leader who prefers diplomacy over war. The United States is organizing an international conference on Afghanistan to reach out to the international community for their help. And there is talk about sending a civilian surge, a surge of experts in such areas as agriculture, reconstruction, rebuilding, and education to Afghanistan, all very positive steps.

Since President Obama, however, has said that he will send at least 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan and possibly more, I am deeply concerned. It will take years, and it will take a lot of blood and treasure to fight a war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It could bog us down and distract us from our enormous domestic problems right here at home. It could cost us lives. It would cost us economic treasure, and it would cost us, actually it would leave our reputation, international reputation in tatters.

Our 6-year occupation of Iraq, which continues, as I speak, has been a disaster that we absolutely must learn from. Using military force to solve problems that don't have a military solution doesn't work. Foreign occupation doesn't work. According to a new Army report, there are still over 100 attacks per week on our troops in Iraq.

Another occupation, Madam Speaker, halfway around the world, raises serious questions that Congress needs an answer to. So last month, I joined my colleagues, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and since we wrote a particular letter to the President and sent it, 10

other Members have signed on, and we're going to send that letter on to him also, raising these issues.

We and the others made six recommendations. These recommendations are:

1. Ask Congress for a clear authorization for the use for military force in Afghanistan and Pakistan;

2. Define the goals objectives and benefits of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan;

3. Determine the human and financial resources needed to carry out our efforts;

4. Develop a timeline for the redeployment of our troops and military contractors out of Afghanistan;

5. Clearly describe the role of NATO, the United Nations and other international partners;

6. And finally, meet the immediate humanitarian and economic needs of the Afghan people.

Madam Speaker, these six steps offer a good blueprint for avoiding a repeat of the mistakes that the United States made in Iraq. We need nation building, not empire building, because the way to defeat our enemies is to help the Afghan people to rebuild their country and to give them hope for a better future. Schools and roads will win us more hearts and minds than bombs and bullets.

And a new foreign policy, based on conflict resolution and humanitarian assistance, is the most responsible and smartest way for us to achieve our goals in the Middle East and Central Asia. I hope that President Obama's new plan for Afghanistan will reflect this strategy and these values, because if we don't learn from our Iraq experience, we are doomed to repeat it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Gary Lewis Morgan of Sonoma County, California, who passed away January 16, 2009, at the age of 55. Gary was a loving father to his son James and a loving friend to Emmie Morgan, his ex-wife, James' mother, and a member of my staff.

Born in the San Fernando Valley in 1953, Gary grew up there and attended Monroe High School where he excelled as a gymnast and as a barbershop quartet singer, a passion he later introduced to James.

In 1975, Gary graduated from California State University, Northridge with a degree in graphic design and a job designing ads for the Yellow Pages. He met Emmie at the home of a mutual friend and immediately offered to read her palm. As Emmie says, this ``involved some holding of the hand. After that, he was telling people about this wonderful woman he met named Emarah. That was our joke, and he still often called me that.''

They married in 1983, and their son James was born in March, 1985. Emmie recalls how ``the morning after he was born, Gar came to the hospital in striped suspenders and a button that said, `Kids Are People, Too.' He loved being Jamie's Dad.''

Looking for the best place to raise Jamie, they moved to Sonoma County in 1986. Gary became well known there as a singer, muralist, and multimedia artist whose work includes statues, flags, and stained glass panels. One of his statues was purchased by the Queen of England, and a flag he designed was flown at the Washington Monument for the 1976 Bicentennial.

Gary's murals appear in various sites around Sonoma County, including Harmony School, an elementary school in Occidental. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to see this mural with Gary and talk with him about the creation of it. He was selected through an interview process that included students, and he made sure to seek their input as he developed the design. Of course, he had to listen to the teachers, too, so when one of them said, ``Hey, there has to be a book somewhere,'' he made sure he gave the dragon by the tree something to read.

Gary's musical abilities were evident in his beautiful voice, and he sang in three local choirs--the Occidental Community Choir, the Sufi Choir, and the Center for Spiritual Living's One Heart Choir.

His musical talents were clearly passed to Jarmie, but it was Gary's (and Emmie's) nurturing that also helped James grow into a fine young man. He is currently a student at Sacramento State University and will enter the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the fall, which would have made his father very proud.

One of Gary's other interests was metaphysics, the study of what lies beyond the physical world, and this interest was a comfort to him in his times of trouble.

In addition to Emmie and James, Gary is survived by his siblings Gale and Bryan, his mother Barbara, and his long-time friend, Zan Spencer.

Madam Speaker, Gary Morgan's life touched many people. As Emmie Morgan stated, ``He was an amazingly kind, authentic, sincere, honest human being. Every person I've talked to tells me they were close to him, even people who met him only once.'' That is a testament to Gary Morgan's character that makes me proud to honor him today.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 182) expressing support for designation of the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, as ``School Social Work Week''.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 182 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 182, a resolution to recognize the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, as National School Social Work Week.

School social workers, Mr. Speaker, have long played a critical role in schools and the community as a whole. They are professionals who work with children to address their emotional, mental, social and developmental needs.

School social workers help students build their confidence as learners, which is particularly important for elementary students who are just starting out on their academic careers.

During middle school, students face what is often a difficult transition from childhood to adolescence. For these students, school social workers help engage teachers, administrators, parents and students in the delivery of programs and services to help those students navigate these challenges and achieve success.

In high school, students begin exploring and defining their independence. These students face additional challenges along the way, including pressure to participate in risky behavior. School social workers help them with navigating these difficult decisions.

On top of this, school social workers must be responsive to the range of challenges that young people face every day, such as poverty, disability, discrimination, abuse, addiction, bullying, divorce of parents, loss of a loved one and other barriers to learning. School social workers are also on the front lines when disaster strikes, such as the Southern California wildfires, such as Hurricane Katrina or 9/ 11.

There is a growing need for school districts to expand their support services in schools. Less than one in five of the 17.5 million children in need of mental health services actually receive them. Many students go underserved, primarily because the national average ratio of students to school social workers is far beneath the 400 to 1 ratio recommended by the School Social Work Association of America.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution serves to recognize the importance of the school social worker and acknowledge the priceless role that they play in guiding our students' success in the ever changing world of the 21st century.

I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize for 5 minutes the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

I am ready to close, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support Congressman Kennedy's absolutely important legislation, H. Res. 182, that recognizes the week of March 1 through 8 as National School Social Work Week.

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 concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 77) recognizing and honoring the signing by President Abraham Lincoln of the legislation authorizing the establishment of collegiate programs at Gallaudet University.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 77 into the Record.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 77, which congratulates Gallaudet University for 145 years of exceptional service to the hearing-impaired student community.

In 1856, Mr. Speaker, Amos Kendall, a local businessman in Washington, D.C., adopted five deaf children. He soon learned that there were few opportunities for education for blind and deaf kids in Washington, D.C., so he took it upon himself to do something about the state of education, and he donated two acres of his estate to create a school that would ensure these students a place to learn.

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a charter to allow the school to confer college degrees. Beginning with just 18 students, Gallaudet University is now the world leader in liberal education and career development for over 1,600 deaf and hard-of-hearing college students yearly. With nearly 40 undergraduate and 12 graduate programs, Gallaudet boasts a strong and diverse academic program. Approximately 90 percent of its courses include an online component, making Gallaudet a leader in technology in the classrooms. Gallaudet is the only institution that focuses on educational programs for hearing-impaired students from preschool through the doctoral level.

Gallaudet is also a world leader in the fields of education and research. It is home to the Gallaudet Research Institute, which is the preeminent source of demographics of deaf youth in the United States. It is also home to the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf, both of which disseminate innovative curriculum, materials and teaching strategies to schools throughout the country on ways to serve children with hearing impairments.

Gallaudet considers public service an integral part of its student life. Just last year, Gallaudet students and faculty served 56,000 people by teaching sign language classes and by providing sign language interpretation at conferences throughout the world.

Gallaudet graduates move on to distinguished careers, including as lawyers, investment bankers, scholars, and entrepreneurs. It is clear that Gallaudet University is providing hearing-impaired students with an unrivaled education, and I congratulate the university on its 145th anniversary.

As a congressional member of its board of trustees, I am pleased to have worked with Senator Sherrod Brown, who also serves on the board, to introduce this concurrent resolution. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 77.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. I do not know if we have any other speakers on the other side of the aisle, Mr. Bishop.

Then are you prepared to close?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Miller and the Committee on Education and Labor for their help in bringing Congressman Kennedy's resolution to the floor.

I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 77, which congratulates Gallaudet University for the 145th anniversary of the signing of its charter by President Abraham Lincoln.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to call the House's attention to two very positive developments in the administration's handling of foreign policy and military affairs.

First, the administration offered Iran a new beginning in relations between our two countries. He did that on Friday. It was part of his message to the Iranian people and to their leaders on the occasion of the Persian new year.

The President said, ``My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and Iran, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran, and the international community. This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek, instead, engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect.''

Mr. Speaker, President Obama is determined to settle differences with Iran peacefully. Of course, I don't have any, nor should any of us have any, illusions that it will be easy to reduce tensions with Iran. That's because they continue to develop a nuclear program which could be used to build nuclear weapons.

But I do believe that diplomacy can produce good results over time. A diplomatic effort can begin within the next year, or in the next week actually, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends a conference on Afghanistan in The Netherlands. Iran is expected to attend the conference, and Secretary Clinton could interact with Iranian officials.

The United States and Iran have cooperated in the past over Afghanistan, and this may be one area of common ground. But at the very least, the administration has created an environment where peaceful progress can be made, and I commend the administration for that.

The second development that is positive came last Wednesday when Secretary of Defense Gates announced that he is moving to end the Pentagon's terrible stop-loss policy. Under stop-loss, Mr. Speaker, thousands of soldiers have been forced to remain in the military even after their enlistments have expired.

Ending stop-loss is long overdue. It has been essentially a backdoor draft, and it's one of the policies that has stretched our military to the limit, putting a terrible strain on our soldiers and on their families.

The Army has acknowledged this problem. The Army Vice Chief of Staff told a Senate subcommittee last week that forcing soldiers to take longer deployments has helped produce a ``stressed and tired force.''

Prolonged deployments, Mr. Speaker, which have separated soldiers from their families for these very long periods of time, have contributed to a tragic rise in the number of suicides among military personnel. The Army has confirmed that there were 133 suicides last year alone, and that's just the Army.

Another serious problem is that many soldiers who have left the military have not had a happy homecoming. The unemployment rate for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan is 11.2 percent, which is higher than the rate for nonveterans.

That is one of the reasons why I support the administration's economic recovery plan, which actually is the third policy development that we should be talking about today, because this plan will produce millions of new jobs. I would have liked to have seen an even bigger recovery plan to create even more jobs, but Mr. Speaker, I have to disagree with the administration on some policies occasionally, and that's stretching beyond where their good intentions are.

I also have to disagree with the administration on some foreign policy issues. But on this occasion, I don't want to go into that. I want to applaud the administration for taking three important steps that can make the world a more peaceful place and that will lift a very heavy burden off our brave troops and their families.

Mr. Speaker, Wall Street, and possibly some in Congress and the Treasury Department, still don't get it.

When Congress voted to create the TARP program, we were voting to unfreeze the credit markets and get capital flowing again. Little did we know that much of the capital would be flowing out of the Treasury and into the bank accounts of executives at AIG.

As a former Human Resources Manager, I know the value of performance based bonuses in motivating outstanding employee performance. The only thing that these bonuses are motivating is more bad behavior. Obviously we are dealing with a system that is severely broken, where Wall Street executives truly don't know the value of a dollar or even right from wrong.

We need a massive overhaul of our financial services regulations, and it can't come a moment too soon. While H.R. 1586 is a measure to fix a specific problem, we need to put in place laws to prevent these abuses from happening in the first place. The days of the ``anything goes'' mentality on Wall Street must come to an end, and it must end now.

Mr. Speaker, today must be the first of a series of bills that come to the House Floor to address our broken regulatory and oversight system of the financial services sector. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation as a way not only to express our outrage, but also as our commitment to a new system of regulation and oversight.

Mr. Speaker, in 2 days, we will mark the sixth anniversary of America's invasion and occupation of Iraq. When President Bush announced the start of the conflict on the night of March 20, 2003, he said that America must go to war against a regime ``that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder.'' Of course, Mr. Speaker, we know that those weapons did not exist and that the war should never have been fought. But today, I don't want to go back, and I don't want to revisit all the many mistakes of the past. Instead, I want to use this time to remember the literally millions of men, women and children from the United States of America, from Iraq and from the many other countries whose lives have been shattered over the past 6 years.

These include those who died, the wounded, the veterans, the refugees, the orphans, the widows and the many other family members who are left to mourn and to struggle. We have a great responsibility in this House of Representatives to honor and to give meaning to their sacrifice. I believe the best way to do that is by committing ourselves to work for peace so that war becomes a thing of the past.

On this sixth anniversary, Mr. Speaker, this anniversary of the occupation, we have more reason to hope for peace than on the previous five. That is because we have a new leader in the White House, one who has already taken some very positive steps. President Obama is committed to diplomacy, not war, and the most important tool of American foreign policy. He has banned the use of torture. He is closing the notorious prison at Guantanamo Bay. And he has announced a plan to remove all combat troops from Iraq. But Mr. Speaker, there is much more that we need to do.

The Iraq withdrawal plan will leave 50,000 troops behind to continue the occupation. That is unacceptable. All troops and military contractors must come home by August 2010, at the latest. In Afghanistan, the administration is planning to double down on our military involvement. But, Mr. Speaker, there is no military solution to the situation in Afghanistan. That is why I have joined my colleagues, Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters, in asking the President to establish a timeline for the redeployment of our troops out of Afghanistan. We have also called for a plan to assist the Afghan people, because we cannot defeat the Taliban with bombs and bullets. We can only defeat the Taliban by helping the Afghan people to meet their desperate needs for schools, for roads and for economic development.

But we need to do more than just solve problems as they arise. We need to be proactive. We need to have a comprehensive strategy for keeping the peace. Let me suggest two ways to achieve that goal. First, I believe this is a good time to renew Congressman Kucinich's calls for the establishment of a Cabinet-level Department of Peace so we can work full-time to analyze international problems and advise the President on strategies to prevent war and to peacefully resolve conflicts around the world. The President of the United States has never had the advantage of such advice. I believe it is high time that he did.

Second, I believe that this is a good time to renew our proposal for a smart national security plan. ``Smart'' is based on a simple idea: War is an outdated concept. That is why my smart plan keeps Americans safe through strong global alliances and better intelligence, as opposed to pre-emptive military strikes. Smart also calls for the United States to support nuclear nonproliferation, and it includes an ambitious humanitarian development agenda to end the hopelessness and oppression that lead to war and terrorism in the first place.

Mr. Speaker, after these many years of violence, one thing is clear. The American people have had enough war. They are seeking a better way to make the world safe for their children and grandchildren. So let us resolve in the honor of those who suffer because of a mistaken occupation 6 years ago to do everything we can to avoid the mistakes of the past and lay the foundation for a peaceful future.

That is the best way to honor those who were caught up in the chaos of Iraq. And it is the best way to turn the tragedy of this sixth anniversary into a time of hope for the people of the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Women's History Month. Women were once considered second-class citizens whose rights were restricted, from voting to property ownership. But today, women serve in the Senate and the House of Representatives, they serve as members of the President's cabinet, and as Speaker of the House of Representatives. It is important that the role that women have played in shaping this country is honored. However, it wasn't until the late 1970s that women's history was taught in our schools. It was almost completely absent in media coverage and cultural celebrations.

That is why, Mr. Speaker, in 1998, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women, when I was the Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, initiated a women's history week celebration, a celebration that centered around International Women's History Day. The National Women's History Project, located in my district, was founded in 1980 by many dedicated women who poured their hearts and their ideas into promoting and expanding the weeklong celebration. Because several dedicated women, including Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, and Bette Morgan, decided to write women back into history, thousands of schools and communities then started to commemorate Women's

History Week by bringing lessons on women's achievements into the classroom, staging parades, and engaging neighborhoods and churches in celebration of the contributions of women.

The hard work and dedication of these women and the support of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women paid off. They started a national movement, and in 1981 Congress responded to the growing popularity of Women's History Week by making it a national observance in 1987 and expanding the week to a month, the month of March.

Imagine what American history lessons would be today without teaching about Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad; or the work of Elizabeth Cady Stanton or Susan B. Anthony, and the many women who fought for women's suffrage; or Dr. Sally K. Ride, who was the first woman in space, encouraging more girls to be interested in science.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in reaffirming our commitment to the celebration of women's history by supporting H. Res. 211, to ensure our grandchildren and great grandchildren learn more about women like Amelia Earhart and, eventually, the first woman President.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Towns, Chairman Clay, and Ranking Member Issa for supporting this resolution. Let us reflect on the contributions of women. Let us reflect on their place in history, with the hope that the day will come, and soon, when it is impossible to study American history without remembering the contribution of women.

Mr. Speaker, the President has announced a plan to redeploy troops from Iraq, and if you're watching the nightly news or pick up a paper, you might think that the occupation was actually over. But when was the last time you saw a major TV news story from Iraq or some ink at least above the fold about Iraq?

Sadly, the United States' occupation of Iraq is far from over. The need still remains for a stable nation and a stable Iraqi Government that is able to provide basic services and a sense of normalcy and support of the rule of law for everyone in Iraq.

Almost 6 years ago today, the United States military was mobilized in a preemptive attack on Iraq. By now we all know there were no weapons of mass destruction. However, destruction was left in the wake of the invasion. Both the Iraqi and American Governments

must focus on these immediate pressing human needs rather than continuing military presence. A prolonged occupation is not the answer. Prosperity and stability will not come at the end of a gun. We must support reconstruction. We must support reconciliation efforts. And we must find the best way out of Iraq so that we can begin all of this. And the best way is by bringing our troops and military contractors home from Iraq so then we can give Iraq back to the Iraqis and work with them to rebuild reconciliation and to return to their homes.

Families face unimaginable hardships, from widespread violence and suicide attacks to the destruction of their schools, their hospitals, and utility providers. Some of the devastation can be and is actually visible, and it's rubble that still litters the streets and walled-off sections of neighborhoods.

The more difficult picture to capture is that of the refugees. Millions have fled their homes never to return. Nationwide there are between 1.6 million and 2.8 million internally displaced people, refugees who left their homes but not Iraq. According to the International Organization of Migration, only 288,000 have returned home. Refugees International calls this one of the largest humanitarian and displacement crises in the world. They say ``most are unable to access their food rations and are often unemployed; they live in squalid conditions, have run out of resources, and find it extremely difficult to access essential services.''

Mr. Speaker, the Iraqi Government has established a program to reimburse Iraqi families who have lost their homes. Most families get about half of their home's value, and that's when someone can safely come into the area to assess the damage. This process is slow going and will never make these families whole.

But to what are Iraqi families returning? Refugees International found that some Iraqis who have tried to return home have found their homes occupied or destroyed, the likelihood of violence still high, a collapse of social services, and neighborhoods divided into sectarian areas.

Sadly, the U.S. occupation has caused this to happen. But the good news is we have a chance to bring our troops home, give Iraq back to the Iraqi people, and let them have their sovereignty and let them get home to their properties. We need to help them do that. What we don't need to be doing is spending more money on the military occupation in Iraq.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mike Hauser of Santa Rosa, California, who passed away on March 3, 2009, at the age of 62. Mike had led the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce for almost nine years, including regular calls from his sick bed during the last months of his life.

Mike took the reins of Chamber in 2000, and, under his leadership, the organization expanded its programs, enhancing the business climate while benefiting the community. He realized that the two goals complemented each other and brought people together to focus on them. Mike used his low-key style and friendly manner as well as his keen understanding and broad experience to develop initiatives that drew various stakeholders into the process. He was adept at developing relationships that fostered his success.

Mike's efforts included a focus on educating the Spanish-speaking community to be the current and future workforce, including a summer algebra academy for middle school students, securing airline service at the county airport, advocating for the SMART train, and creating programs to develop entrepreneurial businesses and generate high-wage jobs.

Because of his skills and efforts, the Chamber recently learned that it had been awarded a rare five-star rating by the National Chamber of Commerce, becoming the only organization in California to achieve that honor. Also, Mike was set to become Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives in August.

Originally from Iowa, Mike graduated from Iowa State University and then worked in a number of Chambers of Commerce in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska. He settled for 13 years in Fort Collins, Colorado, where his reputation attracted national attention. When the Santa Rosa Chamber was ready for a new president, Mike was an ideal choice.

He leaves a Chamber that is thriving, with increased membership and a variety of successful programs.

Mike is survived by his wife Kelly, daughters Heidi and Dana, and granddaughter Avery as well as his mother Beryl and three siblings.

Madam Speaker, the Santa Rosa Chamber and the broader community will miss Mike Hauser's leadership and his passion for addressing significant local issues. We thank him for the legacy he will leave in strong ongoing programs, especially the newly re-named Mike Hauser Algebra Academy.

Mr. Speaker, for many years I have been calling upon our Nation's leaders to reject war as an instrument of foreign policy and to emphasize diplomacy. Today I rise to praise the Obama administration for opening a new page in our relations with the world by showing that it is ready to talk with friends and foes alike.

In just a short time, the administration has taken a number of important steps. It has sent an envoy to Syria, a nation which must be part of a comprehensive solution to the conflicts in the Middle East. The administration has announced its willingness to work with China on such critical issues as the global economy, on energy, and the environment. President Obama is trying to get Russia's help in convincing the Iranians to give up their ambitions of nuclear weapons, and they are encouraging our NATO partners to resume high-level relations with Russia. These relations, as we remember, were suspended after Russia's military operation against Georgia 6 months ago.

In the State Department, Secretary of State Clinton said that the United States will hold a high-level conference in Afghanistan, a conference to bring together the nations of the region and members of the international community for serious talks. Most importantly, Secretary Clinton has said that Iran is likely to be invited to this conference because, Mr. Speaker, we must talk to Iran if we're going to reduce tensions between our two countries.

President Obama promised to reach out to Iran during the presidential campaign even though he took a lot of political heat during that time. Now the President is making good on his pledge, and I, for one, applaud him for that. Of course, there are some who oppose these diplomatic overtures.

America's 6-year occupation of Iraq, Mr. Speaker, has weakened the ability of our Armed Forces to respond to real threats elsewhere in the world, and our occupation of Afghanistan hasn't defeated the Taliban. So now we must protect against sinking even deeper into an endless conflict in that part of the world.

Those who think that diplomacy won't work should read the article in today's Washington Post by Fareed Zakaria. He says the following: ``The Washington establishment treats compromise as treason and negotiations as appeasement. It believes that the only way to deal with other countries is by issuing a series of demands. This is not foreign policy,'' he says. ``It's imperial policy. And it isn't likely to work in today's world.''

Mr. Speaker, I agree with him on that because I think it's exactly right. If we are going to achieve our foreign policy goals, we must use all the tools of soft power, which really should be called ``smart power,'' because these tools include diplomacy, humanitarian assistance, and conflict resolution.

Mr. Speaker, America does best when we stick to our basic values of peace and justice. These values are the real source of our strength, and they are the values that will help us build a world that's peaceful and safe.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, men, women and children came together to celebrate International Women's Day. Since 1909, government civic groups and local communities have taken time to reflect on the role of women and the unique challenges that we face.

This year, the women of Iraq find themselves still facing hard odds, great odds, even with the decline in violence. Many women still are displaced from their homes, from their employment, and their communities. Their children still lack the basic necessities of clean water, electricity, health care, and access to education. Every day is an act of heroism for those women.

All too often, the role of women is ignored or undervalued. Fortunately, our new Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, has placed a high priority on women's participation at all levels of decision-making. The Secretary has selected eight outstanding women to be honored as recipients of the International Women of Courage Award. This is the only award within the Department of State that pays tribute to outstanding women leaders worldwide. It recognizes the courage and leadership shown as they struggle for social justice and for human rights.

One of these women is an exceptional Iraqi woman, Suaad Allami. Ms. Allami is a prominent lawyer who fights against the erosion of women's rights and defends the most disadvantaged. She founded the NGO Women for Progress and the Sadr City Women's Center, which offers free medical care, literacy education, vocational training, and legislative advocacy. Few of us, Mr. Speaker, can imagine the indescribable challenges of women in her position.

U.S. diplomatic and military officials have lauded her for many things, including her bravery. And they always point to her work outside the Green Zone. The State Department actually pointed to one shining example of her work: When Ms. Allami learned about the extent of alleged human rights abuses at Kadhamiya Women's Prison, she boldly conducted an unannounced

inspection, CNN crew in tow, without regard for the potential for backlash against herself. The Minister for Human Rights shut the prison down 2 months later.

I am pleased that the State Department and Secretary Clinton singled out Ms. Allami for her work. My only wish is that more women, whose bravery occurs every single day, hour by hour, through their acts of courage and just living in Iraq, would receive the same recognition.

The women of Iraq have shown amazing strength and courage. I hope that with the redeployment of our troops and military contractors, all Iraqis will have the hope and security of a prosperous new future.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to deliver my 300th speech on the floor of the House, speeches demanding an end to the occupation of Iraq.

I take no pleasure in marking this milestone, except that in this great democracy we have it is possible for one Member of the House to stand here and express her opinions. But instead of pleasure, it deeply saddens me, for it reminds me just how long the Iraq occupation has been dragging on.

America's invasion and occupation of Iraq began 6 years ago this month. On March 21, 2003, the previous administration gave us ``Shock and Awe.'' There were big explosions on our TV sets, but innocent people were being killed that night in Baghdad. And for the next 6 years, the body count continued to rise as Iraq became a hell on Earth.

Today conditions on the ground have improved, but the occupation goes on. Over 140,000 American troops remain in harm's way. Over 100,000 military contractors continue to roam the streets of Iraq, unaccountable to anyone but themselves. Military families continue to suffer here at home and tens of thousands of veterans suffer from injuries that will last a lifetime.

I voted against authorizing the use of force in Iraq, and I was the first Member of Congress to introduce a resolution calling for the withdrawal of our troops. For 6 years I have made the case that the occupation makes no sense.

On February 2, 2005, I said on the floor of the House ``The sad irony is that after our Nation was attacked on 9/11 by al Qaeda, (our) response was to bomb and kill civilians in one of the few countries in the Middle East that was inhospitable to al Qaeda.''

I also pointed out that the occupation wasn't making America any safer. On March 19, 2007, I said, ``The rate of fatal terror attacks worldwide was increased by a factor of seven since the Iraq war began.''

And I noted that the occupation was bleeding our Treasury dry and threatening our economy. On October 25, 2007, I said, ``It's incredible to me that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, who lecture us daily about fiscal constraints, (do) not make a peep about the fiscal catastrophe'' of Iraq.

I also raised my voice over and over again to decry the other tragic consequences of the occupation, which included the tragic loss of over 100,000 American and Iraqi lives, the refugee crisis, the torture at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, the shabby treatment of our veterans at Walter Reed, the ``Mission Accomplished'' and weapons of mass destruction fiascos, the manipulation of intelligence to create a false cause for war, the cynical use of the 9/11 tragedy to justify military action against Iraq that the Bush administration had been planning all along, the scandal of sending our troops into battle without proper body armor and the terrible damage to our Nation's moral standing and reputation in the world.

I also spoke about the tremendous bravery and the skill of our troops and the amazing courage of the mothers of section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, and I rose time and time again to offer a real alternative to the occupation, a smart security plan, a plan that would defeat terrorism without the need to wage immoral and unnecessary wars.

Most recently, I rose to declare that the current plan to leave 50,000 residual troops after August 2010 in Iraq is unacceptable. I believe the best approach now is to withdraw all our troops by August 2010 and coordinate their removal with reconciliation and reconstruction efforts, efforts to promote the unification of the Iraqi people.

Madam Speaker, the occupation of Iraq violates America's core values of peace, freedom and human rights. I will continue to raise my voice on the floor of the House for these values until we bring all our troops home to their families and the peace and sovereignty of Iraq is restored.

I will also continue to raise my voice on this floor for a new and better foreign policy based on diplomacy and peaceful international cooperation.

I shall soon deliver speech number 301.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 210) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that providing breakfast in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on classroom performance.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 210 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 210, a resolution expressing the sense of Congress that providing breakfast in school has a positive impact on classroom performance.

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Good nutrition is an essential part of a child's ability to grow and to thrive. According to the Center on Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition, hungry children have less energy for cognitive and social activities, which undermines their ability to learn.

The National School Breakfast Program was established as a pilot program by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and made permanent in 1975. The program was created to ensure that all low-income students start the school day with a nutritious breakfast and enter the classroom ready to learn.

Over the last five decades, Mr. Speaker, the National School Breakfast Program has continued to grow. It now operates in more than 85,000 public and nonprofit schools and residential care institutions nationwide. In 2007 over 10 million children participated in the National School Breakfast Program each and every day.

Feeding our children a nutritious breakfast is one of the most important ways we can ensure that students get the most out of their education. Eating close to the start of the school day has improved students' memory, problem-solving skills, and performance on standardized tests.

In addition to improving academic performance, Mr. Speaker, school breakfast programs have been shown to decrease absences, tardiness, and disciplinary problems among all students. In the State of Maryland, for example, referrals to the office decreased by 20 percent when classroom breakfast programs were implemented.

Children who eat a nutritious breakfast have better overall nutrition, maintain higher levels of important nutrients, and are less likely to be overweight than children who do not eat breakfast, combating child obesity, which is so important to our country. And in the past two decades, the number of overweight American children, Mr. Speaker, age 6 to 11 has actually doubled.

Making certain that children eat a healthy and nutritious breakfast is an important part of the effort to solve the public health crisis. Across the Nation millions of children go to school hungry every single day. Although 80 percent of institutions that operate a school lunch program also offer a school breakfast program, participation is much lower in the breakfast program. Only about one in three students who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program actually receive breakfast at school. Participation is low because of a variety of reasons, including inadequate time for an in-school meal and the stigma attached to eating breakfast at school.

Mr. Speaker, as a strong supporter of the school breakfast program, I've always believed that every child should be able to participate in program. I helped to establish a pilot program to test the benefits of a universal school breakfast program in six school districts, including Santa Rosa in my congressional district. And I strongly support providing breakfast for every child, regardless of need.

Providing nutritious breakfasts is a simple but important way to make sure students are more successful in school and helps to set them on the path toward a healthy lifestyle. By making breakfast more widely available, we would be able to share these educational, behavioral, and nutritional benefits with even more of our Nation's young people.

Mr. Speaker, once again I express my support for the National School Breakfast Program, and I thank my colleague Congresswoman Moore for introducing this important resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin, Gwen Moore.

(Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Dahlkemper.

I would like to know if the gentleman from Kentucky has any further speakers?

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to recognize the important role the National School Breakfast Program plays in the education and health of our Nation's children.

I would like to say that it's obvious that if you eat a good breakfast you are much better prepared to learn, to focus, to behave yourself, even want to come to school, you want to be there on time. I can tell you from the breakfast pilot program that President Clinton signed into law that was my legislation, and the six districts around the country that had the program in effect for 3 years, it proved itself.

The administrators thought it was the best thing, the principals thought it was the best, the teachers and the kids loved it, and they were provided a balanced meal. I remember going to one of the schools in my district during the breakfast time, it was around 10:15 in the morning, they had been to their first classes and came out for this breakfast, all kids, not just poor. It had nothing to do with economic status.

There was a group of fifth and sixth graders sitting around the table, and I went over to talk to them and I said, what are you guys talking about? And they said, we're talking politics. I mean, they were having the best time. They were thinking. They were excited. Some of them ate two breakfasts every day because their parents actually fed them breakfast. That was the downside of the program was that all these kids didn't have to have breakfast, but we learned later that middle school and high school are the kids that really don't eat breakfast.

So we are going to be working and building on this program and ensuring that in the United States of America, the wealthiest country on the globe, we will, indeed, be able to feed all of our children so that they are the best learners this country can provide.

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