Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 631, the ``Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act.'' H.R. 631 recognizes the need to increase research, development, education, and technology transfer activities related to water use efficiency and conservation technologies and practices at the Environmental Protection Agency. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, the importance of protecting our water resource cannot be overstated. In economic terms, the measurable contribution of water to the economy is difficult to estimate. In environmental terms, water is the lifeblood of the planet. Without a steady supply of clean, fresh water, all life, including human, would cease to exist.

The quantity, quality and economic problems we face as a result of our use of water are complex but, at least one of the causes of these problems is easy to manage--the way we waste water. And, the solution is straight forward--water conservation. Simply stated, water conservation means doing the same with less, by using water more efficiently or reducing, where appropriate, to protect the resource now, and for the future. Using water wisely will reduce pollution and health risks, lower water costs, and extend the useful life of existing supply and waste treatment facilities.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that water utilities will need about $277 billion for infrastructure construction, upgrades, and replacement during the next 20 years. In addition, waste water treatment utilities will need multi-billion dollar infrastructure upgrades and expansions, with much of this investment tied to the volume of water needing treatment. By reducing water consumption through efficiency measures, water and wastewater utilities can delay or reduce infrastructure costs, while reducing environmental impacts.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 631 will allow for the leading authorities to conduct the research on water consumption within major economic sectors. The surveys are highly detailed, carefully constructed to be statistically representative of the entire population, and are indispensable analysis and policy planning. In gauging the success of any water efficiency program, data on consumption, price, and product-- both prior to and after the research program's implementation--are needed to calculate the change in water use, cost, and product purchase tendencies.

Establishing a baseline of consumption and price levels by sector for a variety of end-uses and customer classes will assists policy planners to better identify the highest-value products to target in designing their programs.

Mr. Speaker, at least 31 water efficiency projects in Texas are ready to go and will create jobs and improve clean water supply, according to a quick survey conducted by the Alliance for Water Efficiency. The projects which provide a sample of water efficiency projects across the state include retro-fitting plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems, upgrading water meters, and planting water wise plants and other vegetation to decrease wasteful water use.

I thank my colleague, Rep. Jim Matheson, of Utah, for introducing this important legislation, to ensure that we preserve our planet's most treasured resource, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this H.R. 631.

Madam Speaker, on this day of celebration and commemoration of the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, a man of conviction and conscience and patriotism, I'm proud to be able to say that this Congress will have a historic opportunity to put their special interests aside and vote for the American people. Vote for the 3 to 4 million jobs saved or made. Vote for the 269,000 jobs that were made in the State of Texas. Vote for the 7,000-plus jobs in the 18th Congressional District in Houston. Vote for the opportunity to modernize and repair our schools, to ensure that the broken roads and freeways will be repaired and to put men to work such as the gentleman that I met in my district in an unemployment office who had 17 years of experience in heavy equipment and couldn't find a job. Vote for those who need a more improved medical system. And vote for those who want extensive research in renewable energy.

I'm proud to stand alongside of the history of Abraham Lincoln, the history that points to others and not to self. Voting for this bill recognizes the needs of Americans who are outside the Beltway begging for us to do something. I'm proud to stand with them.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 139 ``Commemorating the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln on the bicentennial of his birth.''

Madam Speaker, this resolution recognizes the 200th anniversary and the accomplishments of the 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln.

The great state of Illinois has contributed immensely to the progression of America. Illinois has produced three African American Senators; Carol Mosely Braun, now President Barack Obama, and Roland Burris, which is more than any other state. It is the achievements of perhaps Illinois' greatest son, Abraham Lincoln, which can be credited for this feat.

He was a true champion of liberty for all Americans, and he led the Nation during very turbulent political times from the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln was portrayed as a self-made man, the liberator of the slaves, and the savior of the Union who had given his life so that others could be free. President Lincoln became Father Abraham, a near mythological hero, ``lawgiver'' to African Americans, and a ``Masterpiece of God'' sent to save the Union. His humor was presented as an example of his humanity; his numerous pardons demonstrated his ``great soul''; and his sorrowful demeanor reflected the burdens of his lonely journey as the leader of a ``blundering and sinful'' people.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, two uneducated farmers, in a one-room log cabin on the 348-acre Sinking Spring Farm, in southeast Hardin County, Kentucky. Lincoln began his political career in 1832, at age 23, with an unsuccessful campaign for the Illinois General Assembly, as a member of the Whig Party.

Lincoln was a true opponent of injustice. In 1837, he made his first protest against slavery in the Illinois House, stating that the institution was ``founded on both injustice and bad policy.''

Opposed to the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act, Lincoln spoke to a crowd in Peoria, Illinois, on October 16, 1854, outlining the moral, political and economic arguments against slavery that he would continue to uphold throughout his career.

His ``Western'' origins also appealed to the newer states: other contenders, especially those with more governmental experience, had acquired enemies within the party and were weak in the critical western states, while Lincoln was perceived as a moderate who could win the West.

On November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States. In his First Inaugural Address, Lincoln declared, ``I hold that in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the Union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments,'' arguing further that the purpose of the United States Constitution was ``to form a more perfect union.''

Lincoln possessed a keen understanding of strategic points and understood the importance of defeating the enemy's army, rather than simply capturing cities. He had, however, limited success in motivating his commanders to adopt his strategies until late 1863, when he found a man who shared his vision of the war in Ulysses S. Grant. Only then could he insist on using African American troops and relentlessly pursue a series of coordinated offensives in multiple theaters.

Throughout the war, Lincoln showed a keen curiosity with the military campaigns. He spent hours at the War Department telegraph office, reading dispatches from his generals. He visited battle sites frequently, and seemed fascinated by scenes of war.

The Emancipation Proclamation, freed slaves in territories not already under Union control. Lincoln later said: ``I never, in my life,

felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper.''

As the war was drawing to a close, Lincoln became the first American President to be assassinated. On April 14, 1865. As a lone bodyguard wandered, and Lincoln sat in his state box, John Wilkes Booth crept up behind the President and fired a single fatal shot into the President. However, his triumphs live on far past this date.

In 1982, forty-nine historians and political scientists were asked by the Chicago Tribune to rate all the Presidents through Jimmy Carter in five categories: leadership qualities, accomplishments/crisis management, political skills, appointments, and character/integrity. At the top of the list stood Abraham Lincoln. The judgment of historians and the public tells us that Abraham Lincoln was the nation's greatest President by every measure applied.

Because he was committed to preserving the Union and thus vindicating democracy no matter what the consequences to himself, the Union was indeed saved. Because he understood that ending slavery required patience, careful timing, shrewd calculations, and an iron resolve, slavery was indeed killed. Lincoln managed in the process of saving the Union and killing slavery to define the creation of a more perfect Union in terms of liberty and economic equality that rallied the citizenry behind him. Because he understood that victory in both great causes depended upon purposeful and visionary presidential leadership as well as the exercise of politically acceptable means, he left as his legacy a United States that was both whole and free. His great achievement, historians tell us, was his ability to energize and mobilize the nation by appealing to its best ideals while acting ``with malice towards none'' in the pursuit of a more perfect, more just, and more enduring Union.

Madam Speaker, President Lincoln has paved the way for people of color such as myself to serve in Congress and represent the people of the 18th District of Texas proudly. He has been a trailblazer, opening the door for our first African American President, President Barack Obama.

Today we celebrate the life of President Abraham Lincoln. He has given America many victories. Importantly, his presidency opened the door to ensure that all Americans would be assured their constitutional freedoms and that all Americans would enjoy the triumph against oppression and injustice. President Lincoln has lit the candle, let us today continue to carry it and make sure that it will never go out.

I thank my colleague, Representative Phil Hare, of Illinois, for introducing this important legislation, to ensure that we celebrate, treasure and recognize the impact of President Abraham Lincoln as a national treasure and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Many times you will hear us suggest that we are privileged to be on the floor and to be able to speak to a particular resolution. I know that the distinguished gentleman who I speak of this morning, Congressman Dingell, is a respecter and a lover of this institution. He often supports and calls for regular

order, but this morning, I would like to be given a waiver to speak particularly in a personal manner because I believe that the courage of John Dingell truly has impacted my life. So, even though I might have been--and I can probably say this--just a junior high school student as John Dingell took his oath of office, he does not realize the many lives like mine that he impacted. I am what I am today because John Dingell had the courage and the fortitude, the strength and love of this country to stand in times of difficulty.

Where would this Nation be if a man by the name of Martin Luther King had not been listened to by a man like John Dingell, who then stood on the floor of the House, alongside of a southern President, and voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act?

The southern districts were created and opportunities for many of us to ascend to higher office and to be welcomed in places of accommodation, maybe even for this young President, President Obama, to attend Columbia University or for myself to attend Yale University.

John Dingell was not thinking about individual persons, nameless persons like me, but he took a stand when he knew that he might be subjected to an enormous primary fight or that he would be considered, if you will, a lover of those colored people.

But like Thomas Jefferson said, ``Some men are born for the public.''

Jefferson continued, ``Nature, by fitting them for the service of the human race on a broad scale, has stamped them with the evidences of her destination and their duty.''

John Dingell has protected my mother. She's in a nursing home. How is she able to do that having worked 37 years as a vocational nurse? Because of Medicare. There are many children in my district who are glad that in 1997 I was able to join John Dingell for the implementation of the children's health coverage.

So John, I know that you like regular order, but I decided to be personal today. I want to thank you for those 19,420 days because they were not in vain. You saved many lives, you gave us opportunities. I am forever grateful, and I stand here as a daughter of America saying thank you on behalf of the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I am overjoyed today that I have the opportunity to speak on one of America's true public servants. The resolution before us today on the House floor recognizes Representative John Dingell for his distinguished public service and for his holding the record as the longest serving member of the House of Representatives. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Thomas Jefferson said that ``Some men are born for the public. Nature by fitting them for the service of the human race on a broad scale, has stamped them with the evidences of her destination and their duty.'' If any man or woman I have ever served with is born for the public, it is my good friend from Michigan.

Congressman John Dingell has been devoted to this chamber since he first started working as a Congressional Page in 1938. He was already a seasoned Washington, D.C. veteran when he won a special election to replace his father who had served his constituents the last 22 years of his life. While few back then knew that he would serve undisrupted for 53 years, everyone knew that he would be a difference maker. He now has an office that is named for the Speaker of the House that first swore him in, Speaker Sam Rayburn from my home State of Texas.

In his illustrious career, Congressman Dingell has seen it all. He has gone from rank and file member, to Chairman, and accomplished more than most can even dream possible. Starting his career under John F. Kennedy, he has been a driver on the course of history. He has never apologized for his beliefs even during a time when being a ``Liberal'' was as bad an insult as you could sling.

A devoted advocate for nationalized health care, he has never relented in introducing a national healthcare system at the start of every Congressional Session. He was never able to stomach that there were people among us who lacked the ability to have access to the basic right to care for their health. He has used his natural ability to talk to his fellow Members to help those who need the help the most.

A strict watchman for the people's resources, he went against his own leadership to bring attention to government waste. Making sure that any person, Democrat or Republican, who came to give testimony to his Committee were sworn in under oath, he made sure that even subjects that most would want to keep quiet, he brought in to the light. Whether it is holding hearings on $600 dollar Pentagon toilet seats or preventing scientific fraud with who discovered the AIDS virus, Congressman Dingell is the quintessential defender of the little guy. He has never believed that just because an injustice is small it should not be fought with every ounce of effort that he had. I also must thank his lovely, wife Debbie; she has been a mighty force in all he has done and a great support for all his causes.

This man is an American hero and I am honored to be able to vote on this important resolution. We have a chance to thank the man who has done so much for all of our constituents and I hope to be one of the first ``yes'' votes on this resolution. This resolution can show us all that remaining committed to our constituents is the best path to keep our jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the passage of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise to emphasize the important responsibility that we have in this Congress, and the responsibility is now.

I am glad to have had the opportunity to listen to my good friend and colleague from California. I believe the emphasis of his remarks is that the reordering of our economy requires a multitask effort, particularly two direct tasks: the recapitalizing of our markets, particularly our banks, which Secretary Geithner has spoken to eloquently and forcefully this morning, and as well, spending; the economic stimulus package. I think where we need to have common agreement and bipartisanship is you can't do one without the other.

So I believe it is important that we answer the question of spending. The government is the spender of last resort, not the reckless spender, but the spender that will create jobs, create jobs in Indiana and Florida where the President is traveling, and create jobs in Texas.

Yesterday I traveled to one of our work source sites, our sites where individuals are able to get information about unemployment benefits. I was able to walk through and talk to those who have been unemployed for a year or more, and now even more recently. I listened to their descriptions and their hardships of trying to find work, listening to the construction worker who came from Florida who is well skilled, 17 years of using heavy equipment, but yet cannot find a job.

Madam Speaker, we need a stimulus package that is not nickel and diming but actually is fiscally responsible by spending the money where it needs to be spent. The mayor in the small town of Indiana where the President was yesterday said we need money spent. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, this is an American issue. We need jobs created for Americans.

So I would hope as we move to conference, we will ensure that the infrastructure mark of $12 billion is in place because that will put people to work in my own city of Houston. It may create an opportunity for $180 million for the Metro system, the mobility system, to begin work, and workers utilized for utility work. Remediation work is important. It will keep the money for school renovation and repair. That is important. Keep the $10 billion for schools. We know that 598,000 jobs were lost. We now have a total of 21.6 million Americans who are unemployed or have gotten out of the system it is so bad. We need the stimulus package so 95 percent of working Americans can get tax cuts. We need it so that it creates and saves 3 to 4 million jobs, including the green energy jobs, the jobs that will allow us to green America, to produce alternative energy and be able to retrofit our buildings and save energy, the weatherization of our homes.

It will invest in renewable energy to create green jobs and promote health information technology to modernize our health system. We know how problematic it is for seniors and people with young children to go from doctor to doctor and not have those systems.

With 21.6 million Americans unemployed, we need a stimulus package that works. We also need language in the stimulus package. Do you recognize that there is no whistleblower protection for transit security offices, the TSA officers that you see that are airport screeners, they can't tell you when something wrong has happened that creates an unsafe situation, an insecure situation. We need to keep language in there that allow those individuals to be protected by whistleblower language. Why do we have people who are in security who can't tell us that the security system is failing? So I am going to argue vehemently that the language in the House bill remain to protect transit security officers at our Nation's airports so they can tell us what is wrong and what is right.

What we need most of all is to ensure that we have a stimulus package that complements the recapitalizing of our Nation's banks. We need to make sure that as the government takes some of these toxic assets, working with the private sector, we are spending money to create jobs, building highways, bridges, creating Metro systems, making sure our buildings are safe, and making sure that children can go to schools that are redone, repaired or built from the ground up.

What kind of America are we? We can put Texans back to work, and Houstonians back to work, and those from the Midwest and the East and the South. We can do it if we assure ourselves that we have the kind of effective program that is here.

What we want to do also is make work pay. We want that tax credit that provides money to the families. We want to increase the earned income tax credit and give tax relief for 60 million children through the expansion of the child tax credit. That puts money in America's hands. So today is an important day. Vote for the American people. Vote for the stimulus.

As a Representative of 18th Congressional District, I have made it a top priority to help Houstonians who have retained their jobs during this economic situation and bring jobs back to my district for those citizens who are still looking for work.

Just yesterday, I spoke to a man who lost his job in Florida and went to Houston because he heard there were jobs there. But a grim reality greeted him when he arrived. The job prospects in Houston were no better than what he faced in Florida.

In 2008, Houston's unemployment rate increased from 4.5 percent to 5.4 percent over the course of only a year. I toured an unemployment benefits office in Houston yesterday. It is understaffed and overwhelmed. On an average day, more than 100 people would visit that office. Unemployment experts expect even more job losses in Houston this year.

It is critical that Houston residents receive the tools they need to reverse the high rates of job loss and the skyrocketing mortgage foreclosure rates leaving many families helpless in our region.

Any economic stimulus bill will need to increase unemployment benefits by $25 to seriously address the economic crisis and ensure that Americans have money to live and pay their creditors. It will help families survive and put food on the table while they look for work. It is also our duty to provide up to 33 weeks of additional unemployment benefits. It will buy our citizens more time to find employment during this grim economic climate.

Retaining the House version of the increased Earned Income Tax Credits, and increased credit for the refundable portion of the Child Credit will give families some much needed tax relief to make it through this economic climate.

Children are the forgotten victims of our economic times. The Economic Stimulus Bill will help create jobs for our educators. Schools in my district in Houston are old and in need of repair. Some are at risk of being shut down. Our children are our future. They not only deserve to learn in buildings that are up to standard, but the schools also need to be modernized with high tech tools to help them compete in 2009 and beyond. We cannot forget about our children.

The House version of the stimulus bill sets aside 79-billion dollars for our Nation's schools. The money will go towards repairing and modernizing the buildings that will shape the future leaders of this country. An additional amount was set aside for school construction. School construction is critically important because it will create jobs and allow Americans to invest in the future of our children. The Senate Stimulus Bill only provides 39-billion dollars for our schools. That is almost half of the funds proposed by the House Stimulus Bill. Our children deserve better.

The story of my constituents in Houston is also the story of Americans throughout the country who are desperately trying to care for their families and make ends meet.

Last month, the U.S. lost more than 500-thousand jobs, bringing the total to 21.6 million unemployed Americans. The economy is expected to hit record lows in 2009.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, America's unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in January. Houston's unemployment rate is not as high yet, but any amount above 4 percent full employment is a bad sign. That is unacceptable.

The Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act is critical to avoiding an economic disaster. The Senate Bill cuts additional funding to basic public safety such as Federal aid to firefighters, the Coast Guard and officers with the Transportation Safety Administration. These are hardworking men and women who watch over the security of our homeland. They keep our families safe.

The House Stimulus Bill provides additional dollars to programs such as Head Start and Violence Against Women. The Senate bill takes dollars away from women and children, by cutting funds to these programs. As Members of Congress, there is no justification for taking dollars away from our most vulnerable citizens--none.

The Senate bill cuts federal aid to NASA, one of Houston's main employers. That means more loss of employment. We need to start creating jobs, not cut them.

This recovery package needs to become a reality with as much funding as we can spare to help our citizens. It should address the mortgage foreclosure crisis. We need to invest federal dollars into our country's infrastructure projects, particularly Houston Metro.

The Economic Stimulus Bill in both the House and Senate is not simply a wish list or an appropriations bill. It is a necessity. I am fighting to ensure that Texans get the Federal dollars needed to get citizens out of the unemployment office and back into the workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 128 ``Expressing the importance of honoring Miami University for its 200 years of commitment to extraordinary higher education.'' Miami University has served its community and this nation for two centuries. The contributions continue to mount as the doors of this illustrious institution of higher education remain open.

Founded in 1809, Miami University was built on a commitment to liberal arts undergraduate education and the active engagement of its students in both curricular and civic life. Named for the Miami Indian Tribe that inhabited the area, Miami University opened its doors to 20 students in 1824 to provide the opportunity for students to develop and grow to become great members of society. It is deeply committed to student success, builds great student and alumni loyalty, and empowers its students, faculty, and staff to become engaged citizens who use their knowledge and skills with integrity and compassion to improve the future of our global community.

Miami University is comprised of a scholarly community whose members believe that a liberal education is grounded in qualities of character as well as of intellect. The University's culture respects the dignity of other persons, the rights and property of others, and the right of others to hold and express disparate beliefs.

Miami University believes in honesty, integrity, and the importance of moral conduct. It defends the freedom of inquiry that is the heart of learning and combines that freedom with the exercise of judgment and the acceptance of personal responsibility.

Miami University provides the opportunities of a major university while offering the personalized attention found in the best small colleges. It values teaching and intense engagement of faculty with students through its teacher-scholar model, by inviting students into the excitement of research and discovery. Miami University's faculty is comprised of nationally prominent scholars and artists who contribute to Miami University, their own disciplines and to society. The University supports students in a residential experience on the Oxford campus and provides access to students, including those who are time and place bound, on its regional campuses.

Miami University provides a strong foundation in the traditional liberal arts for all students, and it offers nationally recognized majors in arts and sciences, business, education, engineering, and fine arts, as well as select graduate programs. As an inclusive community, Miami University strives to cultivate an environment where diversity and difference are appreciated and respected.

Miami University has a distinctive role among the nation's 3,500 colleges and universities in the way it successfully blends teaching and scholarship. Nationally recognized as one of the most outstanding public undergraduate institutions, Miami University gives undergraduates many opportunities to work with senior faculty on research projects and to participate in strong international programs. Miami University also has selective graduate programs in areas of special strength. It has never lost sight of its focus on intellectual development. Retention and graduation rates are some of the highest in NCAA Division I schools.

More than 180,000 proud Miami University alumni are located around the globe, serving as professional and community leaders. Miami University instills in its students intellectual depth and curiosity, the importance of personal values as a measure of character, and a commitment to life-long learning. Miami University emphasizes critical thinking and independent thought, an appreciation of diverse views, and a sense of responsibility to our global future and more importantly the responsibility of making positive contributions to society.

As Miami University marks its 200th anniversary, we celebrate and embrace the long and proud tradition of fulfilling its public mission: to contribute to a better future through the students it educates, the scholarships and creativity it produces and the services it provides to the local communities and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution honoring the importance of Miami University on the occasion of its 200 year commitment to higher education.

It is a privilege, Mr. Speaker, to have the opportunity to come to the floor today for such an important recognition of two iconic movers of change, individuals who laid the underpinnings of the reformation of nations that already had a good heart. Let me thank the manager, Mr. Johnson, for his leadership, and of course our ranking member, Mr. Smith, my colleague from Texas, and the author of this legislation, John Lewis. I know that he wrote this legislation from the heart.

We will be recognizing this historic journey in a few days, the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's visit to India and the recognition of the intertwining of their spirits and their intellect between Martin King and Mahatma Gandhi. I had the opportunity to view the years-old film that was done on his life. Certainly we know that fictional aspects may have been

included. But the underpinnings of the film was the willingness to sacrifice for the greater good.

And as I reflect upon Martin King's life, having had the opportunity to be a student worker of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and absorbing the spirit of nonviolence that had been left by Dr. King, I know how much he was influenced by the life-changing attitude of Gandhi. Gandhi was willing to sacrifice life and limb in order to move mountains of change. And what you saw in his determination for freedom for the people of India were two things: One, the people of diverse faiths and beliefs in this then very large country could come together around the idea of freedom, and then at the same time, he was willing to sacrifice the times that he spent in the fasts where he was near death to show those that violence does not engender anything but violence.

And Martin King, in the various periods of his life, where the younger generation challenged this seemingly hapless and helpless method of nonviolence; you weren't accomplishing anything; they were taking advantage of you; they weren't respecting you. But he was willing to hold his ground and, in that, he was the masterful teacher to all of us who looked upon this young man who was willing to lead a country into freedom without violence. And so the intertwining of the two is a special moment. And I'm so very gratified that John Lewis saw fit to allow us to come to the floor of the House and acknowledge that we are in partnership with the largest democracy.

We are in partnership with the largest democracy, India, and the longest democracy, the United States. And I hope we will take a lesson from this partnership of two men, now celebrating 50 years of that coming together, that determination and a way of handling people can garner us so much.

And this new President, who has claimed development and diplomacy as key elements to his foreign policy, gets it; that you can work as partnerships with those who you would think would be hostile to your beliefs.

I am very gratified to support this legislation, H. Res. 134, recognizing the 50th anniversary of the trip of Dr. Martin Luther King to India and the work that he did with Mahatma Gandhi, and the two of them, peace for ever and for everlasting.

Mr. Speaker, I rose today in strong support of H. Res. 134 ``Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit to India and the point of influence that the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi had on Dr. King's work during the civil rights movement.'' I would like to thank Representative John Lewis, from Georgia, for his leadership in bringing this resolution to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution. Because of the importance of the importance of Gandhi's life teachings on non- violence, I am participating in a historic CODEL to India, where members of Congress will sojourn in the land of Gandhi during the recess on next week.

It was through this experience that Dr. King, with a heart of servitude, was transitioned to become the greatest civil rights advocate of our century and possibly the greatest leader of our time. Mahatma Gandhi was a formative influence upon Dr. King's political civil disobedience. Dr. King and Gandhi believed that change would occur once Americans acknowledged the humanity of the oppressed in America.

Gandhi became a leader in a complex struggle. Following World War I, Gandhi launched his movement of non-violent resistance to Great Britain. Satyagraha, which involves utilization of non-violent measures to undermine the opponent, and ideally to convert him rather than to coerce him into submission, spread throughout India, gaining millions of followers. A demonstration against the Rowlatt Acts, which allowed certain political cases to be tried without juries and internment of suspects without trial, but resulted in a massacre of Indians at Amritsar by British soldiers. When the British government failed to make amends, Gandhi proclaimed an organized campaign of non- cooperation. Indians in public office resigned, government agencies such as courts of law were boycotted, and Indian children were withdrawn from government schools. Throughout India, streets were blocked by squatting Indians who refused to rise even when beaten by police. Gandhi was arrested, but the British were soon forced to release him. His non-violent movement set a new precedent for dealing with oppression and violence, no just in India, but the world over.

Dr. King and Gandhi journey's ironically began in the same fashion. It was a train ride in South Africa that created Gandhi. It was a bus boycott in Alabama that made Dr. Martin Luther King. They were ordinary men only seeking to heighten the moral conscience of the time. These men were the spokesmen for the oppressed, unjustly treated, and those denied their God given privileges to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Institutionalized racism and bigotry sought to keep the people of India, African Americans, and others from achieving those God given virtues.

Dr. King's journey to India came at a vital time in American history. The Montgomery boycott had ended and had proven to be a great success. The nation's leaders were now dealing with a new challenge, one it had not seen before, non-violent social disobedience. People, both black and white, were looking to the newly famed leader from Georgia as the conscience of the nation. While they looked to Dr. King, he looked to the east for inspiration. It was Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of non- violence that helped achieve success in Alabama. He knew that it would be Gandhi's teachings that would help the movement to achieve greater success in his quest for civil equality in the United States.

On the trip to India, Dr. King was surprised to find the extent to which the bus boycott was covered in India and throughout the world. King recalled, ``We were looked upon as brothers, with the color of our skins as something of an asset. But the strongest bond of fraternity was the common cause of minority and colonial peoples in America, Africa, and Asia struggling to throw off racism and imperialism.''

Dr. King's meetings with satyagrahis deepened his commitment to nonviolent resistance. His interactions with the Gandhi family ingrained in him the power of nonviolent resistance and its potential usefulness throughout the world, even against totalitarian regimes.

While discussing non-violence to a group of students in India, Dr. King said, ``True nonviolent resistance is not unrealistic submission to evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love, in the faith that it is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflictor of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart.''

The trip to India affected Dr. King in a profound way, deepening his understanding of nonviolent resistance and his commitment to America's struggle for civil rights. ``Since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity. In a real sense, Mahatma Gandhi embodied certain universal principles that are inherent in the moral structure of the universe, and these principles are as inescapable as the law of gravitation,'' Dr. King said.

The contributions of Gandhi and Dr. King are many. The roles that these two humanitarians traveled to arrive at their respective destinations in history were long and difficult, but they deserve all the respect and admiration that history can bestow upon them. As Members of Congress, we have to respect and acknowledge the work of Gandhi and the teachings he left behind that greatly influenced and changed Dr. Martin Luther King.

Dr. King's trip to India further solidified his belief in nonviolence and peaceful resistance. Gandhi and Dr. King embodied the belief of doing unto others as you would have them to do unto you. They also believed in becoming the visible change you want to see in the world. They believed that men could live together peacefully despite their religious, racial, and cultural differences. Mohandas changed the way Indians were treated in South Africa and in India. Overthrowing the imperial British rule was no easy task, but Gandhi was able to do it. Through his Satyagraha teachings and non-violent protest, Gandhi put forth an example that vicariously aided in the liberation of African Americans in the United States.

It is imperative that we commemorate Dr. King's trip to India. It would be shameful of this Congress to pass on an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Gandhi and Dr. King to America's history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Con. Res 35 ``Honoring and praising the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.''

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res 35 recognizes the 100th anniversary of the historic founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and honors and praises the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its anniversary for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con. Res 35 because of the impact that the NAACP has had on me and other minorities across this great nation.

First organized in 1905, the group came to be known as the Niagara Movement when it began meeting at hotel situated on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. The group first met in Canada because the U.S. hotels were segregated. Under the leadership of Harvard scholar W.E.B. DuBois, the group later went on to become known as the National Negro Committee. It was not the date of the organization's second conference in 1910 that it formally adopted the name the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The mission of the association was clearly delineated in its charter:

To promote equality of rights and to eradicate caste or race prejudice among the citizens of the United States; to advance the interest of colored citizens; to secure for them impartial suffrage; and to increase their opportunities for securing justice in the courts, education for the children, employment according to their ability and complete equality before law.

Since its inception, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has upheld its mission to fight social injustice and give a voice to the voiceless. The NAACP is among the largest and most prominent mass-membership, civil rights organizations in America.

Founded with a mandate to secure equal political, economic and social rights for African Americans, the NAACP has been in the forefront of every major civil rights struggle of the twentieth century. Using a combination of tactics including legal challenges, demonstrations and economic boycotts, the NAACP played an important role in helping end segregation in the United States.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., (NAACP LDF) a leading civil rights organization based in New York City, began as the legal wing of the NAACP under the leadership of Charles Hamilton Houston, a former professor at Howard University Law School. In 1938, Thurgood Marshall, Houston's student and future Supreme Court justice, succeeded him as NAACP LDF counsel.

Marshall further developed the strategies and goals of the legal department, establishing the Legal Defense Fund as an organization totally independent of the NAACP.

Among its most significant achievements was the NAACP LDF's challenge to end segregation in public schools. In the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Justices unanimously ruled that separate educational facilities for black

and white students were ``inherently unequal.'' That ruling and the Court's subsequent order that public schools be desegregated with ``all deliberate speed'' touched off a firestorm of protest in the South and contributed substantially to the growth of the modern-day civil rights movement. Today, the NAACP has over 500,000 members standing in unity with all who support protecting our constitutionally guaranteed civil rights against all who would oppose protecting these freedoms.

Even in my district in Houston, the NAACP seeks to be a voice against injustice for all minorities. The NAACP Houston Branch has a long and rich history championing civil rights in Houston on vital issues such as the desegregation of Houston schools, combating the spread of HIV/ AIDS, and improved access to education and information technology.

The NAACP Houston Branch has played an instrumental role in breaking new ground on the path to freedom and equality for Houston's minority community. The branch has been experiencing tremendous growth in recent years while serving the Harris County area through its programs and myriad committees made up of its dedicated staff and volunteer members. Led by an Executive Committee of approximately 25 volunteers, there are approximately 800 members in the Houston Branch.

Some of the Houston Branch's programs include collaborations with the City of Houston Health Department in STD prevention and awareness programs, legal assistance in the form of legal consultation and educational seminars, a year-long enrichment program designed to recruit, stimulate, improve and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students, and other programs beneficial to minorities across the city of Houston.

As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I truly appreciate the support from the NAACP in fighting for the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. We all know that without the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, the voting rights of many U.S. citizens would be in jeopardy. When I authored H.R. 745 in the 110th Congress, I am proud to say that with the NAACP's support, my colleagues and I were able to rename the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, William C. Velasquez, and Dr. Hector P. Garcia Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. This bill renamed the Voting Rights Act to demonstrate the many faces of the Civil Rights Movement. The bill was renamed to recognize the Hispanics and other persons of color who labored in the vineyards to insure that all receive equal treatment in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res 35 provides for a tribute to celebrate the impact and achievements of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in their efforts to better the lives of minorities and the community. There is still a need for justice and equal treatment for minorities in our country. I am grateful for the many fights for equality that he organization has won, and thankful that the NAACP will be there in the future to champion the cause of justice wherever and whenever it needs a spokesman.

The struggles of the NACCP have helped pave the way for the election this country's first African-American President Barack Obama. During a speech celebrating the NAACP, President Obama declared that ``serving as . . . [P]resident, 100 years after the founding of the NAACP, I will stand up for you the same way that earlier generations of Americans stood up for me--by fighting to ensure that every single one of us has the chance to make it if we try.''

I thank my colleague, Representative Al Green, of Texas, for introducing this important legislation, to ensure that we celebrate, treasure and recognize the African American spiritual as a national treasure and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 114, which supports the goals and ideals of ``National Girls and Women in Sports Day.'' I commend my colleague Representative Albio Sires of New Jersey for introducing this important resolution that will encourage girls and women's positive involvement in the athletic community and recognize February 4th as ``National Girls and Women in Sports Day.''

Background

National Girls and Women in Sports Day is a special day for girls and women to celebrate their participation in sports and athletics. Encouraging girls and women to participate in sports has shown to have positive effect on a girls' development as well as social, physical, and emotional well-being. It gives them a better chance for becoming strong, independent women that will be able to positively contribute to and function within the American society.

Girls and women who play sports are more likely to get better grades than their counterparts who are inactive. They are also more likely to graduate from High School. Additionally, for women, sports also tend to result in higher levels of positive body image, self confidence, self- esteem, and psychological well being. The evidence shows that the correlation between female development and sports positively affects the lives of girls and women.

History

Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972, ensured that girls were entitled to equal education and federal funded opportunities as boys. When Title IX was enacted, 1 in 27 girls in high school participated in athletics. Today, one in three girls participates in athletics in high school now. These strides are certainly something that we should recognize, praise, and support.

However, despite the significant gains girls and women have made since the enactment

of Title IX, girls are still facing pervasive inequalities. At the high school level, girls receive 1.3 million fewer participation opportunities than male high school athletes--a gap which has continued to grow in the past 5 years. Qualitative analysis suggests that high school girls still lag behind not only in participation opportunities, but in allocation of operating and recruitment budgets as well. Unlike their collegiate counterparts, high schools are not required to disclose any data on equity in sports--making it difficult for schools, students and parents to identify sources of inequality and ensure fairness in their schools' athletics programs. H. Res. 114 may not alleviate these problems, but it will support participation in activities and opportunities that will positively supplement our children's development.

Women's Rights

Equality and women's rights are issues very important to me and those who reside within my district. In my own state of Texas, there are over 3 million women under the age of 18. This number represents the girls whose lives could be improved by the opportunity to become involved in a positive athletic atmosphere.

We must reach out and help these girls and women to become involved. I believe by showing our support for H. Res. 114 we are taking the first step.

Conclusion

H. Res. 114 will ensure that the United States House of Representatives supports the goals and ideals of ``National Girls and Women in Sports Day to encourages girls and women throughout the United States to become involved in sports programs through their school and communities. H. Res. 114 will encourage schools and communities to provide opportunities for women to become positively involved in healthy, active atmospheres.

This resolution will emphasize the importance of sports during a girl's development and recognize the struggle for women to gain equality and access to sport participation. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 114 and provide opportunities to young girls and women throughout our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 60 ``Recognizing and commending University of Oklahoma Quarterback Sam Bradford for winning the 2008 Heisman Trophy and for his academic and athletic accomplishments.'' I want to thank my colleague Congresswoman Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, for introducing this resolution.

Sam Bradford of the University of Oklahoma was selected as the 74th winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy as the Most Outstanding College Football Player in the United States for 2008. Bradford, Oklahoma's amazingly accurate and quick-thinking passer, won the Heisman Trophy after leading the highest-scoring team in major college history to the BCS title game.

Bradford hails from Oklahoma City, OK. This year, he completed 302 of his 442 passes this year, which amounted to 4,464 yards and 48 touchdowns while throwing only 6 interceptions during the regular season. He also rushed for 5 touchdowns.

While leading the highest scoring offense in the history of Division I College Football, Bradford broke the Oklahoma season and career touchdown records both previously held by 2003 Heisman winner Jason White. Bradford's 84 career touchdowns are the most ever for a player at the end of his sophomore season.

The Big 12 Athletic Conference was at the epicenter of college football this season, with both the national championship race and Heisman chase turning weekly on games played by its three powerhouse teams, including the pride of Texas, the University of Texas Longhorns. Bradford is the fifth Oklahoma player to win the award, and second during coach Bob Stoops' 10 seasons with the Sooners.

Mr. Bradford is not only outstanding on the football field, but he is a scholar in the classroom as well. He puts the student in student- athlete, as he has outstanding academics as a finance major. One of his professors acknowledged that ``without reservation, if all of my students were like Sam, my job would be really easy.''

Even though Sam Bradford was victorious over Quarterback Colt McCoy of my beloved University of Texas Longhorns, I extend my hand of congratulations on this wonderful accomplishment of winning the Heisman Trophy.

I know that Congresswoman Fallin and the other Representatives from the State of Oklahoma are quite proud of this amazing feat.

Mr. Speaker, this commendation today recognizes Sam Bradford from the University of Oklahoma, and his 2008 Heisman Trophy win. This resolution also notes the extraordinary commitment and daily sacrifices made by this exceptional young man. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 912, the ``Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act.'' I thank my colleague Congressman Timothy Bishop from New York, for sponsoring this important resolution, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 912, the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, is an amendment to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. This resolution addresses the hours-of-service requirement airline flight crews must meet to be eligible for leave under such Act.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a law that helps many workers be compensated when they must leave their work for an emergency. But airline workers do not meet the qualifications to get these benefits because their hours are calculated differently than most wage earners'.

Flight attendants spend only a part of their job in the skies, but that time in the sky is all that is recorded for determining their FMLA benefits. Flight attendants need H.R. 912, the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, to be enacted so that they can be covered by the FMLA. Importantly, the bill would expand an existing private-sector mandate on employers by requiring them to allow additional employees to take up to 12 work-weeks of unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons.

As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, I am familiar with the pressures and expectations placed upon flight crews. Crewmembers work long inconvenient hours with little to no consistency in their workday.

H.R. 912, the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, will give them that consistency that their career fails to provide. This legislation will set a standard for granting flight crew leave based on a measurable hours of service standard. Flight crew members will meet eligibility requirements if they meet 60% of the applicable monthly guarantee, or the equivalent annualized over the preceding 12-month period, or a total of 504 during that same period.

This would give flight crews a fair opportunity to receive the same benefits that are afforded to all other parties covered previously in the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. In the past weeks, Americans have seen and heard firsthand from the crew of flight 1549 and how they can react when all odds are against them. The flight crew's ability to react in time of emergency is clear and it is our job as members of Congress to ensure them that if and when they should be struck by personal crisis they will be able to take the necessary time off in order to fully tend to their family or their own situation. Situations already described in the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 are as follows: For the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee; for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care; to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

How do we tell these employees that their hard work does not give them the ability to care for their families in time of need? This is a promise we must keep.

Mr. Speaker, as a strong supporter of the rights of Transportation Security Administration employees I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act. This bill will make the benefits given to flight crew members equal to those already covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 738 ``Deaths in Custody Reporting Act of 2009.''

The purpose of this bill is to encourage States to report to the Attorney General certain information regarding the deaths of individuals in the custody of law enforcement agencies. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Each year a small number of people die suddenly while restrained. Most of these deaths are associated with individuals who were restrained while being taken into custody during a violent police encounter. Other cases of sudden restraint death involve individuals in detention or residential treatment programs who were restrained during violent encounters while also under the influence of psychiatric medications.

Madam Speaker, no one is certain how many restraint related sudden deaths occur each year. Identifying the exact cause of death is the biggest problem. The number of estimated deaths is in question but may range between 50 and 125 per year. Some estimates are higher. Sudden death after individuals were taken into police custody has been

reported for several decades; however this piece of legislation provides the first uniform national reporting for all deaths in law enforcement and correctional custody. H.R. 738 will now make it possible to ascertain the percentage of deaths by suicides and homicides, or from natural causes, which will result in a significant improvement in the oversight of prisoner treatment. With the detailed statistical data, policy makers, both state and federal, can make informed policy judgments about the treatment of prisoners leading to great success in lowering the prisoner death rate. In fact, since the focus on deaths in custody emerged in the mid-1980's, the latest BJS report, dated August 2005, shows a 64 percent decline in suicides and a 93 percent decline in the homicide rate.

Madam Speaker, between 2001 and 2004, state prison authorities nationwide reported a total of 12,129 state prisoner deaths to the Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP). Total number of deaths excludes 258 State prison executions during 2001-2004. Nearly 9 in 10 of these deaths (89 percent) were attributed to medical conditions. Less than 1 in 10 were the result of suicide (6 percent) and homicide (2 percent), while alcohol/drug intoxication and accidental injury accounted for another 1 percent each. A definitive cause could not be determined for 1 percent of these deaths.

The Deaths in Custody Reporting Act requires that states receiving federal funding report quarterly to the Attorney General, in methods prescribed by the Attorney General, the circumstances surrounding the death of any person in custody of a state prison or local jail, which includes any person in the process of arrest, en route to incarceration, incarceration in any state facility (municipal jail, county jail, prison, juvenile facility or any other State or local correctional facility).

In 1983, the State of Texas Legislature passed laws requiring the reporting of all custodial deaths in Texas. The data was to involve deaths that occur in the process of arrest, as well as those deaths that occurred while confined in a jail or any correctional facility. This information was reported to the State Attorney General's Office, and Prosecutor Assistance/Special Investigation Division. The reports were aimed to be vital pieces to investigations and for open records requests. The failure to report a death to the proper authorities would result in a misdemeanor offense.

Madam Speaker, this legislation provides for detailed statistical data, that allows for policy makers, both state and federal, to make informed policy judgments about the treatment of prisoners leading to great success in lowering the prisoner death rate. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 748, the ``Center to Advance, Monitor, and Preserve University Security Safety Act of 2009'' or ``CAMPUS''. I would like to thank my colleague Congressman Bobby Scott for introducing this important legislation, as well as the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, Congressman John Conyers. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Importantly, H.R. 748 would establish a national center for campus public safety and employ a collaborative effort with local state and federal officials to fight violence on university campuses. This center would train agencies to better deal with emergency situations that occur on university campuses, helping to eliminate unpreparedness at the universities.

The future of our country sits in our classrooms everyday along with those that train them. It is our job as members of Congress to ensure that these future leaders and all those involved in molding them will be taught in a classroom or lecture hall.

H.R. 748 is a bill that takes a great step in ensuring that the potential that is harbored in our classrooms everyday is protected. The events that occurred at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University are disastrous examples of why we need more concentrated protection efforts implemented by the Federal government. The Virginia Tech shooting resulted in the slaying of over 30 members of the Virginia Tech family and many others were wounded. The shooting that occurred on the campus of Northern Illinois University on February 14, 2008 also killed and injured several individuals on the campus. Unfortunately, because these events were the first of their kind for the schools, they were not fully knowledgeable on how to respond. In my home state of Texas, the University of Texas at Austin in 1966 was struck by fear when a sniper from atop the university's bell tower struck and killed 16 people and wounded 31. The large gap in time between these events shows the length of inaction by the Congress in establishing a national center to protect the young minds in our Universities.

With the creation of a National Center for Protection of facilities of higher education, our country can finally begin to use the knowledge gained by officials in all states in conjunction with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of Education in a collaborative effort to reduce violence in all higher education facilities across the country.

The CAMPUS Safety Act will create a National Center of Campus Public Safety, which will be administered through the Department of Justice. The Center will train campus public safety agencies, encourage research to strengthen college safety and security, and serve as a clearinghouse for the dissemination of relevant campus public safety information. By having this information, institutions of higher education will be able to easily obtain the best information available on ways to keep campuses safe and secure and how to respond in the event of a campus emergency.

The events that have taken place on the campuses of Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, and Texas Universities shows that campus violence is not regional nor is it specific to one state and we should not be either of these things when fighting against it. That is why we must act as the front line in that battle against campus violence by passing this legislation and developing a National Center for Campus Public Safety. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 549, the National Bombing Prevention Act, introduced by my distinguished colleague from New York, Representative King. This important legislation establishes the Office of Bombing Prevention within the Protective Security Coordination Division of the Office of Infrastructure Protection of the Department.

This legislation is a bi-partisan bill, whose lead sponsor is the Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, Representative King and is also cosponsored by Chairman Thompson. The function of the Office of Bombing Prevention already exists in the Department, and this bill establishes it in statute. The Office is responsible for coordinating the Government efforts to deter, detect, prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist explosive attacks in the United States. As we all know, the most likely terrorist threat to our nation's critical infrastructure and transportation modes is from explosives. Moreover, although our nation's security experts have been working assiduously on preventing large-scale terror attacks since the terror attacks that hurt our nation, we must also be vigilant when it comes to improvised and smaller attacks.

Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure that the Office of Bombing Prevention has the protection of being established by the force of law, so the Department can more readily meet the threats to our nation. This legislation requires the Secretary to develop and periodically update a national strategy to prevent and prepare for terrorist explosive attacks in the United States which is due 90 days after the date of enactment. The Secretary is further required to report to Congress regarding the national strategy. This strategy is also called for by Homeland Security Presidential Directive-19, Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States, issued by President Bush in February of 2007. This legislation also authorizes the Office to support technology transfer efforts as well as research into explosives detection and mitigation.

I did, however, have one reservation with regards to this legislation, regarding canine procurement, which is why I introduced an amendment, which was addressed by the bill in Sections 4 and 5. Dogs are used to detect illicit and illegal substances every day. They are used to: detect illegal narcotics; find money that is being smuggled out of the country; and locate explosives that may be concealed in cargo, within vehicles, on aircraft, in luggage and on passengers.

There is no doubt that every day, the actions of these dogs and their handlers significantly contribute toward deterring threats and protecting our nation from terrorists. While the contributions of our canine forces are priceless, they are not without cost. We must place a price on what we are willing to pay for untrained dogs.

The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General has found that from April 2006 through June 2007, Customs and Border Protection spent $1.46 million on purchasing 322 untrained dogs--that is about $4500 per dog. Most of these dogs are purchased in Europe and brought to America. These are not fully trained animals. They are puppies that will be trained to provide valuable service. I think most people would find $4500 for an untrained dog an exorbitant amount.

However, I cannot deem this amount out of bounds because the Department of Defense pays $3500 for each untrained dog. The Secret Service pays an average of $4500 for each untrained dog. Therefore, the price paid by CBP is within the acceptable range of current practice. However, I think that if we are to be good stewards of the American tax dollar, we must change the current practice. When one considers that domestic breeders offer the same kinds of dogs for $500-$2000, we cannot justify what I can only call a puppy tariff.

I am proud to support this legislation, which bring our great nation closer to its goal of securing the homeland, and I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, today we will vote on an important piece of legislation that discusses a problem that persists in communities across our country. This bill will show that this problem will not go away with wishful thinking and good intentions. Something must be done to prevent stalking now. We can not afford to wait. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution, do their part to make America aware of stalking, and do their utmost to prevent it's occurrence.

Every day, millions of woman and men have their lives disrupted by a stalker. While every state and DC has passed laws that make this act illegal, stalking still happens far too often. We must do everything we can to tell those being stalked that they are not alone and we will help them. We must do everything we can to tell those terrorizing their fellow man or woman with stalking that you will be caught and prosecuted.

Madam Speaker, stalking has multiple ways it can impact it's victims. Stalkers do not just harass and annoy their targets, they also cause real financial and psychological harm. 26% of stalking victims have lost time working because of their stalkers while a full 7% have been so frightened, they have not returned to work at all. Almost 30% have sought counseling because of the stalking. Overall, the prevalence of insomnia, anxiety, social dysfunction and severe depression is much higher among stalking victims.

These victims feel helpless and will do anything to control their lives again. The number of victims who drastically change their lives to get away from these individuals is staggering. Through no fault of their own, the victims often reach out to law enforcement early requesting restraining orders to prevent contact with their tormenters. These attempts rarely work and result in about 3 out of every 4 restraining orders being violated. Victims have gone so far as to move from their homes to prevent the stalker from being able to antagonize them. One in seven victims has moved in order to maintain their ability to live their life or as normally as possible.

In one out of five cases, the stalker will approach his target with a weapon to threaten or harm them. The worst is that in cases where a woman is murdered by an ex-intimate partner, nearly 90% of them were stalked prior to the homicide. This can not be allowed to go on any more. We have the means and the ability to prevent these attacks.

While technology has aided law enforcement in the ability to target stalkers it has also been used by the stalker to target and contact victims. One in four victims have reported being stalked online. Every day women are stalked and not enough of them are reporting it. Less than half report it to law enforcement officers and only 7% contact victims groups. As the famous author Michele Archer said, ``It is important that people know that stalking is a crime and that they can do something about it.'' This advice can help save a lot of lives.

The biggest misconception about stalking is that it only happens to women. While women are the majority of the targets, they are by no means the only gender that is stalked. Men and women are both targeted and attacked. This legislation will help bring attention to this problem that's underreported, undereducated on and overlooked far too often.

All of us, as members of Congress, want to help, and so often we disagree on how to accomplish that laudable goal. For once we can agree on a problem and can help provide a solution. Today we have that chance to make an impact upon the people who live in daily fear. We can say to them today they are not alone, we are on their side and we will do anything we can to fight for them. We can also say that stalker's days are numbered.

Madam Speaker, I urge that my colleagues to support this resolution.