Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, early this morning, the day that marks the 59th year of Israeli independence, Hamas militants broke their truce by launching dozens of rockets and mortars into Israel. While no one was hurt and there was no reported damage, this is yet another setback for Middle East peace and for the kidnapped Gilad Shalit and his family who have patiently awaited his return.

Hamas remains an organization full of contradictions. While their militant wing says the cease fire is over, the political wing insists that the cease fire is to be resumed. Hamas claims that Shalit is a prisoner of war and yet they bar the Red Cross from visiting him and have offered only scant proof the he even remains alive.

There cannot be lasting peace in the Holy Land until the Palestinian people insist that all armed parties come under the control of a freely elected government. Palestinian terrorist groups operate under their own authority, planning and carrying out their attacks based on their warped view of Israeli grievances. This is just as destructive for peace-loving Palestinians as for peace-loving Israelis.

Hamas continues to call for the destruction of Israel in its official policy statements. How can Israel hope to negotiate a lasting peace if the stated goal of the other sitting government is the very annihilation of their state? There can be peace, but only if Hamas shows in word and deed that coexistence is its goal.

Until that time, the international community should support Israel, a state that abides by international treaties and is actively seeking a long-term solution to violence. As long as Hamas continues to promulgate random attacks on civilians and violate international prisoner of war standards, it cannot be trusted to sit down with the Israelis in good faith negotiations for peace.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the resolution condemning Hezbollah's frequent use of civilians to protect their military forces and cache of weapons. All too often we hear claims that Hezbollah and the Israeli Defense Forces are moral equivalents. But when we look at the facts, we see that Hezbollah constantly demonstrates that it is a force that does not operate under the international treaties that attempt to govern warfare.

Hezbollah has set up shop in southern Lebanon and, while they attempt to participate in the legal process of that nation, they are not under the control of any government. They use the funds of Iran and Syria to act as their proxies in the fight against Israel. There is little dispute that they store much of their military equipment below civilian houses and during the most recent conflict their military leadership holed up in bunkers filled with non-combatants.

Hezbollah fights their wars in the international press as much as they fight them in the battlefield. Sadly, civilian deaths are seen as a victory since they can use the cry of war atrocities to keep the Israelis from engaging their forces.

On the other side we see Israeli forces who clearly identify their military personnel by uniform and delineate their military installations from civilian. Yet, Hezbollah still chooses to indiscriminately shoot their rockets into principally civilian areas.

Hezbollah operates far outside the bounds of international law, something we must not forget as we seek to control them through international bodies such as the United Nations. With no regard for the lives of their own nationals, can we expect them to hold up their end of Security Council resolutions? We must stand with the legitimate government of Israel, a shining light of democracy and freedom besieged by those with no respect for law or life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 240, the resolution

calling on our colleagues in other nations to ratify the agreement opening the Bad Arolsen archives. I was proud to cosponsor this resolution but I am saddened that it is necessary to remind some of our closest allies what is at stake here.

The Bad Arolsen archives represent over 17 million people records related to the Holocaust and post-World War II displacement. Survivors of this tumultuous time want nothing more than to find evidence of what happened to their loved ones. We are all too aware that members of this generation are dying each day and that time is of the essence.

While survivors are able to make a request for records, the current system is both backlogged and poorly managed. Over 500,000 requests are unfulfilled and there are demonstrated cases where survivors have been incorrectly advised that there are no records concerning them.

Today, we call on the legislatures of the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Greece, and France to live up to their promises to swiftly approve the changes necessary to open the archive. How many more survivors need to pass away before the bureaucratic red tape is cleared away?

Now is the time to provide answers that survivors have been seeking for over 60 years. Now is the time to provide some measure of comfort to those who were terrorized by the systematic violence of the Nazis and the chaos of the war to end their reign.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I just come to the floor to rise to answer the question that the gentleman from the other side just raised as far as the information that the shareholders have the right to know, and I agree with him completely. The shareholders do have a right to know what is going on in the corporations that they are investing in.

When you think about it, what should be the ultimate objective of any of the legislation that we are addressing here today or any of the amendments that we are addressing here today? And that, I think, is to make sure that the shareholders, A, have information, and, B, have the best return on their investment possible, whether we are talking about senior citizens who are relying upon their investments for their pensions and their security for their remaining days and they have to make absolutely certain that these investments are good investments because this is what they are relying on because they are no longer working or whether these are young people who are just starting out and are beginning to put a way a little money for their children for their education 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the road.

They want to be sure that their investments have a good return as well. They want to have information as well. Or maybe it is somebody in their middle years, such as myself, 40, 47 years old. We want to make sure that the money that we set aside for our retirement is going to be there and that we are getting a good return. So we want information as well. So the gentleman on the other side of the aisle is correct when he says we need to know that information.

Well, that is exactly what this amendment does. This is to provide more information. And that is exactly what the SEC has already done with their proposed rules and regulations as far as providing more information to the American investor as far as the pay packages that are going to CEOs.

So let's step back again and see what is already out there. The SEC has initiated proceedings to make sure that the investor, whether it is a senior citizen, middle-income family, or a young person starting out, has the information that should be available to them. And I commend the gentleman from Georgia because he is following on in that tradition of making sure investors have additional information. Because what do we not want to do by any legislation that passes through this House? What we should not want to do is to hurt the investor. What we should not want to do is to add costs to the system that are unnecessary. What we should not want to do is hurt that senior citizen by adding a burdensome process to the system that will actually diminish the value of his or her current investments.

What we should not want to do is hurt that young family just starting out putting money aside for their children's education by hurting the investments that they have already made. The underlying language in this bill has the potential to do that. This amendment by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) will alleviate that problem.

This amendment simply asks to investigate, to study, to find out, to perform, to provide transparency, if you will, to the system to make sure that whatever we do here is for the benefit of the investor in the long run.

I will just close on this: the other day I had my own amendment, which says that, like the other side of the aisle, we too on this side of the aisle agree that some of the pay packages that we read about in the media seem egregiously high or very excessive and what have you and we have our questions about them as well; but like this amendment and my amendment that came yesterday, we all want to do the same thing and make sure that at the end of the day the investor is not hurt by the actions of the other side of the aisle or by Congress, but are helped.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the goals and ideals of Financial Literacy Month.

Due to the growing complexity of financial products being offered throughout this country and the rapidly increasing number of young adults and seniors using these various products, it is essential that everyone educate themselves so they fully understand how their activities may affect their financial standing and future.

As a member of the Financial Literacy Caucus, I believe the private financial sector and local, state, and Federal government officials should continue to further expand and promote financial literacy and education. Whether it is buying a home, opening a bank account, or acquiring a credit card, consumers are faced with a myriad of complex decisions requiring a broad knowledge of our nation's financial system.

According to a July 2005 survey of 1,000 parents of high school students by Visa, parents rank developing good personal financial skills and being able to handle their money (74 percent) ahead of both following the wrong crowd (58 percent) and drugs/alcohol use (56 percent) in terms of their concerns they have for their children's futures. Only personal safety ranked higher (89 percent). This illustrates how valuable the American public considers financial literacy.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of the goals and ideals of financial literacy month and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin to set forth my opposition to this piece of legislation, let me refer back to the comments made by the previous speaker, which looked back over 150 years to try to find a case to provide some substantiation for their argument, and they did so by finding a case with regard to judicial intervention.

In that case they cited that the Supreme Court held that this Congress could allow or broaden the judicial authority, if you will, of the Federal courts. I think their example, in essence, proves too much. You cannot simply take one sentence or two sentences out of the U.S. Constitution and draw a conclusion from that. What you have to do is read the entirety of the Constitution.

If you had done that, you would realize that the courts have always held, and the Founders' intent always was, that this body, this House, and this Congress has broad latitude when it comes to judicial issues and reining in the Federal courts or expanding their authority of jurisdiction. And that is all that that Supreme Court case was doing. It was not addressing the issue of infringing upon the rights of other citizens by what is occurring here today by granting more authority to other States as far as voting is concerned.

More to the point on this legislation. As I said before, I rise in strong opposition to this legislation because it is, A, unconstitutional, and, B, unfair. It violates the Constitution and the very fundamental intent of the Founding Fathers of this country and the Framers of the Constitution. It would give the District, which is by no definition a State, a vote in this House and simultaneously the citizens of another State two Representatives, which is unfair to the State of New Jersey and all States in this country.

Furthermore, by allowing, unfairly, the District of Columbia to have their

own Representative and also a Delegate, they will have unfair representation.

Our Founding Fathers understood and deliberately set aside a non- State section of land for our Federal Government and granted voting rights only, only, to State residents. They did this for a simple reason: They wanted to ensure that each State had equal representation, and they realized that putting the Federal Government in a State would have given that State unfair representation, an unfair advantage. H.R. 1905 does not line up with the Founders' intent.

If the supporters of H.R. 1905 wanted the people of D.C. to be represented in Congress, they simply could have solved that problem by retroceding, by giving back part of the District of Columbia to Maryland.

There is precedent for this, as stated. In 1846, Congress took that perfectly legal step of returning present-day Arlington to the State of Virginia. Couldn't we pass similar legislation like that right now and solve this problem?

Unfortunately, the majority, who claimed just a few months ago that they would have an open process for amendment legislation, has left us with only two choices, an unfair and unconstitutional choice before this House.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Matthew La Porte of Dumont, New Jersey who was tragically lost during the events at Virginia Tech on Monday, April 16, 2007.

Matt was a sophomore at Virginia Tech and had already made quite a mark on campus. He was awarded an ROTC scholarship, was a member of the Corps of Cadets, played tenor drum in the Corps' Highty Tighties regimental band, and was part of the Air Force Special Operations Preparation Team.

Before he began his education in Blacksburg, Matt graduated third in his class from Carson Long Military Institute in Pennsylvania. Aside from being an avid scholar, Matt was involved in numerous extracurriculars that ranged from drum and bugle corps to the baseball and soccer teams.

At home in New Jersey, Matt worked as a lifeguard at the Cresskill Municipal Pool during the summer and is remembered by neighbors as a polite and humorous young man.

I offer my deepest condolences to his parents, Barbara and Joseph La Porte, and his sister, Priscilla, and assure them that they are being remembered in our thoughts and prayers as we celebrate the impressive life of their son and brother, Matthew La Porte.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join the celebration of United Methodist Homes of New Jersey's 100 years of service to Garden State seniors. Starting in 1907 with a single home for the aged in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, today, United Methodist Homes is a network of ten homes serving more than 1400 seniors.

The flagship of this network, Bristol Glen, is nestled in Newton, in my District. It is a continuing care retirement community offering quality health care services, a wide variety of residential living conveniences, and a loving and friendly environment.

I recently visited Bristol Glen as part of my Mobile Constituent Service Hours program and had the opportunity to meet with residents and staff alike. I was struck by the extraordinary sense of community there. The emphasis is truly on well-being of the residents as a whole--catering equally to the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of all who live there.

As it enters its second century of public service throughout New Jersey, I commend United Methodist Homes of New Jersey for all it does to make the golden years truly golden for so many seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Rutgers University women's basketball team on their outstanding 2006-2007 season.

As highlighted in this resolution, the Lady Knights sacrificed their own personal vacations over winter break to stay at school and train for their well-deserved victories in 2007.

It is this dedication that gained them the Big East Championship title and a spot in the women's NCAA final four. It also made them the very first athletic team from Rutgers to earn a spot playing in a national championship. Their hard work, perseverance, and extraordinary skill have set an excellent example for athletes everywhere: women and men alike. And, as the national media spotlight turned on them in the wake of the ugly remarks by radio shock jock Don Imus, they maintained the same poise and grace under pressure that they exhibited on the court.

I would especially like to extend my congratulations to sophomore, Heather Zurich of Montvale, New Jersey. Her performance with the Lady Knights as forward was an integral component to the team's success this season.

The Rutgers University women's basketball team is a great source of pride to their campus and all of us New Jerseyans. I applaud their accomplishments and look forward to hearing of their future successes.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer this straightforward and commonsense amendment today to provide shareholders and companies better guidance on what constitutes an excessive executive compensation package that this interventionist, otherwise, legislation before us does.

But before I do that, I commend the distinguished chair of the committee for his hard work on this legislation, but I would like to point out an inconsistency in his approach to this legislation.

We now have before us new SEC guidelines on executive compensation transparency. These new rules, unfortunately, have not even been given a chance, not an opportunity to bear any results or any fruit whatsoever. So without giving time to see if these new SEC rules will work, the chairman and this House are rushing ahead to consider legislation to address the issue.

But on the other hand, Mr. Chairman, in regards to Sarbanes-Oxley reform, the SEC is also considering new guidelines to address numerous concerns, and in that case, the chairman believes that Members need to be patient and let the SEC do its job. In fact, we have not even had a single hearing on that topic. We are told we need to wait and see if the new regulations will fix the current problems in the corporate sector.

But after listening to numerous arguments by the chairman about inconsistency, and even tonight as well, I thought it important to point this out, that we should be consistent on these two matters and to give both avenues an appropriate time to work things through. But if we are not going to do that, that is why I propose this amendment.

This commonsense amendment I have offered today attempts to keep us focused on the perceived problems of excessive compensation. This amendment would establish a trigger that would have to be met before shareholders vote on executive compensation packages. The trigger would require that executive compensation exceed by 10 percent or more the average compensation for comparable industries in that particular sector and would require that the executive compensation question exceed by 10 percent or more the average compensation for comparable positions among companies with comparable total market capitalization. In essence, the SEC is being tasked with deciding which companies fit into these two categories for the purposes of determining these two percentages.

So, it is simple. Essentially my amendment seeks to limit the required votes to instances where the disclosed excessive compensation in question grossly exceeds the norm and provides a quantitative guideline for what constitutes the norm and what constitutes gross excess. If the underlying bill were to pass as it is currently drafted, we will be forcing literally thousands of public companies across this country to conduct shareholder votes on every single pay package for every single CEO of every single public company all the time.

Now, while the courts have said before ``we know it when we see it'' can be a useful test in certain circumstances, if we have the ability to provide better guidelines to American businesses and consumers, then we should do so in this legislation.

We all know of the large compensation packages that have been given over the last several years. The media has ensured that those that receive extraordinary pensions make it to the media, but you know, for every one of those huge packages, there are literally hundreds, maybe thousands, of other compensation packages that are far more standard. They are within the norm, and we really should not be requiring a vote on each and every one of those that are falling into that category and failing to give the shareholders in those cases the proper information.

So, by adopting this amendment, we will allow thousands of hardworking public companies to continue their day-to-day work without interruption, and we will be better able to focus on the new executive compensation packages that are outside of the comparative norm and may not be in the best interests of the shareholders.

I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina.

Reclaiming my time, the SEC, as I said, will be tasked with deciding which companies fit into these categories for the purposes of determining these percentages.

Yes.

Mr. Chairman, the amendment before us, in fact, is intended to strengthen the bill and not, as the gentleman says, to gut the bill.

How does it strengthen the bill? It does so by addressing the exact problem that the gentleman just set forth as what they were intending to do with the legislation in the first place.

The gentleman, and also in committee, went on and all the testimony was about excessive compensation packages and how this is an egregious situation for this country and for the investors. I do not think we had one person who came before the committee, nor has anyone from the other side of the aisle made an example of saying that we should be doing something about fair compensation packages or compensation packages that only went up a small percentage.

All the testimony, all the argument before, all the argument we have heard tonight is about excessive compensation packages, and that is what my amendment does. It says, look to, how do we focus this thing on really where the problem is, excessive compensation packages, and we do that by specifically delineating it, by saying that it is 10 percent or more of the above averages for the industry's norm.

Secondly, the gentleman from the other side points out that the investor does not have any input. Of course, he does, and when the case is involving an excessive compensation package, then he will have the input to make his voice heard.

Thirdly and finally, I think we see the difference of approach as to where the burden in these situations should apply. Should it apply to honest, law-abiding, good, hardworking citizens and businesses in this country, or should the burden be placed on government? My amendment would say that the burden is put on the SEC to make the determination to make those findings, and yes, it will be some burden to do so, but it is on the SEC to make those findings. We should not be placing these excessive burdens on the business sector. If they are doing what their stockholders want them to do, growing and expanding their businesses, hiring CEOs that are making salaries that are fair for them and are within the norm, we should not be placing an additional burden on them.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues the exemplary community policing program conducted by the Township of Teaneck and to congratulate the 41 citizens who will graduate next month from Teaneck's 21st Citizen Police Academy.

The program gives citizens the opportunity to experience first-hand the work and techniques of the Teaneck Police Department. For eleven weeks, citizens participate in classroom activities, field trips to a prison and a medical examiner's office, and hands-on exercises. Students can gain a strong understanding and appreciation for the work that the police do every day to keep our communities safe. Students can also gain the skills necessary to help be eyes and ears in our communities, helping the police keep those neighborhoods safe.

I commend the Police Department for taking the initiative to organize this program. Particularly in our post-9/11 world, we know that an active and alert citizenry is one of our best defenses against terrorist and criminal behavior.

I also commend the 41 citizens who have taken time from their busy personal and professional lives to participate in this program: Sal Aliano, Kimberly Anderson, Shonita Badger, Alan Barsamian, James Bennett, Jon-Michael Bernal, Tiffany Blandford, Michael Bonanno, Giuseppe Casalinuovo, Angela Cespedes, Alba Coello, Mario Coello, Marva Coleman, Nancy Elsayed, David Fisher, Kevin Frederick, John Hohnadel, Tiara Jonson, Cynthia Johnson, Beverly Joseph, Chris Kowalczyk, Gladis Lizardi, Tara Lizardi, Gina Lampley, Celia Maldonado, Usman Malik, Jahmilah Mansfield, Tara McVey, Mireilly Meiss, Travara Morton, Sharde Mott, Avani Patel, Yoselin Perez, Flor Ramirez, Alba Ramos, Omer Savasci, Michael Schmitt, Andre Sousa, Jenene Taylor, Stacey Ann Wilson, and Leslie Srolovits.

Offered By: Mr. Garrett

Amendment No. 5: Page 4, line 13, strike ``Any proxy'' and

insert ``Subject to paragraph (3), any proxy''.

Page 5, line 6, strike ``In any proxy'' and insert

``Subject to paragraph (3), in any proxy''.

Page 6, line 13, strike the close quotation marks and

following period and after such line insert the following:

``(3) Conditions triggering vote.--The shareholder vote

requirements of this subsection shall only apply if the

executive compensation (as disclosed pursuant to the

Commission's compensation disclosure rules) exceeds by 10

percent or more the average compensation for comparable

positions--

``(A) in companies within the issuer's industry; and

``(B) among companies with comparable total market

capitalization,

as determined in accordance with regulations issued by the

Commission.''.

Madam Speaker, last month, one of my constituents, Ron Griffin, journeyed to Iraq. His son, Kyle, had been killed while serving in Iraq. Mr. Griffin wanted to meet with men and women who were now serving there and with Iraqi citizens who were living through the war there.

His trip was not sanctioned by our Government. In fact, the State Department and Pentagon tried to talk him out of taking it for fear for Mr. Griffin's safety. But, showing the same determination and commitment that his son and his son's fellow servicemembers demonstrate to the world every day, Mr. Griffin found his way to Iraq any way.

In the face of constant media and political attention on Iraq, sometimes it seems that the negative news dominates coverage and it is easy to forget the many positive acts about which we may never hear. Mr. Griffin is on a mission to show the world how extraordinary the men and women serving in Iraq are and how hopeful they and the Iraqi people are for a better future. He says that what he saw in Iraq can be summed up in three words: ``Professionalism. Humanity. Spirituality.'' And, I would like to share his thoughts on his trip in his own words:

I journeyed to Iraq for this is where my son died helping

to free a nation. I came on my own dime without the

sponsorship of anyone. I simply desired to experience through

my own eyes a sense of what the true reality of life on the

ground in Iraq is from the words of and the ability to

observe the people who populate the Kurdish area in the

northern and eastern portion of Iraq and from our service

members wherever I had the honor of meeting with and speaking

to the true American Idols of our lifetime.

I went not as some distraught father searching for that

elusive feeling of closer that all so many believe that I

must attain in order to move on. I abhor that statement. It

is not the manner in which I mourn or honor my son and every

other Fallen Hero. Each day of my life I endure the numbing

sadness that is the reality of Kyle's death while in

simultaneously I have been comforted and supported by the

fathomless depths of human kindnesses. I am saddened for all

those who never had the pleasure of meeting my son, the other

Fallen Heroes or any of those other magnificent individuals

who have served and serve us this day. You have lost more

than I have for I have been honored to have walked among

greatness.

I came however with a pre-disposed political bent that is

in total support of our mission and for doing whatever and

for how long it takes for the successful completion of our

mission. Having spent nearing two weeks living among the

Kurdish people, journeying from Erbil to Duhok to Barzan and

countless locations in between and then traveling from

Harbor Gate on the Turkish border in the north down

through Mosul, Tikrit and finally to Baghdad with the

members of our magnificent military I am today an American

father who knows unquestionably and steadfastly that the

price my son paid to liberate Iraq was worth every ounce

of blood and sweat he sacrificed. However it is not from

the political perspective that I have reached that

conclusion but rather from the depths of the humanity of

the Kurdish people and the majesty in which our military

conducts themselves while in service to us.

Somewhere in the recesses of my consciousness I am

continually reminded that somehow I have been put on this

path for a purpose and that could not have been made more

perfectly clear than by what I have experienced these past

two weeks. I have long bridled under the incessant negativity

that the vast majority of the media portrayed as the reality

of Iraq. That notion was ripped from my perspective when I

was told outright by the Soldiers that they knew that

regardless of how many ribbons they helped cut, schools they

opened, or lives they improved on any given day that if one

bomb went off in Baghdad the story that would be told would

be the boom story. They felt bad for the American people for

they would then not be able to share in the joyous

satisfaction that the soldiers and the Iraqi people had

experienced. They are over that and now so am I. Likewise I

was somewhat consumed with the hypocrisy of those who mouth

the words of support for the troops while calling their

mission a failure and wanting to end it. I thought that such

statements were hurting the troops as they served us. I am

now ashamed of my lack of insight to what indeed is the

reality of Iraq, or at least that part of and the people of

that part that I journeyed through. Almost universally the

troops told me that they simply do not have the time to be

involved in the political aspect of what they are doing for

to do so would interfere with the performance of their job

and that is the primary mission to every Soldier. It finally

became clear to me from my many conversations that while

they, like most human beings would most certainly would

appreciate the unending support of the American people

especially as they endure all the hardships of being

Soldiers, they will perform every task assigned to them for

they are consummate professionals through and through. They

do their job because they are individuals of the highest

moral character who have sworn an oath to protect and defend

this country and nothing will prevent them from doing just

that. To watch them do their jobs is liken to viewing Tiger

Woods march through a golf course. The Soldiers just wear

different clothes.

Stepping off the plane in Erbil, a city of over 1 million

residents and the capital of the Kurdish region, you can not

help but be stunned by the majestic vistas, impressed by the

precision and competency of the personnel at the airport and

be totally astonished by the expansion that is taking place

on every section of the now Erbil International Airport and

the city itself for you must continually remind yourself that

indeed you are in Iraq! The physical part of the Kurdish

region is simply breathtaking in it's scope and beauty, while

the emotional aspect is riveting in its intensity and

vibrancy. Freedom permeates from every inch of this land and

in that sense of security, optimism resounds. The entire

region appears to be one vast construction site with building

and improvements going on everywhere. One only has to travel

but a few short blocks in any direction and the examples of

rapid and real progress stun your senses. I have likewise

traveled to the hinterland where the amenities of life are

Spartan but in both locations the quality of the Kurdish

people bring joy to all those that have the privilege of

meeting them. They seem to have been born with a perpetual

warm and engaging smile and a sincere and genuine greeting

for all those that they come in contact with. Eye contact is

never absent from the conversation, nor is the ever-present

wry smile that can burst into uncontrolled laughter at any

time. One need to only ride down the road from Erbil to

Khanzad, a 15 Km drive from central Erbil to experience

the joy of these wonderful people. There are endless

picnics ongoing during this month of celebration. Children

laugh, play and fly their kites, men play music or dance

while the women in festive and shimmering colored native

dress organize the feeding of everyone.

Each and every conversation is filled with the personal

atrocities that they have all endured. Atrocities that they

will forever remember and will not allow anyone to forget

but amidst those stories of horror lurks absolutely no

seething need for revenge. They know full well that there is

no time or place for revenge and recrimination. They live

with the horror of yesterday and look to the future with

optimism and eternal thanks for the help and support of the

American people in helping them gain their total freedom.

Thank you and welcome are part of every conversation. From

Harbor Gate to Mosul to Tikrit to Baghdad back to Tikrit,

with a honored stop at Diyala, to Mosul and then finally back

to Erbil I have been simultaneously overwhelmed, stunned and

awe struck by the extraordinary professionalism of every

soldier I personally meet and those I only had the

opportunity to observe without them ever knowing that I was

watching. I learned of an organization that cares deeply,

profoundly and personally for the well being of every

individual within its ranks, while every individual member is

willing to sacrifice their very being for every other

individual member. That is why they go about what they call

their job but what I refer to as their passion with a clarity

of purpose that humbles you to your knees. In this

organization everyone and I mean everyone knows that they are

first and foremost a soldier who is fully trained and

prepared to go into battle should the need occur but they

likewise perform a multitude of vast ranging tasks that they

have been highly trained for to highest possible professional

standards. They completely understand their specific task and

perform it superbly for they know full well that every

individual soldier is equal in their value and importance to

the successful completion of the mission.

The words COMPLEXITY and PROFESSIONALISM scream at you as

you begin to understand all that is going on all about you.

From the formation of a huge truck convoy, to the logistical

requirements of a division, to the combat readiness of

squadrons of Blackhawks to the coordination of the divergent

aspects of public affairs one can not help but be stunned the

complexity of our effort in Iraq and most importantly the

professionalism in which the effort is carried out.

Accompanying that professionalism is the humanity of these

Soldiers who have sacrificed so much for us and of which we

sadly know so little. Their stories should be told and retold

for they are the heroes that we should be emulating. In

Baghdad I was fortunate to be allowed to stay in visitors

quarters and was escorted by a National Guard Unit from

Kentucky. I like most people had a somewhat diminished view

of the National Guard. I got to know these individuals quite

well and dramatically experienced that same level of

professionalism first hand. I was learning the history of the

county in Kentucky where my escort was from when a fire fight

broke out across the lake. After a number of minutes of

continuous fighting the Sgt's unit was notified that they

would be joining the fight. In an instant the calm of the

mess was transformed as these soldiers prepared for combat.

Three vehicles and 15 men would be heading out to the streets

of Baghdad. Everyone knew their job precisely. The guns were

mounted as the computers were spun up. Communications were

checked and every individual soldier completed their own

mental checklist. As if in a heart beat I watched as men did

what I initially thought was a transformation from escort to

Soldier but what I watched was in fact was a Soldier

performing one job and then another, both to the highest

professional standards.

Over the next few weeks Americans will argue over and

eventually vote for their choice as to who is going to get

the title of ``AMERICAN IDOL ``. They will watch transfixed

as young athletes perform at the highest possible level to

gain the title of National Champion of College Basketball.

Millions will flock to the baseball stadiums of America to

watch in awe as their teams begin their long journey to be

named as The World Champions of Baseball. All that should

pale before your eyes for those Wondrous Warriors who seek

not the accolades but unselfishly protect your very freedoms

have already earned the right to be crowned as World and

National Champions and are in fact ``THE TRUE AMERICAN

IDOLS'' for everyday they place their lives on the line for

us.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are able to bring before the House today H. Con. Res. 71, commemorating the 85th anniversary of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, AHEPA.

I am a proud original cosponsor of this resolution that honors an organization that spreads the universal truths of Hellenism--humanity, freedom, and democracy--across the United States and around the world.

AHEPA was founded to stand against the forces of bigotry and hate and to help Greek immigrants to become part of our Nation. The organization also helps young people achieve their dreams of education and supporting philanthropy and public service that helps the neediest in our society.

As a Member of Congress, I am proud to participate in the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Affairs. In this capacity, I work with fellow Members to enhance and strengthen the United States' relationship with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus. The friendship

between our nations has a long and rich history, and by continuing to further this important bond, we can stand together to advance the causes of liberty and democracy.

At this 85th anniversary we can reflect on AHEPA's past successes and upon the many ways in which Greek-Americans have enriched the fabric of our country. It is also a time to look forward with hope and anticipation to a future of continuing to build the vision that is

Madam Speaker, I rise to share the story of a phenomenal public servant, Mary Cody of Blairstown, New Jersey. Mary has spent much of the last decade dedicated to saving the lives of unwanted canines and helping loving families find their perfect pets.

Mary starts from the principle that no animal is an unwanted animal and that every homeless dog is merely awaiting an introduction to

their perfect family. She and the volunteers and staff who work with her give the dogs that come to their home, medical care, food and shelter, and, most importantly, love and comfort. They seek out the right family for each pet, and help new pet-owners adjust to their new lives with their pets. In fact, they are a one-stop clearinghouse of information for new and seasoned pet-owners alike, with answers to frequently asked questions about pet care, recommendations for veterinarians and grooming, and more.

The testimonials on her website, www.auntmarysdoghouse.com demonstrate her unparalleled talent to match families with pets that meet their needs and schedules and familial temperament. For instance, from a rescued dog named Dina: ``Thank you Mary for my rescue and letting me get adopted by Sandy. For a large breed black dog with an unknown past I know I'm a very lucky girl that there are people like Sandy to love and care for me.''

Earlier this month, Mary's extraordinary public service was recognized by the American Red Cross of Northwest New Jersey with the Red Cross Medal for Bravery. And, it is my honor to commend her spirit of service to my colleagues here in Congress.