Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, on April 8, 2008, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my vote for rollcall No. 193.

Had I been present I would have voted:

Rollcall No. 193--``yes''--Providing for consideration of H.R. 2634, Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Collection Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modem State of Israel.

Israel has been a constant friend of the American people and a strong proponent for the spread of democracy.

In my travels, I saw the future for Israel and for the region: The children. It is our moral obligation to current and future generations to support a true path to peace and reconciliation. We must work towards a time free from conflict. The children of Israel and the region deserve the right to hope and dream of a world that is secure and stable.

Today, I join my colleagues in recognition of this important anniversary and look forward to a peaceful role for the U.S. throughout the region.

Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5715, the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008. Everyone deserves access to the best possible opportunities, which include a college education. No student should be denied a college education because he or she can't afford it. That's why we must continue to find ways to increase student access to financial aid to ensure that students and their families have every possible opportunity to acquire a college education.

We can't let the current credit crisis limit any student's opportunities to receive a college education. This bill would give the Secretary of Education the tools to help schools in need find a lender and give students access to the money they need to attend school. To keep America competitive in the global market, we must continue to ensure that every student receives access to the best possible college education.

This bill serves as a preventative measure and goes a long way towards averting any possible crisis in July or August when our Nation's students and their families are looking for ways to pay for the next school year. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5715.

Madam Speaker, I rise to bring to the House's attention a potentially, very dangerous new turn in the administration's policies in the Middle East. In recent weeks the administration has been stirring up the pot on Iran again, and that has caused many Americans to worry that the administration is getting ready to launch another attack in the region, this time in Tehran.

In fact, there's more than enough evidence to show that the administration may be laying the groundwork for military action. In an interview last month, the President said that the Iranians, and I quote him, he said, ``the Iranians have declared they want to have a nuclear weapon to destroy people.''

That would be troubling, Madam Speaker, if it were true. But the Iranians haven't said anything of the kind. It is shocking to me that our Commander-in-Chief would make unsubstantiated and misleading statements about a subject as important and as serious as nuclear weapons.

Another troubling sign came last month when Admiral William Fallon retired. Admiral Fallon was a bulwark against the Iran hawks in the administration, and his departure raised fears that he was, first, forced to retire, and that next, the rush to war was on.

And several weeks ago, Vice President Cheney said that he has ``high confidence'' that the Iranians have an ongoing nuclear enrichment program. Of course, the most recent national intelligence estimate reported that the Iranians stopped working on a suspected nuclear weapons program 4 years ago.

And finally, General Petraeus told Congress last week that Iranian- backed special groups now pose the greatest long-term threat in Iraq.

For years, the administration told us that the main enemy was al Qaeda or Sunni insurgents, or Shiite militia. Now they tell us, forget them; it's Iran. In my mind, this raises legitimate concerns that the administration may be inventing new excuses to stay in Iraq by trying to convince the American people to support war against Iran.

Madam Speaker, I too am concerned about Iran. The Iranians should stay out of Iraq. They should not develop nuclear weapons. No country should develop nuclear weapons. But if we want Iran to behave well, we must stop threatening to attack them. Instead, our first line of defense must be engagement and aggressive diplomacy.

The absolutely essential first step in that process must be the redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. How can we expect Iraq's neighbors to cooperate in stabilizing the region while we insist on an open-ended foreign occupation with 140,000 troops and tens of thousands of military contractors?

Ending the occupation will allow us to launch a broad initiative to bring the nations in the region to the table, to address the relevant, the political, the economic and the security issues.

And Madam Speaker, when it comes to Iran's nuclear challenge, we must retake the high moral ground in the United States of America. When we turn our backs on nuclear nonproliferation, abandon the comprehensive test ban treaty and develop new nuclear weapons of our own, under what circumstances can we tell another nation to abandon their nuclear dreams?

The American people do not want a wider conflict in the Middle East. They want our leaders to spend every waking moment working to bring peace to the region. This is not the time for heated rhetoric, for bullying and new threats. It is time to try the one thing we haven't tried, diplomacy.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding me the time.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 2634 and am proud to recognize Chairman Frank, his Ranking Member Bachus, Congresswoman Waters, Representative Lee and Representative Payne because they are leaders in this very, very necessary important issue of debt relief. And I want to tell you I admire their absolute stick-to-itiveness on this important issue, because 7 years ago, grass-roots groups asked Congress and the administration to release heavily indebted poor countries from their overwhelming debt. In many cases, the debt was acquired under dictatorships and despotic regimes. These emerging developing nations could not move forward while buried under seemingly crushing debt.

With bipartisan support, and this is bipartisan in the way it has come to the floor, it passed the first time. Now it is improved upon and going forward again. It is stronger than it was before. In so doing, we forgave debt owed by poor countries, countries that were spending vast sums on debt servicing while forgoing investment into education or health care, infrastructure and other social services so desperately needed in their small countries.

With this bill, we are putting a downpayment on the future of the developing world. We are getting more kids into classrooms. We are providing life-saving health care. We are building the pathways for entrepreneurship.

And I thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership, and I honor one more time, as we all have, Congresswoman Waters for her stick-to- itiveness in making these wonderful, important issues come forward and pass positively.

Madam Speaker, today is April 15, Tax Day. Right now, millions of Americans are hurrying to report their incomes to the IRS. Usually, ``IRS'' stands for ``Internal Revenue Service,'' but today, it might as well stand for ``Iraq revenue suppliers'' because so much of our tax revenue is paying for the occupation of Iraq.

Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize winning economist, has calculated the occupation will cost at least $3 trillion. That means that the occupation will cost each of our 300 million citizens $10,000, or an incredible $40,000 for a family of four.

America's hardworking families are struggling to keep their heads above water as we sink into a deep, what I

call, Iraq recession. Yet, they're being asked to hand over $40,000, most of which goes to the foreign nations that are lending us the money to keep the occupation going. And that $40,000, Madam Speaker, will get much bigger if the occupation goes on for another few years, for 100 years as some cheerleaders for the occupation are discussing.

What have we gotten for our occupation money? General Petraeus told us last week that the security situation in Iraq has gotten much better. But 19 of our incredibly brave soldiers died last week. And our top military leaders continue to warn us that our obsession with Iraq is breaking our military and that we may wake up one day to find that we can't meet a real threat to our national security.

Next month, the IRS will mail out economic stimulus checks. I'm glad that that relief is on the way. But the best economic stimulus plan would be to end the occupation of Iraq. The American people agree. A recent New York Times/CBS poll found that 89 percent of the American people believe that the cost of the occupation has contributed to our economic problems.

Last month, the Progressive Caucus put forth an alternative budget that showed that we can actually achieve an end to the occupation in Iraq and re-order our spending priorities. The budget is truly remarkable. We were able to fully fund the education that our children deserved and that our Nation must have to remain competitive in the global economy.

We were able to invest in green jobs that could employ millions of our citizens and put our Nation on the path to the energy independence we must have to fuel our economy and ensure our national security. And we were able to provide health care coverage to every American who lacks it, not only fulfilling our promise to care for each other, but making our country stronger and more competitive in the process.

But instead of revving up these engines of economic growth and social justice, the administration will soon send to Congress yet another request for emergency Iraq funding. This time around, the request will be for $108 billion.

Madam Speaker, I agree that we must spend money on Iraq but not the way the administration wants to spend it. It wants an open-ended occupation. Instead, we must fully fund the safe, responsible redeployment of our troops and military contractors out of Iraq.

And we must help, not do it all, but we must help to reconstruct Iraq. We've all heard of the so-called Pottery Barn rule: If you break it, you own it. We need to expand that saying: If you break it, you have a moral obligation to help rebuild it.

It's time for the madness to end, Madam Speaker. It's time to bring our troops home, get our fiscal house in order, give the Iraqi people back their sovereignty and help them rebuild their country and their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 259) honoring and recognizing the work of the Meals On Wheels Association of America, its member senior nutrition programs throughout the country, and their annual March For Meals campaigns.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Res. 259 into the Record.

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

(Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 259, authored by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo). H. Res. 259 honors

and recognizes the work of the Meals on Wheels Association of America and their annual March For Meals campaigns.

The Meals on Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest organization that provides meals to people in need. Through their many programs, Meals on Wheels strives to support the social, physical, nutritional, and economic needs of vulnerable individuals. Meals on Wheels offers tools and information to programs across the Nation and supports these organizations in making a difference in the lives of those at risk. They do this through professional training, creative leadership, and cash grants. Meals on Wheels helps local senior meal programs provide food and other nutrition services nationwide.

Hunger continues to be a profound problem in our country, Mr. Speaker. Nationwide nearly 38 million people live in households suffering from hunger, up from 33 million in the year 2000. Meals on Wheels is at the forefront of combating hunger by providing nutritious meals to people across the country, those who are elderly, those who are homebound, disabled, or at risk and who are at the greatest risk of going hungry. Even with these impressive efforts, a great need still exists. At this moment 40 percent of Meals on Wheels programs across the country report that there are waiting lists for their nutrition services.

Furthermore, the needs for Meals on Wheels will continue to grow. The elderly population in the United States has grown exponentially over the last few decades and will continue to increase well into the mid 21st century. The demographics that will experience the most growth is that of adults age 85 and older. At the same time, the economic insecurity of this elderly population will continue to rise, creating a dire need for services such as those provided by Meals on Wheels.

Mr. Speaker, at the conclusion of the annual March For Meals campaign, I want to join my colleagues in recognizing the important role that Meals on Wheels programs play all year long all over the country.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to honor and recognize the important role of Meals on Wheels and the role that it plays in combating hunger for the neediest among us.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support H. Res. 259, a resolution honoring and recognizing the work of the Meals on Wheels Association of America and their annual March for Meals campaign. I would like to thank my good friend and colleague, Representative LoBiondo, for asking me to join him as a lead sponsor of this important legislation.

We all know the statistics related to senior nutrition programs and Meals on Wheels. In my home State of Rhode Island alone, there are an estimated 2,200 meals delivered each day to homebound and elderly clients and over 600,000 meals delivered each year by over 1,000 volunteers. The cost to provide one meal each day for one month is less than $100, by far less expensive than the cost of a nursing home, which averages nearly $5,000 per month.

I often cite these statistics because I am proud of the work of my local Meals on Wheels program, but these numbers fail to illustrate one of the more important results from the program. Because these clients are homebound, they are too often isolated from their communities and spend their days alone. Even a brief visit from a friendly Meals on Wheels volunteer provides much needed social interaction and a connection to the community.

I have participated in March for Meals in my community, and I encourage other Members of Congress and elected officials to take the time to visit their homebound constituents who receive meals. Unfortunately, one in ten seniors lives in poverty in our Nation and the need for home-delivered meals continues to increase. It is critical that Members of Congress know firsthand the powerful effects of these delivered meals on our seniors, not only to feed their bodies, but to feed their souls.

Thank you, again, to my colleague, Representative LoBiondo, for introducing this important resolution and to Meals on Wheels and their volunteers for their tremendous work in taking care of our most vulnerable Americans. I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 259, and to participate in March for Meals in their home districts.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1097) expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2008, as National Child Abuse Prevention Month to provide attention to the tragic circumstances that face some of our Nation's children on a daily basis and to underscore our commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect so that all children can live in safety and security, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert materials relevant to H. Res. 1097 into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, a child's safety should never be put in jeopardy. That's why I rise in support of H. Res. 1097, authored by Congressman Courtney from Connecticut.

H. Res. 1097 is a bill to designate this month as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. We need to shine a light on the tragic circumstances, Mr. Speaker, that face some of our Nation's children on a daily basis. As people across the country recognize this month as National Child Abuse Prevention Month and promote awareness activities in order to reduce the cases of child maltreatment, this resolution moves us one step closer to securing the safety and well-being of all children.

The latest data shows us that in the year 2006, approximately 1,530 children died, died in the United States of America, due to maltreatment, and an additional 905,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect. Even more disturbing, Mr. Speaker, is that our most vulnerable children are at greatest risk. Approximately 90,000 victims of child abuse and neglect in the year 2000 were less than 1 year old. More than 84 percent of those child abuse victims were less than 1 month old.

These facts are appalling. We must work together to bring attention to this important issue and begin to

strengthen our families and our communities and to keep our children safe. We need to emphasize the need for more prevention programs because prevention works by reducing risk factors, by promoting protective factors and by fostering a commitment for social change.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Courtney for introducing this important bill. It is my hope and it is my goal that all of my colleagues will join me in supporting H. Res. 1097 so that together we can reduce child abuse and neglect by increasing public awareness.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to the author of this great resolution, Mr. Courtney from Connecticut, and a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution, and I also thank Congresswoman Foxx for her support in all of these bills that have come before us this afternoon.

It is so important that together on both sides of the aisle and that we understand the urgency of the resolution like Congressman Courtney's resolution today.

Child abuse should be something we talk about and think about every day, every minute, every second. There should never be a time when we don't worry about the little children in our country and in our world and what adults do to them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution to make sure we bring it to the attention of those around the country, not just this month, but every month following.

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

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

Madam Speaker, as we enter the sixth year of the seemingly endless occupation of Iraq, the International Committee of the Red Cross published a worrying report about the State of the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

In its entitled ``Iraq: No Let-Up in the Humanitarian Crisis,'' the publication shows just how far we need to go to meet the most basic needs of the Iraqi people. Despite the rosy picture being painted by some in the administration, too many Iraqis are still without health care, clean water, and/or education.

And many families have been torn apart by the civil war wracking the country. Family members have gone missing or have been killed. Some have been shipped off to detention centers.

Estimates range on how many people, mostly men, have been locked up. According to the Red Cross, ``Tens of thousands of Iraqis, almost all of them men, are currently in detention often far from their homes.''

One camp is situated in the southern part of the country near Basra and is managed by the United States-led multinational forces in Iraq. At the same time, this is the largest detention facility in the country. And there are more than 20,000 inmates in that detention camp.

The situation means that many families have lost their breadwinner. The new heads of household, many women and many children, have to cope in a world that seems to be without home or promise for the future. And their day-to-day life is just as bleak.

Instead of improving, the supply of electricity has become even more unreliable. Because of this, water sanitation plants are breaking down and hospitals find they cannot provide adequate care, even if they had the medical supplies to meet the demand, which they very seldom do.

Parents the world over, Madam Speaker, American, Iraqi, or anywhere else, only want the best for their children. They want their kids to be happy. They want them to be healthy. They want their kids to go to school, to grow up and to have a chance to achieve their dreams. That is why ongoing occupation is about more than statistics or numbers.

The Red Cross reports helps to put a human face on the administration's so-called foreign policy. One such story actually highlights the struggle faced by too many. Here is Ruba's story. She says, ``My children and I left my home in Anbar province almost 2 years ago. My husband had been killed right in front of us.'' She continues, ``I had to protect my children, so we fled the same night with nothing but some money. For me, today, there is no past, there is no future, only a horrible present. I only wish I had some photos of my husband, photos of my family. I can see it all in my mind, but I don't know for how long I will remember. There was a time when we always sat down together for lunch and laughed. Today, we are living with my cousin's family.''

She goes on to say, ``There are 12 of us in one room. I don't want my old life again, because I know it is impossible without my husband. All I want is for my children to go to school and lead a normal life.''

The story of this mother, Madam Speaker, a woman just 38 years old, is heartbreaking. We have a solemn obligation to help the Iraqi people achieve a future that is both secure and stable.

In the 5 minutes we stand here to deliver our special order speeches, the administration spends over $1 million to prolong the endless occupation. I think the people of America could find a better way to show our commitment to the Iraqi people.

The American people's generosity and commitment to humanitarian assistance is boundless. But our patience with this administration's foreign policy follies is actually not boundless. This Congress must stand up to the administration. We must say ``no'' to a blank check. Let us redirect our resources to where they are really needed, towards aid, not ammunition.

Madam Speaker, yesterday as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I participated in one of the Petraeus-Crocker hearings. Sadly, it was just more of the same. We heard doubletalk and nuanced excuse.

The American people and the Congress demand more. This is not the punchline on some late night comedy news show. This is the blood and treasure of our Nation. And now the Administration has its hand out for another blank check, over $1 billion rumor has it. This Congress should remain firm in its opposition to an open-ended occupation which is neither making America safer nor providing any real hope for the Iraqi people.

Just a few months ago, Madam Speaker, our esteemed Appropriations Chairman, Mr. Obey, introduced, and this House passed, a bill that clearly stated the position of a majority of Americans.

With bipartisan support, the bill stated, the primary purpose of funds made available by this Act should be to transition the mission of United States Armed Forces in Iraq and undertake their redeployment and not to extend or prolong the war.

A line has been drawn in the sand. The bar was raised, and we will not step back from this.

From so-called blue states to red states, from east coast to west, from the deep south to the midwest, on to the great plain states, people are fed up. They overwhelmingly, time after time, demand that we end our occupation of Iraq, bring our troops home and that we also bring military contractors home and reaffirm our support of the Iraqi people by funding reconstruction and reconciliation efforts.

Our assistance should come through diplomacy. Actually through a handshake, not at the point of a gun. What is the best way to help the Iraqi people? By occupying their land or by lending a hand? As I said many, many times, I represent the most beautiful and most progressive congressional district. Every day my constituents make me proud to represent such amazing people. My own community has collected supplies for the troops, has donated to aid agencies and has gone the extra distance by giving straight from the heart.

One such example is Dominican University in Marin County. They've offered free schooling to Iraqi refugees. As part of the Iraqi Student Project, they will receive tuition and fee waivers. It may not seem like much to some, but I can tell you, this generous gift will change lives.

Our communities can make these small but priceless gestures. But the real work lies here under the Dome. We have the support of the American people, the Iraqis, and the world community. We can't wait until next year. We can't wait until the next decade or the next century.

So as this spending bill comes together, Americans want to know that their voices are being heard and, most importantly, heeded.

We must stand strong. We must steel our spines. In November, the House of Representatives said that the primary purpose of all of those Federal dollars was a safe and orderly redeployment. The administration disagreed saying it won't back down.

We will consider spending over $1 billion on the Iraq occupation in the coming weeks, Madam Speaker. I, for one, welcome the debate.

Madam Speaker, on April 8, 2008, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my votes for rollcall No. 161-163.

Had I been present I would have voted:

Rollcall No. 161--``yea''--Congratulating the Army Reserve on its centennial.

Rollcall No. 162--``yea''--The Wakefield Act.

Rollcall No. 163--``yea''--Reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this important resolution. On Monday, activists spread a huge banner across the Golden Gate Bridge reading ``One World. One Dream. Free Tibet.'' I think we can all learn from these powerful words. China's crackdown on the Tibetan people has reminded us that human rights violations are an all too common part of life under Chinese rule.

As a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, I believe China must engage in an open dialogue with the Dalai Lama that respects the independent national identity of the Tibetan people. However, China's violent oppression of these peaceful protestors only shows their refusal to reach a solution to this crisis. Additionally, China has refused to end its support for the Government of Sudan, continuing to invest in its corrupt leaders. Unfortunately, China's support has helped prolong the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

We cannot expect China to lead the international community by hosting the Olympic games when it continues to show a lack of respect for fundamental human rights. Our President and all American travelers must seriously reflect on whether to support the Beijing Olympic games in any way because our country must never support those who stand in the way of peace and freedom.

Madam Speaker, I rise with particular pleasure today to honor the sesquicentennial of my hometown of Petaluma, California, which has not only a special place in my heart, but a unique place in history over the past 150 years.

My political career began in Petaluma when I was elected to the city council. I raised my four children in this picturesque town with its lovely rural surroundings, and now they are raising their children here. It is a warm and friendly place to call home, and despite its growing population, people still walk down the streets and smile and wave and greet each other by first name.

Petaluma's recent history evolved from its position at the head of a tidal estuary. This location made it a natural shipping center for moving goods from fertile Sonoma County down to San Francisco in the years before the Golden Gate Bridge was built. Consequently, it prospered through the 19th century. But what put Petaluma on the map and made it famous in the early 20th century was the 1875 invention of the chick incubator by local farmers, Isaac Dias and Lyman Byce.

According to local historian and former newspaper editor Katie Watts, the incubator and Petaluma's mild climate made it a natural spot for raising chickens. On the advice of a public relations whiz, Bert Kerrigan, town leaders capitalized on this speciality, dubbing Petaluma ``The World's Egg Basket.''

What's more, in 1918, Kerrigan prevailed on Congress to create a National Egg Day, August 13, 1918, with Petaluma as the epicenter.

Everything became related to eggs--instead of receiving the keys to the city, esteemed visitors were inaugurated into the Order of the Cluck Clucks and given a bouquet, not of flowers, but of dressed chickens. The town colors were even yellow and white. And while parades in other cities featured floats carrying a contingent of young ladies in prom dresses, in Petaluma, they wore chicken costumes and handed out eggs.

The scheme worked and Petaluma became the wealthiest city of its size in the country.

``Civic pride was enormous,'' Watts says. ``Showplace homes were built, many of which are still standing.''

The egg business slowly faded in the 1930s and 40s, and after waterway shipping was replaced by truck transport, Petaluma drifted into a sleepy decline. Watts explains that ``Attempts to modernize in the 1950s and 60s were mostly short-circuited by the fact the city determined not to tear down fine old buildings and replace them with parking lots and corrugated plastic.''

Although chickens gave way to the cows and sheep that now dot the green hills around the city, Petaluma remains connected to its rural heritage by supporting a growing farmstead cheese industry.

But Petaluma is also firmly in the 21st century. Having been at the heart of Telecom Valley during the dotcom boom, it attracted tech and bio-tech companies, with many continuing to move here, drawn by the fertile business climate.

Petaluma's civic pride extends to the care of its citizens--there is a model homeless shelter and a noted housing program for the economically disadvantaged. Current environmental policies reflect the city's pioneering work in the first slow-growth ordinances in the U.S. Protecting the environment remains a priority for Petalumans. For example, in 1983, students from Petaluma's Casa Grande High School founded United Anglers with the mission of bringing Adobe Creek back to life. Since then, they have raised more than half a million dollars and built a state-of-the-art fish hatchery, the only one nationwide on a high school campus. Their program has served as a worldwide model for ecology and watershed reclamation.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent the people of Petaluma, and I ask that you join me in congratulating them on their accomplishments of the past 150 years and wishing them the best for the future.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was one of the world's greatest champions of peace. He said, ``We must find an alternative to war and bloodshed.'' He often quoted President Kennedy, who said, ``Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.''

Unfortunately, the administration today seems to have a different point of view when it comes to war. Take, for example, President Bush's video conference with our military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan last month. The President told them the following, and I quote: ``I must say, I'm a little envious. If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines in Afghanistan. It must be exciting for you, in some ways romantic, confronting danger.''

Mr. Speaker, I am shocked that the Commander-in-Chief believes that war is some sort of romantic adventure. It isn't. War is hell. War, as President Kennedy said, could put an end to all mankind. Just ask the millions of Iraqis who have been forced to flee their homes since our occupation of their country began over 5 years ago.

The U.N. recently reported that the number of internally displaced Iraqis has soared to more than 2.77 million people. More than a million of them do not have adequate shelter. More than 300,000 of them do not have access to clean water.

Another 2 million Iraqis have been forced to become refugees in other countries, where they're called guests. And the conditions are as bad, or worse, because guests cannot go to work in a foreign country.

Life isn't very good for Iraqis who have stayed at home either. ABC News has reported that sizable majorities of Iraqis say they don't have electricity, they don't have fuel, clean water, medical care, or jobs.

And if anyone still thinks that war is a romantic adventure, I urge them to learn about an organization called Iraq Veterans Against the War. Recently, this group held a 4-day conference where veterans of the conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan spoke about their experiences. These veterans gave very frank accounts of the bloodshed and destruction that they experienced or saw with their own eyes. Their descriptions of combat are heartbreaking. They are too graphic to describe here.

Let me just say that they do not agree with their Commander-in-Chief that their time on the front lines was a fantastic experience. It was more like a living nightmare that may be with them forever.

Anyone who is interested can see videos of these veterans' testimony on the Internet. There you will see brave young American men and women who went into the military because they wanted to make our country and the world safer. They were ready to sacrifice their lives for that cause. But when they saw the consequences and the inconsistencies and the horrors of this war, they decided to speak out. They are men and women of conscience who now oppose policy in Iraq because of the harm that it is doing to that country, to its people, and to our own military.

That, Mr. Speaker, is why we must move forward with the responsible redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. The administration will never do it, obviously. They've seen too many John Wayne movies, and must think that war is exciting, it must be romantic, something to be envied, because that's what they say.

So it is up to us in Congress to use our power of the purse to say, we will give you the money to safely bring our troops out, but we will not, we will not give you another penny to continue this occupation.

Two-thirds of the American people, Mr. Speaker, think that the occupation was wrong to begin with. They're right.

So let us honor Dr. Martin Luther King. Let us honor the American people by doing what they know is right. End it.

Madam Speaker, I rise with sadness and respect today, along with Congresswoman Barbara Lee, to honor Hayganoush Markarian, a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, who passed away recently at the age of 105. Hayganoush was one of the few survivors of the Armenian Genocide of the early 20th century, so it further saddens me that she died without the government of Turkey, from where she fled, or the government of the U.S., where she found refuge, officially recognizing that Genocide.

Much has been said about the facts and numbers and statistics. We know that in Turkey between 1915 and 1921, 1.5 million Armenians died-- 80 percent of the population. But it is women like Hayganoush who put a human face on the Armenian Genocide and remind us that we are talking about actual people whose lives were lost or whose homes and families were destroyed.

Hayganoush Markarian was born on January 24, 1902, in the historic Armenian city of Kharpert, which suffered huge losses in the Armenian Genocide. She lived with her parents, older brother, and four sisters.

When the Turks came after her father and brother, both went into hiding--her brother dressed as a girl in order to safely cross dangerous areas and her father initially hid in the well at their home and later with Kurdish friends.

Her mother somehow saved the family from the deportations and massacres and re-united with her husband briefly after World War I, before he died as a result of the damp conditions in the wells he had hidden in for such long periods.

In 1923, the remainder of the family made their way to Syria, where Hayganoush married Markar Markarian in 1925. The Markarians later moved to Lebanon and eventually the United States. In both Syria and Lebanon, Hayganoush was an active member of the Armenian Relief Society, the oldest Armenian women's organization operating in the world.

Hayganoush resided in Oakland until her death in March of this year at the age of 105. She had prayed she would live to see the day when she and other victims of the Armenian Genocide would see the Genocide officially recognized both here and in Turkey.

Madam Speaker, although Hayganoush's prayer was not granted, she did see such a resolution pass the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives last fall. I am proud to be a cosponsor of that resolution, and I look forward to the day when the U.S. government officially recognizes the Genocide. Hayganoush Markarian's story will serve as a reminder to us of the sanctity of human life in Armenia and around the world.