Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a beloved friend of mine and many in this body, Martha Dodd Buonanno.

Martha Buonanno would best like to be remembered as a mother, grandmother, and wife. She died after a brief illness on July 6, 2009. Her five children, Helena, Bernard, Carolyn, Jody, and Margaret, and 17 grandchildren surrounded their father Bernard Buonanno crying and laughing as they celebrated the life of this remarkable woman.

Her love of family and children led her to volunteer for many worthy organizations in Rhode Island. She was a mentor in Providence public schools with the VIPS program; she served on the boards of the Providence Preservation Society and the RI Association of the Blind. She was proud to chair the research center at the University of Connecticut that had been named in honor of her father: Thomas J. Dodd.

Martha and I became friends more than 50 years ago at Trinity College in Washington, DC. We shared in common that we both came from political families--in fact, when we first met, both of our fathers were running for Senate.

But our friendship grew over many years because we had so much more in common: Martha loved to travel, she loved to laugh, and always, Martha loved Democratic politics. In fact, Martha volunteered on every single one of her brother, Senator Christopher Dodd's, campaigns. She adored all her siblings: Chris, Tom, Carolyn, Jeremy, Nick.

Martha Dodd Buonanno had a strong connection to this House, where her father and her brother served. She lived and raised her family in Providence and was admired by our colleagues Patrick Kennedy and Jim Langevin, and Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse. Her roots were in Connecticut and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Congressmen John Larson, Joe Courtney, and Chris Murphy join me in expressing condolences to the Buonanno and Dodd families.

It is a fitting tribute to Martha's life that more than 3,000 people attended her wake, lining the streets for more than seven hours. Her funeral mass was moved from her parish to another simply to be able to accommodate everyone. Those who came to pay their last respects to Martha included Vice President Biden, United States Senators, and a Governor; but Martha would have been equally proud to know that children that she tutored, neighbors from her block, and friends from growing up joined that day. As I know well, when Martha made a friend, she stayed friends with them forever.

Although Martha was always a sparkling personality, she became even more so when she met Bernie. Their love, and their children and grandchildren, are her lasting legacy.

I hope it is a consolation to her family that all of her classmates at Trinity College loved her for more than 50 years, and will miss her.

I am honored to place in the Record the extraordinary eulogy of her beloved brother, Senator Chris Dodd, which captures her spirit and honors her life.

A Tribute to my Fabulous Sister Martha

(By Christopher J. Dodd)

Before sharing some brief comments about my sister Martha,

I want to observe that anything I say will only pale in

comparison to the incredible comments of Martha and Bernie's

children, and the outpouring of love and friendship that over

3,000 people shared for over 7 hours at last evening's wake.

It was obviously a great tribute to Martha--but it is also

a great tribute to all who waited for hours to say good by to

this bright, shining lady.

Now, let me begin with the obvious: My sister Martha is one

fabulous gal!

And so we gather today to celebrate the life of a

spectacular wife, a devoted mother, an over-the-top

grandmother, a trusted fiend, a tireless community activist,

a political confidant, an amazing spark plug of a woman, and

the best sister a sibling could ever hope to have.

When most people lose loved ones, they instinctively wish

they could have had just a little more time with them. The

Dodds and the Buonannos were lucky enough to be with Martha

constantly in the last days of her life.

And those last days were beautiful. Even as I say these

words, they sound so inherently contradictory.

Yet for a little more than a week, my sister insisted on

spending time alone with each of her five children and their

spouses, each of her 17 grandchildren, each of her five

siblings, as many of her close friends as were available,

and, of course, Bernie.

How many of us have lost someone without ever having a

chance to say goodbye, or the chance to tell them how much

they meant to us?

Martha left us with remarkable dignity, grace, and courage.

She had the incredible gift of deep, deep faith. She was

truly at peace.

And even though Martha has left us, we remain brightly lit

by the incandescent life she led. Frankly, as sad as we are

today, it's hard not to be overwhelmed with joy and love when

we think about a life filled with such vitality and vigor,

curiosity and compassion.

Martha was a few years older than me. At least, that was

the case until about twenty years ago. I was always the

younger brother until one night at the Dunes Club in

Narragansett, when she introduced me as her older, white-

haired brother.

But, for most of our lives, she made for one heck of a big

sister.

I learned early how special my sister Martha was.

One summer afternoon, decades ago, we were about to head

off for a family vacation. Our bags were packed, the station

wagon was full, and all of us were itching to get out of

town--but Martha's 8th-grade championship softball game was

running late. So we all waited together and watched.

In the bottom of the ninth, with the bases loaded and her

team behind, my sister Martha hit a grand slam home run to

win the game and the championship.

As I sat next to her on that car trip for our family

vacation, I was filled with the kind of awe you only feel

when you're a fourth-grader with the requisite dreams of

being a sports hero and you've just watched your twelve-year-

old sister win the big game.

Every time I drive by that softball field in West Hartford,

Connecticut, I can't help but think back to the day I

officially, and forever after was dazzled by my big sister.

Nothing Martha ever did was shy or tentative. When she was

just a toddler, during World War II, she once devoured our

entire family's monthly ration of butter. And when our father

wrote home from Nuremberg, Germany, in 1945, he always made

sure to ask how ``Miss Butter'' was doing.

Over the years, Martha never lost her love of a good meal,

but the most important part of any meal, any occasion for

that matter, was always the company with which she enjoyed

it.

If Martha were your dinner partner, you never had a better

or more enjoyable time in your life. She was that much fun.

Like most people with a vibrant spirit and a contagious

personality, she made a lot of friends in her life.

If you asked her, she'd tell you that our sister Carolyn

was her best friend in the world. Martha had a lot of great

friends, because when she made friends, she kept them

forever.

I.want to acknowledge the presence of several of my Senate

colleagues who were with us last evening and today.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is here with us today. She and Martha

became friends in college, and have been close ever since.

I have never known two people who were better friends to

their friends than my sister Martha and her friend Nancy

D'Alesandro Pelosi.

I want to also thank my good friend, and a Martha Dodd

Buonanno fan, Vice President, Joe Biden, for making the

effort to be with us yesterday.

Here also with us today are friends from high school,

friends from college, friends she made during her 45 years in

Rhode Island, and friends she accumulated at every stop along

the way.

Martha was fiercely loyal and compulsively competitive.

She was a natural politico. She was involved and present in

every part of every campaign I ever ran for Congress or the

United States Senate. She was my unflinching advocate, my

unyielding supporter.

And when I ran for President--a very brief run, you may

recall--she showed up all over South Carolina, Iowa, and New

Hampshire--and anywhere else there was a debate or forum or

town hall meeting.

No matter where we were, she put the hard sell on anyone

she encountered.

Even as her health was failing last week, she promised me

that she would tear into any opponents I might have from

wherever she was.

And in light of my present political circumstances, I told

her there'd be no lack of opportunity to use her talents.

However, along with Martha's loyalty came the requirement

that you stay true to yourself. So, she had no problem

calling me anytime to tell me in no uncertain terms when I

was screwing up.

Once, she called me and practically jumped through the

phone. ``Why did you vote with Jesse Helms?'' she asked.

I asked her, ``Well, what issue are you talking about?''

``I don't care WHAT the issue is! I just can't believe you

voted with Jesse Helms!''

It is important to point out that Martha could be non

partisan in her outrage. She had a similar outburst once when

I voted with my friend Bella Abzug!

When she was in her last days in the hospital in Boston, I

received a very kind phone call from President Barack Obama,

who was concerned about her failing health and wanted me to

pass along his and the First Lady's thoughts and prayers.

After the call, I walked back into Martha's hospital room,

and said in the presence of her family that I had just

received a very important phone call--but I didn't want to be

a name-dropper.

Martha opened one of her blue eyes, and said in a voice we

could all appreciate, ``Oh, go right ahead and drop the

name.''

When I told her who had called, and what the message was,

she opened the other blue eye, laughed, and said, ``You know,

you shoulda beaten that guy.''

I told President Obama that story when he called from Italy

on Tuesday to express his condolences. The President roared

with laughter at Martha's reaction.

Martha and Bernie have been such a magical couple--which,

of course, doesn't mean they always had the same tastes.

Which may have had something to do with the magic.

Martha, as you all know, loved to travel, which you'd

expect of someone with such an adventurous spirit.

Her favorite spot was the Dominican Republic, but there

wasn't anywhere in the world she wouldn't explore.

For Bernie, on the other hand, as Martha loved to say,

``foreign travel'' meant going from Providence to Westerly.

And a trip to see the Red Sox, the Celtics, or the Patriots

was a voyage on par with space travel.

So, as all of you know, Martha would travel on occasion by

herself--to India, to Ireland, to Mexico and Europe.

On one occasion, she became fascinated with the Lewis and

Clark expedition, and decided to follow their trail west--

with a group of complete strangers. Or, at least, they were

complete strangers when they started out.

It didn't take long for them to become lifelong friends,

one of whom is here with us today.

Even with all the energy she devoted to campaigning and to

the many, many efforts she made in this community, Martha

would always say, ``My sole ambition is my family.''

In one of those wonderful, quiet moments last week, when

she knew the end was near, she said to me, ``My ambition has

always been my family, and I have fulfilled every ambition.''

Martha and Bernie have been remarkable parents, and the

proof exists in their children. They are all frighteningly

bright. They are all remarkably successful. They are all

unbelievably well-balanced. And those were their mother's

descriptions when she was being modest.

Now, children can be gifted intellectually and athletically

just by winning the genetic lottery--but when children grow

up with decency, kindness, and humanity, you know that's a

direct result of great parenting.

These five young men and women are the mirror reflection of

their parents. And nothing, absolutely nothing, gave my

sister Martha greater satisfaction than their goodness.

Together, these five children are raising 17 terrific

children of their own.

When our parents passed away, Martha was the magnet that

kept us all in the same orbit. As we all know, once our

parents have passed, it can be hard to get the family

together.

That didn't happen with us, because we all knew that if

there was a holiday, there was going to be a get-together at

Martha's house.

There was going to be good food, and a lot of it.

And there was going to be a lot of laughter, raucous

debate, conversation, and the sheer joy of each other's

company.

Her favorite holidays, by far, were Christmas Eve, the

Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving.

In fact, she never let anything get in the way of bringing

her family, including her siblings, closer together--not even

the law.

Now, what I'm about to tell you could never happen in my

State of Connecticut. Martha once started building a

structure on their property in Narragansett which, as far as

the local zoning commission knew, was a tool shed.

She managed to avoid suspicion, even when the tool shed

started to get way too big to be plausibly intended for just

tools.

Martha got even more brazen with time, as the tool shed

acquired extra rooms.

And, really, the jig should have been up when she added

plumbing to that tool shed.

But Martha was nothing if not bold, and she got away with

building that guest house for our sister Carolyn to stay in

when she'd come and visit. Once it was clear that the zoning

commission was not about to mess with Martha Dodd Buonanno,

she even put up a sign calling it ``Aunt Kitty's Cottage.''

Martha was so proud of our brother Tom's years at

Georgetown, and his time as our ambassador in Costa Rica and

Uruguay.

She never ceased in her amazement of her best friend, my

sister Carolyn's achievements reviving American Montessori,

and her forty years of teaching.

The photos chronicling the growth of her wonderful family,

taken by our brother Jeremy, which hang in their home,

reflect Martha's respect, admiration, and love of her

brother.

And the tales, travels, and exploits of our brother Nick

kept her, in Martha's words, laughing and breathless for

years.

I already miss my charismatic, funny, lively, beautiful

sister.

But she touched so many people so deeply that I don't think

she'll ever really be gone. I'm going to see her in the faces

of her children and grandchildren.

I'm going to hear her voice whenever I'm on the campaign

trail or casting a vote in the Senate--particularly when she

would disagree with me.

And I'm going to feel her presence every time we celebrate

a holiday, every time we share a meal, every time I drive by

that softball field in West Hartford and remember just how

incredible it was to grow up with Martha.

Since moments like this never give you a chance to express

all of your emotions, let me just say, on behalf of all of

us, thank you, Martha, for everything.

All of us love you, all of us miss you, and all of us were

so lucky to be touched by your generous spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his very important and swift action to address the opportunity that was given to us this week.

As you know, my colleagues, as part of the supplemental earlier this year, the Cash for Clunkers provision was provided in it. Many people had worked very, very hard on that for a long time, and we were able to have it pass on a bill that was going to be signed by the President.

I want to acknowledge Congresswoman Sutton for her enthusiastic support and leadership; Congressman Inslee and Congressman Israel of New York, who all worked very hard on this; certainly the chairman emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Dingell; the current chairman, Mr. Waxman; and Mr. Markey as Chair of the Select Committee on Global Warming for his leadership on this issue for a long period of time.

I mention all of them because this brings together so many elements of what we want to do to grow our economy, to help our workers, to protect our environment, and to do so in a very focused way that works, and that's what is interesting about this week.

In about 6 days, it is estimated that 250,000 cars were sold. On both sides of the aisle, people acknowledge the effectiveness of this initiative, and that is why yesterday--and as we were seeing what was happening this week--the Obama administration asked us to help consumers who have yet to have the opportunity to take advantage of trading in their old cars for new energy-efficient models. When they do that, again, they strengthen the auto industry, strengthen our economy at large and help preserve our environment.

What's interesting about it, and the point that has been made by many speakers already, is just that everything has performed beyond the requirements of the bill. The cars that have been purchased are much more fuel-efficient and the emissions standard much better than the bill even required, and that's good news.

I do share the concern that has been put forth by Mr. Markey--and I don't know if Mr. Inslee has yet, but he will--about the source of the revenue, and that is the Innovative Technologies Loan Guarantee Program.

In the recovery package in January, we voted for a $6 billion initiative. It was very important to have it at that level, and it's very important in terms of our renewables program--$6 billion--but the administration has just released a solicitation for about half of that money, for $3 billion in loans for renewable energy. The rest of the money would not be released until next year, until after January. So that gave us an opportunity, for the time being, to use $2 billion of that for this Cash for Clunkers expansion.

Again, I am concerned about the fact that that money is taken from that account, but it has not cost any opportunities for the program, because the timing is such that that money would be spent next year.

I do hope, whether it's in the continuing resolution or some other step along the way, that those funds will be restored, because it's not appropriate for us to take money to do one thing for fuel efficiency out of an account that is designed to do just that in looking into the future with further innovation. So I share the concerns expressed by Mr. Markey, and I appreciate the comments made by Mr. Obey in the colloquy that they had about restoring those funds.

But, again, I think this is a pretty exciting day. As I said, we got the word just as this news was unfolding this week. Yesterday, it was determined that we could go forward. The Rules Committee under Congresswoman Slaughter responded very positively. The chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Obey, has been trying to find solutions for us, and the leadership of the Republican Party has been

very cooperative in how we could bring the bill to the floor.

So this is a very positive, bipartisan initiative to help our auto industry, to help consumers grow our economy and to do it in an environmentally sound way. I think it is the perfect message for us to take home for August.

Thank you all for your leadership in making this possible.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his masterful leadership of the Budget Committee. He is, indeed, a great American. He put forth earlier this year a budget which is a statement of our national values, about what is important to the American people as being manifested in our priorities in that budget. It's a budget that is designed to reduce the deficit, to create jobs, to give tax cuts to the middle class, and to have as three of its pillars to turn the economy around: education, health care and energy. And today, as part of that framework of fiscal responsibility under his leadership, this legislation is coming to the floor.

I would also like to acknowledge our distinguished majority leader, Mr. Hoyer, for being relentless in his pursuit of this legislation. He has long supported it, and I don't think we would be here today without his determination. We just heard from Mr. Baron Hill, an author of the legislation, a leader of the Blue Dog Coalition in the House.

The Blue Dog Coalition came together with the organizing principle of fiscal responsibility. We all owe them a debt of gratitude because it has become the mantra of the Congress: we will not increase the deficit.

Mr. Hill spoke as a policymaker and as a new grandfather, and that is a very important perspective, a new grandfather. As a grandmother of many grandchildren for a long period of time, I know that we have a moral responsibility not to heap mountains of debt onto our grandchildren; and, today, we will be able to put this into place as a statute, not just as a rule of the House, which we did when we took control of the House as Democrats, but now as a statute.

I want to pay, also, homage to Mr. George Miller, a Progressive Democrat, a leader in the Congress for many years. Long before I came to Congress, I was reading about Mr. Miller introducing PAYGO legislation in the Congress. Now I'm talking about 30 years ago.

And I do remember going in 1982, not as a Member of Congress, to the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia. This was a midterm conference in between nominating conventions for President; and Mr. Miller at that 1982 convention introduced as a resolution a PAYGO resolution, which succeeded at that convention. It became part of the Democratic platform, and then again, as I say, he introduced that legislation into the Congress. It wasn't until a number of years later that it was implemented.

During the Clinton years, that PAYGO formula was what took us out of the debts of the Reagan-Bush years and into a trajectory of surplus into the future. The last four Clinton budgets were in surplus. Now we're back in deficit from the excesses of the reckless economic policies of the Bush years. We must dig our way out again; we must sweep up behind, and this is a way. Statutory PAYGO legislation is a way to get that done.

I reiterate: when the Democrats took control of the Congress, we made it a rule of the House that we had to abide by pay-as-you-go. Now we have a President of the United States committed to signing this legislation, and we are able to pass it, not as a rule of the House but as a statute, as a law of the land.

I thank Mr. Hill, Mr. Baron Hill; Mr. George Miller; Steny Hoyer; and you, Mr. Chairman, for making all of this possible.

It's a very important day for our country because it is a day when the Congress of the United States says to the American people: we will be accountable. We have said it. We have done it, and now we will make it a statute of the law of the land.

So, again, I urge our colleagues. I hope we have a good, strong vote across the political spectrum, in the Democratic Party from right to left and, hopefully, across the aisle, so that we can have all of those who claim to support fiscal responsibility placing their vote behind this important legislation.

If the idea is that you want to persuade the Nation that cutting taxes is a way to grow our economy, those tax cuts must be paid for. If we want to say that we want to increase entitlement spending, we must pay for that, and if we do not, there are consequences. There are consequences, and that is what is important about this legislation. We either pay as we go or, as we say, go into sequestration, have across- the-board cuts, a draconian measure that must be avoided, and here is the way to do it.

So I urge all of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to support statutory PAYGO and as a tribute to those who fought the fight for so many years and as an obligation to our children and our grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and commend him and the ranking member for bringing this resolution to the floor about a great personality. It is such a cause of celebration for all of us in San Francisco to see Lim Poon Lee so recognized on the floor of the House of Representatives. Thank you both for your kind words about him.

Those of us who knew him and worked with him take great joy in the celebration we have here today. And I also rise in support of the legislation to commemorate the life and the achievements of Lim Poon Lee, the first Chinese American postmaster in the United States.

Today, the House has an opportunity to honor Postmaster Lee's lifetime of public service and proud patriotism by naming the post office in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown as the ``Lim Poon Lee Post Office.''

As has been mentioned, Lim Poon Lee came to these shores from Hong Kong as an infant. Like many immigrants, he so loved this country that he spent his entire life in public service.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army as a counterintelligence specialist. He worked in the public welfare and juvenile court system in San Francisco. And Mr. Lee served one of my predecessors in Congress and a friend to many of us here, Congressman Philip Burton, as a field representative.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Lim Poon Lee the Postmaster of San Francisco. At the time, it was the highest Federal appointive post ever held by a Chinese American. In this position, Lee transformed the face of San Francisco's postal system by increasing the hiring of women, minorities and disabled postal workers.

In San Francisco, we know the beauty is in the mix, and Mr. Lee worked to ensure while hiring that the post office look like the rest of the city in terms of its great diversity. In 1977, Lim Poon Lee established San Francisco's Chinatown Post Office, the post office located at 867 Stockton Street. Today we have the opportunity to name that post office for him.

As we honor Postmaster Lee, we also recognize his family, his wife Catherine, his children Rosalind, Dorinda, Lynnette and Chesley and his grandchildren. They helped make his success possible.

As was mentioned by my colleague, Mr. Lynch, Postmaster Lee passed away in 2002 at the age of 91. His absence is felt throughout San Francisco. As was also mentioned, he was the master of ceremonies for the Chinese New Year Parade, a columnist for ``Asian Week'' and a leader on many distinguished boards and commissions. All who knew him knew him to be a larger-than-life personality. All who knew Philip Burton knew that it took such a larger-than-life personality to be his field representative.

I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the life of the first Chinese American postmaster, again at the time, the highest appointive office in the land when appointed by Lyndon Johnson, by supporting this legislation naming a post office in honor of Lim Poon Lee. And I thank you, Mr. Lynch, again, for your leadership.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great California statesman and public servant, Joseph Cannon Houghteling, who passed away on June 23, 2009.

On July 16th, 2009 Joe's family and friends will gather on San Francisco's historic ship the Balclutha to celebrate his life, and I wish to honor my friend by submitting his obituary from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Joseph Cannon Houghteling, former chairman of the San

Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)

and Democratic activist, died at home June 23 in San

Francisco after a short illness. He was 84. Houghteling spent

many years in pro bono public service, with an emphasis on

regional government, transportation and the balance between

conservation and development. When he stepped down as

chairman of BCDC, The Chronicle editorialized ``He has served

with wit, style and patience . . . and has brought a spirit

of compromise to its responsibility of allowing development

but protecting the environment, two goals often hard to

reach.'' Born in San Francisco in 1924, son of the late

William and Virginia LeSeure Houghteling, Houghteling

attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. He then joined

the Navy V-12 college officer-training program and attended

Bates College and the College of the Holy Cross. He served

aboard the USS Ocklawaha in 1945-46 with the forces occupying

Japan. He graduated from Yale in 1947. After college,

Houghteling moved to the Peninsula, where he was publisher of

community newspapers including The Gilroy Dispatch, The Los

Gatos Times-Observer, The Sunnyvale Standard, The Pleasanton

Times and The Mountain View Register-Leader. He owned The

Nevada County Nugget for a time. He also founded Diablo

Press, which published books on controversial topics

including abortion and ``We Accuse,'' a collection of essays

on the new American political anger during the Vietnam War,

as well as ``The Sinking of the Lollipop'' by Rodney G.

Minott, about the congressional campaign of Pete McCloskey

and Shirley Temple Black. Although he came from a family of

Illinois Republicans, including great-grand-father ``Uncle

Joe'' Cannon, Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of

Representatives, Houghteling became a committed Democrat. He

was a California delegate to the Democratic Conventions of

1956, supporting Adlai Stevenson, and of 1960, supporting

John F. Kennedy. He was Northern California treasurer to the

1960 Kennedy presidential campaign. He participated in many

other campaigns, including those of both Pat and Jerry Brown,

John Tunney, Dianne Feinstein and Pete McCloskey. Houghteling

served on the boards of many nonprofits including California

Tomorrow, the Planning and Conservation League Foundation,

the Coro Foundation, Stanford Hospital, Peninsula School and

the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Houghteling

joked that he was ``one of Pat Brown's youngest appointees

and one of Jerry Brown's oldest.'' Gov. Edmund G. ``Pat''

Brown appointed Houghteling to the State Park Commission,

which Houghteling eventually chaired, in 1959; in 1964 he was

appointed to the State Highway Commission. Houghteling was

appointed to BCDC in 1971; in the mid-1970s, he was appointed

chairman by Gov. Edmund G. ``Jerry'' Brown Jr., a post he

held until 1982. While chairman, Houghteling shepherded

through the Suisun Marsh Protection Plan, which shielded

89,000 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat from

uncontrolled development. From 1972-1982, Houghteling was on

the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. While on MTC, he

noticed that there was no direct pedestrian access from the

Embarcadero to the ferry landing. At Houghteling's

suggestion, a passageway was built through the Ferry Building

to allow easy access. In 1994, a plaque was installed in the

Ferry Building to honor Houghteling. In 1984, Houghteling was

appointed to the bi-state Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, on

which he served until 1992. Houghteling also was president of

the National Maritime Museum Association from 1992-1994. He

was instrumental in bringing the submarine the USS Pampanito

to Pier 45. Houghteling lived in Palo Alto, Los Gatos and

Atherton. After moving back to San Francisco in 1978, he kept

a home in Portola Valley for many years. Houghteling is

survived by his wife of 31 years, Signa Judith Irwin

Houghteling, and his daughters with the late Frances Fisher

Houghteling: Anne Frances Houghteling and her husband, Herb

Greenman, of Palo Alto; Elizabeth Cannon Houghteling and her

husband, Philip Balboni, of Cambridge, Mass.; and Mary

Wallace Houghteling of Berkeley. He is survived by his

grandson, Philip Cannon Houghteling Balboni, of Cambridge. He

leaves three nieces and a nephew by his sister, Lucretia H.

Robertson, who predeceased him.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the many proud Americans who have dedicated their professional lives to the House of Representatives: Mr. Pope Barrow.

Pope retires today after more than 40 years of service to Congress-- longer than most Members--and a decade as the House's Legislative Counsel.

In this capacity, Pope has drafted legislation that has affected every American: from the air that we breathe, to the food that we eat, to the public lands that belong to all of us.

He has always done so with the utmost impartiality, and with the closest attention to ensuring that the laws that we pass here perform as Congress intends.

It is through these consistent efforts that Pope has earned the trust of his staff, staff from other offices, and Members of Congress.

Pope Barrow's service in the Congress has benefitted all Americans, but I would particularly like to recognize his work on behalf of San Franciscans.

Working with me and many other Members of Congress, Pope Barrow was relentless in his determination to create a viable Presidio Trust for the successful future of America's premier urban national park. He worked countless hours to craft the right language that would ensure bipartisan support and ultimately, passage into law.

May the Presidio long stand as a tribute to Pope's decades of service in the House!

As we honor Pope, we must also recognize his children, Isabel, Pope Jr., and Rebecca, who have also sacrificed so that he could serve along with us.

I would also like to note that Pope comes from a family with many who have dedicated their lives to public service. Pope's great-great-great grandfather served in the House, Senate, and as a Governor from Georgia. His great grandfather also served in the Senate. And today, Pope's cousin, Congressman John Barrow, is a distinguished member of this body.

Madam Speaker, Pope Barrow represents the many among us who toil in relative obscurity, but proudly serve our country, as staff in the House of Representatives.

In saluting Pope today, we recognize all of his colleagues who work extremely long hours, and who consistently rise to the call of duty and exceed expectations.

I know Pope intends to pursue his diverse interests: sailing, gardening, and travel. On behalf of the entire House of Representatives, we thank him and honor him for his lifetime of service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American, Frank Weinman, on the occasion of his 95th birthday.

Born in 1914 in Vienna, Austria, Frank has overcome great hardships and adversity on life's path, escaping the terror of Hitler's Europe to settle with his family in the United States.

Working in his father's paint factory in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, Frank fell in love with his future wife, Teri, a Hungarian citizen. When the Germans occupied Austria, Frank was left stateless, because, as a Jew, he could not return to Vienna, and was forced to flee to Prague. In Prague, Frank assisted Jews immigrating illegally to Palestine, undoubtedly saving many lives.

On the run from the Nazis, Frank and Teri were secretly married on October 25, 1939 in Prague. Separated often over the next 18 months, Frank received word that his brother Charles, who had emigrated to America, had procured visas for them, and Frank made a daring journey by foot over mountainous terrain to Hungary, where Teri was staying with her family. While waiting for exit visas in Kosice, Hungary, Frank and Teri were arrested and sent to Hungarian concentration camps, before being released due to their American visas.

Forced to leave behind family, Frank and Teri made a harrowing journey across Austria and Germany to Spain, where they found passage across the Atlantic on a small Spanish ship. They arrived to the New World, free from the fear and oppression they had narrowly escaped, on October 12, 1941, Columbus Day.

Frank and Teri lived together until Teri's passing in 1975, having raised a family of two daughters in Illinois. Frank married Frances Alt in 1977, and they moved to the Great State of California in 1988.

Though Frances has since passed away, Frank Weinman celebrates his 95th birthday in Walnut Creek, California today with daughters Francie and Linda, and their husbands, Stuart and Alex, along with four loving grandchildren.

He is also blessed to have a devoted stepdaughter, Judy, and her husband Maynard, and stepson George and his wife Maureen. Thanks to them, Frank has three more adoring grandchildren and six great- grandchildren.

Frank's story is an inspiration to us all, and we are reminded of the importance of family, perseverance, and faith. I encourage all Members of Congress to join me in wishing Frank a happy birthday, and may he celebrate many more.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I want to join those who have sung your praises as a distinguished presider over hundreds of hours of debate in the House of Representatives. Your service here, your leadership here will long be remembered and be an inspiration to us. Katherine will be very missed, but now she's off to college. Thank you, Ellen Tauscher, for being such a great chairwoman and presider over the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I also wish to acknowledge the leadership of our chairmen, who so ably brought this important legislation, this historic and transformational legislation, to the floor: Chairman Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman Markey of the Energy Security and Climate Change Committee, Chairman Rangel of the Ways and Means Committee, and Chairman Peterson of the Agriculture Committee. We thank them for their leadership and for giving us this opportunity today.

Madam Speaker, no matter how long this Congress wants to talk about it, we cannot hold back the future. And so in order to move on with the future, I want to yield back my time, submit my statement for the Record, and urge my colleagues to vote for this important legislation.

And when you do, just remember these four words for what this legislation means: jobs, jobs, jobs, and jobs.

Let's vote for jobs.

Madam Speaker, today the House has an opportunity to pass historic and transformative legislation: the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

I would like to acknowledge the authors of the legislation: Chairman Waxman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and Chairman Markey of the Select Committee on Energy Security and Climate Change.

I would also like to acknowledge: Chairman Collin Peterson of the Agriculture Committee for bringing the priorities of America's farmers to this bill and Chairman Rangel who helped ensure that this bill is fiscally responsible and fully paid for.

And I would like to acknowledge the many staff who worked so hard on this legislation.

In his inaugural speech, President Obama called upon us to, ``harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.''

One week and one day later, we did just that. We passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act--the single largest investment in history in clean energy--with over $69 billion for new investments in clean energy.

Shortly thereafter, we passed the Omnibus spending bill, with significant investments in advanced energy research and the labs and equipment necessary to perform the next generation of advanced energy research.

We passed the Budget, which included a 10% increase in investment in clean energy and energy efficiency.

This was building upon the work of the last Congress: The Farm Bill was the first in history to include a real investment in energy independence, with over $1 billion to leverage renewable energy industry investments in new technologies and new feedstocks.

And the historic and bipartisan energy bill signed by President Bush increased fuel efficiency standards for vehicles for the first time in 30 years and redirected this country's energy policy toward clean, renewable energy.

Creating a new energy policy and addressing the global climate crisis is: Energy independence is: a national security issue by reducing our dependence on foreign oil; an environmental and health issue; it is a moral issue; and it is an economic issue for America's families.

There are four words that can describe this bill: jobs, jobs, jobs, and jobs.

Madam Speaker, we debate this legislation as millions of Americans are struggling in this economy. This is our moment to transform our economy and create jobs.

This is the moment when we can unleash private sector investment in clean energy to create millions of new jobs and make America the global innovation leader. It will promote clean energy technology--made in America. It will put America in the lead in the global competition.

As we rebuild America in a green way, we will create jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. We are creating a framework in which innovation can occur and that gives business certainty that we are moving to a clean energy economy. That will unleash innovation, investment, and venture capital to drive new technologies into the market.

America's farmers will fuel America's energy independence. They will do so with carbon-offsetting crops and forests, and biofuel and wind farms to repower America.

This historic legislation is the product of months of consensus building to achieve an effective and affordable transition to a clean energy future.

I am so pleased that the diverse coalition supporting this bill includes everyone from: The Union of Concerned Scientists to the Evangelical Climate Initiative and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; from the business community to labor organizations, from ALCOA to the U.S. Steelworkers of America; from the U.S. Conference of Mayors to members of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of business and nonprofit groups.

Today, we have an opportunity to lead America toward an effective and affordable transition to a clean energy future. It is a moment we cannot afford to miss. We have a responsibility to create jobs and make America more secure, protect the health of our citizens, and honor our moral responsibility to our children and our future generations.

Vote to create jobs. Let's put this Congress on the right side of the future. Vote yes on the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to protect God's beautiful creation by supporting this legislation.

Organizations Expressing Support for House Passage of The American

Clean Energy and Security Act

Electric Utilities and Energy Companies

Duke Energy

Exelon

PG&E Corporation

FPL Group

Austin Energy

National Grid

PNM Resources

Avista

NRG Energy Inc.

Mr. Speaker, today the Congress expresses its deepest condolences for those who suffered because of the earthquake in Abruzzo in April, and the Congress expresses its strongest support for Italy as it rebuilds from this crisis.

Soon after this disaster struck, I called Prime Minister Berlusconi on behalf of my colleagues in the Congress to express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those lost. President Obama and other leaders from around the world have offered assistance to those affected. Prime Minister Berlusconi and the Italian government have the steadfast support of the American people as they help the people of Abruzzo rebuild.

As someone who can trace my family's roots back to Venice, Genoa, Campobasso, Sicily, and Abruzzo, I am personally committed to ensuring that the United States provides all possible assistance.

In 1980, I had the opportunity to visit Southern Italy in the aftermath of another earthquake as part of a U.S. delegation. I saw firsthand the courage of the Italian people in the face of a similar tragedy. The world saw Italy emerge from this crisis stronger than before.

America is a land discovered by an Italian, named for an Italian, and built by millions of Italian Americans.

The bond between the United States and Italy is uniquely strong because of the vital role daughters and sons of Italy have played in the United States from its discovery to today.

Today, we mourn those lost in Abruzzo and those struggling to rebuild their lives. And today, as in times of both crisis and calm, we stand beside each other as allies and friends.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his generous recognition and rise to say, as a mother and a grandmother, what an important day this is for America's children and to say thank you to Mr. Dingell. Some of the giants of the Congress have worked to help the children of America. Mr. Dingell, Mr. Waxman, and Mr. Pallone on the committee. On the Senate side, this legislation passing also is a real tribute to the leadership of Senator Ted Kennedy. It's really a great day. It's momentous. It's historic. We can't say that all the time about the legislation that we pass here. It would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of what is happening here today.

Today we have an opportunity to protect public health and prevent disease; and today we have an opportunity to honor our responsibility to our children, to protect them from the harm that can come to them from the use of tobacco.

Madam Speaker, tobacco is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is responsible for about one in five, or 443,000, deaths annually. Again, I want to acknowledge the great work of Chairman Waxman, Chairman Dingell and Chairman Pallone. We passed this bill before Easter. Happily last night, yesterday, it passed the Senate so that we can now pass the bill and send it to the President's desk for his signature.

Mr. Oberstar, in his role on Transportation and understanding how we

had to get smoking out of Transportation, spelled out for us what the study told us and how it has been 52 years since we should have taken action. There is so much support on the outside of the Congress as well. A thousand organizations, everyone from the American Cancer Society, which we would suspect, the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids, the AARP, and the Presbyterian Church, just to name a few. They believe that passing this bill will save lives.

Every day Americans benefit from the oversight of the FDA on foods that we eat and medicines we take. That's their jurisdiction. Yet despite the fact that tobacco is one of the deadliest products in America, the FDA has had no authority to regulate it. This is just not right, and today we can correct that wrong. Right now tobacco is exempt from standards that apply to a can of soda or a box of pasta. Tobacco makers are exempt from critical and basic consumer protections, such as ingredient disclosure, product testing and restrictions on marketing to children.

This legislation grants the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products. It also requires detailed disclosure of tobacco product ingredients and restricts tobacco marketing and sales to young people, among other things. And this legislation does all of this in a fiscally responsible way, funding the FDA tobacco activity through a user fee on tobacco manufacturers.

Because of lost productivity and health care expenditures, cigarette smoking costs our Nation more than $193 billion a year, almost $200 billion a year. By reducing the number of smokers, not only will this legislation save lives and reduce chronic disease, it will also reduce health care costs.

Today, approximately 3,500 young people will try a cigarette for the first time and another 1,000 will become addicted and become new regular, daily smokers. One-third of those children will eventually die prematurely because of smoking. We must do all that we can to prevent premature death from smoking, and today we have that opportunity.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the aptly named Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. I hope that the children of America will see a strong bipartisan vote. This legislation deserves it, and then we can send it on to the President to be signed into law hopefully no later than next week.

Again, Mr. Dingell, as a mother and a grandmother, I'm deeply in your debt for what you're doing for America's children. Mr. Waxman, thank you so much for bringing this bill to the floor. We went into session in January. Before Easter this bill had passed the House. Thank you for your leadership. Mr. Pallone was very much a part of it. Again, Mr. Oberstar, thank you for your leadership.

But let's just say about Senator Kennedy, this has been part of his life's work. He's worked on this for a very long time, of itself, discretely, the tobacco and smoking issue and then, of course, just as with Mr. Dingell, the larger health issue for America. Today in passing this legislation, enabling the FDA to regulate tobacco, we are taking a giant step forward in making America healthier. Thank you all for your leadership.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a leader for working men and women, a distinguished diplomat and a great American John Henning, known to us as Jack, who passed away on June 4, 2009. Jack Henning will be long remembered for his distinguished career on the front lines of the labor movement, fighting passionately for justice, equality, human rights and jobs in California, across America and throughout the world.

A native San Franciscan, Jack began his career working for the Association of Catholic Unionists. He joined his first union, the United Federal Workers of the CIO, after graduation from college. Jack served for decades as a dedicated leader of working people, rising to be the president of the California Labor Federation. In that role, Jack represented millions of California's workers with great distinction. Not only union members, but millions of Americans who never belonged to a union enjoy better wages, safer workplaces, greater rights and more secure retirements because of the battles waged by union leaders such as Jack Henning.

Jack was a close ally of legendary farm worker organizers Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. He cited among his proudest accomplishments the passage in 1975 of the landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act, which our colleague Mr. Howard Berman was so much a part of, and provided tough labor protections for those who have been abused and mistreated for decades in California's pastures of plenty.

Jack Henning ended his farewell speech from the California Labor Federation in 1996 with, And if by a suspension of the laws of nature I were young again, I would follow no other course, no other flag, but the flag of America and the flag of labor. The labor movement was blessed to have him as a leader.

As distinguished as he was on behalf of workers, Jack made many other contributions to his State and this Nation for which we are all grateful. Before taking the presidency of the California Federation of Labor, Jack served Presidents Kennedy and Johnson as Under Secretary of Labor and was appointed by President Johnson as Ambassador to New Zealand in 1967. Jack was also a distinguished regent at the University of California for a dozen years during which he helped lead the fight for expanded opportunities for minority students and demanded that the university divest its investments in apartheid South Africa. That divestment initiative helped bring about the peaceful end of apartheid and the new day of majority rule in South Africa.

We will all miss Jack greatly, but none more than his sons Brian, Daniel, John Jr., Patrick and Thomas; his daughters Mary and Nancy; his 12 grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. We also remember his beloved wife Betty, who preceded him in death. I hope it is a comfort to his family that so many people mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time.

Jack Henning was a proud American, a devout Catholic, passionate about his Irish roots and a great friend and mentor to many of us. Mr. Speaker, I join Jack Henning's family, friends and workers worldwide to honor his legacy, celebrate his life and remember his illustrious contributions to the State of California and to our great Nation.

Later today, thousands of people will gather in California to do just that, celebrate his life and pay tribute to him.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank all of those who are involved, Mr. Klein of Florida and members of the House Anti-Semitism Caucus and others, certainly the chairman of the committee, Mr. Rahall, and others for giving us an opportunity to speak on the floor to express our grief and our outrage over what happened yesterday.

When the news came to the Capitol of what had happened at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, we were shaken, shaken to the core that this could possibly happen.

The resolution today allows us to express some of the grief that we have and the strongest denunciation of the despicable hate crime perpetrated yesterday and to express our strong support for the work of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Some of us were there that rainy, rainy day when the Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated. Elie Wiesel spoke to us so profoundly about what it meant, not only in terms of memory and never forgetting what happened in the Holocaust, but what our responsibility is to the future. At the time the Bosnian crisis was happening. So while the Holocaust Memorial Museum is about something that happened in the past, it is a memorial and a reminder to us about ridding our societies of these kinds of attitudes.

So how ironic, how ironic that this person, this individual, would go into that museum with hate in his heart, a gun in his hand, and kill this beautiful man, Stephen Johns, who really gave his life. He guarded others with his life. And I would like to take a moment to pay special tribute to Stephen Johns, whose life was cruelly taken yesterday.

Stephen was known to his colleagues as ``a soft-spoken, gentle giant.'' Stephen loved his hometown football team, the Redskins, and he loved to travel across the United States. Sad to say--well, it was a happy moment for him--but sad that it was such a short time ago he had married and moved to Temple Hills, Maryland, just 10 minutes away from his mother.

Stephen died in the line of duty, doing his job to protect those who came to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. We honor him today. We honor his sacrifice and his service.

In the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, anyone who has visited there knows there is a flame that burns in remembrance to all who died in the Holocaust. It lights the room over a coffin of Earth gathered from the death camps, concentration camps, sites of mass execution and ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe and from cemeteries of American and European soldiers who fought and died to defeat Nazi Germany.

Engraved above the flame, it says, from Deuteronomy 4:9: ``Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children, and your children's children.''

Today we commit to telling our future generations the truth shared at the Holocaust museum. This heinous act was committed at the entrance to sacred ground to us, the Holocaust museum, as I described, where some of the Earth was gathered from. This is a severe blow to all of us who care about these issues, and I would include that to be everyone in the Congress of the United States and in our great country and those throughout the world who promise never to forget.

So we commit never to forget, and we commit to continue our work to build a world free of hatred.

Again, I thank our colleagues for giving us a time to publicly mourn this horrible, horrible event; to extend our condolences to the family of that brave guard and also to acknowledge, like Stephen Johns, our own Capitol Police and many others who make this area safer for people to visit from all over the world, who make it safer for us to do our jobs here, who make it safer for the press to cover us, who make it safer for our staffs to work, we express our deep gratitude to them. For us, the words Gibson and Chestnut are forever ablaze in our hearts--two of those committed to guard the Capitol whose lives were taken over 10 years ago. We will add to that list Stephen Johns and never forget the sacrifice he made and never forget our responsibility again to end the world of hatred.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding. I commend her for her tremendous leadership in putting together this legislation that we have before us. She, Representative Israel and Representative Inslee all worked very hard to come to a position that we can all support today. Mr. Markey is here of the Select Committee, and of course Mr. Dingell, the Chair Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Others, Mr. Braley, Mr. Stupak--well, all of our colleagues have had an important role--Mr. Kildee and our colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle. Hopefully we will have a good, strong bipartisan vote today on this legislation.

Because you all have given us an opportunity to pass legislation that is a benefit to our economy and a benefit to our environment, we can create and save jobs while addressing the air pollution issue, so important to our children's health. We will do this by allowing Americans to trade in their own gas-guzzling vehicles and receive vouchers worth up to $4,500 to help pay for the new, more fuel- efficient cars and trucks.

I will go into some specifics--I know we've heard it over and over again, but this CARS bill is quite a remarkable piece of legislation, and the timing is perfect. And when they trade in these cars, they will strengthen America's auto industry, creating jobs and reducing layoffs, and save more than 250 million gallons of gas. This has been tried and true around the world in recent months with great success. In Germany, for example, it boosted auto sales by 20 percent.

Because this legislation will deliver consumer savings, increase vehicle demand, help save American jobs while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our dependence on foreign oil, it is supported by a broad coalition. That coalition includes the Big Three automakers, the United Auto Workers, car dealers, business groups such as the National Association of Manufacturers, the Chamber of Commerce, and, in the lead, the Obama administration.

Today, with this legislation, we will ensure a strong American manufacturing base. As much as anything that we can do in terms of addressing the issue of the auto industry in our country, this is a national security issue. The auto industry's success is essential to ensuring that we have a strong manufacturing base. This legislation today will ensure that we have a strong manufacturing base and get more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road, which is essential to our economy, to our national security, and a clean, green future.

I commend my colleagues once again. I commend Congresswoman Sutton for her determination to accelerate the pace of when we would bring this legislation to the floor and urge strong bipartisan support for the bill, which it certainly deserves.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for giving us this opportunity to come to the floor to sing the praises of our former colleague--we always will have him as a colleague in our hearts, but former colleague on the floor, Congressman Ralph Regula of Ohio.

As many of you know and as has been acknowledged, Ralph Regula served in the House with great distinction for 38 years of service, 38 years of service and not only service, great leadership. Last year we sadly said good-bye to him, but now tonight we will honor him by creating a longstanding testament to his leadership, designating the courthouse and Federal building in his hometown of Canton as the Ralph Regula Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

I want to acknowledge Congressman John Boccieri for his work in shepherding this legislation through Congress and for doing an exceptional job, I believe, following in the footsteps of Ralph Regula in representing Ohio's 16th Congressional District.

Congressman Regula's entire life was devoted to public service and still is. He was a distinguished Navy veteran of World War II. He served our country in that way, and he served in both the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives as well as the State Board of Education. And aren't we fortunate that when he came to Congress, he was already an experienced legislator with a strong commitment to educating our children.

Thirty-eight years. Imagine that. Some of our Members weren't even born when Ralph Regula came to the Congress. Thirty-eight years in the House of Representatives, earning the distinction of being the second- longest-serving Republican in the Congress.

Congressman Regula's leadership benefited our entire Nation. It was a personal privilege for me to work with him on the Appropriations Committee. I saw firsthand his leadership, his knowledge of the issues, the respect that he commanded for all who came before him and the respect he had from both sides of the aisle.

I personally am grateful to him for transforming San Francisco's former Army base--he was very much a part of doing that--the Presidio, into one of our Nation's premier parks, and we have honored him on many occasions in San Francisco, most recently at Fort Baker.

None of us can come together and talk about Ralph Regula without talking about Mary Regula because they

served here in Congress as a team. Ralph would be the first to say that it was the love of Mary and their three children and four grandchildren that made his leadership possible. And we all know that Mary is the one who made a decision that we would have a National First Ladies' Library in Canton, Ohio, to honor the contribution to our Nation of the First Ladies of America. It's a phenomenal thing. She had an idea, she executed it, and now people can visit and see that important part of American history thanks to Mary Regula.

Today we honor a great congressional leader, a great friend to all of us, and a great man. I urge all of my colleagues to understand the privilege that we have of expressing our appreciation for Ralph Regula's leadership by supporting this legislation, and I join my colleagues from Ohio on both sides of the aisle for the honor that we are paying to Ralph Regula tonight. And I again thank John Boccieri for shepherding this through the Congress.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

And I thank him and Sander Levin and Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen for bringing this legislation to the floor. I associate myself with the comments of Mr. Poe and my friend, Mr. Wolf. We have been working on this issue for a very long time in our task force on China ever since I think even before Tiananmen.

Human rights in China is a very, very important issue. China is a very important country. The relationship between our two countries is very important economically, security-wise, culturally, and in every way. But the size of the economy, the size of the country, and the size of the relationship doesn't mean that we shouldn't speak out. I have said that if we don't speak out about our concerns regarding human rights in China and Tibet, then we lose all moral authority to discuss it about any other country in the world.

Today we come together to support a resolution on the floor of the House of Representatives recognizing that 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Again, I thank my colleagues for bringing this legislation to the floor.

Twenty years ago, a generation ago, thousands, millions of Chinese students, workers, and citizens assembled in Tiananmen Square and all of the streets leading to it and from it to bravely speak out. It was about promoting more freedom in China in terms of accountability of the government in ending corruption. It was about, again, more transparency and the ability to speak and to assemble. It was about the aspirations of people in a country that they love and their desire to have dialogue with their leaders on the future of China.

It will be forever seared in our memory what happened next. The People's Liberation Army, the People's Army was used against the people, crushing demonstrators in Tiananmen Square and crushing dissent throughout China. And so again, Tiananmen Square is the place where many people assembled, but the demonstrations were beyond that and well into Beijing and across the country.

We remember, again, one of the most enduring images which actually happened after the crush, after the order was given to clear Tiananmen Square by such and such a time on June 4. A day or two later, a brave man stood before the tank. One of the most enduring images of the 20th century will forever be seared again in the conscience of the world, the picture of the lone man standing before the tank in the street bringing a line of tanks to a halt. When the tanks moved, he moved. He even climbed on the tank to communicate to the person in charge of the tank that Beijing was their city and they did not want tanks overtaking it. Today that spirit of Tiananmen lives in the hearts and minds of those continuing to work for freedom in China and beyond. The heroes had the courage to speak out for freedom.

There will be other observances of the Berlin Wall coming down throughout Europe in the next weeks and months. And actually, while the Chinese students, workers, and demonstrators used the Goddess of Democracy as the symbol in Tiananmen Square, inspired by our Founders, they, in turn, inspired others throughout Europe and the rest of the world to speak out for freedom, and they did achieve freedom. Unfortunately, the Chinese did not.

Some of the people arrested at the time of Tiananmen Square are still in prison. We really don't have all of their names, but we do have the names of some prisoners of conscience that I brought to the attention of the Chinese Government. In a letter to the President of China, I included some of those, and I want to read them into the Record. And I will submit their names and the description of their situation into the Record.

Before I read them all, I want to talk particularly about Liu Xiaobo. Liu Xiaobo is one of those individuals who spoke for freedom. He spent 5 years in prison and in reeducation-through-labor camps for supporting the Tiananmen students and for questioning the one-party system. Late last year, he was again arrested for being one of the organizers of the Charter '08, an online public petition for democracy and the rule of law. About 5,000 people signed it. Imagine the courage of these people to sign such a petition. Liu continues to be held without charges. We call for his immediate and unconditional release.

Let me read the name of Dr. Wang Bingzhang. He is very famous. There was an article in the paper yesterday about him. Hu Jia, Shi Tao, Chen Guangcheng, Gao Zhisheng, Yan Zhengxue, Pastor Zhang Rongliang, Bangri Chogtrul Rinpoche, and Ronggyal Adrag are being held. Some of these are from Tibet as well. There are others, but I want to submit these names for the Record as they are representative of the situation.

I just had the privilege of visiting China last week. We had magnificent hospitality from the Chinese Government, and I am grateful for the opportunity they gave us to hear about their plans for climate change and issues of global concern. It also afforded me the opportunity to speak about human rights in China and Tibet and congressional concern about it to the President, the Premier and the Chairman of the National People's Congress. In terms of our dialogue, congressional and interparliamentary dialogue, I think it was clear from our visit that this concern is bipartisan, and any dialogue we had between our two congresses would have to include a discussion of human rights.

When we were there, the first meeting we had was with Bishop Jin of Shanghai to discuss the status of religious freedom in China. He was optimistic about the Catholics that he led in Shanghai having some more freedom and making progress in that regard. And I respect that. But that is not the case for all who wish to exercise their religious freedom in China. And again, China is a country of contradictions. You see progress here and you see oppression there. Perhaps it is how regions deal with these issues. But the fact is that much more needs to be done in terms of religious freedom.

I mentioned that we had submitted this letter to the Chinese Government. When we were in Hong Kong we met with Han Dongfang. Mr. Wolf, you know him. Han Dongfang was in Tiananmen Square as a bus driver at the time, and he gave us his view about what was happening and what opportunities that could be there.

It is something that is not taught to children. What we learned is that some

students in Beijing University did not have any idea of who the man before the tank was. They didn't have any idea. They could not relate to that. It was not part of their knowledge. It didn't trigger anything that they had heard about in China. That is pretty remarkable. But the fact is that the world will never forget, and that image is one that inspires those who aspire to freedom wherever it is in the world.

I do believe that all countries of the world have to get to a place of more openness, more transparency and more accountability of government. And perhaps the issue we visited the Chinese about, climate change, is one that can open some doors. Environmental justice can help people have clean air and clean water and get answers from their government as to why they do not have it.

Today, on this floor, and this week we are observing something that is sacred ground when we talk about human rights in the world. It is a remarkable occurrence that will continue to inspire people throughout the world and also inspire those in China who hope for and aspire to freedom.

Mr. Lantos, our late colleague, introduced me to the Dalai Lama and the issue of human rights in China and Tibet. He was always saying to me, ``don't be discouraged; the fight for human rights is a long one.'' But who would have thought that 20 years after Tiananmen Square we would be observing this, that people would still be imprisoned and that we would be submitting names of people who want to be able to speak more freely, to assemble and have more accountability from their government?

For this and many other reasons, I'm grateful to our colleagues for their leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. Thank you for that opportunity.

And with that, Madam Speaker, I want to submit, in full, my letter and the list of prisoners. This is important because they say the worst form of punishment for someone who is a political prisoner is to say that no one remembers that you are here. No one remembers why you are here. So think about that as you are in prison.

Well, we want them to know that in the Congress of the United States, we do know about them, we do care about them, and that we will continue to call for their freedom.

May 27, 2009.

Hon. Hu Jintao,

President,

People's Republic of China.

Dear President Hu: I am writing to ask for your assistance

in obtaining the release of certain individuals detained or

imprisoned in China. It is my understanding that these

individuals are prisoners of conscience and they are detained

or imprisoned for exercising rights that are guaranteed to

them under Chinese law or under international human rights

conventions that have been signed or ratified by the Chinese

government.

Attached is a list of selected prisoners and brief

descriptions of their cases. I look forward to working with

you on a positive outcome on these cases and for the welfare

of these individuals. Thank you for your consideration of

this request.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi,

Speaker of the House.

Key Prisoners in China Who Should Be Released--Submitted May 27, 2009

Liu Xiaobo was detained and transported to an undisclosed

location in December 2008 without any legal proceeding. He

was one of the original signers of Charter 08 that calls for

new policies to improve human rights and democracy in China.

Liu is reportedly under residential surveillance at a

location outside of his residence, in violation of China's

Criminal Procedure law. It is my understanding that he has

not been allowed to meet with his lawyer or family except for

one brief visit with his wife. Under Chinese law, a person

under residential surveillance does not need permission to

meet with his lawyer.

Dr. Wang Bingzhang was abducted by Chinese authorities in

Vietnam in June 2002 and brought to China. He was then

convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in solitary

confinement in a trial that produced no evidence or witnesses

to prove the charges against him. Dr. Wang is an

internationally recognized pro-democracy activist and the UN

Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Wang's

detention is arbitrary. Dr. Wang is a permanent resident of

the United States and his sister and daughter are U.S.

citizens. He is currently held in Beijiang Prison in

Shaoguan, Guangdong province, and suffers from phlebitis and

has had three major strokes. At minimum, he should be

released on medical parole.

Hu Jia was detained in December 2007 and sentenced to 3.5

years in prison in March 2008. The decision to take him into

custody seems to have been made after leaders in several

Chinese provinces issued a manifesto demanding broader land

rights for peasants whose property had been confiscated for

development. Hu pleaded not guilty on charges of ``inciting

subversion of state power'' at his trial.

Shi Tao is a Chinese journalist serving a ten-year prison

sentence for sending an email description of a government

order prohibiting Chinese media from recognizing the

fifteenth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests to a

New York-based democracy website. Shi Tao was convicted with

email account information provided by Yahoo! China. His

lawyer, Guo Guoting, was repeatedly harassed in an effort to

prevent him from representing Shi Tao.

Chen Guangcheng, a self-trained legal advocate who tried in

June 2005 to investigate reports that officials in Linyi

city, Shandong province, had subjected thousands of people to

forced abortions, beatings, and compulsory sterilization in

order to meet population control targets. Although central

government officials agreed that the officials used illegal

means, authorities rejected the class-action lawsuit Chen

tried to file. Chen was tried on August 24, 2006, and

sentenced to four years and three months for ``intentional

destruction of property'' and ``gathering people to disturb

traffic order.'' Chen, who is blind, has reportedly been

severely beaten in jail and has gone on a hunger strike to

protest the beatings. He is serving his sentence in Linyi

Prison.

Gao Zhisheng, founder of a Beijing law firm, has

represented numerous activists, religious leaders, and

writers. On October 18, 2005, Gao wrote an open letter to Hu

Jintao and Wen Jiabao, exposing widespread torture against

Falun Gong practitioners. On November 4, officials shut down

his law firm and began a campaign of harassment against Gao,

his family, and associates. Authorities abducted Gao on

August 15, 2006 and convicted him on December 22 of

``inciting subversion of state power'' and subject to a

three-year sentence, suspended for five years. After Gao sent

an open letter to the U.S. Congress in September 2007, he was

taken away by the police for over 50 days, and tortured. Gao

disappeared again on January 19, 2009. His current

whereabouts are unknown.

Yan Zhengxue, a 63-year old writer and painter, was

detained on October 18, 2006, during a police raid on his

home in the Jiaojiang district of Taizhou city, Zhejiang

province. The Taizhou People's Intermediate Court convicted

him on April 13, 2007, of inciting subversion and sentenced

him to three years in prison after he attended a conference

in the U.S. several years earlier and published on the

Internet three articles critical of the Chinese government.

Yang's cell mate reportedly attacked him, causing head

injuries. Yang's family is concerned about his diminishing

physical and mental health due to harsh treatment in prison.

Pastor Zhang Rongliang is a Christian leader who was

detained in Zhengzhou city, Henan province, in December 2004

and sentenced in June 2006 to seven years and six months in

prison. Authorities charged him with ``fraudulently obtaining

border-exit documents'' and illegally crossing the border in

an effort to attend missions conferences. He had been beaten,

detained, and harassed a number of times since his conversion

to Christianity in 1969. He is reportedly in poor health and

suffering from diabetes.

Bangri Chogtrul Rinpoche, a lama who lived as a

householder, was convicted of inciting splittism and

sentenced to life imprisonment in September 2000. He and his

wife managed a children's home in Lhasa. The Lhasa

Intermediate People's Court commuted his sentence from life

imprisonment to a fixed term of 19 years in July 2003, and

then reduced his sentence by an additional year in November

2005. He is serving his sentence, which will be complete on

July 30, 2021, in Qushui Prison near Lhasa. He suffers from

heart disease and gall stones.

Ronggyal Adrag, a nomad, climbed onto a stage at a horse-

racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on August

1, 2007, and shouted slogans calling for the Dalai Lama's

return to Tibet, the release of Gedun Choekyi Nyima (the

Panchen Lama identified by the Dalai Lama), freedom of

religion, and Tibetan independence. The Ganzi Intermediate

People's Court sentenced him on November 20, 2007, to eight

year's imprisonment for inciting splittism.