Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I regrettably missed rollcall votes 157 through 159. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' for each measure.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for bringing this bill to the floor.

I rise in support of this bill and in particular, the provisions extending whistleblower protections to federal employees who work on national security matters, including those employed by the Transportation Security Administration.

The simple fact is that TSA screeners are treated differently than other Department of Homeland Security personnel. That is why I authored the provisions in the Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007, which the House passed in January, that would give TSOs whistleblower and collective bargaining rights.

Astonishingly, the President has threatened to veto the 9/11 bill over this provision.

TSA screeners are frontline security workers who perform a crucial and often grueling job that requires training, experience, and patience. We need workers who have mastered the job and providing whistleblower protections to TSA employees is part of a broader strategy to ensure that these individuals will make a career of protecting our Nation.

I intend to vote for this bill not only to strengthen protections for whistleblowers and restore accountability to the federal government, but to advance this critical TSA provision through the legislative process and show the President that we are serious about giving our frontline security workers the same rights as other Department of Homeland Security personnel.

I urge my colleagues to do the same.

I thank my distinguished colleague from New York for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 64, a resolution expressing the sense of the House that the Government of Bangladesh should drop all charges against Bangladeshi journalist, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. I want to thank my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) for his leadership on this issue.

In May of 2006, the American Jewish Committee awarded Mr. Choudhury the Moral Courage Award. Unfortunately, he was not there to receive this honor because more than 2 years earlier he was arrested while attempting to board a flight from Bangladesh to Tel Aviv. Mr. Choudhury's passport was confiscated, his house and possessions were raided, and he was first cited for a passport violation because Bangladeshi law prohibits travel to Israel. Subsequently, he was charged with sedition, accused of espionage, and imprisoned for 17 months.

What is his crime? Mr. Choudhury spoke up for interfaith dialogue, he published articles critical of Islamic extremism, and he appealed for greater religious tolerance and freedom. For these ``crimes'' he is charged with sedition, an offense punishable by death.

Mr. Choudhury has already been harassed and subjected to harsh interrogation techniques in prison. His newspaper offices were bombed by Islamic extremists in July of 2006, and he was physically attacked in October of 2006.

This resolution calls on the Government of Bangladesh to immediately drop the charges against Mr. Choudhury, to return his confiscated property, to stop intimidation tactics against him, and to protect him from future harassment.

Mr. Choudhury advocates peace and tolerance. It is time that Congress sends a strong and clear message: we are watching, and we will not allow Mr. Choudhury and others like him to be silenced.

I hope you will join me in strongly supporting H. Res. 64.

Mr. Speaker, due to a family medical emergency, I regrettably missed rollcall votes. Had I been present I would have voted in the following manner:

Rollcall No. 100: ``yea.''

Rollcall No. 101: ``aye.''

Rollcall No. 102: ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, a violent civil war is raging in Iraq, with atrocities against innocent civilians mounting every day. Our troops, our brave troops, are caught in the crossfire, dying and being maimed driving on local roads, patrolling neighborhoods and moving about by helicopter. What is their mission today? What is the strategic objective of the escalation proposed by the President?

President Bush's plan to deploy 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to Iraq is not a new strategy, and nothing I have seen or heard has convinced me that this escalation will make a positive difference in Iraq or hasten the safe return of U.S. troops. In fact, General Abizaid said that ``more American forces prevent the Iraqis from taking responsibility for their own future.''

Four previous troop surges between December 2003 and October 2006 have not made a dent in the level of violence nor in the number of U.S. casualties. We have spent nearly $500 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan, and yet inexplicably our troops still do not have the protection they need. Throughout this war, many in Congress have addressed the lack of equipment and protection for our troops. Now, military leaders are saying there are not enough armor kits and vehicles to protect these additional five brigades the President plans to send to Iraq. It is unacceptable to send more soldiers to Iraq, but it is unconscionable to send them without proper armaments or an explanation from the administration about how our troops will be protected.

Madam Speaker, 3,132 Americans in uniform have died and 23,417 have been wounded since the start of the war in Iraq. I visited our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed, Bethesda Naval Hospital, and, most recently, at Landstuhl Military Hospital in Germany during my visit to Iraq with the Speaker.

I stood at the bedside of a 23-year old severely wounded soldier, a soldier who was holding the hand of his 21-year old brother, currently serving in Iraq, and the hand of his father, who had also served in the Armed Forces, a soldier who will likely never come home. These families are making the ultimate sacrifice for our family. I am humbled by their commitment, their professionalism and dedication. We have a responsibility to our Armed

Forces, our citizens, and the constituents who have elected us to bring them home as quickly and safely as possible.

I am convinced that the thorough analysis and conclusions of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group are correct. Iraqi leaders must take responsibility for the country's security and government and we must engage the international community to work towards stability in the region. There is no military solution to the crisis in Iraq, and we cannot send more brave men and women to police a civil war.

As I have said many times before, there are no good solutions to the quagmire in Iraq. This war was ill-conceived, poorly planned and incompetently executed. The best military minds must now focus their efforts on the safe and responsible redeployment of our troops rather than on this escalation. I cannot support sending more of our brave men and women in uniform on a last-ditch, misguided mission.

We best support our troops, my colleagues, and our national interests, by adopting this resolution, and by expressing clearly on behalf of the American people our firm determination to change course in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to say to my good friend, my colleague, Mr. Wolf, I look forward to working closely with you. And as you may know, or I am surprised if you don't know, my staff was working with your staff every single step of the way, and your input and the input of your staff was invaluable. So we can have further discussions. Thank you very much.

And I want to commend Chairman Obey and all the staff on both sides of the aisle, because we worked on the bill together, for their tireless work.

It is a shame, frankly, that the Republican leadership of the 109th Congress failed to finish its work on the fiscal year 2007 appropriations bills, leaving vital programs in the lurch.

And while this bill is the result of the Republicans' abdication of duty in the 109th Congress, it is a fair, balanced, and bipartisan attempt to continue essential government programs and services and address critical priorities.

Specifically, this joint resolution provides a total of $4.55 billion for global HIV/AIDS and TB, almost $300 million above the President's fiscal year 2007 request, including $724 million for the Global Fund. We have also increased PEPFAR funding by $75 million over the President's request to put hundreds of thousands more people on lifesaving medications.

In addition to keeping the momentum in our HIV/AIDS initiatives, the joint resolution also addresses the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Two-and-a-half years after Congress declared the atrocities to be genocide, violence continues unabated. This bill provides $50 million in additional funds for the only peacekeepers on the ground, the African Union forces.

Additionally, this bill meets our commitment for Israel and Egypt as requested for fiscal year 2007.

And, finally, having just returned from Afghanistan, I do believe there is still a glimmer of hope that our assistance can make a positive impact there. I am pleased that the joint resolution provides over $1 billion for reconstruction programs, counternarcotics and other priorities. And I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this joint resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this critical legislation.

The Part D prescription drug plan has caused mass confusion and, unfortunately, provided more in profits to drug companies than savings to seniors.

Private corporations, large pharmacy chains, and individual states all use their bargaining power to secure lower drug prices for the patients they represent. It simply makes no sense that the Department of Health and Human Services is prohibited from negotiating on behalf of millions more seniors.

In fact, a recent study by Families USA found that Medicare beneficiaries pay an average of 58 percent more for the same prescription drugs sold to patients who receive their drugs from the Veterans Department, which can negotiate cheaper prices.

Using the bargaining power of 42 million Medicare enrollees to secure the best drug prices for our seniors could save billions, according to some estimates.

These savings could then be used to begin to close the infamous ``doughnut hole'' or gaps in coverage that millions of seniors experienced last year and are expected to experience again in 2007.

Allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices won't solve all of the problems associated with the drug benefit but it will set us on the right course toward providing our seniors with the comprehensive, affordable drug coverage they deserve.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor four of my distinguished colleagues and to pay tribute to their dedicated work on behalf of the people of New York.

I have been honored throughout my time in Congress to call Sherwood Boehlert, Major Owens, John Sweeney and Sue Kelly my colleagues and my friends, and their hard work and passion will be sorely missed by our great institution.

Sherry Boehlert has been fighting for the people of the Mohawk Valley and Central New York since 1964, first as chief of staff to Congressman Alexander Pirnie and his successor Donald Mitchell and, for the last 24 years, as the representative of the 24th Congressional District of New York. Sherry has been a staunch advocate for environmental and science priorities including the space program, protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and research into global warming and cyberterror issues, and he has fought on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to secure New York's fair share of Federal funds.

Sherry Boehlert epitomizes what a Member of Congress should strive to be--an independent, bipartisan consensus builder with loyalty not to outside interest groups or to party leadership, but to the constituents who sent him to Congress for over two decades.

New York and the U.S. Congress have benefited for nearly as long from the service of Major Owens. Since succeeding the late Shirley Chisholm in 1982, Major Owens has successfully fought in Congress for increased educational opportunities, a higher minimum wage, equal opportunity for those with disabilities, and aid for historical black colleges. Major's voice will be missed, but his New York colleagues will remember him as we carry forward these important initiatives.

It has also been my privilege to work with John Sweeney since his election to the House in 1998. As my colleague on the Appropriations Committee, as my co-chair of the Hudson River Caucus and as a leading voice for a risk-based approach to distribute Homeland Security funds, John Sweeney has proven himself not only dedicated to the people of his district, but to all the citizens of New York.

We will miss Mr. Sweeney's lively spirit and the passion and expertise he displayed throughout his tenure.

The New York delegation also wishes our colleague Sue Kelly well as she leaves the U.S. Congress. Through her roles on the Small Business and Financial Services Committees, Sue Kelly has successfully pushed to increase small business access to capital. As the chair of the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, she has paid careful attention to the efforts of law enforcement to crack down on terrorist financing and money laundering.

Sue and I have stood united on many issues affecting our region, including Hudson River preservation activities and the proposed shift in services away from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Montrose Campus of the VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System which serves veterans in both of our districts.

Mr. Speaker, while Sherry, Major, John and Sue may not know yet what the future holds for them, there are two things I know for sure--the people of New York will miss them, and the House of Representatives is better for their service.

I wish them all success and happiness in the days and years to come and am thankful for the opportunity to work with them and call them my friends.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this inflammatory and misleading piece of legislation.

The bill before us requires that women seeking abortions be given a brochure written by Congress regarding the capability of a developing fetus to feel pain. It requires physicians to provide this script to their patients even if the doctor does not believe it to be accurate or in the patient's best interest.

The text of this brochure was not written by or in consultation with the nation's leading physicians. In fact, the sponsor's attempt to impose his values on every woman seeking an abortion in this country is opposed by many physician organizations, including the

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the American Public Health Association, and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners.

This bill is one last attempt in this Congress to use the emotional, complicated subject of abortion as a cloak for what the sponsors of this bill consistently do: manipulate medical practice and scientific research to conform to their own beliefs and moral agenda.

And when science doesn't support their rhetoric, instead of opening their minds and acting from a place of compassion, they attack physicians who disagree with them, demonize women and families who make the decision about abortion, and deny evidence-based medicine.

It is just this kind of extreme interference in Americans' lives and their medical care that voters around the nation rejected--decisively-- on Election Day.

Americans look to us to examine issues thoroughly and with great care, befitting the high honor it is to serve in this body. Passing this bill won't do a single thing to advance the cause we should all share: to create a country, a society and a culture where every pregnancy is intended and every child is wanted, prepared for and cherished.

Congress has no right to legislate how doctors care for their patients, to substitute ideology for scientific evidence, or to penalize physicians for legal and responsible patient care.

I urge my colleagues to reject this bill and this approach to an issue that's difficult for many of us. There is another way and, I would suggest, a better way to help the families of this country have healthy pregnancies and strong families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of my constituent and good friend Maureen Keating Tsuchiya of Chappaqua, NY, an extraordinary community activist and advocate for the disabled.

Maureen was born in Atkinson, Nebraska, the second of eight children of John and Dolores Keating. As a toddler, she survived a severe strain of polio. Her lifelong disability, which worsened over time, was a focus of her advocacy efforts on behalf of persons with physical challenges. With each cause she championed, she used an unstoppable blend of passion, energy, dignity, perseverance,

forcefulness, honesty and wit to accomplish her goals.

While in college in Minnesota, Maureen started a campaign to get the city of Minneapolis to lengthen the time of the green traffic lights so that she and other persons with disabilities could cross the streets safely. Later, she worked tirelessly for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and attended the signing ceremony at the White House.

After living in New York City and Tokyo, Maureen, her husband Takashi, and their daughter Hannah moved to Chappaqua in 1997. She quickly became involved in civic and political organizations, often accompanied by her young daughter to whom she was totally devoted. Maureen Keating Tsuchiya worked with Westchester Disabled on the Move on a voting rights lawsuit by testing polling places for their accessibility. She also spearheaded an effort to increase access to the Chappaqua train station.

Maureen Keating Tsuchiya, although taken from us and her valiant causes prematurely, leaves a rich legacy of principled activism and involvement for all of us to emulate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in offering condolences to her husband, her daughter, and her entire family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. B.J. Mistry on her installment as President of the Ninth District Dental Association.

Founded in 1909 and with a membership of close to 1600 dentists, the Ninth District Dental Association is dedicated to advancing the dental profession and promoting public service. I have no doubt that under the leadership and guidance of B.J. Mistry the organization will continue to grow and expand the positive role it plays in our communities.

A graduate of the Government Dental College in Ahmedabad, India, as well as the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Dr. Mistry has played an active role in promoting dentistry and proper dental health throughout her career. She has served as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is a longtime member of the American Dental Association and previously served 5 years on the Board of Governors for the Ninth District Dental Association.

Her installment as the 98th President of the Ninth District Dental Association also marks a historic occasion as she becomes the first woman and first immigrant to lead the organization.

I am honored to work closely with Dr. B.J. Mistry to better our community, and I urge my colleagues to join me today in recognizing her accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in reluctant opposition to the Ryan White Treatment Modernization Act.

Like many of my colleagues in the New York delegation, I strongly support the Ryan White CARE Act and have supported its reauthorization in the past. These programs provide lifesaving medical care, drug treatment, and support services to over 535,000 low-income people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the nation.

Westchester County, in my congressional district has the highest number of persons living with HIV or AIDS of any New York State county outside of New York City. The services provided under the Ryan White CARE Act literally mean the difference between life and death for my constituents living with this devastating disease.

Unfortunately, the bill before us today will jeopardize these services for my constituents and countless other Americans in states that are at the epicenter of this crisis.

Under this bill, New York State stands to lose more than $78 million over four years.

Despite what some say, the AIDS epidemic has not shifted--it has expanded. It simply makes no sense to pit regions of the country against each other by providing vitally needed services to one region at the expense of another.

My colleagues, rushing a bill through the House that will negatively impact the lives of so many individuals living with HIV and AIDS makes no sense. I am a cosponsor of legislation, H.R. 6191, that would temporarily reauthorize the program for one year to allow Congress to continue to negotiate a compromise that would not unfairly result in drastically reduced funds for any state.

I urge the House leadership to immediately consider H.R. 6191 and urge my colleagues to vote against the bill before us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Fiscal Year 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report. It includes several provisions that I authored in the Homeland Security and Appropriations Committees, including much-needed provisions to help first responders communicate.

More than two years ago, I proposed legislation to require the Department of Homeland Security to create a national interoperability strategy. It is time that we give our first responders the tools they need to adequately communicate with one another without having to use many of the same tactics as Paul Revere.

This strategy is long overdue. Ten years ago, the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee recommended that ``unless immediate measures are taken to promote interoperability, public safety agencies will not be able to adequately discharge their obligation to protect life and property in a safe, efficient, and cost effective manner.'' Because of inadequate radios, 343 firefighters died while heroically rescuing thousands of workers at the World Trade Center on September 11th. Last year, communications failures exacerbated the poor response to Hurricane Katrina.

Amazingly, the Department has no real plan to solve the communications crisis and has not made the issue a priority. This bill will require it to complete a baseline study to assess current capabilities; create a resource plan; expedite voluntary consensus standards; set goals and time frames; identify obstacles; coordinate planning with other federal as well as state, local, and private sector partners; design backup systems in the event that primary systems fail; and verify manufacturers' claims that equipment meets certain standards.

Unfortunately, the conference report does not include my dedicated communications grant program. While it is imperative that we have a workable strategy, it can only be executed when local public safety agencies have funding to plan, design, implement, and maintain interoperable networks. In addition, the bill cuts funding for the major first responder grant programs, further delaying the progress that state and local governments should be making to increase communications capabilities.

Although the conference report is not perfect, I am pleased that conferees took the first step in adopting my interoperability strategy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 478 to highlight the goals of the seventh annual Lights on Afterschool! celebration. This event organized by the Afterschool Alliance is the only national celebration of after-school programs and the important role they play in the lives of children, families and communities.

On October 12, more than 1 million Americans, representing thousands of after-school initiatives across the country, including more than 100 programs in my home State of New York, are expected to open their doors to parents, neighbors, business leaders and elected officials to showcase their accomplishments.

In my own district, events will take place in Tarrytown, White Plains, and Yonkers, and more programs are registering each day.

While there is growing enthusiasm for this year's Lights On celebration, we need more than just one day a year to highlight the importance of after-school programs. That is why I joined with Representatives Ros-Lehtinen and Kildee to form the bipartisan Congressional Afterschool Caucus last year. Our mission is simple: to build support for these programs within Congress and to translate that support into sufficient funding to meet the growing demand for after- school initiatives.

For years, we have known that what our kids do after school can have as great an impact as what they do in school.

In 1996, from my seat on the Appropriations Committee, I helped create the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the first-ever Federal after-school initiative.

Since then, I have watched it grow from a million dollar demonstration project to a billion dollar permanent program today, because there is astonishing demand and tremendous unmet need for it.

According to a study conducted by the Afterschool Alliance, 40 percent of middle school children, the age when kids are most vulnerable to engaging in dangerous activities, are unsupervised for a good portion of the day. Parents are crying out for safe, structured environments where their kids can learn and play, make friends and develop new interests. Yet Congress is not doing what it should to ensure that our kids are safe and engaged while their parents are at work.

The Congressional Afterschool Caucus and the Lights On celebration will focus on changing that. We will share the lessens we have learned to make sure after-school does not become an afterthought in our Federal education priorities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, to join the Caucus, to fight tooth and nail for every dollar available so that kids and their parents have access to these desperately needed programs.

I thank you, I thank my colleague from New York.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy and accomplishments of our recently-passed colleague Thomas Manton.

Tom Manton's life epitomized the American dream. Born to Irish immigrants in 1932, he worked to put himself through college and law school and eventually rose to become one of the most influential politicians in New York City.

After attending Catholic school in Queens and Brooklyn, Tom enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving from 1951 to 1953. He went on to graduate from St. Johns University in 1958 and earned his law degree there in 1962. In addition to his service defending our country in the armed forces, Tom put his life on the line protecting the citizens of New York in the police force from 1955 to 1960.

After serving on the New York City Council from 1970 to 1984, Tom was elected to Congress. He served proudly and responsibly for seven terms in the House of Representatives, during which he also became Chair of the Queens Democratic Party.

In his work with the Queens Democrats, he brought those of all different racial and ethnic backgrounds into the political fold. Although he followed the tradition of Irish Catholic influence in New York City politics, he recruited candidates of all ethnic backgrounds to truly represent the diversity that exists throughout Queens on all levels of government.

It is a testament to the respect Tom Manton earned and to the counsel he provided that during the 1992 Presidential campaign, then Governor Bill Clinton visited the Queens Democratic Party Headquarters in Forest Hills to speak with Tom. Additionally, Tom advised Mayor Michael Bloomberg during his initial city-wide campaign in 2001.

On a personal note, I will miss the plain-spoken style of Tom Manton. When I first came to Congress in 1989, Tom provided me with a bevy of candid advice. During our time in Congress together, I considered him a close advisor, was honored to call him my colleague, and more importantly, always valued our friendship.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in paying respect to the family of Thomas Manton and offering condolences to all those who have benefited from his service to our country.