Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I would like to, first of all, praise the grandmother leadership of Speaker Pelosi and the leader of the committee, George Miller. There are no two legislators in the history of the United States Congress who have done more for children than Nancy Pelosi and George Miller, and I am really proud to come down and support the bill that they are supporting.

Look, the largest cost to the United States Government is health care. It's a no-brainer that, if you want to cut the costs of government, you have got to invest in wellness. The biggest investment in wellness is children. We can't just be concerned with what we are putting in their minds without being equally concerned with what we are putting in their stomachs. You can't grow a healthy America without nutrition, and we have paid little attention to it.

This bill is the start--it is the beginning--of better wellness in America and of healthier kids with healthier minds so that we can grow to be a competitive country and a healthy country and can bring down the costs of government.

For you who are opposing this bill, it's nonsensical. It's one of those issues where you raise the cost of everything but have no understanding of the value of what you are trying to defeat. The value is a healthier America. That brings down costs.

It is important that we get fresh grown vegetables and fresh grown fruit into our classrooms and get away from all of this processed stuff. Obesity is a huge problem in America. Kids can't qualify to get into the military. Diabetes, which is one of the fastest growing diseases, can be prevented, and it starts with this. It starts with this.

This is a good bill. We ought to all support it just like all the Senators have supported it.

Announcement By the Speaker Pro Tempore

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the remarkable public service career of Dianne Church. After forty-two years with the Federal Government, Dianne is retiring from her position as an Economic Development Administration, EDA, regional representative. Over the course of the past eighteen years, Dianne has played an instrumental role in helping the communities of the Monterey Bay Area recover from earthquake, flood, recession, and the largest military base closure in U.S. history. During that time, I have had the great fortune of working with Dianne and developing a wonderful working friendship with her. So it is with particular pleasure that I join my colleagues on the floor of the House today to recognize Dianne's work to make my constituents' corner of the world a better place.

Dianne was born on April 22, 1944, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Francis and Violet Church. She attended local public schools, discovered a love for music through her church choir, and spent summers with her family at the beach on the North Carolina's Outer Banks. She later attended the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.,

While in Washington, D.C. she began a ten year career on Capitol Hill, working for a number of distinguished lawmakers, including: Rep. Floyd Hicks (WA), Sen. Mike Gravel (AK), Rep. Don Young (AK), Rep. John Conyers (MI), and the Senate Labor Committee. She helped staff Senator Gravel when he read the Pentagon Papers on television and met Daniel Ellsberg.

In 1977, Dianne left Capitol Hill to go to work in the EDA Congressional Liaison office. In 1980, she took a job as a public works project officer in EDA's Seattle Regional Office. Dianne quickly gained a reputation for volunteering for projects in the most remote and out of the way places, especially in Alaska. During those early years in Seattle, Dianne completed her B.A. degree at Western Washington University and later an MPA degree at Seattle University, taking classes at night while working full time for EDA. While working in Seattle, she met Steve Johnston, a fellow EDA employee. Dianne and Steve married in 1987.

In 1997, she began the best job of her career as EDA's economic development representative for California's Central Coast. She initially represented fourteen Central California counties, including the Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties that form the core of my district. She had already been working on the redevelopment of Fort Ord following its 1994 closure. In all, Dianne helped steer over $95 million towards infrastructure and other key redevelopment needs, including over $60 million for the creation of a new California State University in the heart of Fort Ord.

Madam Speaker, I know I speak for the whole House in honoring Dianne Church for her years of visionary public service. At a time when it is fashionable to cast doubt on the federal role in economic development, Dianne's legacy of roads, buildings, revitalized downtowns, a whole new university, and all the jobs to build and fill them, bears witness to the vital role that our collective investment in civilization can play.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the continued religious persecution by the Government of Iran towards the Baha'i community. As many of my House colleagues know, in the spring of 2008, Iranian authorities arrested and imprisoned Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, members of the Baha'i community's coordinating body in Iran.

These two women and five men were imprisoned for twenty months without charge. In August of 2010, after several months of closed-door hearings, they were sentenced to 20 years in prison. That sentence was reduced to 10 years in September.

Madam Speaker, these seven leaders were targeted solely because of their religion. This form of discrimination is absolutely unacceptable. As Iran is party to the International Covenants on Human Rights, I call on the Government of Iran to fulfill their commitment to the international community and immediately release these seven individuals and all other prisoners held solely on account of their religion.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Salud Para La Gente on its thirty years of service to the community as a community health clinic, providing high quality, comprehensive and cost-effective health care services to low-income communities of the Monterey Bay Area.

Salud Para La Gente began as a ``free clinic'' in 1978 in a converted apple shed warehouse in Watsonville. Gradually it grew and developed, incorporating in 1980, and in the early 1990's was designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center. Salud has now expanded to twelve clinic sites, including seven school-based medical and dental clinics. The staff of 195 saw over 23,000 patients in 2009 and has a budget of $19.2 million for fiscal year 2010-2011.

Sixteen physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and medical assistants provide general family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, family planning and nutrition. Eleven dentists and dental assistants and an optometrist take care of the needs of patients of all ages. A staff of twenty-two assists elders with their daily living tasks.

With this large array of services, Salud has become a leader in delivering primary care to medically underserved populations in my District. All who seek care are welcome, regardless of ability to pay.

Madam Speaker, I know all my colleagues in the House join me in saluting the success of Salud Para La Gente, and congratulate them on this important milestone anniversary. We wish Salud great success over the course of its next thirty years.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Bob Whitley.

As President of the United States Tour Operators Association, Bob Whitley dedicated his life to promoting travel, tourism and building lasting friendships. I am proud and honored to have worked with such a caring and dedicated professional on issues so important for our nation.

In my efforts to advance current legislation providing United States citizens the freedom to travel to Cuba, I seized an opportunity to visit New York City and create national media discussion of the issue. Accompanying me on that trip in September 2009 was Bob Whitley, truly one of the most knowledgeable and respected travel industry leaders.

As our trip progressed, I came to know Bob for the man he was and the legacy he would leave behind. His passion for United States generated tourism and his love for people around the world drew us together. This past March, Bob helped organize and lead the U.S. Cuba Travel Summit in Cancun, Mexico--an event that drew strong participation from both nations in an effort to open communications and discuss easing travel restrictions.

Bob passed away in May, and his funeral included an unrivaled gathering of travel industry colleagues and friends. Today, I add my name as one of his greatest admirers.

Bob held many distinguished positions throughout his career, including Director of both the Florida and Pennsylvania Departments of Tourism, Director of the Virginia Beach Convention and Tourist Bureau, and an incredible thirty-two years at the United States Tour Operators Association. Because of his outstanding record, Bob has been recognized internationally many times. This year, he will receive the 2010 National Tour Association Pioneer Award, an honor given to career leaders in tourism. I am proud to be a past recipient of this same award and it is my honor to share it with Bob.

In addition to his career accomplishments, Bob was an avid golfer and enjoyed traveling to new destinations around the globe, eventually visiting over 100 countries. He leaves his wife, two sons, a daughter, their spouses, and his grandchildren to carry on.

The travel industry has lost a giant, with Bob's passing. We will miss him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of John Fischer, who passed away recently at the age of 81. I am honored to have this opportunity to recognize his long public service in the California Central Coast community that I represent.

John was born and raised on the east coast, graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in physics. He was a long time member of Mensa, which accepts only persons who test in the top two percent of our nation in intelligence. John was in the top .01 percent. He moved to Los Angeles and worked for the Los Angeles Fire Department for nearly a decade. During that time he assisted the Los Angeles Police Department on the task force that took part in solving the Hillside Strangler case. He later worked for the LAPD, and then for the Los Angeles City Library.

In 1989, John moved to Pacific Grove and immediately became a frequent speaker at City Council and other public meetings, advocating for environmental issues. John had a gift for explaining difficult concepts in simple terms that made complex topics understandable. His discourse was not only informative, but always polite, even in heated disagreements.

I never saw him without his snowy owl pendant, and even his license plate, ``Snowy,'' proclaimed his love of and care for the natural world. In his twenty-one years in our community, he contributed a lot of time and effort to many organizations. He was a co-founder of EcoCorps with former Pacific Grove Mayor Sandy Koffman and her husband; he served as President and Trustee of Friends of the Sea Otter; he volunteered for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in all its programs that monitor water quality, and also served for years on its Conservation Working Group. He volunteered for Pacific Grove's Monarch Habitat Restoration Committee, Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Advisory Committee, Economic Development Group, Housing Committee, Community Policing Advisory Committee, Traffic Commission, Crespi Pond Committee, and represented Pacific Grove on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Transportation Agency of Monterey County.

For his over 1,800 hours as a volunteer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium he was named a ``Volunteer Emeritus.'' In 2005, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation named him an Outstanding Volunteer. He received numerous accolades during his life for his many contributions.

Madam Speaker, I know that I speak for the whole House in mourning the passing of this dedicated and loving man. His life was a gift to his community, a shining example to be emulated by those who he inspired to continue his work.

- Madam Speaker, I rise today as I do every year, to call attention to the 8th Annual Sea Otter Awareness Week, September 26- October 2, 2010, sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife. This week-long event provides the opportunity to educate the broader public on sea otters, their natural history, the integral role they play in the near- shore marine ecosystem, and the conservation issues they are facing.

In the early 1700's, before wide-scale hunting began, sea otters ranged across the North Pacific rim from Japan to Baja California. The worldwide population estimates for that time range from the hundreds of thousands to more than one million. Before the hunting began, there were approximately 16,000-20,000 along California's coast. But killing these animals for their fur all but decimated the population until they were thought to be extinct off the coast of California by the early 1900's.

However, in the 1930's a small population of less than 100 animals was discovered in a remote cove on a coastal ranch in Big Sur, on the Central Coast of California. Since that time, groups such as Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Sea Otter and Ocean Conservancy have raised public awareness and helped protect this important species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. The presence of the California sea otter has become an icon of the state's coastal environment and culture, and these charismatic animals bring significant tourism revenue to Californian coastal communities.

Still, sea otter populations remain threatened. This year's three year population average, counted by the U.S. Geological Survey, totals only 2,711 animals, a 3.6 percent drop in overall population, and 11 percent drop in otter pups since 2009. This is the second year in a row that the population has been in decline. The annual survey saw a decrease in otter numbers throughout their range, and particularly in areas where much of their reproduction occurs. These latest numbers are of great concern and researchers have begun to identify indirect hazards for sea otters such as non-point source pollution, pathogens, and entrapment in fisheries gear that are causing their population growth to reverse. Data also suggests that breeding-age females are dying in higher than usual numbers from multiple causes, including infectious disease, toxin-exposure, heart failure, malnutrition, and shark attacks.

Each day, research is uncovering additional causes of sea otter population declines. A recent study reveals that mycrocystin, a toxic algae that forms in reservoirs, lakes and stagnant freshwater ponds, is responsible for the deaths of at least 21 sea otters in the Monterey Bay area and researchers state that this is the first ever documentation of a freshwater algal bloom being transmitted to upper- level marine mammals. Such realizations support the need for continued research and preventive measures to respond to these issues, while continuing to ward against the direct killings and takings that still occur.

Sea otters are integrally important to the ecosystem in which they live. For this reason, the decline of southern sea otters off of the California coast not only impacts the species itself, but it affects other marine populations and the surrounding ecosystem. The demise of sea otters allows their prey, sea urchins, to proliferate unchecked leading to the alarming overgrazing of kelp beds--one of the oceans nursery grounds for many marine animals. Research shows that the absence of sea otters has a direct link to the sharp decline of kelp along portions of California's coast. Further, the sea otter is effective at monitoring toxins and diseases in the marine environment, which can affect the health of humans and other wildlife.

California took the first step toward addressing these emerging concerns by signing Assembly Bill 2485 into law. This bill establishes a state fund for sea otter conservation where Californians have the option of donating a portion of their tax returns to sea otter conservation. I want to emphasize that this means that Californians voluntarily pay a little more on their tax return to help protect these animals.

Even during these trouble economic times, more than $228,903 has been raised already this year.

However, this is a federally protected species and California cannot go it alone. In addition to continuing to work with my colleagues to secure Federal funds to support a continued and complete recovery of the population, I am proud that H.R. 556, The Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act, was passed by the House of Representatives in July of 2009. This tremendous success was buoyed by the support and devotion of many people. In the other house, Senator Barbara Boxer has introduced a companion bill, S. 1748, which passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation on June 9 by unanimous consent. The Committee hopes to move the bill later this year as a part of their omnibus public lands legislative package. We are just a few steps away from at last making the act into law and bringing needed resources to this threatened species.

Madam Speaker, I applaud the many accomplishments of Defenders of Wildlife, who carry out the important mission to preserve our nation's wildlife and habitat. I also applaud the other nonprofit environmental organizations, working with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, researchers, fishermen, state and federal agencies, schools, and many other institutions and individuals, who devote tremendous effort to protect and recover the southern California sea otter. Sea Otter Awareness Week is just one of their many activities geared towards honoring and saving this species, and I am proud to be associated with this vital work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of my colleagues in Congress who are return Peace Corps volunteers--Congressman Petri, Congressman Honda, Congressman Driehaus, and Congressman Garamendi.

Fifty years ago this October in a predawn address, then-Presidential candidate, John F. Kennedy, challenged students at the University of Michigan to give 2 years of their lives to improve America's image by serving abroad.

This impromptu exhortation ultimately set the stage for the Peace Corps, redefined U.S. global engagement, and elevated American moral standing at the height of the Cold War.

The idea ignited the public imagination and the executive branch initiated the program rapidly. Losing no time, President Kennedy ordered Sargent Shriver to do a feasibility study. Sargent Shriver said at the time, ``We received more letters from people offering to work in or to volunteer for the Peace Corps, which did not then exist, than for all other existing Federal agencies.''

I was one of those early recruits who found in the Peace Corps an avenue for national service. And just as 8,000 current volunteers are doing today around the world, I did many years ago in Medellin, Colombia, South America.

As a member of the Peace Corps, you wake up in a distant country, without any modern amenities, and start working with your neighbors to prioritize community projects. You labor shoulder-to-shoulder to make those projects a reality. And in the process, you build hope and understanding and demonstrate American generosity.

The understanding is a two-way street. When I was in Colombia, I learned as much as I taught. I took away as much as I gave.

When I was in Colombia, my mother passed away from cancer. My father brought my two sisters to visit me to have a family reunion. My youngest sister, Nancy, 17-years-old, a junior in high school, was killed in an accident. She was thrown from a horse. Her death was avoidable. Better health care, a better hospital could have saved her.

I was angry at Colombia, at sort of Third World poverty, at my community, and at myself for having brought my family to visit me.

I stuck with it, though, and over time with reflection, I came to terms with my anger. It was not Colombia. It was not Colombian doctors who flew hundreds of miles in the middle of the night to try to save her. It was not my community in Colombia. When the landing strip was too dark for a plane to land, members of the community put out burning lanterns to guide the plane in. They consoled me. They took care of our family.

It was poverty, the grinding poverty that still exists today, that exposes women and men, young and old, to enormous vulnerabilities.

I might add that those vulnerabilities aren't protected by an American passport or an American ability to find monetary solutions. If you're stuck in an underserved, poverty part of the world with a crisis in front of you, you have to deal with the tools at hand.

I committed then at that moment, and throughout my life, to work to end the culture of poverty. My life was changed. It was the Peace Corps that changed me.

My story is one of a quarter of a million volunteer stories and millions of more Peace Corps stories if you talk to the communities that receive the volunteers.

Peace Corps was then, and continues to be today, a story of the goodness of the United States of America. Next year, Peace Corps will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

In anticipation of this momentous occasion, the 111th Congress is poised to take action on two very important measures to honor the Peace Corps. First, the House will vote today to celebrate a half century of the Peace Corps with a commemorative work in the District of Columbia. The commemorative work authorized by this bill is compliant with both the letter and the intent of the Commemorative Works Act. It costs zero taxpayer dollars, not a penny.

This bill provides a space where the creation of the Peace Corps will find its place in American history. It will be a modest commemorative work, a place to contemplate the spirit of hope that gave rise to the idea of sending a cadre of Americans into the world to serve their country by serving the poorest and most vulnerable in the world. It commemorates the creation of a unique form of public service that seeks peace through international service, people-to-people diplomacy, and cross-cultural understanding.

I appreciate the work of Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva and their staffs; the minority staff and Mr. Doc Hastings, and I particularly would like to recognize the staffs of both of the majority and minority committee members who helped bring this bill to the floor.

Later this year we'll have another opportunity to show our appreciation for the Peace Corps when we vote for the House funding for Peace Corps in the FY11 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. The House has met the President's ask of $446 million, the subcommittee marked it at that, which can renew the promise of the Peace Corps in anticipation of its 50th anniversary.

President Obama has directed the Peace Corps to aggressively reform programming and training and open up and expand missions around the world, specifically in North Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Just as President Kennedy did 50 years ago, President Obama inspired a Nation with his call to service. He has redefined the way the United States engages with the world, emphasizing direct communication and people-to-people diplomacy. Peace Corps represents those ideals at a time when diplomacy is a global imperative.

Please join me in voting for H.R. 4195 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps and allow a commemorative mark to be done at no cost to the taxpayers.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of a remarkable group of citizens in my Central California district. They are gathering today to commemorate our nation's historic election, nearly two years ago, of its first African-American President. No American could remain unmoved by this great historic watershed. That is particularly true in the California Central Coast Community of Seaside.

Seaside grew up as an Army town, the neighboring community to Fort Ord, one of the U.S. Army's largest training and operational bases for much of the 20th Century. That alone would have made Seaside much like any other Army town across the country--except that Fort Ord was the first Army facility to desegregate following President Truman's 1948 executive order. So while the home states of many prominent Army bases remained gripped by segregation, Fort Ord and its surrounding communities became a magnet for African American soldiers to serve and later to retire. As Seaside's first lawyer, my father, the late State Senator Fred Farr, represented many soldiers who wanted to avoid reassignment to a southern state post because they had married a white or Asian woman during their time in the service and could not return to a State where that marriage was illegal.

So the election of an African-American child of a mixed marriage holds a special symbolism for a community that grew out the same hard fought tradition of multi-racial tolerance. Which brings me to the efforts of this remarkable group of Seaside community members.

Following the election, the idea arose that Seaside should rename one of its primary thoroughfares in honor of President Obama. An informal committee of volunteers took the idea and worked through the intricacies to municipal administration. A full name change posed significant challenges to the businesses and residents who had invested in the Street's traditional name. A compromise was reached. So this afternoon Seaside community members and elected leaders will gather to give Broadway Avenue the honorary designation of `Obama Way' in recognition of our Nation's historic election of its first African- American President. To my knowledge this is one of the first such street designations in the United States in honor of the President, though I am confident that many more will follow.

In closing, I formally recognize those leading citizens who played the central role in this small, but remarkable achievement. They include the Chairman of the Obama Way Committee LTC(R) Morris McDaniel, former Seaside Mayor Don Jordon, his wife Alice Jordon, former Councilmember and MPUSD Trustee Helen Rucker, the Rev. H.H. Lusk, Ruthie Watts, Kathy Badon, Sandra Lackey, Yolanda Grimble, and Carlos Ramos. Madam Speaker, I know that I speak for the whole House in commending them for their community service.

Madam Speaker, Colombia and the United States America enjoy a friendship rare among nations. That friendship has been strengthened by Colombian Ambassador to the United States Carolina Barco Isakson's tireless engagement and sound stewardship over her four-year tenure. While I am sad to see her leave this post, I commend her work and legacy on behalf of U.S.-Colombia relations.

Ambassador Barco, whom I consider a close friend, has made the case for continued strong ties between our two countries. She has told the positive, but yet unfinished, narrative of Colombia coming back from the brink and building strong democratic institutions. Over the past several years, Colombia has adopted several innovative initiatives to protect human rights, address the needs of internally displaced people and investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity. Colombia has seen impressive gains in security. Long an economic dynamo in Latin America, the Government of Colombia has battled back the FARC and right-wing militias giving citizens their security back. In the process they have invested mightily in social programming, taking government services to places where they hadn't previously been provided.

Through my service in the Peace Corps in Medellin, I grew to love Colombia. Over the last several years, I have happily watched Colombia grow more stable and prosperous. Ambassador Carolina Barco recounted every detail of Colombia's remarkable turnaround to Members of Congress in vivid detail. And when that didn't work she showed the story by taking Members of Congress to Colombia.

Ambassador Barco is a lifelong public servant whose commitment to improving not just her country, but the entire world, is evident in all that she does. Prior to heading the Colombian Embassy in Washington D.C., she was Colombia's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2006. She has directed the City Planning Department in Bogota and advised the National Planning Department, the Office of the Mayor of Bogota and the Ministries of Development, Culture, and Environment. She has consulted with the United Nations Development Program and is a member of Lincoln Institute of Land Policy's Board of Directors.

Ambassador Barco will soon return to her roots as an urban planner. She intends to stay on in Washington, D.C. to consult with the Inter- American Development Bank on greening cities.

I asked Ambassador Barco to name one thing that she achieved while Ambassador to the United States that makes her most proud. Without hesitation she noted that it was bringing Peace Corps back to Colombia. After two decades, Peace Corps will return to Colombia largely due to the heavy lifting Ambassador Barco did to bridge our countries and outreach to the appropriate government agencies.

Ambassador Barco never missed an opportunity to show her appreciation for Peace Corps. She invited former volunteers to the Colombian Embassy, where she watched in amazement as scores of former Peace Corps volunteers sang the Colombia National Anthem. She traveled to Cartagena two years ago to celebrate the return of hundreds of former Peace Corps volunteers to Colombia for a special week of service, always with the goal of formalizing a relationship between the Peace Corps and Colombia. I am proud to say that the first class of Peace Corps volunteers since 1981 is now working in Colombia, changing the lives of countless Americans and Colombians for the better.

Thank you, Ambassador Barco, for successfully bringing our countries together and keeping our alliance relevant and robust. I wish you all the best as you depart from this important ambassadorship and will look forward to collaborating with you as you continue to make a positive impact with your work.

Mr. Chair, BP's Deepwater Horizon oil disaster is the worst environmental catastrophe in United States history.

Change must be made for the future of our ocean, and they must be made now. Today, by voting yes to CLEAR, we can at last revolutionize our approach to how we use our ocean and coastal resources.

I am a fifth generation Californian who represents one of the most majestic meetings of land to sea in the world. My district encompasses the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which spans of 276 miles of shoreline and is the largest marine sanctuary in the system. It is home to one of Earth's most diverse marine ecosystems, making it a nationally recognized center for marine science. For these reasons and many more, I have been entrenched in ocean policy reform since I served in the California State Legislature over two decades ago.

The National Oceans Conference, which took place in Monterey in 1998, kick-started a nationwide movement to review the status of our ocean resources. I helped pass the Oceans Act of 2000 to establish the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and formed the House Oceans Caucus to promote ocean issues and advance recommendations by the commission.

Since the 108th Congress I have introduced the Ocean Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act (Oceans-21) to establish a comprehensive National Ocean Policy, create a regional ocean governance structure, and setup a trust fund for the ocean. In addition, since the president established his Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force over a year ago, I have pressed the Administration to come forth with a strong National Ocean Policy. As you know, a few weeks ago President Obama demonstrated his commitment to the ocean health by signing an executive order that establishes a comprehensive, integrated National Policy for the stewardship of our ocean and coasts.

Today, my hard work on behalf of the ocean and its resources culminates in this oil spill response package. I am proud to say the Act sets forth both a regional ocean governance structure and an ocean trust fund that are central components of my Oceans-21 legislation. The CLEAR Act makes the necessary reforms needed for the health and sustainability of our ocean and it, coupled with the President's recent executive order, realizes the policies and principles of Oceans-21.

In short, with the passage of CLEAR, our ocean is better positioned for future sustainable management, protection, conservation and resiliency than ever before.

It is important to take a moment to note just how monumental it is that CLEAR contains a provision that will create a new trust fund for the ocean. A fund for the ocean has been recommended for years by leading voices in ocean management, including the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, the Pew Oceans Commission and my Oceans-21 legislation. Finally, funds raised from drilling in our ocean will go toward protecting and improving our ocean. We generate a great deal of revenue and benefits from the ocean and coasts; however, we reinvest only a fraction of the benefits we receive back into those resources.

We devalue our ocean and coasts each day that we continue to fail to invest in them, and today we can change that.

I am proud that my many years of hard work for the ocean are producing real results. It is high time we step up to protect ocean health just as we have done in the past for clean air and clean water. Today we must support the president and his recently enacted National Ocean Policy by enacting strong policies and regulations for our ocean.

As I said, leadership is about getting results, and the only way to get results for the ocean today is to vote aye to H.R. 3534.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Carol Hartunian Girvetz of Santa Cruz, California. Carol Hartunian Girvetz passed away on July 4th, 2010. Carol will be remembered always as a loving mother, loyal wife, and dedicated citizen committed to her community.

Carol Hartunian Girvetz was born in Hollywood in 1946 to Armenian immigrant parents. She spent her early years as a young adult studying Art and English at UC Santa Barbara. After college, she began her career as a teacher and quickly changed paths upon taking a job with Pan American as a flight attendant. During this time, she worked on many R&R flights tending to soldiers from the Vietnam War as they traveled to meet their loved ones back at home, and then returning them back to the battlefield.

After her days of traveling with Pan American, Carol returned to California to begin her new life as a wife and mother. Carol and her first husband Jon raised their two children, Evan and Shyla in the small town of Freedom in Santa Cruz County. Her connection with the community was immediate as she became enmeshed in the community's needs. She served on the Women's Commission and along with several women, started the first shelter for female victims of domestic violence. This achievement would be the first of many in her thirty years of service to Santa Cruz County. Carol most recently retired from the position of Assistant County Administrative Officer, where I had worked with her for years. During this time, Carol built a close and loving relationship with her second husband George Newell. Carol was known by her colleagues for her strong work ethic, great sense of humor, and devotion to public service. She was an extraordinary person and public employee who will always be remembered and missed by her colleagues.

In addition to her work in public service, Carol was also heavily involved in local fine arts in Santa Cruz. She played a large role in the development of the McPherson Center for Art and History. She also served as a board member for such organizations as United Way of Santa Cruz County and Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, among others. Her hard work has given the community and future generations the opportunity to be immersed in fine arts. Her life is a testament to how the commitment of public service can leave a lasting impact on a community.

Madam Speaker, I ask members of the House to join me in honoring the life of Carol Hartunian Girvetz, and extend our nation's deepest gratitude to her thirty years of service to her community. Carol is survived by her husband, George Newell, son Evan Girvetz, daughter Shyla Girvetz and their father Jon Girvetz. Carol lived sixty-four years of life filled with the love of her family, passion for public service and the arts, and will be greatly missed.

Thank you, Chairman Rahall, for yielding.

Mother Earth, wake up. Today's the day that Congress is going to show some leadership. Leadership is about getting results. And last week, the President of the United States enacted, by Executive order, a government oceans plan, a governance plan to look at our oceans in totality. Today, Congress is going to enact the ability to govern the oceans and to think about the totality of how this Earth survives with 73 percent of the Earth being covered by oceans.

Too bad that so many people get up and talk about, in a crisis, oh, if it was just a little bit better we could support half the bill, we could support a little bit of this, something's wrong. That's not leadership. Leadership's about getting results. And the only way you get results today is to vote ``aye.'' It solves a lot of problems. Voting ``no'' solves nothing. Nothing. The planet can't stand nothing.

For too long there has not been leadership. That side is the side that gave us James Watt, ``Drill, baby drill,'' gave us Richard Pombo, chair of the Resources Committee, the Darth Vader of environmental legislation. Nothing ever came out of that committee. And today what do they want? We don't want this bill because it's not perfect.

Ladies and gentlemen, today's the day that we respect Mother Earth and give her a chance to help our dying oceans stop dying. And the only way to do that is to vote ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2480, the Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009. This bill will amend the Fur Products Labeling Act of 1951 to close the loophole that allows the sale of products containing a relatively small quantity of fur or fur that is valued at $150 or less.

The current loophole denies consumers the right to know what their garment is really

made of. It may say ``faux'' but this may not be accurate. Consumers who may have allergies to fur or ethical objections to fur cannot make informed purchases. Our constituents have the right to know what they are purchasing and wearing.

This bill was introduced in response to a series of investigations of fur products sold at major retailers across the country. This investigation found that a significant number of clothes designers and retailers were selling some fur-trimmed garments that were described as faux when actually they turned out to be real fur. This legislation is about transparency and providing consumers with accurate information on what they're buying.

This legislation simply requires that fur-trimmed garments meet the same labeling standard already in place for fur garments of a higher dollar value. It does not affect the trade in any animal fur or the methods used to produce animal fur. The legislation also asks the Federal Trade Commission to review the Fur Products Name Guide and ensure accuracy and consistency of species names.

I supported this legislation in the 110th Congress, and strongly support it today.

Mr. Speaker, I want to strongly add my support to H.R. 2480, the Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

To our current acting ranking member, Mr. Crenshaw, thank you very much for giving me this moment to speak on this very important bill.

Madam Chair, yesterday, the House of Representatives had a very important vote, a very controversial vote here. The vote was on funding the war effort in Afghanistan. Those votes ought to be controversial-- whether we go to war, where we go to war, and how long the mission is going to take. Those ought to be votes that you can cast for and against. Yet there is one bill you can't vote against, and that is the bill that supports the troops in their residence, in their training and back here at home--the quality of life that we provide defense personnel, military personnel.

This is the bill that funds the child care centers. This is the bill that creates the housing for men and women in uniform, who voluntarily join the service. This is the bill that creates the clinics and the hospitals, the support systems--any kind of community of support--and a special one for military personnel needs. So one can vote against the war, but one cannot vote against the support here at home.

This bill has bipartisan support because it is interested in improving the quality of life of military personnel, who voluntarily come into the military. Everybody who passes through the Department of Defense ends up becoming a veteran. You cannot be a veteran without having served in active duty.

This committee also supports the continuum of care. We ought not to have a silo of Defense Department quality of care and a separate silo for veterans. We are making it seamless. We are making it so that, when you enroll in the Department of Defense, you also automatically enroll in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department of Veterans Affairs takes care of you for the rest of your life. We owe it to any man or woman who has ever served in the military to provide them the promises that were made. These promises were made, but the quality of care until now has not been that great. It has changed.

Please support this appropriations bill as the real ``support our troops'' bill.