Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, for the past 20 years, my colleagues in the scientific community have been issuing warnings that the release of greenhouse gases is altering the Earth's climate in ways that are expensive and deadly. It is well established in the scientific community that the climate change of recent decades can be attributed to the way we produce and use energy. In fact, the greatest insult to our planet is the way we produce and use energy.

As an energy scientist, I know how much can be done technically to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and to slow the rate of global climate change. In fact, many countries around the world are taking those steps. Today, here in the House of Representatives, we have passed historic legislation which will finally take the long overdue first steps toward addressing global climate change and addressing our long-term energy needs. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues on this comprehensive bill which will move us toward reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and will spur the economic growth and will create new jobs and stave off further damage to our environment and our climate. This is one of the principle subjects that I have spoken about and worked on since I first ran for Congress, and it is one of the reasons, I believe, that my constituents sent me to Congress.

There are some excellent provisions in this bill that will drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. This includes increasing the average automobile fuel economy to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. It will require the nationwide implementation of renewable portfolio standards requiring 15 percent of the Nation's energy in power generation to come from renewable sources. And these two provisions alone will save consumers as much as $40 billion in a dozen years and will decrease our annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 324 million tons.

H.R. 6 will reverse many of the environmental detrimental policies that this administration and this country have implemented over the past 6 years. It will repeal the $23 billion in tax subsidies and royalty relief provisions for fabulously wealthy oil companies.

It will use this money to invest in renewable energy research and extend existing tax credits for the production of renewable energy. My home State of New Jersey has led the way on these issues. New Jersey has already implemented a renewable portfolio standard that requires 20 percent of the State's energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. New Jersey is the second leading State in solar energy production, with over 2,400 solar installations in place, and I am told it is the fastest growing market for solar energy in the United States.

The legislation passed here today will require our appliances and buildings to be more energy efficient, it will provide job training to help workers become part of the green economy, it will require the United States to re-enter into the debate on global climate change, it will provide historic investment in renewable energy and biofuels research.

Of course, this bill is not enough. If it becomes law, it will be a start, a very good start. Having passed this bill, we will be able to consider other alternative energy and climate change legislation, and I am confident that we will.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report for H.R. 1429, the Improving Head Start Act, and I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 1429. I would like to thank Chairman Miller for producing a bipartisan product of high quality. For almost 40 years, Head Start has assisted low-income preschool children and their families, establishing a comprehensive early-learning environment and addressing a variety of social and medical needs. The program has provided services to over 20 million children and their families since its inception in 1965. Currently, over 900,000 children are enrolled in almost 2,600 local Head Start programs. Children with disabilities make up 10 percent of Head Start Children. However, less then 50 percent of eligible preschoolers are served by Head Start and 2 percent of eligible infants and toddlers are served in Early Head Start.

In my district, Head Start has been a tremendous success, with over 1,000 children enrolled in 18 programs. The majority of these children, about three-quarters, are from families with incomes below the Federal poverty line.

Head Start's comprehensive medical and social services provide important benefits to these children. In my central New Jersey district, 91 percent of Head Start children have received basic primary health care and 84 percent have a continuous, accessible source of dental care. The program has also provided mental health services to over 200 children and assisted almost 150 children with disabilities.

Today's bill provides greater flexibility to serve children whose family income is just above the Federal poverty line, up to 130 percent of the poverty line, while ensuring that serving the neediest children remains the program's top priority.

The conference report authorizes total funding of $7.99 billion for fiscal year 2010 allowing tens of thousands more children access to the program. This bill addresses a number of problems that have been identified. For example, the bill prioritizes expansion for Early Head Start, which serves children from birth to age 3, so more children can receive Head Start during the critical development years when their brains are growing the fastest. The conference report ensures more participation of homeless children by removing barriers to their enrollment. The bill enhances opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in Head Start programs.

I am also pleased to report that the bill continues to improve the already improving Head Start teacher qualifications. The bill increases teacher qualifications so that 50 percent of teachers nationwide must have a BA in early childhood education or a related field by 2013.

Mr. Speaker, I have seen the effects of Head Start in my district. Children in Head Start in my district are more likely to receive necessary medical services than other low-income children. They are nearly three times as likely as other low-income children to receive basic medical care and six times as likely to receive dental care. This bill will allow these benefits to be expanded and improved. I ask my colleagues to vote for this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Florida, and I rise in support of the rule and the underlying bill.

When Congress made the error of passing in haste and in fear the unconstitutional Protect America Act this past August, some of us could take a bit of comfort from this sorry episode in that it would expire. That meant we would get another chance to get things right, to actually pass a bill that would protect our country from terrorists and also from those in government who would turn the fearsome powers of our Federal intelligence and enforcement communities against the American people. I am pleased to say that after some intense work, we have a bill that does that.

The RESTORE Act now includes provisions via the manager's amendment that will ensure that it is the courts, not an executive branch political appointee, who decides whether or not the communications of American citizens are to be seized and searched, and that such seizures and searches must be done pursuant to a court order that meets the standard of probable cause.

This bill now gives our citizens the best protection we can provide them: good intelligence and the review of the executive branch's actions by a court. We, everyone here, can tell each of our constituents, Muslim Americans, soldiers in uniform, international businessmen, college students: you have the protection of the courts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank both chairmen of the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees for working so diligently to get this right. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and ``yes'' on the RESTORE Act later today.

I thank my friend and colleague from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. As many of you know, when the committee reported this bill to the floor, I expressed concerns that it

lacked provisions ensuring that the courts would decide whether the executive branch could seize and search communications of Americans.

The RESTORE Act now before us includes provisions via the manager's amendment that will ensure that it is the courts, not an executive branch political appointee, who decides whether or not the communications of an American can be seized and searched and that such seizures and searches must be done pursuant to an individualized court order.

This bill gives our citizens the best protection we can provide them, a sound intelligence collection that will foil our enemies and the review of the executive branch's surveillance actions by the court. In other words, each of us can say to each of our constituents: you have the protection of the court.

Now, it is important to note that this bill will provide better intelligence than existing law, the existing law which was passed in haste and fear. This bill, by applying checks and balances, improves intelligence collection and analysis. It has been demonstrated that when officials establish before a court that they have reason to intercept communications, we get better intelligence, better intelligence than we get through indiscriminate collection and fishing expeditions.

Mr. Speaker, this does it right. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by thanking the staff of the committee, Jeremy Bash and Eric Greenwald; and from the Judiciary Committee, Lou DeBaca and Burt Wides; as well as the chairmen, Mr. Reyes and Mr. Conyers, who took my concerns to heart and made them their own concerns. It has produced a good bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' for the RESTORE Act.

Mr. Speaker, the RESTORE Act will ensure that it is the courts--and not an executive branch political appointee--who decide whether or not the communications of an American citizen can be seized and searched, and that such seizures and searches must be done pursuant to a court order. This bill gives our citizens the best protection we can provide them: good intelligence collection against our adversaries, and review of the executive branch's surveillance actions by a court.

I was pleased to be able to work with my colleagues on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to add several key provisions to this bill. For example, the bill's most critical new provision ensures that the government must have an individualized, particularized court-approved warrant based on probable cause in order to read or listen to the communications of an American citizen. Inclusion of this provision was vital. We must be able to assure our citizens that their communications cannot be seized and searched by the government in the absence of a court order, and with this provision now in the bill, we can provide that assurance.

Another provision I worked to include requires the Court to review and approve not only the procedures and guidelines required under this Act, but also the application of those guidelines. This provision provides another important point of review by the courts that will help ensure that the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence are actually doing what they claim they are doing.

I also asked that a provision be inserted that makes it clear that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is the sole statutory basis for domestic surveillance. This language was needed to remove any ambiguity. We cannot have any President inventing other claims for secret, warrantless surveillance.

The bill also provides additional resources to both the executive and judiciary branches for processing FISA applications and orders. The bill increases the number of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) judges from 11 to 15, provides additional personnel to both the FISC and government agencies responsible for making and processing FISA applications, creates an electronic filing, sharing, and document management system for handling this highly classified data, and mandates training for all government personnel involved in the FISA process. All of this will help modernize and streamline the FISA application approval process.

Finally, the bill requires the Bush administration to ``fully inform'' Congress on all surveillance programs conducted since 9/11. It's outrageous that the Bush Administration has continued to stonewall this Congress over documents for the one program it has acknowledged. If we're to do our job of oversight, we need all the facts about past and current surveillance programs, and this provision will help us get those answers.

I hope our colleagues in the Senate will quickly pass the RESTORE Act, and I call upon the President to end his veto threats and work with Congress to bring America's surveillance activities into compliance with the Constitution.

President Bush has no inherent Constitutional authority to spy on our own citizens in the name of national security. If the President is serious about passing a law that allows us to protect our citizens from all enemies--foreign and domestic--he will sign this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Lifetime Innovations of Thomas Edison Act, originally sponsored by my colleague Mr. Payne from New Jersey, with others of us from New Jersey joining him. The legislation before us would reclassify the Edison home and laboratory as a National Historic Park.

First dedicated as the Edison National Historic site by the National Park Service in 1962, the site is badly in need of restoration. Dedicating this site as a National Historic Park and authorizing funding for the preservation of the Edison home and laboratory will preserve a national treasure. As you have heard from my colleague, the collection there, as well as the buildings themselves, are of great historical national importance.

Thomas Edison was one of America's most prominent inventors. From starting one of the first industrial laboratories, something that is often forgotten, to inventing the first incandescent light bulb, the motion picture, the phonograph, et cetera, Edison played an integral role in the technological advances that helped spur America's industrial revolution.

Mr. Edison held over 1,000 patents in the United States and other countries, was named by Life magazine as the man of the millennium, and awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the Congress in 1928 for his development and application of inventions that have revolutionized civilization. Thomas Edison certainly deserves to be remembered and his collection deserves to be preserved.

The 13.5 acre site will make an outstanding national historic park. It will draw people from all across the country to see the important collection there, as well as the site of the first really major scientific industrial laboratory in the United States.

Despite being designated a national historic site, it has fallen into disrepair, and in 1992 the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed this as one of the Nation's most endangered historic places. This redesignation is of great importance. Mr. Speaker, we are not only recognizing Thomas Edison's numerous contributions to American society, but we will, with this, be preserving the Edison National Historic Site as a leading educational, scientific, and cultural center.

I thank the gentlelady.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this measure, which will give our men and women in uniform the resources they need to help protect our Nation and its people.

Taking care of our military families is a vital responsibility, and this bill meets that obligation. It provides a 3.5 percent pay raise for all military personnel, rejects the President's proposed increases in TRICARE co-pays by fully funding the $1.9 billion TRICARE shortfall without cost to our troops, and allocates $2.6 billion to provide more counselors, teachers, and child care providers to reinforce the support network serving military families. The bill also provides $615.7 million for Army facilities to upgrade barracks, improve child care facilities and enhance community services at bases throughout the U.S., Europe and Korea. All of these things will improve the quality of life of our military families, and I appreciate what Chairman Murtha has done on their behalf.

Providing our deployed troops with the equipment they need is our other vital responsibility. This bill provides $11.6 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and for body armor and other protective equipment. Earlier this year, I joined a number of my colleagues in a letter to Defense Secretary Gates urging him to make the acquisition of MRAP vehicles a priority, and I'm pleased he has worked with the Congress to expedite the acquisition of these life- saving vehicles.

Our Guard and Reserve units will also benefit from a $980 million appropriation in this bill for new equipment. I think just about all of us in this House have Guard and Reserve units in our districts that have been short of key equipment, a situation that not only has compromised the deployability of those units overseas but has also made it harder for Guard units to provide disaster support to communities in the wake of floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. I'm glad these equipment shortages are being addressed in this bill, and I hope we'll continue working this problem until all Guard and Reserve units have their full allocation of needed equipment.

Finally, to help those who return from war wounded, this bill provides $70 million for the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act (H.R. 1538), which passed the Congress in July 2007. That legislation mandated improvements in the care of wounded service members and in the services provided to them, including improving the system of case managers for wounded service members, creating a system of patient advocates, and the creation of a formal transition process from the Armed Forces to the VA for service members who are being retired or separated for health reasons. I'm pleased we're finally funding this important bill, which was passed in the wake of the Walter Reed Medical Center scandal in January. However, I view this as just the first step in properly funding these programs, and I hope we can do even more in next year's budget.

Mr. Chairman, this bill will help us give our men and women in uniform and their families the support and resources they need, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for it.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, today we will hear the good features of this legislation, the 4.5 million families that can afford college better because of tuition deductions, teachers who can get deductions for classroom expenses, the extension of the R&D tax credit, the 11 million families who will benefit from sales tax deduction, and of course the central piece of this, the relief from the alternative minimum tax. In fact, in my own district, which is one of the most hardest hit in the country by the alternative minimum tax, 88,000 of my constituents are unfairly caught in the AMT, and they will find relief in this bill.

I would like to address a feature that I am particularly pleased to see in this legislation. Property taxes are applied locally, as we know, and for some years I've tried to get relief at the Federal level for these local taxes, which have grown far ahead of the rate of inflation. Several years ago, in the previous Congress, I introduced legislation that would provide a standard deduction for homeowners who do not itemize their taxes. Now the Ways and Means Committee, under the new leadership of Chairman Rangel, and with the strong advocacy of Representative Emanuel, has included in this legislation such a deduction. Now, more than 30 million homeowners who do not currently itemize their tax deductions and yet still pay high property taxes will find relief in this bill. It will be a standard deduction of $350 for those filing individually, $700 for those filing jointly, and it will be available, I repeat, for something like 30 million Americans, including those in New Jersey who pay the highest property taxes in the country.

So, I thank the chairman and the committee for their wisdom in including this legislation. I urge adoption of the rule and the passage of the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, as a strong supporter of inclusive ENDA that provides employment protections for sexual orientation as well as gender identity, I am an original cosponsor of the original ENDA that was introduced earlier this year, the legislation we should be taking up today.

In my home State of New Jersey, we are proud to have a fully inclusive employment nondiscrimination law. We are proud of the New Jersey-based businesses that have corporate policies against discrimination based on gender identity, in addition to sexual orientation. Companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Prudential Financial prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity, not only because they believe it's the right thing to do morally and ethically, but also they know it's a matter of corporate competitiveness and good for their companies.

Mr. Speaker, our distinguished colleague John Lewis often reminds us of the words of Dr. King, ``The time is always right to do the right thing.'' Dr. King warned us against the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. I am concerned that when we break apart legislation, some pieces fall on the floor to get swept into the dustbin of history or to be considered only years later. We should not do this to members of our society who need and deserve the same protections as all other Americans.

I want to thank the members of Garden State Equality, New Jersey Stonewall Democrats, the New Jersey Lesbian and Gay Coalition for their hard work and tireless efforts for inclusive protections. I ask to include in the Record a letter from Johnson & Johnson Company supporting an inclusive ENDA bill and a copy of the statement of dissent by Representatives Clarke, Kucinich, Sanchez and me in the committee markup of this legislation.

Johnson & Johnson

Services, Inc.,

Washington, DC, October 19, 2007.

Hon. Rush Holt,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Holt: I would like to express Johnson &

Johnson's support for H.R. 2015, the Employment Non-

Discrimination Act (ENDA). This legislation is essential in

providing federal protections to prevent workplace

discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender

identity.

At Johnson & Johnson, we recognize employees as the

cornerstone of our success. For this reason, the company

adheres to a vigorous Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

that provides a working environment free of discrimination

and harassment based on sexual orientation. This policy is

consistent with our commitment to ensuring the respect of our

employees and guaranteeing each individual a sense of

security.

We believe that H.R. 2015 is a very important step towards

addressing employment discrimination and fostering true

equality. In addition to establishing federal protections,

ENDA legislation also creates an enforcement mechanism

through the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC).

This enforcement power has led to the monumental successes of

the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Government Employee

Rights Act of 1991. I look forward to working with you in the

future to achieve our mutual goal of eradicating workplace

discrimination. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may

provide further assistance.

Best regards,

Shannon Salmon,

VP, President Affairs.

I thank the chairman and commend my colleague from West Virginia for bringing this legislation to the floor.

Mr. Chairman, we are doing a good thing here. The Mining Act of 1872 is as archaic and as deserving of updating as the name suggests. It was written at a time of manifest destiny, the belief of our predecessors, who held that we should expand from coast to coast and that mining was recognized as one of the best uses of public lands when the country seemed so vast that no one could imagine that human actions would affect the world.

Many things have changed over 135 years. Our Nation is settled. We have come to realize the worth of our natural environment. We have come to comprehend the effects of human actions on the resources that we will pass down to future generations.

This legislation is governing hardrock mining, an industry that's remained exempt from environmental regulations despite the fact that the U.S. EPA's toxic release inventory has determined that hardrock mining is a primary source of toxic pollution in the United States.

I am pleased that in committee we have included language, important language, I would say, to restrict permits for activities that would harm national parks and national monuments. There are thousands of claims and could be thousands more in the close environment of national parks and national monuments, some of our most treasured lands. This legislation will provide vital protection for those lands.

We all know well the costs to American taxpayers of refusing to look after the environment. This language about national parks, I think, will also save the taxpayer money, because we will have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up damage to water supplies and so forth.

I commend the chairman for bringing such a good bill forward and urge its passage.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of International Education Week, which is sponsored by the Departments of Education and State. International Education Week reminds us of the value of learning foreign languages and learning about foreign cultures and traditions.

In an increasingly interdependent global community, it is important for America's students to be students of the world, and to have the opportunity to study abroad. While such cultural exchanges benefit the individual, they are equally important for America's international competitiveness and national security. Still, a survey from the Institute of International Education shows that during the 2004/2005 school year, fewer than one percent of American undergraduates studied abroad. This event reminds us that we can and must do better.

This week also reminds us of the importance of foreign language study. Studies have shown that early exposure to foreign language education in elementary school has been found to improve children's thinking processes, which help student achievement across all subject areas.

It is my great hope that this year, from November 12 through November 16, all those who recognize the importance of American involvement in the world will take part in International Education Week.

Madam Speaker, yesterday I voted in favor of H.R. 1483, the Celebrating America's Heritage Act.

I am pleased to support this legislation which creates six new national heritage areas and reauthorizes nine additional heritage areas, including one in my home State of New Jersey.

Since 1988, the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail, stretching roughly 300 miles from Perth Amboy to Cape May and west along the Delaware Bay to Deepwater, has been successful in encouraging New Jersey residents and visitors alike to explore the State's coastal resources and culture.

For nearly 20 years, the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail has played a key role in preventing overdevelopment of the Nation's most densely populated State. The trail has helped preserve a wide variety of natural resources and historical landmarks including bird sanctuaries, wildlife refuges and lighthouses. It has helped boost tourism and economic activity and has provided countless visitors with enjoyable and interesting opportunities for recreation.

Whether visiting the Nation's oldest operating lighthouse at Sandy Hook, canoeing on a fresh water creek in Double Trouble State Park, shopping at the 200-year-old fishing village of Belford, or taking in the view from Mount Mitchill, the highest point on the eastern seaboard, the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail offers something for everyone to enjoy.

National Heritage Areas provide great opportunities for Americans to experience the history and culture of a particular State or region. My Central New Jersey district is home to the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. This heritage area protects and promotes more than 250 historic

sites. On October 12, 2006, I was proud to see the Crossroads National Heritage Area signed into law by the President. I hope that with the passage of this bill and eventual signature of the President, many of my colleagues will get to experience similar pride with the creation of national heritage areas in their districts for the benefit of their constituents.

Many of these National Heritage Areas do not receive money from the Federal Government alone. The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail, for example, receives only a third of its funding from the Federal Government. Our investments in National Heritage Areas are often matched by State and local governments as well as the private sector.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1483 will enable millions of Americans to visit and treasure heritage areas in their home State and across the Nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 189, the Paterson Great Falls National Park Act of 2007. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation along with the New Jersey Congressional delegation. I also want to thank my colleague, Mr. Pascrell, a Paterson native and former mayor, for his hard work in drafting this bill and bringing it to the floor.

H.R. 189 will establish a National Park in Paterson, NJ, encompassing 118 acres of the Great Falls National Historic District and the adjacent Hinchliffe Stadium. These sites are of great historical significance to New Jersey and to the Nation at large.

In 1791, Alexander Hamilton created the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures, a public-private corporation, to fulfill his vision of transforming the United States from an agrarian society into an industrial power. The society, in turn, established Paterson 1 year later as America's first planned industrial city.

Located 15 miles west of New York City, the centerpiece of Hamilton's industrial city is the Great Falls, a 77-foot waterfall on the Passaic River. After implementing engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant's water power system, dozens of mills and manufacturing buildings were built on the banks of the Passaic, harnessing the hydropower made available by the Great Falls.

Paterson was the heart of the industrial revolution in the United States, with dozens of mills producing paper, cotton, and enough silk for Paterson to earn the nickname ``Silk City.'' As one of the earliest centers of manufacturing in the United States, Paterson was also home to historic inventions such as Samuel Colt's first repeating revolver and inventor John Holland's early submarine prototypes.

Paterson's Great Falls is also the site of historic Hinchliffe Stadium, which served as the homefield for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro Leagues during America's Jim Crow era. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, Hinchliffe Stadium is one of a handful of remaining stadiums used by Negro League baseball teams. Hinchliffe stadium hosted baseball legends such as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Larry Doby, who became the first African American to integrate the American League. The stadium is a poignant reminder of a bygone era of our country's national pastime.

With the passage of this bill, Members of the House will create a unique national park that protects a striking natural resource along with cultural and historical sites that tell the stories of our Founding Fathers, America's

economic rise and of the African American experience. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 751, which recognizes National Chemistry Week. I am proud to support this resolution, as I have done in past years, which acknowledges the critical role chemistry plays in maintaining and improving our quality of life. I thank the gentleman from Texas, (Mr. Silvestre Reyes) for sponsoring this resolution and I thank the leadership for providing Members of Congress with the opportunity to show our support for this bill on the floor.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of National Chemistry Week. Started by the American Chemical Society in 1987, this year's National Chemistry Week brings together businesses, schools, and nearly 200 ACS chapters to raise awareness of chemistry in our daily lives. Through aggressive outreach, hands-on demonstrations within local communities and laboratory open houses, National Chemistry Week engages millions of Americans, particularly elementary and secondary students, asking them to think about the how chemistry surrounds us all.

National Chemistry Week's theme for 2007, ``The Many Faces of Chemistry,'' highlights the diverse roles chemistry professionals play in our society. From teaching in the classroom to conducting research in the laboratory, chemistry professionals provide countless services to society. ``The Many Faces of Chemistry'' is also a challenge to educators to promote diversity in chemistry and the sciences.

Madam Speaker, while ACS organizes National Chemistry Week to celebrate the contributions of chemistry to the common good, as well as the progress in achieving diversity within the field, ACS is also issuing a challenge and a warning to Americans.

Issues such as climate change and infectious disease pose threats not only to the United States, but also to the entire world. In order to solve these problems, we must insist that science education be a priority in our elementary and secondary schools to cultivate the next generation of scientists.

Additionally, this year's National Chemistry Week reminds us that our work is not done promoting diversity within the sciences. While the number of women, African-Americans, and Hispanics earning advanced science and engineering degrees has increased, growth has stagnated recently, and these groups remain underrepresented, when compared to the general population. If the United States is to remain the locus of scientific research and innovation in an increasingly competitive global playing field, we must continue to broaden these groups.

Once again I commend the American Chemical Society for establishing National Chemistry Week in 1987 and thank the organization for two decades of promoting science education. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution recognizing the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week.

Mr. Speaker, later today the House will vote on the RESTORE Act, on electronic surveillance, which its well-intentioned authors believe will help both protect our liberties and protect our security. It does the latter, but, unfortunately, does not fully do the former.

The bill includes a provision that could be used to spy on Americans without warrants. There is no need for us to pass in haste yet again a bill that does not protect the citizens. We must not give in to the politics of fear. I urge our leadership to make the changes necessary to this bill so that it protects our citizens from both enemy attacks and warrantless government surveillance.

Mr. Speaker, executive branch assurances that the rights of Americans will be protected through administrative procedures are no substitute for judicial protections. In recent weeks and months we have seen too many abuses of administrative warrants to find reassurance in that. We will have the best protection when agencies have to demonstrate to a court that they know what they are doing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

The RESTORE Act, which its well-meaning authors believe will both help protect our liberties and our security, does the latter but, unfortunately, does not fully do the former. If I had more time, I would talk about the good features of this bill, but in the time I have, I would like to point to the one thing that it needs most, that it lacks, which is ironclad language that maintains the fourth amendment's individual warrant requirement when Americans' property or communications are searched and seized by the government.

The RESTORE Act would allow the government to collect the communications of innocent Americans. The executive branch assurances that the rights of Americans will be protected through administrative procedures are no substitute for judicial protections. In recent weeks and months, we've seen too many abuses of administrative warrants to find any reassurance or to even find these assurances believable.

Yes, I voted ``yes'' in committee to bring this to the floor, with the assurances that we would work to get it better. I regret to say that I've seen no effort to resolve this point. It could be fixed easily to the safety of Americans, because Americans will be safer when agencies have to demonstrate to a court that they know what they are doing. We get better intelligence, just as we get better law enforcement, when you do it by the rules.

In fact, my own leadership I believe would deny me time to speak on this issue to try to strengthen this bill, but for the sake of the security of Americans, I implore the leadership to make these improvements.