Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise with great pleasure to honor a visionary, writer,

scholar, and advocate for the environment on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Phyllis Faber's lifetime work to protect agricultural land has not only preserved the beauty of Marin County, but provided an inspiration to other communities to do the same.

More than 35 years ago, in the late 1970s, development plans threatened the beautiful countryside and historic agricultural nature of West Marin. Two women, Phyllis and dairy farmer Ellen Straus, were particularly concerned about preserving the county's farming. While out walking one day, they explored the question of how to protect the land so farmers and ranchers could afford to maintain their operations. The two women reasoned that if development potential were eliminated, the land could more easily retain its agricultural designation. In 1980, Phyllis and Ellen, with support from local officials and the Trust for Public Land, founded the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, MALT, the first land trust in the United States to focus solely on the preservation of farmland.

Since then, MALT has protected nearly 40,000 acres of land on 59 family farms and ranches. It has also served as a model for communities across the country, illustrating how to permanently protect agricultural land through the purchase of agricultural conservation easements.

Over the past 27 years, MALT's conservation easement program has protected about one-third of the agricultural farmland in West Marin, but Phyllis's wish is that in her lifetime MALT will have protected at least one-half of the available agricultural farmland and working farms--and not only protect them from development but ensure their continued operations.

``We are blessed that ranchers and farmers in this area want to stay in agriculture,'' she says. ``Without their commitment to farming, our landscape in West Marin would be quite different.''

Phyllis's passion for preserving farm and ranch land is matched by her passion for wildflowers. A teacher, editor, and writer as well as an environmentalist, Phyllis has edited Fremontia, the Journal of the California Native Plant Society, and has written eight books about wildflowers.

These have not been Phyllis's only accomplishments, however. She also helped found Marin Discoveries and the Environmental Forum of Marin. For the past 3 years, she has chaired the board of the Buck Institute for Age Research, and of course she continues to serve on the board of

Mr. Speaker, while I cannot support H.R. 1585, this legislation does contain the provisions of H.R. 3481, the ``Support for Injured Servicemembers Act,'' a bill that I introduced in the House and which amends the Family and Medical Leave Act to provide 6 months of leave for spouses, children, parents and other ``next of kin'' to care for injured service members. H.R. 3481 implements one of the recommendations of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, chaired by Secretary Shalala and Senator Dole.

The Family and Medical Leave Act is intended to help individuals balance their family and work obligations. Ninety million working people are now eligible for unpaid job protected leave for up to 12 weeks a year. When the Act was passed in 1993, it was a giant step and is of great importance to working families.

Since a majority of military spouses work, they too must balance work and family. They work to put food on the table and support their families, just like the rest of us. But they face additional challenges because their lives are disrupted by multiple deployments, involving not only active service members but those in the National Guard and reserves as well.

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in over 30,000 casualties with many servicemembers being seriously wounded. These injured warriors need substantial support and care from their families, often for long periods of time, and some permanently.

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee, which I chair, held a hearing in September on H.R. 3481. We heard from several witnesses about the need for extended family and medical leave in these instances.

Unfortunately, this Administration has let down our returning service members and their families. Therefore, I introduced H.R. 3481, so no matter where we come down on the merits of these conflicts, we can help families who support loved ones who put their lives on the line in Iraq and Afghanistan. The provisions of H.R. 3481 will certainly help.

Madam Speaker, on December 6, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my vote for rollcall No. 1141. Had I been present I would have voted: rollcall No. 1141--``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, the energy bill before us today raises the bar and sets new, higher standards for us as a Nation and all I can say is ``It' s about time.''

It's about time we raised CAFE standards to a level to be competitive with the rest of the world. Allowing these standards to fall behind is an embarrassment for a country that should be a role model for other countries in technology and efficiency.

It's about time that we had a nationwide renewable energy standard. Renewable energy in some form is available in every corner of this Nation. We need to invest in it and make it work for us and for a cleaner future for our children. Setting a standard at 15 percent is a good start.

And it's about time that we work toward making cleaner fuels for our automobiles. That's why I'm proud language is included in this bill that i authored with the gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Bartlett, which sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the production and use of biofuels.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and move our energy policy forward for our children and grandchildren. It's about time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 597, to reauthorize the Postage Stamp for Breast Cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women and the leading cause of cancer death among women under the age of 40. Research is key to improving breast cancer prevention, detection and treatment. In the 9 years the stamp has been sold, it's raised more than $40 million to fund breast cancer research around the country. In those nine years, great strides have been made, but we can do more and that's why we should support the extension of the breast cancer stamp.

In addition to this important legislation, we need to do more to prevent breast cancer deaths in women under the age of 40. Approximately 11,000 women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, of which nearly 1 ,300 will die. However, most research, education, and prevention efforts are focused upon women over the age of 45. That's why I introduced the Annie Fox Act, H.R. 715, named after a young woman in my district who was diagnosed with breast cancer and died at the age of35. This bill will authorize research into the causes of breast cancer in younger women and educate them about the risks of breast cancer.

It is important that we not only continue to fund research and education over the ages of 45, but that we also do so for our younger women so that they may live long, healthy lives. I applaud the passage of this important legislation and look forward to working with my colleagues to pass H.R. 715, the Annie Fox Act.

Mr. Speaker, we were reminded about just how fragile our waterways are when a ship ran into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and spilled 58,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay. The spill spread and soiled the pristine beaches of Marin County, in my district. It also threatened the Point Reyes seashore and restoration projects in Richardson Bay and San Pablo Bay.

Thousands of volunteers, including many of my constituents, spent countless hours cleaning up. Fishermen volunteered their boats and their time to help with clean up efforts. Without their help, the cleanup efforts would have taken much longer, more birds could have died, and more of the oil would have been unrecoverable.

Unfortunately, not enough training sessions were offered and many potential volunteers were turned away from helping with the clean up efforts because they lacked the necessary training. We need to learn from this and provide more training opportunities and better utilize potential volunteers.

As we move forward, we must also look into new technologies to prevent spills and protect water and beaches. In Marin County, booms across Bolinas Lagoon and Drakes Estero failed and left these areas vulnerable to oil spill contamination. We need to ensure that we have enough equipment to respond quickly and effectively, especially for areas somewhat distant from spill mobilization centers. We also need to ensure that we have enough people trained to handle this equipment and manage the response efforts at these sites.

Thank you, Speaker Pelosi and Representative Tauscher for your leadership on this resolution. Thank you to my constituents and to all the volunteers who assisted with clean up efforts.

Madam Speaker, the holiday movie season usually begins each year around Christmas Day, but this year the holiday movie season has begun early. It began this week, in fact, when the administration premiered its new movie entitled, ``Iraq: The Sequel.''

As you will recall, the first Iraq movie began with the administration warning us about weapons of mass destruction and mushroom clouds. Then we invaded Iraq where we discovered that the weapons of mass destruction didn't exist. But the administration kept coming up with new reasons to keep the occupation going.

The American people gave this first Iraq two thumbs down, but that hasn't discouraged our leaders in the White House. They have been busy writing the same exact script for ``Iraq: The Sequel,'' which is all about Iran.

In this movie, the administration warns us about Iranian weapons of mass destruction, in this case a nuclear weapons program. Then it gives us new visions of mushroom clouds by warning us about World War III. Then we discover, as we did last week, that the nuclear weapons program does not exist. In fact, it was suspended back in 2003. But the administration continues to come up with new reasons to keep the crisis going.

Yesterday we were told that Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous, Iran will be dangerous. So the administration's drumbeat for war in general, and against Iran in particular, goes on. Before we go back to the dark days, Madam Speaker, the dark days of shock and awe, I have a few questions to ask.

First, why did it take 4 long years to discover the truth about the Iranian nuclear weapons program? Was this another example of intelligence being manipulated for political purposes?

Why did the administration warn us in October that Iranian nuclear weapons could start World War III when the Director of National Intelligence went to the White House in August to say that Iran's nuclear weapons system ``may be suspended''?

There is nothing, nothing more reckless and irresponsible than to terrify the world about World War III when there is no basis for it.

Why did the administration continue to use threatening language yesterday? Yesterday, when the truth was already known. Instead of looking for opportunities for peace, this administration continues to look for ways to keep tensions as high as possible.

My last question, Madam Speaker, is why does the administration seem so intent on wrecking America's credibility? By doing so, this administration has made the world a much more dangerous place and has undercut our own national security. We are like the boy who cries wolf. No one will believe what we say now, and that means we cannot lead the world effectively against terrorism and towards peace.

The movies of ``Iraq'' and ``Iraq: The Sequel'' have both bombed. We need a new plot, a plot that begins with responsible redeployment of our troops out of Iraq, which would be the essential, responsible first step.

When we do that, we can begin to bring together all the parties in the region that have a stake in keeping a lid on violence and reducing tensions. We must change course because that is the only way to regain the moral leadership. And we must reshape events, and we must reshape them in ways that are favorable to the United States and to peace around the world.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 147, which recognizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) 200th anniversary. When President Thomas Jefferson originally established the first Federal science agency, Survey of the Coast, in 1807, its mandate was to create charts for safe navigation. Over the years, bureaus related to the regulation and protection of our fisheries, the study of weather and climate change, and many other important responsibilities were added. Today, this agency, now known as NOAA, has a global reach and a broad range of programs that touch all our lives.

From promoting waterborne commerce and fisheries to predicting weather and global climate change, NOAA's role is crucial to our Nation. I'm particularly proud of the National Marine Sanctuaries, which were created under NOAA's jurisdiction in 1972. In Northern California, we are privileged to have three such sanctuaries, the Monterey National Marine Sanctuary, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, and the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. With our oceans and marine life increasingly threatened, these sanctuaries play an invaluable role in enhancement and protection.

The importance of the sanctuaries was recently highlighted when an oil spill polluted the precious waters of the San Francisco Bay with 58,000 gallons of oil. NOAA and marine sanctuary staff stepped in and provided key assistance in the clean-up and oil containment efforts. We were lucky to have them there. It's events like this that really highlight some of the important work done by NOAA and the marine sanctuaries.

This resolution is the product of the Resource Committee's leadership and I appreciate their introducing this resolution to honor NOAA's important work over the last 200 years. I hope that over the next 200 years, we are able to provide NOAA and the marine sanctuaries with the necessary resources and assistance to continue and expand upon the key work that it does.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who has literally changed the face of one of the largest cities in my district. Larry Dito has for 35 years directed the parks, recreation and community services program for the City of Novato. On a small budget, using good old-fashioned teamwork and cooperation, Larry has enriched the lives of skateboarders, dog owners, seniors and teens by creating new buildings, new parks and new opportunities, as well as renovating older ones and making them usable.

From his first days here, in 1972, Larry gather a small, loosely- banded group of rural folks and formed it into a community.

``He developed the mission of the department to enrich community life,'' says Jennifer Goldfinger, assistant to the city manager. ``And that's really what he's been all about.''

Larry accomplished this by convincing people to work together for the greater good. Members of Rotary, Elks, schools and neighborhoods pitched in to realize the vision of a community where all its citizens could enjoy living there.

``He is known for creating partnerships,'' Goldfinger explains. ``He's very good at bringing people together.'' And those same people extol his virtues. He is universally liked and admired.

``I cannot think of a negative thing about him,'' notes Nancy Sangster, who, as a former parks and recreation commissioner, worked with Larry for years and still considers him a friend. ``Any good word you can find in the dictionary, you can say about him.''

High praise, perhaps, but Larry has earned it. Thanks to his work, Novato seniors have the Margaret Todd Senior Center. Because of Larry's ability to build consensus with other organizations, Novato teens have a place to hang out--the Novato Teen Center. With Larry's help and guidance in engineering a joint project, the City's children have the Novato Gymnastics Center, the skate park, the Hill gym, and a full complement of girls' sports programs and after school athletics.

But Larry has not just created new programs and facilities; he has also given new life to the old. He spearheaded the renovation of the Indian Valley College swimming pool, as well as the outdoor ball fields there.

Sangster adds to the list the Hamilton re-use projects at the old Hamilton Air Force Base. Here, Larry had the pool and amphitheater renovated for activities, programs and plays the entire county can participate in.

His tireless efforts have also resulted in a number of small alterations in the city--improvements that most people didn't notice, but that affected the lives of many. For example, it was Larry who convinced concerned homeowners that allowing the upgrade of neighborhood parks to make them ADA accessible would actually benefit them, as well.

``He always found groups to help build, so that much of the labor was donated,'' Sangster explains. ``He knows how to bring out the best in everybody.''

And this list doesn't begin to include all Larry's accomplishments.

Across the freeway from the giant Novato shopping center called Vintage Oaks runs a brackish haven for water fowl, lined with cat-tails and, on the weekends, cars of the many visitors. Rescued from developers who would have turned it into condos, this lovely marsh attracts birds, frogs, snakes, people and dogs. For commuters stuck in the nightmare traffic that lines the freeway to the east, Scottsdale Marsh is a reminder of to relax.

It is also, says Sangster, one of the most outstanding such projects in the United States.

How did one man accomplish so much? He works long hours, yes, but even more, he knows how to lead. Larry's sparkling personality brings people together and puts them at ease. They recognize he is genuine. Sangster explains that he is not only a good delegator, but he inspires confidence in others to make decisions--and they are good decisions. He expects the best and people rise to the occasion.

In addition to his dedication to the City of Novato, Larry is a devoted family man who assumed leadership responsibility for his own children's sports groups as they were growing up. And he's the kind of friend who is always there to help out.

``He always puts his friends above his personal plans,'' Sangster says, recounting how 10 years ago, Larry and his wife gave up travel plans for their anniversary in order to attend her husband's funeral. ``Everybody is important to him.''

Madam Speaker, every part of the City of Novato bears the stamp of Larry Dito's efforts to improve life for every member of the community--young, old, wealthy, working-class or needy, athlete or amateur. But even more, the residents of Novato carry the legacy of this man's example--that one person can be the catalyst for change to create a community.

And that, Madam Speaker, is why I honor Larry Dito on his retirement, after 35 years in service to a community forever in his debt.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleague Representative Thompson to congratulate Holly and Henry Wendt, who are being honored by Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County with the first annual Wetzel Community Leadership Award. They are being recognized for their contributions to life in Sonoma County and their philanthropic leadership on behalf of numerous local causes and organizations.

Henry and Holly have been fixtures in Sonoma County for many years, where until recently they owned the highly regarded Quivira Vineyards. Mr. Wendt, formerly the CEO of SmithKline Beecham, spent four decades working in the pharmaceutical and health care industry, and he remains active on the boards of several major corporations.

Together, the Wendts have given greatly to the community in Sonoma County, particularly in the fields of education and health care. They offered their substantial resources to Healdsburg High School to renovate and expand the Holly and Henry Wendt Library. Mr. Wendt serves on the advisory board of the Pediatric Dental Initiative, and the Wendts' involvement has helped speed the development of the Redwood Empire Surgery Center. This facility will bring the highest quality dental care to youngsters in coastal northern California.

Mr. Wendt has given generously with his time and deep knowledge of healthcare to facilitate the work of Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County. His substantial leadership gift helped ensure that the Healdsburg District Hospital campaign was successful and the hospital remains an outstanding health care provider. Further, he has been instrumental in the success of the Community Foundation Sonoma County. Having served multiple terms as chairman of the board, he provided superb guidance and experience to help the foundation expand its resources and reach, and he remains a member of the leadership board.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, at this time it is appropriate that we congratulate Holly and Henry Wendt, who are receiving the Wetzel Community Leadership Award. The Wendts have been dynamic and generous figures in Sonoma County, and the wisdom and guidance they bring to philanthropic endeavors has been a boon to the community.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I was pleased to participate in a joint hearing that took testimony from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. It was supposed to be a turning point in the occupation of Iraq. The purpose of this hearing was to get a report from our military and diplomatic leaders about the record of the so-called surge or escalation in Iraq.

Let's first look at what the main purpose of the escalation really was. According to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Michael Mullen, the surge was to give space for political reconciliation. I quote him here: ``Security is critical to providing the Government of Iraq the breathing space it needs to work toward political national reconciliation and economic growth. Barring that, no amount of troops in no amount of time will make much of a difference.''

The President celebrates that there has been a short-term downward trend in violence. Of course that would happen. When we put our fighting men and women, the best in the world, on the ground in greater and greater numbers, of course they will bring some form of order. But let's be realistic. This is not sustainable. We cannot keep the same number of troops for very much longer. We simply do not have the resources to do so, and our troops should not have such a task.

So, yes, they are temporarily keeping a lid on the uprising and attacks. In fact, they've reached back to 2006 numbers, which at that time appalled us, and it should not be something we celebrate today. We are missing our ultimate goal. Like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said, the purpose of the surge was political reconciliation. If the White House put even half of the resources, political and fiscal, behind political reconciliation, we would be in a much different place right now. We would have a stable and inclusive Iraqi national government, not one propped up by the United States. It would have the support of the Iraqi people, and it would be providing strength and dependable security. That, Mr. Speaker, is not what we have. In fact, just last month, a new deal called the Declaration of Principles was inked between President Bush and Prime Minister al-Maliki. It's basically a blueprint to keep our troops in Iraq indefinitely, and it allows permanent bases.

It may even provide for arming insurgent security forces, which actually looks like arming a militia. The last time we got into the business of arming folks, we ended up with the Taliban. Are we ever going to learn the lesson not to repeat the mistakes of the past? It will be interesting to see how the two leaders will try to jam this latest agreement down the throats of the Iraqi Parliament because the Iraqi Parliament has clearly stated that they are not pleased with the agreement, to say the very least. Let's take a good look at what's going on: The surge has failed. The new White House agreement would keep our troops in Iraq indefinitely. This is not the road to success. This will not make America safer.

Mr. Speaker, it's time for bold action. Our friends in the other Chamber and the resident down the road on Pennsylvania Avenue need to face up

to reality. Let's act boldly and fulfill our mandate. It's time to end this misguided occupation. It's time to bring our troops home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3887, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2007. This bill makes great strides in both the areas of prevention and in victim assistance and will strengthen our national commitment to ending this horrific practice.

Since its founding, our Nation has been committed to the promotion of human rights and personal dignity. Human trafficking contradicts every core principle upon which our Nation and our international partnerships are based.

In recent years, we have seen appalling examples of trafficking--from women sold into sexual slavery . . . to men being pressed into indentured servitude . . . to children forced to become soldiers.

Trafficking frequently is tied to other illicit crimes--prostitution, drug running, sweatshops, and armed rebellions. Sadly, the victims have few champions and even fewer resources. And, all too often, national leaders have turned a blind eye to this growing epidemic.

Today our strategy is twofold. First, we are extending care and assistance to the victims while protecting them from their traffickers. Second, we are bolstering our efforts to work with international and domestic law enforcement to prevent trafficking at the source. It is essential that we remain dedicated and committed to each track.

Additionally, while it is not included in this bill, it is my hope that the administrators of the programs will consider the special needs of the victims and will look into the ``reflection periods'' in place in several countries. This allows additional time for former victims to become comfortable in their new situations before taking further action against their traffickers.

As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I am proud to support this legislation and to urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Madam Speaker, the American people are well aware of the White House's long record of misguided priorities, fear-mongering and incompetence. But over the last few days and weeks, the administration has sunk to absolutely new lows.

First we learned that the administration is planning to slash the Department of Homeland Security's request for counterterrorism funding. The Department has asked for $3.2 billion to help States and to help cities protect their ports and transit systems and to give police, firefighters, and other first responders the tools they need to save lives.

But the administration is planning to cut the request by more than half. My State of California could lose more than $200 million under the administration's plan. These drastic and life-threatening cuts are outrageous. Just consider the administration's logic. It has spent or requested over $600 billion for the occupation of Iraq which hasn't made us any safer, yet now it wants to cut $1.8 billion out of programs that actually do make us safer.

The administration's priorities are not only twisted; they threaten the life of every single American person. But the administration's misdeeds don't end there.

A few days after we learned about the homeland security cuts, the administration launched a fear campaign to scare American people into believing that there will be massive cuts in Department of Defense personnel and operations and that Congress will be to blame. But the truth is Congress has already approved nearly half a trillion dollars for the Pentagon, enough to continue its operations.

And the majority of Congress tried to appropriate another $50 billion for our troops in Iraq, but the administration and its allies in Congress rejected the money because it was linked to the responsible redeployment of our troops which the American people are demanding.

But the final evidence of the administration's blundering came yesterday when the National Intelligence Estimate reported that Iran stopped work on its alleged nuclear weapons program way back in 2003. It now appears that the administration knew about this months and months ago, but continued to tell the world that the danger of Iranian nuclear weapons was real and getting worse.

The President went so far as to warn about World War III, and even yesterday the administration continued to raise the threat of World War III. A key section of the NIE said that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program not because of any saber rattling, but ``in response to increasing international scrutiny and pressure.'' And it said that ``Iran may be more vulnerable to influence on the issue than we judged previously.''

This tells us a lot about what works and what doesn't work when it comes to solving threats to peace. Diplomacy works. International cooperation works. Saber rattling does not work. Threatening World War III doesn't work, and carrots work better than sticks.

Our leaders in the White House have never learned these lessons, and the result has been devastating to our ability to be safe in the world. We cannot lead other nations in the fight against terrorism if they see us as warmongers, if they don't see us as peacemakers. We cannot solve the problems that cause terrorism, such as poverty and social injustice, when we have squandered our own claim to moral leadership.

Madam Speaker, it is time for a brand-new course in American foreign policy, and the first step must be the responsible redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. This will set the table for the regional and international diplomacy needed, needed for reconciliation and reconstruction in Iraq. And it will send a clear signal to the world that America is ready to be America again, and that means an America that has compassion for the people of the world and an America that stands on the side of peace once again.

Madam Speaker, on November 13, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my vote for rollcall No. 1082.

Had I been present would have voted: rollcall No. 1082--``yea.''

Madam Speaker, today we're going to reauthorize Head Start and reaffirm, through this conference report, our commitment to this very, very valuable program.

When I came here 15 years ago, I was insisting that my married children make me a grandmother, and they told me it was just none of my business. But since then, I now have five grandchildren among my four families of young adults, and all of my grandchildren go to preschool. And they are lucky because they have working parents who are professionals who can

pick out very good schools for them and make sure, the oldest child is 7\1/2\, and he's the only one in school, he is a second grader, but ensure that when my grandchildren enter grade school, elementary school, that they know what's going on. I mean, I'm telling you, I can't believe it. These kids read, they write, they know their numbers, they know their alphabet, they can play Monopoly, and they aren't even in kindergarten yet. That's what every kid in America deserves, and that's what Head Start does.

Head Start evens the playing field so that the fortunate children in my family aren't the only ones that enter elementary school having read books, having understood that you sit down in a classroom, that you have social needs that you have to learn to deal with when you're a young person and you're going to be dealing with other young people in a classroom situation.

I feel so fortunate, but I also feel so thankful that in a very bipartisan way, under the chairmanship of Mr. Miller and the good leadership of Mr. McKeon, we were able to pass legislation that will finally bring to this floor a Head Start bill.

We need to increase the Head Start funding, of course. We aren't covering every eligible child in the United States, and we must do that over time. It's hard to do when you're spending $1.5 trillion in Iraq. But we must get our priorities in order, and one of our top priorities must be our children. Our children are 25 percent of our population, but guess what? They are 100 percent of our future.

We must support programs like Head Start that ensure that our future, when we become really old people and these young people are running our world and running our Congress, they know what they're doing.