Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, after the administration promised to bring liberation to the people of Iraq, they have, instead, brought insecurity and despair.

Every day a new report emerges about the horrible living conditions in Iraq. One of the latest stories comes from Missan, a predominantly Shia province south of Baghdad.

Human rights groups and media reports show that there is a shortage of safe drinking water, and that very shortage may pose a serious health risk. Eight agencies have found that there is a shortage of chemicals for water purification and that many people have been forced to take water directly from the polluted Tigris River.

The provincial capital, Amarah, hasn't been able to treat its water supply since early September because they lack the treatment chemicals.

This problem, Mr. Speaker, is further complicated by the large number of internally displaced people arriving each and every day. And according to media reports, thousands of refugees have arrived from the central and northern provinces since February 2006, which puts unmitigated pressure on the already strained water system.

And according to a U.N. Refugee Agency report, the available water supply only met 60 percent of the needs 1 year ago. It also stated, ``Rural areas rely on drinking water directly from the marshes, water that is highly saline, untreated and often contaminated.''

Recent studies found that only 5 percent of the houses in the province have running water. 60 percent use water pumps, and the rest rely on river water. Is there any wonder why the number of cholera cases are on the rise?

But the news reports only say so much. Listen to the local sanitation officials: ``Mains water has not been purified since early September as the chemicals aren't available, and the only truck carrying the material was stolen.

``Families fear cholera will spread to their cities and towns. In Amarah, cases of diarrhea have increased by 30 percent compared to 2 months ago.

There hasn't been a proper sanitation system in Missan since before the invasion of 2003. Many districts have poor sanitation facilities, and one can smell the stench of open sewers kilometers away. In some areas of the province, supposedly drinkable water is being mixed with sewage effluent and families have no option but to drink unsafe water.

Mr. Speaker, we are spending $2 billion a week in Iraq, and we cannot provide for the most basic needs like safe drinking water. This makes one wonder if the funds are being misdirected, and it makes us wonder if our administration just can't show any leadership on humanitarian projects. It is simply disgraceful.

We should help the Iraqi people by giving them back their country, and then we should work with our international partners to help the Iraqis rebuild their physical and economic infrastructure. And we should ensure that the Iraqi people have all they need to survive: clean water, food, electricity, schools, jobs, and a secure future.

These life and death problems are not going to be solved at the point of a gun. Putting our brave men and women in uniform on the front lines of a civil war isn't helping.

I urge my colleagues to join together to support proposals that bring our troops and military contractors home and rededicate ourselves to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

It is past time for responsible foreign policy. It is time to bring our troops home now.

Mr. Speaker, every parent, every parent, whether living in the United States or in Iraq, wants only the best for their children. They want their kids to feel safe and to have the very best of everything. And every parent wants their child to get a quality education.

Worldwide over 100 million children do not attend school. Unfortunately, the trends of school attendance in Iraq are very discouraging. According to recent UNICEF reports, high levels of street violence and lawlessness are keeping school attendance levels, particularly of girls, to low levels.

Often because families can no longer afford to keep their children in school, girls are pulled out to assist their families with household work and to look after younger siblings while their brothers finish school.

The large refugee crisis is another impediment to education. UNHCR estimates that 500,000 school-age Iraqi children now live in neighboring countries. This could put a severe strain on neighboring countries' schools and their school systems, that is, if children are even allowed to attend school while living as a refugee. Additionally, refugee families often do not have money for tuition, and refugee children may not speak the local language.

This summer, the United Nations launched a global appeal for $129 million to get more Iraqi refugee children into schools. This is just a Band-Aid, Mr. Speaker, on the situation.

Until Iraq is stabilized and families can return to their homes, we're going to have a generation of children who have lived their lives on the run, without feeling safe and without an education.

In a nation with a rich legacy of education, a nation that has produced some of the world's leading doctors, architects and artists, parents are watching their children denied an education? This is not the future we want for American children, and it is not the future we want for Iraqi children.

Iraqis of all ages deserve a safe and secure future and one that is enriched by education.

We know how to provide that future, and it's by ending the occupation and returning sovereignty to Iraq. If this administration would only listen to the Congress, or even to the Iraqi people themselves, they would see that there is overwhelming support to bring our troops home.

This does not mean that we would end our commitment to the Iraqi people. In fact, the American people have a long history of generosity and great humanitarian works. Our dedication to the children of Iraq would not end with our military presence. Iraq is only made less stable with an endless American occupation, and our very presence appears to be inspiring even more insurgents.

Let's do what is in the best interests of the United States and of Iraq. Let's renew our humanitarian commitment to the Iraqi people. Let's end this misguided occupation. Let's bring our troops and military contractors home.

Madam Chairman, American contractors in Iraq have lived by their own rules for far too long. While American taxpayers fund the equipping and training of these private military contractors, companies like Blackwater continue to escape accountability to international, Iraqi or even American laws.

Today, the Democratic Congress will put an end to the question of whether we are training mercenaries and murderers in place of our Nation's warriors. By passing H.R. 2740, we can ensure that contractors in Iraq are held accountable under American criminal law. There is no excuse to allow private contractors and subcontractors to exist without legal accountability.

Madam Chairman, we must never forget that the way to end the abuses by contractors in Iraq is to bring our troops and our military contractors, 180,000 of them, home from Iraq as soon as practicable.

Mr. Speaker, the American people are opposed to the occupation of Iraq. And when I say ``the American people,'' I am not referring to members of one party or one political persuasion. I am referring to members of both parties who live in every part of our country, in cities and towns big and small.

According to the organization Cities For Progress, approximately 300 States, cities and towns have passed resolutions or referenda opposing the occupation of Iraq. They include places like Kalamazoo, Michigan; Carrboro, North Carolina; Ladysmith, Wisconsin; Butte, Montana; Chicago, Illinois; Guilford, Vermont; Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio; South Charleston, West Virginia; and Sacramento, California.

They also include 17 States that have either passed a State House or State Senate resolution opposing the occupation or sent letters to Congress signed by large numbers of the State legislature's members. These include the red States of Colorado, North Dakota, and Arizona and the blue States of Minnesota, New Jersey, and Oregon.

In addition, the United States Conference of Mayors has passed a Bring Home the Troops resolution. In their resolutions the cities and towns decry the terrible loss of life in Iraq. And they describe how the soaring costs of the occupation consume resources that would be much better spent on the needs of local communities.

I want to read portions of a few of these resolutions so that Members of the House can get a sense of the anguish that's out there in the heartland.

The resolution passed by South Charleston, West Virginia, declares that the conflict has ``mired American Armed Forces in an internecine, centuries-old conflict of ethnic, cultural, and religious rivalries.'' The resolution of the U.S. Conference of Mayors declared that ``the continued U.S. military presence in Iraq is reducing Federal funds available for needed domestic investments in education, health care, public safety, homeland security, and more.'' The Cincinnati city council echoed that sentiment and said that spending on the occupation ``severely lessens the ability of the city of Cincinnati to rebuild its urban core, promote homeownership opportunities in Cincinnati, and provide critical housing services for the poor.'' The Chicago city council warned that the occupation has ``inflamed anti-American passions in the Muslim world and increased the terrorist threat to United States citizens.'' The resolution of Cambridge, Massachusetts, laments the ``grievous impact of the loss of lives in the Iraq war on families and communities on both sides of the conflict and the destructive social and economic effects of the war.''

The city of Bellingham, Washington, said that ``the killing of civilians is an unspeakable crime against humanity.'' The Cleveland city council declared that ``the costs to the States of the call-up of National Guard members for deployment in Iraq have been significant, as reckoned in lost lives, combat injuries and physical trauma, disruption of family life and damage to the fabric of civic life in our communities.''

The New Hampshire House of Representatives urged ``the President to commence talks with the neighbors in the Middle East and begin the orderly withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.''

And the Vermont Senate declared that the escalation of the conflict ``is exactly the wrong foreign policy direction and the presence of American troops in Iraq has not and will not contribute to the stability of that nation, the region, or the security of Americans.''

More information about these resolutions, Mr. Speaker, can be found on the Web site of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and I urge my colleagues to read these resolutions in their entirety. They represent the true voice of America, the America that has compassion for the people of the world, believes in international cooperation, and knows that restoring our moral leadership is the best way to guarantee our own security and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, the people have spoken. It is time to end the occupation of Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, the military announced yesterday that the number of monthly U.S. combat deaths fell to the lowest point in a year. Military and administration officials touted this as a success.

Is this the way we're measuring success in Iraq these days? Sixty- four brave members of our military forces were killed in September. And that is a success? That is something to brag about?

Tell that to the 64 families who will have to celebrate the holidays without their loved ones this year. Tell that to the children who lost a parent. Tell that to the mother who prayed every single day for the safe return of her child.

That is not a success, Mr. Speaker. That is a tragic loss of life. We have lost over 3,800 brave men and women in uniform in the occupation of Iraq. At least 28,000 have been wounded. How many is too many before the administration sees the errors of its ways? I can't begin to guess.

And what about the Iraqi families? Press reports indicate that nearly 1,000 Iraqis were killed during the month of September. Tens of thousands were displaced from their homes in September.

Is this another success of the administration? Tell that to the children who can't go to school, to the hospitals trying to treat patients without a consistent supply of electricity, to the families who just want to live a normal life.

The international community, the so-called coalition of the willing, sees the writing on the wall. In fact, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown just announced that 1,000 British troops will leave by the end of the year.

And speaking of milestones, Mr. Speaker, the number of coalition partner deaths recently reached 4,000. Enough is enough.

This Congress must, we must take bold steps to bring our troops home and to help the Iraqi people return to their lives. Only when the United States military presence, troops and contractors leave Iraq will the real healing and national rebuilding begin.

We don't need any more reports. What we need is action. We need the Commander in Chief to support the troops. We need him to bring our troops home, not in a year, not in 10, now. And we have seen that this administration will not redeploy the troops unless Congress forces its hand.

Eighty-four Members of the House have sent a letter to the President saying that we will only support spending bills that fully fund the safe, orderly and responsible redeployment of our troops and our military contractors. No more, no less.

Join us in our resolve. Support our troops. Bring them home.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleague Representative Mike Thompson of California in honor of John McCue, who is retiring as CEO of the non-

profit organization Becoming Independent, after 21 years of work on its behalf. Mr. McCue has been hugely influential in establishing and expanding the programs that Becoming Independent offers, and this hard work has been reflected by the remarkable success of participants in the program.

Mr. McCue was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and received his Bachelor's degree from California State University, Fullerton in 1971. He has 36 years of experience in disability services, and has a credential in adult education. Mr. McCue joined Becoming Independent in 1981 as a program director before becoming CEO in 1986. In 1991 he received his Master of Public Administration degree from Sonoma State University.

During Mr. McCue's tenure as CEO, Becoming Independent has dramatically expanded the range of services available to persons with disabilities in Sonoma County, while retaining a high quality of service and satisfaction among program participants. Becoming Independent focuses on helping provide individuals with the skills they need to live fulfilling lives through community living support services, which enable individuals with disabilities to live on their own with dignity and responsibility. Vocational education is also a major emphasis in the organization, and with the assistance of Becoming Independent's employment services, hundreds of participants have found rewarding jobs all over Sonoma County. This success has been reflected in the annual gains they have charted in participant employment and earned wages.

In addition to his leadership at Becoming Independent, Mr. McCue has been active in local and state organizations, focusing on benefiting individuals with disabilities. He has been a longtime member of the California Rehabilitation Association, and served as Chair of the Board of Directors from 2004-2005. He is also a board member of the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California. He is active in Sonoma County and beyond as a member of the North Bay Housing Coalition, North Bay Developmental Disabilities Services, and Leadership Santa Rosa, among many others.

Madam Speaker, at this time it is appropriate that we thank John McCue for his many years of service to the people of Sonoma County and his work with Becoming Independent. His leadership has been instrumental in providing superb services to individuals with disabilities to help them gain their independence.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained on September 24, 2007 and as a result I was not present to vote on rollcall No. 893. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you to share with me in saluting the Novato Human Needs Center on its 35th anniversary of serving the low-income people of Novato and helping them move towards self-sufficiency.

The Novato Human Needs Center began in 1972 when three people--Gene Quinones, a Catholic priest, Bob Stockwell, a Protestant businessman, and Mary Banks, a black welfare mom--came together that Thanksgiving season with the desire to help those in need. With $50 and a heart full of good intentions, they gave birth to the Holiday Share program, allowing those who have to give what they can to those in need. Since then, the nonprofit has helped thousands of residents, has increased its services to provide year-round assistance, and has grown to operate on a budget of more than $1.4 million.

Such is the power of the organization's philosophy that those who come for help--seniors, immigrants, the disabled, those in unexpected crisis--are often those who years later become the helpers. One anonymous donor, once a poor immigrant and now a wealthy resident, subsidizes the center's rental assistance program which allows someone experiencing a temporary and unexpected crisis, such as a medical emergency or job loss, to get one-time help with rent or mortgage payments. Among those whom this program saved was an elderly woman left without an income when her husband died. Because of the donor's generosity, Novato Human Needs Center was able to cover the widow's rent until social security checks arrived in her name.

``It really is neighbor helping neighbor,'' notes Susan Markavage, a Novato resident who works at the center.

In addition to rental assistance, the center has instituted programs for such wide-ranging services as providing emergency food, job training and financial, as well as continuing the traditional Holiday Share.

In fact, the center--which operates out of facilities underwritten by the City of Novato--even provides showers for the homeless, many of whom work but simply can't afford housing in Marin County, one of the Nation's most expensive places to live.

``One of them,'' Markavage explains, ``cleans our parking lot thoroughly every morning before coming in.''

Although Novato Human Needs Center is unique in that it provides comprehensive services to those in need, it also is ``a wonderful place for the community to come together and connect,'' says executive director Deanna Euritt.

Novato has a very strong sense of community, she explains, and it is because of the community's support that the center exists and continues to operate. ``We're very grateful to the City of Novato and all the residents who live here who have been very generous not only with their financial contributions, but with their time.''

As one donor said, ``God's been really good to me and I feel this need to be good to someone else who might be in dire circumstances.''

And that, Madam Speaker, is what makes the center a valuable member of the Novato community--neighbors helping neighbors. Congratulations to the Novato Human Needs Center on its 35th anniversary, and to the people of Novato for supporting such a worthy organization.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor John Joseph ``Jack'' Healy, former Santa Rosa mayor and city councilmember, who died recently as a result of a traffic accident. Jack, who was 81, was known for helping others and promoting education.

Because of his delightful personality, Jack was a top vote-getter in elections. He served the city for a dozen years before retiring because of heart problems.

In civic affairs, Jack did his homework on the issues and was known for treating people--even those who disagreed with him--with respect. Friends say that because of this, he had no enemies.

``He was one of the kinder, more thoughtful City Council persons, who didn't just look at the technicality of the issue, but how it impacted people,'' longtime friend and former council colleague Schuyler Jeffries told reporters upon hearing the news of Jack's death.

Before becoming involved in politics, Jack joined the business faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College. Perhaps because of his own struggles to get a college education, Jack worked to help others achieve this accomplishment, and eventually he became dean of the campus evening program.

``I always was impressed by his desire to give people a hand up who needed it,'' his son, Mike Healy, says. ``He went out of his way to help people better themselves in life.''

The son of Irish immigrants--his father was a copper miner who died when Jack was young--Jack dreamed of going to college. Thanks to the GI Bill, that dream was realized after World War II, when he attended San Francisco State University. There, he met his wife, Sharon, to whom he was married for 54 years until her death in May. The couple had two sons, Mike and Matt, who survive them, along with two grandchildren, Megan and Tom.

Jack was a well-liked member of the ``old gray mayors,'' an informal group of former city leaders, and continued to remain active in local affairs even after his retirement, serving for eight years on the Sonoma County Library Commission.

Madam Speaker, I would like to honor a man who served his community not only wisely but also well. Jack will long be missed.

Madam Speaker, the American people have been opposed to the occupation of Iraq and they have been demanding the redeployment of our troops for a very long time now, but the word obviously hasn't reached our Nation's leaders.

Last Wednesday, the Secretary of Defense asked Congress to appropriate billions of dollars more to continue the occupation of Iraq. He said that American troops will remain in Iraq for years to come with no end in sight.

The occupation has already cost nearly half a trillion dollars, and what have we gotten for that investment? Even General Petraeus couldn't say for sure that our involvement in Iraq has made us any safer when he testified before Congress last month. And the National Intelligence Estimate warned us in July that al Qaeda is using the occupation to energize extremists, raise money, and to recruit and indoctrinate operatives for attacks on the U.S. homeland.

Madam Speaker, the way to make America truly safer is to end the occupation, restore our moral leadership in the world, and use diplomacy to strengthen the structure and institutions of international cooperation and peace. That's why it is time to tell our leaders in the White House that Congress isn't going to be their friendly neighborhood ATM machine any more. Congress has the power of the purse. We can use it to force the administration to change course. We must refuse to appropriate one more dime for the occupation. Instead, we must fully fund the safe, orderly and responsible redeployment of American troops and military contractors out of Iraq.

Redeployment of our troops is the necessary first step on the road to peace. It is clear that Iraq will never stabilize while American troops and the vast unaccountable army of 180,000 American military contractors are there.

Our occupation of Iraq prevents Iraqis from finding solutions to their own problems, and it delays the regional and international diplomatic efforts needed to jump-start a true peace process.

The administration has said that it plans to redeploy some troops, but this is just a tactic, I believe, to win political favor. The arithmetic proves it. We began this year with 130,000 troops in Iraq. The escalation brought the level to 160,000. Now the administration says it will bring out 30,000 troops so by next summer we will again have 130,000 troops.

So, Madam Speaker, we end up with the same number of troops, but the administration calls it a reduction. I call it fuzzy math. President Bush has created a national mathematics panel to study ways to improve math education in America. That is a really good thing, because the President himself needs help with addition and subtraction.

Actually, Madam Speaker, the only way to make sure that our troops are out of harm's way is to proceed right now with a full redeployment and end the fantasy that there is a military solution to this quagmire.

If we fail to use our power of the purse, if we continue to spend our taxpayer dollars on this occupation instead of ending it, we will have failed politically, we will have failed economically, and we will have failed morally. And we will have failed our brave troops along with all of the American people. It is time to bring our troops home.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to engage in a colloquy with the chairwoman. I thank her for agreeing to do this with me.

Madam Chairman, there has been a concern expressed from some voices in the small business community that title V of this bill will open up small business Federal contracts to be taken advantage of by large corporations and venture capital firms. If this is true, it's obviously a concern, because it would directly cut against the intent of this bill.

Can the chairwoman please explain to me the protections in this bill that she believes will prevent large corporations and venture capital firm from abusing the intent of the bill?

I thank the gentlewoman. There seem to be adequate protections in this bill to ensure small businesses are the ones getting these contracts and that they aren't unfairly influenced by large capital firms.

Again, I thank the Chair for engaging in this colloquy with me.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today on a motion pursuant to this order, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday next for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the World Health Organization released a report that can only be called shocking and appalling. Cholera is on the rise in Iraq and spreading to urban areas like Baghdad and Basrah, and some of the northern provinces as well.

As most of you know, cholera is a diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine. People get cholera from drinking water or food contaminated with the cholera bacteria, and it spreads rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.

This sounds like a disease of the Third World, not one of a developed and wealthy country, certainly not a country where the United States is propping up the health care system, right? Then why have the confirmed number of cases of cholera risen to more than 2,000? In one week alone, 616 new cases were discovered. The WHO estimates that more than 30,000 people have fallen ill with similar symptoms which may later be confirmed as cholera.

This is a shocking epidemic. As a result, the Iraqi Government is considering travel restrictions to limit the spread of this often deadly disease, particularly for children.

In a country already crippled by refugees and internally displaced people, the situation grows more severe every single day. Why, as we are spending more than $13 million an hour for the occupation of Iraq, $13 million an hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, can we not join with the international community to provide for the most basic human needs? We are talking clean drinking water and proper sanitation. This is not reinventing the wheel or putting a man on the Moon.

Clean water and sanitary conditions, is that too much to ask? I guess it might be for our leader at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, because the administration spews a lot of rhetoric about liberating the Iraqi people. Does that mean crumbling infrastructure, sectarian fighting, a massive refugee crisis, and on top of that, a possible epidemic of cholera?

Iraqi families need to start their lives over again. They need their kids to be able to go to school. And they need to start their businesses and reopen them. They want real sovereignty

over their own nation. They want U.S. troops out.

Real leadership in Iraq means bringing our troops home and offering humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq. We must join with the international community to provide relief, reconstruction, and reconciliation. This is the only way forward for Iraq.

Force and occupation will not rebuild Iraq. It will not provide healthier communities. And most importantly, it will not provide a peaceful future for the people of Iraq.

Bring our troops home. Bring hope to our military families at home and the Iraq families yearning for peace.

Thank you, Chairman Miller, for this bill and for the work you do for all working Americans.

Mr. Chairman, I am truly sorry that Mr. McKeon can't support it. But I am proud to be the sponsor of H.R. 2693, the Popcorn Workers Lung Disease Protection Act, which requires OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard to regulate workers' exposure to diacetyl, a chemical used in butter flavoring for microwave popcorn and other food products. It is a travesty that OSHA has done nothing to regulate this chemical while workers have fallen seriously ill and have actually died.

In 1977, Congress passed OSHA to provide every working man and woman in the Nation a safe and healthful workplace. We gave the new agency charged with the administration the full name of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

We also gave them important tools to enforce the provisions of the law. One of the most important functions that OSHA is charged with is to develop health and safety standards. When it was exercised, this function actually saved the lives and health of many, many workers.

For example, in 1978, when OSHA's cotton dust standard was adopted, there were 40,000 cases of brown lung disease annually, affecting 12 percent of all textile workers. Because of OSHA, brown lung was virtually eliminated. OSHA's 1978 standard on lead dramatically reduced lead poisoning.

Sadly, Mr. Chairman, there are still millions of workers who suffer from injuries and illnesses while working. One of the most grievous examples of this are workers who are contracting popcorn lung disease from exposure to a chemical called diacetyl used in the manufacture of microwave popcorn and other foods.

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee held a hearing on OSHA standards in April. We heard from Eric Peoples, a former microwave popcorn worker, who has popcorn lung. Eric is in his thirties. He has a young family. He worked in a microwave popcorn facility in Missouri for less than 2 years. After that, he had to stop work because he had contracted popcorn lung disease. Popcorn lung is an irreversible and life-threatening respiratory disease. Eric has lost 80 percent of his lung capacity, is awaiting a double lung transplant, and faces an early death, all because he was exposed to diacetyl.

A standard regulating exposure of diacetyl is currently needed. While OSHA has known about the dangers of the chemical for years, it has failed. It has failed day after day, year after year to act to make this standard an actual reality. In fact, OSHA has done virtually nothing to protect workers against diacetyl.

Now there has been at least one or two other reported cases of popcorn lung in consumers. Wayne Watson, a 53-year-old man from Colorado, has been diagnosed with popcorn lung due to his daily consumption of microwave popcorn over a 10-year period.

In addition, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that a 6-year- old child, the son of a popcorn plant employee who has popcorn lung, was showing signs of the disease himself. In that case, when the popcorn plant closed, the company told the employees they could help themselves to any of the company's products. The father took home some butter-flavored oil containing diacetyl and used it for frying food. As a result, this 6-year-old child was exposed to the chemical, and it made him sick.

These are unintended and unfortunate consequences when OSHA refuses to act to protect workers.

This is true, Mr. Chairman, even though the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers' Association, the industry that represents the food flavoring manufacturers, issued a report warning of the dangers to workers from exposure of diacetyl and recommended measures controlling that chemical.

OSHA does not seem moved to meaningful action, even though four of the Nation's biggest popcorn makers have recently announced that they are working to remove diacetyl from their products. In my own State of California, CalOSHA is currently working on a standard to regulate diacetyl.

There is a whole list of agencies that I will enter into the Record that are supporting the regulation of diacetyl.

So, Mr. Chairman, now is the time for this Congress to stand up for the Nation's workers and vote to pass H.R. 2693.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American College of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, the AFL-CIO, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the Teamsters, the Bakery and Confectionary Workers, the American Public Health Association and the American Society of Safety Engineers also support H.R. 2693.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment ensures that OSHA can continue to slow-walk a final rulemaking on diacetyl exposure for all workers. Hundreds of workers are exposed to diacetyl, and they've fallen ill with this debilitating lung disease that, as the chairman told you, was equivalent to inhaling acid. Can you imagine what their lungs look like and why at the age of 30 a young father has to have a double lung transplant, and maybe that won't even save his life?

The amendment removes the requirement that OSHA complete final rulemaking within 2 years of enactment of this legislation.

Under this amendment, the final rule would not be required to be completed until 2 years after NIOSH makes a finding that there's sufficient data to support a recommended exposure limit. NIOSH has already told us that they know this is something that they support and diacetyl should be and must be controlled. If NIOSH is delayed, more workers, including the workers we're talking about today, will be unprotected.

While workers in popcorn and flavoring facilities would be protected under the emergency standard, workers in other parts of the food industry where diacetyl is being used would be left unprotected for an indeterminate number of years. Not days, not months, but years. One food manufacturer, for example, recently announced a new line of artificial butter containing diacetyl despite its hazards to workers. Those workers would lose protections because of the Wilson amendment.

This interim rule, Mr. Chairman, covers a narrow band of workers, popcorn workers and flavoring facilities. By slow-walking this final rulemaking, as Mr. Wilson's amendment would allow, other workers exposed to diacetyl will continue to get sick. They will continue to die.

Vote ``no'' on any further delay to workplace safety rules.

Mr. Speaker, we have learned in the last few days and weeks about terrible new threats to our national security and the safety of the American people.

On August 29, a B-52 bomber accidentally flew six nuclear warheads across the country with a combined power of 60 Hiroshima A-bombs. Imagine the horror, the destructive power of 60 Hiroshima A-bombs flying over the American heartland on a course that took them near Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis, Tulsa and Little Rock.

Then, on September 16, we learned that American military contractors in Iraq were involved in the shooting deaths of 11 innocent Iraqi civilians in a Baghdad square.

Was it a case of American military contractors gone wild? We don't know for sure yet. But it is becoming increasingly clear that the vast army of 180,000 military contractors in Iraq are not being held accountable for their actions and often make things more difficult for our troops in Iraq. A senior U.S. military official told the Washington Post that the incident in Baghdad was ``a nightmare. This is going to hurt us badly. It may be worse than Abu Ghraib.''

And then on September 22, the press reported that Federal prosecutors are investigating charges that the military contractors involved in the Baghdad incident, Blackwater U.S.A., smuggled weapons into Iraq that may have been sold on the black market and ended up in the hands of terrorists.

Mr. Speaker, we must take immediate action to improve our security. The accidental flight of A-bombs over our homeland should remind us that America must return to a policy of nuclear nonproliferation. This administration has abandoned our decades-old commitment to nonproliferation, and that has been a terrible mistake.

We must also end the occupation of Iraq. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced today that he will try to strengthen the Pentagon's oversight of the contractors. This is a welcome step, but it doesn't solve the real problem. The real problem is that we need military contractors, because our forces are stretched to the limit in Iraq and beyond. The only solution is to end the occupation.

In testimony prepared for delivery before Congress today, Secretary Gates asked for additional funds for the occupation. We must tell him no. The occupation is hurting America politically, economically and morally. The American people deserve better. Congress has the power of the purse, and it is the only real tool we have to force the administration to change course.

We should not spend another dime to continue the occupation. Instead, we must fully fund the safe, orderly and responsible withdrawal of all of our troops and all of our military contractors by a date certain. That is the best way, Mr. Speaker, for our country to change course and restore the moral leadership that is the true source of our national security.