Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5932) to establish the Organized Retail Theft Investigation and Prosecution Unit in the Department of Justice, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the legislation under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5932 directs the Attorney General to establish an Organized Retail Theft Investigation and Prosecution Unit to combat the growing problem of organized retail crime.

Theft from retail establishments has been a problem as long as stores have existed. The problem has gradually grown beyond simple isolated cases of shoplifting and burglary into something far more complex.

It wasn't until the 1980s that organized retail theft was recognized as a phenomenon, and the problem has continued to grow in volume, sophistication and scope. Today, sophisticated, multilevel criminal organizations steal large amounts of high volume products, focusing on small and easily resalable items, and then they resell the goods through a variety means, including flea markets, smaller stores, and, increasingly the Internet. Sales of stolen items over the Internet have evolved to the point where there has been a new crime phenomenon referred to as ``E-fencing.''

With organized retail theft reaching an estimated $30 billion to $42 billion, it impacts everyone from the Big Box retailers to the small independent stores. This type of crime obviously has a direct impact on stores from which the items are stolen. They have fewer items in their inventory to sell and their profits suffer. To make up for it, they must pass along the burden to consumers in the form of higher prices.

Consumer safety is also at risk when retail crime organizations steal consumable products, especially over-the-counter drug items and infant formula, two popular items for organized theft rings. In many cases, after merchandise has been stolen, the products are not stored properly, which can render the products ineffective or even dangerous.

Retailers spend lots of time and resources trying to prevent such thefts and trying to catch the thieves, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Last year, the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime held a hearing about the role of the Federal law enforcement in combating this kind of crime. I was encouraged to see that agencies such as the FBI; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE; the Secret Service; and postal inspectors all play a role in investigating organized retail theft.

Through this hearing we learned that there is a definite need for Federal law enforcement agencies in this area because local enforcement agencies face unique challenges in combating organized retail theft. In particular, organized retail theft rings often operate in multiple jurisdictions, making it impossible for any one State or local law enforcement agency to investigate them and prosecute them effectively. In addition, the Internet has made it

easier for such sellers to access a national, even international market, for buyers of stolen goods. Finally, the proceeds of these crimes are often laundered with tremendous sophistication.

Because of these challenges and the threat this type of crime poses to our businesses, I believe we must have a better coordinated and much more concentrated Federal effort. H.R. 5932 accordingly directs the Attorney General to establish an Organized Retail Theft Investigation and Prosecution Unit comprised of Federal prosecutors and investigators from the FBI, ICE, the Secret Service, and the Postal Inspection Service. This unit will investigate and prosecute instances of organized retail theft under Federal jurisdiction as well as assist State and local law enforcement agencies in their efforts against these crimes.

I want to thank the retail and online community for their support of this bill, and I commend their efforts to find ways to work together on this effort. We have also received letters in support of the bill from a number of major business groups, including the Coalition Against Retail Crime, the Food Marketing Institute, the National Association of Chain Drugstores, the Entertainment Merchants Association, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and the National Retail Federation. EBay has also expressed support for the bill.

I am pleased this bill has strong bipartisan support, and I would like to thank the committee chairman, the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Conyers, the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Smith, and my colleague from Virginia, Mr. Goodlatte, for cosponsoring this important legislation and for their consistent commitment to this issue. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5932.

Coalition Against

Organized Retail Crime

Hon. Robert Scott,

House Judiciary Committee, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Scott: On behalf of the Coalition Against

Organized Retail Crime (CAORC) and our membership, we urge

you to support and pass H.R. 5932 the ``Organized Retail

Theft Investigation and Prosecution Act of 2010.'' This

bipartisan legislation, introduced by Representatives

Conyers, Smith, Scott and Goodlatte, is an important first

step in addressing this serious issue.

The CAORC, formed in 2001, is comprised of major retailers,

grocers, product manufacturers and trade associations

committed to bringing attention to the harmful effects and

public safety risks associated with organized retail crime.

As you know, sophisticated and methodical organized retail

crime rings operate across state and local jurisdictions.

These crime rings often use organized retail crime to fund

other violent activities and utilize traditional money

laundering techniques to conceal their profits. It is time

the Department of Justice have the resources it needs to

effectively investigate and prosecute these criminals.

Retailers spend millions of dollars on robust a security

and loss prevention effort, that protects their goods and

ensures consumer safety. They are continually upgrading and

adapting these programs to limit retail crime. Nevertheless,

this criminal activity continues to grow despite our best

efforts.

We thank you for your consideration of H.R. 5932 and urge

its passage. We look forward to seeing this legislation

become law and working with you in the future to continue to

work on this crime epidemic.

Sincerely,

John G. Emling,

Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Retail Industry

Leaders Association.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

As has been said, Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas for his strong support.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5932, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an institution in Norfolk, Virginia. On Friday, September 24, 2010, Union United Church of Christ will celebrate its 100th anniversary, and I would like to highlight some moments from the history of the church and its contributions to our community.

Union United's history began in 1908 with a small prayer band made up of new arrivals to Norfolk who found no Christian church in their area. The church formed as Union Christian in 1910 and was organized and led by Rev. J.J. Faulk.

Many pastors served Union Christian faithfully in these early years, including Rev. G.T. Hall from 1929-1930, Rev. R.J. Alston from 1931 to 1934, and Rev. S.A. Howell from 1934 to 1935. Under Rev. Alston, the church was renamed Union Congregational Christian Church.

Rev. Mann assumed the pastorate in 1935 and served the church faithfully until 1951. His leadership saw both milestones and improvements, including the burning of the church's mortgage.

Rev. Z.P. Jenkins served as pastor from 1953 to 1960. During this time the church was renovated, and the church bought a house on Bane Street to serve as a parsonage. It was also during Rev. Jenkins' tenure that nationally the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Church to form the United Church of Christ.

The church underwent multiple changes under the leadership of its longest serving pastor to date, Rev. Joseph M. Copeland. Arriving in 1960, Rev. Copeland instituted a Deacon Board, and the church became very active in the community. A Citizen's Club, Boy Scout Troop, USDA Share Program, and 4-H Club were all founded under his direction.

Another milestone during the tenure of Rev. Copeland was the relocation of the church. In 1971, the church was forced to move due to redevelopment projects in the city of Norfolk. The present site on Goff Street was purchased, and a new church was built and dedicated in January 1977. Through the dedication of the congregation, the church was able to pay off the mortgage in just 11 years and held a burning ceremony in May 1988. Rev. Copeland retired in 1992 after 32 years of service.

The church continued to make history under seventh pastor, Rev. Anthony Taylor, ordaining its first female deacon. Rev. Taylor served for eight years, leaving in 2000 to serve his country in the U.S. Army. Rev. Copeland returned for a brief period as interim pastor in 2000, at which point Union United made history yet again.

In 2001, Associate Pastor Linda Clark was installed as Union's Pastor, the first female to serve in this post. Under her leadership, Union United re-dedicated itself to the community by establishing after-school tutorial programs and a Narcotics Anonymous program, and doing outreach work with the Norfolk State University School of Social Work. Currently serving under Rev. Clark is her twin sister, Rev. Brenda Brown.

As Union United gathers to celebrate its centennial, the Church can truly remember its past, celebrate its present, and focus on the future with great expectations. I would like to congratulate Rev. Clark, Associate Pastor Brown, Pastor Emeritus Copeland, and all of the members of Union United Church of Christ on the occasion of their 100th anniversary. I wish them 100 more years of dedicated service to the community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an institution in Charles City County, Virginia. On Friday, September 24, 2010, Elam Baptist Church will celebrate its 200th anniversary, and I would like to highlight some moments from the history of the church and its contributions to our community.

The seeds of Elam Baptist were originally planted prior to 1810, when groups of African-Americans who worshipped at First Church Petersburg (now Gilfield Baptist) would meet together in canoes on the James River, holding prayer services and singing songs of praise. The father of the church, Abram Brown, donated a parcel of land where the first log hut was built and used as both a church and meeting house. The actual construction date has been lost to history, but it is known that the church was standing in 1810. This date leads historians to consider Elam Baptist to be one of the oldest regular organized churches for people of color in Virginia.

The church applied for admission into the Dover Association of churches and received it in 1813, the same year that the Rev. William Clopton was appointed the first pastor of Elam. The Church's congregation was a mix of both slaves and freed African-Americans worshipping together. While this was initially accepted, as tensions in the country grew, most of the slaves were barred by their masters from worshipping at Elam and were carried to Old Mt. Zion church, the first of many churches Elam Baptist was mother to.

Rev. James Clopton succeeded his father William. Rev. James Christian succeeded the second Rev. Clopton from 1850 to 1865. During this time, Church associations required the presence of a white pastor to lead the congregation; however, the majority of the preaching was left to Rev. Christian's black assistant, Rev. James Brown.

After the war, when there was no longer a requirement for a white pastor to lead the congregation, Rev. Samuel Brown, son of the original church father Abram Brown, assumed the pastorate as Elam Baptist's first African American pastor. He served until his death in 1881. Elam Baptist continued to grow, and by its centennial in 1910, under the direction of pastor Rev. Wesley Curl, the church was either directly or indirectly responsible for the establishment of the 12 other colored Baptist churches in Charles City County, and one in neighboring New Kent County.

This growth demanded a new worship house. The original church site became the church cemetery, and the church began erecting a new building at its current location on The Glebe Lane under Rev. John Kemp. Sadly, shortly before construction was slated to be completed in 1919, a fire destroyed the building before it could be inhabited. However the spirit of the church was not extinguished, and the church was rebuilt. A second fire in 1922 once again consumed the worship house, but the church was not daunted and rebuilt again.

Elam Baptist continued to improve its facilities, installing a front veranda, electric lighting, and baptizing pool. A monument dedicated to the founders of the Church was erected at the cemetery site, and in 1966 a multipurpose annex was erected with offices and classrooms. Elam Baptist is truly a cornerstone of the Charles City County community.

As Elam Baptist gathers to celebrate its bi-centennial, the church can truly remember its past, celebrate its present, and focus on the future with great expectations. I would like to congratulate Rev. Horace B. Parham, Jr., Elam's current pastor, and all of the members of Elam Baptist Church on the occasion of their 200th anniversary. I wish them 200 more years of dedicated service to the community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a storied institution of faith in the Third Congressional District. This year, Queen Street Baptist Church is celebrating its 145th anniversary, and I would like to highlight some moments from the history of the church and its contribution to our community.

The Story of Queen Street Baptist began in 1865 with a group of newly freed slaves. Originally members of First Baptist Church, Williamsburg, these freed men gathered in the Hampton Courthouse and took the name Second Baptist Church. Under the direction of Rev. John Smith, their first pastor, the church met in several locations until eventually erecting a building constructed with ``used'' boards on a plot of land between Holt and Victoria Avenues, now Settler's Landing Road. The church members saved funds and in 1875 had enough to build a new church at a cost of $2,800. Upon Rev. Smith's death in 1881, Rev. Ebenezer Byrd assumed the pastorship for a brief period, until Rev. Thomas Shorts was called as third pastor in 1883.

Under Rev. Shorts' leadership, the church grew rapidly. Additional land was needed to build a larger church, and during Rev. Shorts' tenure, the site where the church now stands was purchased. It was also at this point that the church was renamed Queen Street Baptist, taking its new name from its new location. A fire in 1905 destroyed the church building,

but Rev. Shorts encouraged the congregation and led them in the rebuilding effort. Sadly, he died before the completion of the new church building, which still serves as the current sanctuary of Queen Street Baptist.

Fourth pastor Rev. J.A. Brown carried the charge to rebuild that Rev. Shorts began, and the new sanctuary was completed during his tenure (1918-1929). Fifth pastor, Rev. Berryman Johnson, oversaw the purchase of a parsonage on West Queen Street, which is still in use today. Rev. George Russell became pastor in 1935, and gave 31 years of progressive and innovative service to the church before dying in 1966.

Rev. Calvin Jones and Rev. Omie Holiday each served as pastor for four years in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1978 Rev. Marcus Pierce was installed as the ninth pastor, and during his 10-year tenure, numerous members of the church were licensed to preach, a testimony to the Reverend's influence.

The current pastor of Queen Street Baptist, Rev. Anderson W. Clary, Jr., was installed in 1991. His priorities of teaching the Bible in a manner understandable to young and old, and teaching Christian doctrine in all aspects of life have been adopted by the Queen Street congregation.

As Queen Street Baptist Church gathers to celebrate this historic milestone, the church can truly remember its past, celebrate its present, and focus on the future. I would like to congratulate Rev. Clary and all of the members of Queen Street Baptist Church on the occasion of their 145th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the enduring legacy of a faith institution in the city of Portsmouth. This year, Third Baptist Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary, and in recognition of this milestone I would like to take a moment to reflect on the history of this esteemed church and its contributions to the greater Portsmouth community.

The original seeds of Third Baptist Church were planted in a schoolhouse on Portsmouth's Chestnut Street in 1885. It was there that Rev. J.W. Godwin and a group of women conceived of the church and held its first services. From this humble beginning, the church grew under the pastorship of Rev. James Garris. It was during the tenure of the third pastor, Rev. Harold Anthony, that the church moved to its present location on the corner of Queen and Godwin streets, then the frontier of the city.

Third Baptist's congregation grew considerably at the new site under the leadership of fourth pastor Rev. Frank Campbell. Rev. Campbell saw the location of the new church, a neighborhood populated by saloons and other morally questionable establishments, as a blessing and opportunity to spread the Word and enlarge the Third Baptist Church family. Due to revivals and outreach efforts, the church outgrew its building, and a new sanctuary was built in 1911, the sanctuary Third Baptist uses to this day.

Third Baptist continued to grow under the leadership of fifth pastor Rev. B.W. Dance. During his 18 years at Third Baptist, the church knew both success and setback. The $10,000 mortgage was burned in 1920, a pipe organ was installed, and massive improvements to the sanctuary were completed. As the Great Depression swept the country, the Church was not able to escape its effects. But financial hardship was not powerful enough to close the doors of Third Baptist. When the church could not pay the salaries of Rev. Dance, the church organist, sexton, and clerk, they all continued to serve God and the congregation without a paycheck. This continued until the church could afford to pay them half their wages and finally restore their full salaries.

The Church's sixth pastor, Rev. C. J. Washington, was installed in 1939. Under his direction, the church established a building fund and secured property for and erected a parsonage on the southeast corner of Elm Avenue and Glasgow Street.

Third Baptist's seventh pastor, Rev. C.H. Jordan, was installed in 1947. His 31 years of service encompassed the postwar growth of the city of Portsmouth, and many of the institutions of modern Third Baptist were founded under his leadership. One of the Church's greatest accomplishments of this period was the establishment of a kindergarten and Adult Education Program. Originally housed in the first small Queen Street sanctuary, by 1951, the program had outgrown its facilities, and a new educational building was constructed. Third Baptist continued to expand in the neighborhood, buying a building across Queen Street and renovating it into a Fellowship Hall. Eventually this hall was the only Third Baptist building large enough to hold the education program, and in 1974 the repurposed, renovated, and fully air conditioned facility was dedicated. Rev. Jordan served Third Baptist until his death in 1978.

Third Baptist Church's eighth and current pastor is Rev. Joe B. Fleming. Since 1981, Rev. Fleming has led the church into the 21st century. During his tenure, the position of Youth Minister was established to coordinate a program to meet the needs and expectations of the young members of Third Baptist. The church ushered in a new era in service in 1994 when it named its first two female Deacons to the Diaconate. In October of 2004, the Fleming family added another generation of service to Third Baptist. Rev. Joseph A. Fleming, the son of Rev. Fleming and Mrs. Johnnie Fleming, became the Assistant to the Pastor of Third Baptist Church and currently serves as Supervisor of Ministries.

The Church continues to minister to its community to this day. The education program now includes after school homework assistance. The newly renovated kitchen helps facilitate the weekly feed-the-hungry program and the Meals on Wheels ministry. This enduring legacy of service is due to the efforts of the congregation, some of whom have been members of Third Baptist for over 60 years.

I would like to commend Pastor Fleming and the congregation of Third Baptist Church as they celebrate their 125th anniversary. I hope that their next 125 years of service will be as fruitful as their first 125 years.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a storied institution of faith in the Third Congressional District. This year, Saint John's African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church is celebrating its 170th anniversary, and I would like to highlight some moments from the history of the church and its contribution to our community.

St. John's was organized in 1840 within the old Cumberland Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Norfolk. The land where the church now stands was purchased for just $450 in 1848. The church disconnected from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1863 and was formally received into the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1864. Elder John M. Brown was the Church's first pastor.

The church grew rapidly. Additional land to erect a parsonage was bought in 1865, and the church was enlarged twice between 1868 and 1888. In 1888, the present church building on Bute Street was erected. St. John's exterior has stood nearly unchanged since then.

St. John's flourished in Norfolk during the turn of the century. The church was the first African-American congregation in Norfolk to install a pipe organ. The parsonage was completed, and in 1908 St. John's had reached such a level of prominence as to host the General Conference of the entire African Methodist Episcopal Church.

St. John's continued to grow in the early twentieth century. Its membership grew to over 1000, and two new churches grew from it. This rapid growth helped the church burn its mortgage after just 46 years in 1915. Along with its internal growth, St. John's was also active in the community. The church established the first African-American Boy Scout Troop in Norfolk in 1930 and the first African-American Girl Scout Troop in 1935.

The growth of St. John's in the second half of the century mirrored our country's growth. The church building underwent a massive renovation in 1956. The church's growth helped it to pay off the mortgage of the parsonage, install air conditioning, and buy buses, pianos, organs and robes for new choirs.

Over the last 25 years, St. John's has continued to both grow and stay relevant in the community. The church has started many new ministries to address the needs of both its members and its Downtown Norfolk neighborhood. An education building conceived earlier was finally built, and the church created a Social Service Outreach Program, the Hope Outreach Ministry, and the Medical and Wellness Ministry. In 1986, St. John's A.M.E. was registered as a Virginia Historic Landmark. St. John's has taken care to develop programs for the next generation of its members, recently revitalizing its Children's Choir, and establishing both a Nursery and Young Adult Choir.

St. John's has had numerous pastors over its history, and many members have left St. John's to enter the priesthood and to preside over congregations of their own. In addition to First Pastor Rev. Brown, a selected list of pastors includes: Rev. W.D. Cook; Rev. J.R. Johnson; Rev. Walter L. Hildebrand; Rev. A.R. Powell; Rev. Walter C. Davis; Rev. L.W. Knight, Sr.; Rev. Larry S. Hinton; and the current pastor, Rev. John D. Burton.

As St. John's gathers to celebrate this historic milestone, the church can truly remember its past, celebrate its present, and focus on the future knowing in the words of Rev. Burton that ``Everything is going to be alright!'' I would like to congratulate Rev. Burton and all of the members of Saint John's African Methodist Episcopal Church on the occasion of their 170th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I take great pride in the fact that Virginia is home to the Patient Advocate Foundation and that the Nation's most vulnerable citizens have such a great group of people working diligently on their behalf. I cannot mention health care in Virginia or the Patient Advocate Foundation without telling you how proud I am to know and have worked with its founder, Nancy Davenport- Ennis. Not only is she an incredible force for health care in Virginia and the Nation, she is also a constituent and a friend.

Nancy's efforts embody the struggle of her friend and mentor, Cheryl Grinnel. Cheryl's battle with cancer and her frustration with the insurance industry inspires Nancy and all of us to do what we can to correct the egregious context in which a patient has to operate in trying to obtain the level of medical care needed to address a serious health condition. Drawing on that inspiration, Nancy and her husband, John Ennis, founded the Patient Advocate Foundation. Nancy and John have worked tirelessly to get laws on the books in Virginia, and she is now at the forefront of the effort to close the health disparities gap and

secure more funding for research and clinical trials.

Since 1996, the Patient Advocate Foundation has advocated for patients who are working through the complexities of a serious illness while navigating through health insurance red tape, selecting the right treatment options for them and their family, while dealing with possible financial problems that arise due to the chosen method of treatment and addressing care giver stress. The Foundation gives hope to many patients and their families on a daily basis. Its number one goal is to get patients the necessary treatment after they are diagnosed with cancer or other life-threatening diseases. Through the Virginia Cares for the Uninsured program, VCUP, the Patient Advocate Foundation provides assistance to individuals who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness but do not have health insurance to pay for treatment or cannot afford treatment. The goal of the Foundation is to connect these individuals with doctors and facilities that will donate treatment services or accept reduced fees while ensuring the patient gets all necessary treatment. The advocacy efforts and community connections of Nancy and John, the executive board of directors, staff and volunteers at the Patient Advocate Foundation are often critical in making this happen.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Nancy Davenport-Ennis, president and CEO, the executive board of directors, the staff and volunteers of the Patient Advocate Foundation on the opening of the Foundation's new headquarters in Hampton, Virginia. The Patient Advocate Foundation's executive board of directors includes directors from Virginia as well as national directors including Admiral Deborah Parham Hopson, appointed to serve this year on the Federal Coordinating Council. Three national non- profit patient advocacy organizations are represented on the executive board of directors by Dr. Lovell Jones, co-founder of the Intercultural Cancer Council; Dr. Alan Balch of the Preventive Health Partnership, a collaborative of the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society; and Venus Gines, executive director and founder of the Dia de la Mujer Latina, Inc. The Foundation's support is partially derived from national non-profit organizations in the United States including the American Cancer Society, Lance Armstrong Livestrong, the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Support over the years has also come from the Centers for Disease Control, the federal appropriations process, the Commonwealth of Virginia and by the Foundation's annual fundraiser in Hampton Roads, where it receives strong support from the business community.

Madam Speaker, with the assistance of 180 full-time employees in their national headquarters in Hampton Roads, a corporate foundation office in San Diego, California, and with satellite locations in Iowa, Florida, North Carolina, New York and Nevada, the Foundation successfully closed 55,364 cases of patients diagnosed with chronic, debilitating and/or life-threatening conditions just last year. The Foundation provides services in both English and Spanish with special national outreach programs to underserved populations, specifically, the African American community and the Hispanic and Latino communities. Additionally, the Foundation serves the Asian population and Pacific Islanders.

Madam Speaker, access to quality, affordable health care is critical to the well being of our country, today and in the future. While we have accomplished a tremendous feat by passing the health care reform bill this year, we still have much more work to do in Congress and on Main Street U.S.A. I believe the work that the Foundation does is key to fixing our health care system not only in Virginia, but nationwide. It is imperative that we have organizations like the Patient Advocate Foundation to assist the chronically ill through the health care system by helping them get insurance coverage, medical assistance and medication.

Again, I commend the Foundation for all of the work that it has done for the citizens of the 3rd district of Virginia and wish it continued success in its new home.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1789) to restore fairness to Federal cocaine sentencing.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S. 1789, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, is a bipartisan compromise that was negotiated and drafted by Democratic and Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. It then passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate by unanimous consent.

The legislation will reduce the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine in Federal law from 100-to-1 down to 18-to-1. The crack penalties, under present law, for example, it only takes five grams of crack to trigger a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence, but for powder cocaine it takes 500 grams to trigger the same 5-year mandatory sentence, a 100-to-1 ratio.

This disparity is particularly egregious when you consider that the Sentencing Commission has concluded that there is no pharmacological difference between the two forms of cocaine, and that 80 percent of the crack defendants are black, whereas only 30 percent of the powder cocaine defendants are black.

The crack penalties also create bizarre sentences when you consider sentences such as the 24 \1/2\-year sentence given to Kimba Smith for behavior that was just inferentially involved with her boyfriend's cocaine dealing.

The legislation moves the threshold amount for the 5-year mandatory minimum from five grams to one ounce, reducing the disparity from 100- to-1 to 18-to-1. The legislation does not fully eliminate the 100-to-1 disparity in sentencing for crack and powder, but it does make good progress in addressing what is widely recognized as unfair treatment of like offenders based simply on the form of cocaine they possessed.

The bill also addresses another concern. Arguments are made that crack defendants are more likely to use violence or minors in the distribution, and this bill specifically requires the Sentencing Commission to significantly increase penalties for drug violations involving violence, threats of violence, or use of minors, and another long list of aggravating activities that would be involved. This way the defendant is sentenced for what he or she actually did, not the form of cocaine involved.

Many organizations are supporting S. 1789, including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Police Officers, the Council of Prison Locals, and several conservative religious organizations such as Prison Fellowship and the National Association of Evangelicals. And all of the civil rights organizations that one can imagine are also supporting the legislation.

I would like to thank the sponsors of the Senate bill, Senators Durbin of Illinois and Sessions of Alabama, and Orrin Hatch of Utah, who came together to pass this important bipartisan legislation.

There are many Members of the House who have worked tirelessly over the years to reform this disparity, including chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Conyers; Sheila Jackson Lee; Maxine Waters; Charlie Rangel; and Mel Watt.

On behalf of the organizations and Members of Congress who support S. 1789, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the majority whip, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Texas who has sponsored one of the many bills on this issue and has worked hard to eliminate the disparity altogether, Ms. Jackson Lee.

(Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlelady an additional minute.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to make a brief comment.

The gentleman from California just mentioned the 1986 law. We are not blaming anybody for what happened in 1986, but we have had years of experience and have determined that there is no justification for the 100-to-1 ratio. We know that's what we know now, and so we're not blaming anybody for what happened in 1986, but we are fixing what we have learned through years of experience.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the majority leader of the House of Representatives, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. Speaker, this bill does not reduce the disparity from 100-to-1 to 1-to-1. It does not eliminate the mandatory minimums, but it is a step in the right direction and, therefore, I urge my colleagues to support S. 1789.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5751) to amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require registrants to pay an annual fee of $50, to impose a penalty of $500 for failure to file timely reports required by that Act, to provide for the use of the funds from such fees and penalties for reviewing and auditing filings by registrants, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Lobbying Disclosure Enhancement Act makes several straightforward, commonsense amendments to the enforcement provisions of the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

First, this bill establishes a task force specifically dedicated to the enforcement of our lobbying laws. Although the newspapers are full of stories about lobbyists who file late, inaccurate, and incomplete reports, there has not yet been a single significant enforcement action.

We believe that an institutional change is in order. The task force will receive complaints from the Clerk of the House, investigate these cases, and enforce the disclosure laws to the fullest extent.

Second, this bill asks the Department of Justice to make recommendations to the Congress for additional improvements to the enforcement of lobbying disclosure laws. The ethics reform legislation we passed last Congress was an important step in bringing transparency and accountability to lobbying disclosure, but much more

can and should be done. We look forward to working with Attorney General Holder to improve on the current system.

Third, the bill amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act to require the Attorney General to publish the names of lobbyists and lobbying firms who are sanctioned under the law. Just as we expect the Department of Justice to enforce the LDA, this bill will require the Department to be transparent about the results of their investigations and prosecutions.

I would like to thank the sponsor of the bill, the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Kilroy), for her steadfast leadership on this important issue. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

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

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Yes, there are fees in the title of the bill; however, in working with the minority, the bill was amended and the fees were taken out. The title did not change because of the amendments, but that's why the fees are not there because we were accommodating the minority side of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time remains on this side?

Mr. Speaker, to close for our side, I yield the balance of my time to the sponsor of the bill, the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Kilroy).

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

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis). I support the underlying goal of the gentleman's amendment to acquire and construct long-term residential medical facilities for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury; however, this designation will jeopardize other important construction projects because it is offset by a decrease in what is called the minor projects construction account.

This would jeopardize an important project in my district at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Hospital. And if this amendment is adopted, it would hinder the expansion of McGuire's dialysis unit. This is an important project and will improve services that many veterans in the Richmond area need very desperately.

So I appreciate the gentleman's intent; however, I believe that circumventing the Veterans Affairs Department's construction priorities is an inappropriate way to achieve that goal. The Nation has promised our veterans access to quality health care services, and we owe them to ensure that those services are there.

So, Madam Chairman, I would urge the rejection of this amendment so that the underlying projects can go forward.

I would join in support of this. Traumatic brain injuries is a very important problem that we need to deal with. I would join in support of that and work with you as long as you do not affect the other projects.

Madam Chair, I too rise in opposition to the amendment.

As it has been said before, this would jeopardize the dialysis unit in the McGuire Hospital in Richmond. Although I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey's intent, I do not believe that shortchanging important projects at the VA to improve and expand quality health care for our veterans is the appropriate way to achieve that goal. We have promised our veterans health care and decreases in what is called the minor projects account will actually jeopardize important projects all over the country, including one in Richmond, Virginia.

I urge my colleagues to reject the amendment. Hopefully we can work out some other pay-for. But we do not want it taken out of the projects in Richmond, Virginia; Pennsylvania; and other projects around the country.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5810) to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for aiming laser pointers at airplanes, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5810 establishes criminal penalties for knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft or its flight path.

Incidents involving lasers aimed at aircraft have raised concerns over the potential threat to aviation safety and national security. Some are concerned that terrorists might use high-powered lasers to, among other things, incapacitate pilots. There is also concern that laser devices can distract or temporarily incapacitate pilots during critical phases of a flight.

Lasers pose a safety hazard to flight operations. Even brief exposure to a relatively low-powered laser beam can cause discomfort and temporarily affect the pilot's vision. The visual distractions of a laser can also cause a pilot to become disoriented or lose situational awareness while flying.

High-powered laser devices can incapacitate pilots and inflict eye injuries when viewed at closer ranges. In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board documented two cases in which pilots sustained eye injuries and were incapacitated during critical phases of a flight.

In one of those cases, after a laser was pointed at a pilot's plane, he experienced a burning sensation and tearing in his eyes. A subsequent eye examination revealed multiple flash burns in the pilot's cornea. The FAA researchers have compiled a data base of more than 400 incidences between 1990 and 2005 in which pilots have been startled, distracted, temporarily blinded, or disoriented by laser exposure.

Government officials at FAA, Defense Department, and Department of Homeland Security are exempted from the prohibition of this bill, as are individuals using lasers to send an emergency distress signal.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the bill. I thank the gentleman from California for his leadership in bringing this bill to our attention.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume just to thank the gentleman from California for his leadership. This is an extremely important piece of legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3040) to prevent mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud targeting seniors in the United States, to promote efforts to increase public awareness of the enormous impact that mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud have on seniors, to educate the public, seniors, their families, and their caregivers about how to identify and combat fraudulent activity, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3040 was introduced to address the need to educate and inform the public of the predatory practices of unscrupulous individuals who prey upon the vulnerabilities of our senior citizens. Ours is an aging society. The U.S. Census Bureau tells us the following: in 2006, the year in which the first baby boomers began turning 60, persons age 60 and older compromised almost 17 percent of the population. By 2030, it is estimated that the 60-plus population will compromise nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population, and the number of people older than 65 will exceed 71 million, double the number in just 2000.

The oldest segment of our population owns the largest portion of wealth in the United States, and too often seniors have become a very enticing target to those who would seek to defraud them of their life savings. Although we currently lack national reporting mechanisms for tracking financial exploitation of elders, there is no doubt that we've got a real problem in this country. With the present state of the economy, older Americans are at greater risk of having their financial security threatened and disrupted.

Fraud perpetrated against seniors is a crime that they very often are incapable of recovering from because they don't have enough years left, so it's a matter of urgency. This bill, H.R. 3040, when enacted into law, will be part of the continuing effort to curb the rapidly growing problem of the victimization of senior citizens via telemarketing, mail, and Internet fraud through public awareness, education, and prevention.

It will accomplish this by creating a centralized service for consumer education on mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud targeting seniors. It will direct the Federal Trade Commission to disseminate information on mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud. It will provide means of referring complaints of fraud to appropriate law enforcement agencies. It will direct the FTC to establish a Web site to serve as a resource for seniors on financial

fraud. This will be accomplished through an authorization to the FTC of $10 million per year from FY11 through FY15.

H.R. 3040 will also authorize $20 million a year from fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2015 for the Attorney General to establish and administer a competitive grant program to award grants to eligible organizations to carry out locally focused mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud prevention and education programs for seniors.

Finally, the bill declares a sense of the Congress related to National Senior Fraud Awareness Week, and declares that a week in the month of May, Elder Abuse Awareness Month, should be designated as ``National Senior Fraud Awareness Week.'' It also encourages the President to issue a proclamation supporting increased public awareness.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin for her leadership on this bill, and for those reasons, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the sponsor of the bill, a great advocate for seniors and a member of the Judiciary Committee, the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) for her leadership on this bill, as well as the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble). This important legislation will protect a lot of seniors, and I would hope that we would pass the bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4748) to amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 to require a northern border counternarcotics strategy, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4748, the Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy Act of 2010, amends the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 to require that the director of the National Drug Control Policy submit to Congress a Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy.

The United States' northern border with Canada is the longest open border in the world, spanning 12 States and over 4,000 miles.

President Obama's recently released Drug Control Strategy describes an increasing amount of drug trafficking and related criminal activity occurring near the Canadian border, including on Indian reservations in that area.

According to a 2010 National Drug Threat Assessment, the amount of drug commonly known as ``ecstasy'' being seized at the northern border has increased almost 600 percent between 2004 and 2009.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has developed a comprehensive strategy for addressing drugs coming across the southwest border. Congress supported this effort with a directive contained in the 2006 reauthorization bill.

The bill before us extends that directive to our northern border to help bring focus to the efforts to curb illegal drug trafficking and related crimes on the international border between the United States and Canada.

As with the southern border strategy, the northern border strategy will detail the specific rules and coordinate the efforts of law enforcement agencies, including the ONDCP, the Justice Department, and the Homeland Security Departments.

In addition, H.R. 4748 brings in Indian tribes with reservations on or near the Canadian border for a consulting role in implementing the strategy on the reservations.

I would like to commend our colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens), whose district spans 250 miles along the border, along the St.

Lawrence River and Lake Erie, for his leadership in this important legislation.

I would also like to thank the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), for his assistance in bringing this bill to the floor.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens), whose district borders Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York and the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. Thompson, for their hard work on this bill. It's an extremely important bill dealing with narcotics on the northern border. I would hope that we would pass the bill.

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5143) to establish the National Criminal Justice Commission, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the goal of H.R. 5143 is to examine the criminal justice system in its entirety in order to make recommendations for appropriate reform to the President and Congress as well as State, local and tribal governments. The United States depends on the criminal justice system to maintain our safety and security and we expect it to be reliable, fair and effective. It must provide a sense of justice for all Americans, and must treat victims and their families with compassion.

The last comprehensive review of our criminal justice system was President Johnson's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice conducted more than 45 years ago. Despite the progress in achieving fair and effective outcomes in the criminal justice system since President Johnson's commission was convened, there is still work that needs to be done to fulfill these objectives.

Currently, the United States has the highest reported incarceration rate in the world. Whereas most countries lock up between 50 and 200 people for every 100,000 in their population, and only a handful of countries lock up more than 300 per 100,000, the United States leads the world in over 700 per 100,000 locked up today. This number is particularly egregious when you review the recent study conducted by Pew Research Center that concluded that for any rate that exceeds 300 per 100,000, the cost of additional incarceration produced diminishing returns; and any rate over 500 per 100,000 is actually counterproductive. The United States' rate again is over 700 per 100,000. Minorities make up an alarmingly disproportionate share of the incarcerated population of adults and juveniles. In fact, the incarceration rate for African Americans approaches 4,000 per 100,000 in several States. And when you consider the Pew study that anything over 500 was counterproductive, we can see that a lot of money is being wasted in counterproductive incarceration. In fact, in those 10 States with the incarceration rate of African Americans approaching 4,000, you could spend thousands of dollars for every child in those communities with the money that's being wasted now on counterproductive incarceration. That money could be put in evidence-based programs that have been shown and proven not only to reduce crime but save more money than the programs cost. We know that those comprehensive plans work. They work everywhere you put them into effect; and we need to invest in those rather than counterproductive incarceration.

H.R. 5143 calls for a distinguished, nonpartisan group of experts to undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system to promote broad reform. While this bill calls for an examination of the criminal justice system, it is intended to advance a national conversation and facilitate policy changes to complement, not replace, ongoing reform efforts.

The companion bill to this bill was introduced in the Senate by my Virginia colleague, Senator Jim Webb, who has been a tireless and strong advocate for this study commission. This bill in the House has been introduced by a former prosecutor, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt), who has also been a strong advocate for intelligent criminal justice policies. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the lead sponsor of the House bill, former prosecutor, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, this commission will study our criminal justice system to ascertain what we can do to use our resources in a more cost-effective manner to reduce crime. We know that comprehensive approaches to crime work.

In Massachusetts, they had a comprehensive approach to juvenile crime where they'd had a dozen or so murders every year. They had a comprehensive approach to the problem. They reduced juvenile murders from 13 a year to zero for 3 consecutive years.

In Pennsylvania, they invested in comprehensive programs in a hundred different localities, spent $60 million, and they counted up a few years later and figured that they had saved over $300 million, five times more than they spent, because they were so effective in reducing crime and other social problems.

In Virginia, they had an area where they had 19 murders one year. They came in with a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to crime reduction, and within a couple of years, they had two murders. And if you look at that $2\1/2\ million that was invested in that program, there is no doubt that we saved at least that much in reduced medical care at the Medical College of Virginia Trauma Unit. So we know that we can reduce crime and save money.

We know that 700,000 prisoners are being released from prison--State, local, and Federal--every year, and we know that two-thirds of them are going right back to prison without intervention. So we need this opportunity for investments.

We know that the United States' incarceration rate is number 1 in the world and is already so high that the Pew Research Center says it's counterproductive. It causes more crime than it cures. And this study will show what we can do with our resources by showing what works and what does not and how we can have an intelligent focus on crime policy.

I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt) and my colleague from Virginia, Senator Webb, for their vision to create a commission to outline effective strategies to reduce crime. I would hope that we adopt the bill, create the commission, and reduce crime.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2780) to correct and simplify the drafting of section 1752 (relating to restricted buildings or grounds) of title 18, United States Code, as amended.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

H.R. 2780 will assist the Secret Service to perform their protective duties.

Current Federal law prohibits individuals from entering or remaining in areas cordoned off as restricted because of protection being provided by the Secret Service. This bill would simply clarify that the prohibition under the existing statute only applies to those who do not have lawful authority to be in those areas.

The men and women of the Secret Service conduct themselves with valor and professionalism while carrying out the protective function of their agency. They provide protection for a variety of people and events, including the President of the United States and national special security events. This bill will assist the men and women of the Secret Service in doing their jobs.

I commend my colleague from Florida (Mr. Rooney) for his work on this bill, which eliminates the ambiguity in the present law. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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