Floor Statements

I thank the gentlelady very much.

Mr. Speaker, I think it's important for the American people and my colleagues here to understand just what we are discussing. I am delighted that the gentlelady from Florida indicated, she used the word, the appropriate word, it is the economic emergency stimulus package. What we are doing right here is to insist that we are able to move that package forward as quickly as possible.

To my good friend from Oregon, I think it's important to note that we do care about rural schools. In fact, we had a bill by Peter DeFazio to fund those rural schools. Of course, it was not responded to warmly by our friends on the other side of the aisle.

But what we do have, as was indicated, $3 billion to green our schools. Whether they be rural or whether they be urban, that creates jobs much that

is the public-private partnership that this economic stimulus package addresses.

Now I stand here wearing several hats. One, my whole area now in the gulf region has been impacted by Hurricane Ike. Hurricane Gustav came through and a number of other hurricanes.

We need this emergency economic stimulus package. Let me tell you why, very briefly, and I think it's important for us to realize, whatever the government does, it has impact in the private sector. If we put $3.6 billion to purchase buses and equipment to the American people, it is the private sector that will provide that for us. This is an emergency economic engine.

As a chairperson of the Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee, I can tell you that airport improvement grants are crucial in determining major safety and security. That is the private sector that will be put to work. Now, some 84,000 Americans have lost their jobs.

It is important to have an extension of unemployment benefits to help these people restart their lives to pay their rent or mortgage. It is equally important to fund Amtrak and public housing, then, of course, to break down this thing called highway infrastructure, crumbling, that is, by its very nature, a partnership with the private sector.

Thousands upon jobs of contractors, of engineers, architects and designers will be working to put the Nation's crumbling infrastructure back to work, and fixing crumbling schools. I have 180 schools out because the power is down. That's an infrastructure issue that needs to be fixed and rebuilt.

What we are doing here is responding to the emergency needs of America. This is an economic stimulus package that is thoughtful, that is sound, and it addresses the concerns of the American people.

My people, or these people in the gulf region, are strong, they are resilient, they are rebuilding. But I must say to you this economic is something that we need. It is crucial that we begin to put America back together again.

I am supporting this legislation because it balances the needs of America, but, yet, yields to the concept of public and private partnership. It helps a broken system with Medicaid assistance because it recognizes that people who are unemployed cannot provide for themselves.

Pass this same-day rule and pass the stimulus package.

Pass this stimulus package, because on behalf of the gulf region and all of those, the gulf region, the Midwest who suffered horrific devastation by Mother Nature's devastation, this economic stimulus passage is needed today, not yet today, not tomorrow, but needed today.

I thank the chairman very much, and let me quickly thank him for the thoughtfulness on this legislation, and as well the ranking member, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

I am a strong supporter of nuclear nonproliferation. I am a supporter of India. And I also believe in balancing the needs of India and our friend and ally against terrorism, Pakistan. But this is an important statement about our friendship with India, and I believe that this nuclear civil agreement is just that, 1.1 billion people who are attempting to invest and grow their economy.

The restrictions that we have are meaningful: no stockpiles; fuel supplies should match the nuclear reactor needs; no accumulation, as I said, of stockpiles; Congress having the right to disapprove by resolution any agreement that permits India to extract plutonium and uranium from U.S. fast reactor fuel.

It is important to note that this particular agreement is one that we should support. The Indian Government has put forward their best effort. They are our friend, and I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have reservations about the rapid way in which H.R. 7081, the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, was brought to the House floor without consideration and amendment in the Foreign Affairs Committee of which I am a member. However, despite my concerns and my steadfast commitment to non-proliferation, I rise in support of this legislation and our Nation's important relationship with India.

The United States' relationship with India is of paramount importance to our nation's political and economic future. With the receding of the Cold War's global divisions and the new realities of globalization and trans-national terrorism, we have embarked on a new era of promise, possibility and uncertainty. This means the United States bears an especially heavy responsibility to remain engaged in all regions of the world, with all nation-states. It is in the national interest for the United States to continue our policy of engagement, collaboration, and exchange which has served the nation well in the past, particularly in the South Asia region.

This legislation approves the U.S.-India Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation, notwithstanding the procedures in the Atomic Energy Act and the Hyde Act. It declares that the Bush Administration's past statements are authoritative interpretations of the agreement, but also reiterates the policy directives in the Hyde Act that the U.S. will seek to prevent other nations from nuclear trade with India if U.S. halts U.S. trade to India because of a nuclear test. Furthermore, the supply of U.S. fuel supply to India should match India's reactor needs, rather than a stockpile to weather an international fuel sanction should India resume nuclear testing.

Importantly, this legislation ensures Congress retains the ability to review and disapprove (via a joint resolution of disapproval enacted within 30 days) a subsequent agreement to permit India to extract plutonium and uranium from U.S.-origin spent reactor fuel. It re- establishes Congressional authority to legislatively reject (via a joint resolution of disapproval within 60 days) a Presidential decision to resume nuclear trade with any country that detonates a nuclear explosive device. It is also vital that this legislation requires the President to certify that the India Agreement is consistent with U.S. NPT commitment not to assist in any way in the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

Mr. Speaker, I visited India and met with India's Prime Minister in July of this year where we discussed how our two Nation's continue to collaborate economically, politically, and technologically. In this Nation and in my city of Houston, we have a large and vibrant Indian- American community which makes significant contributions to the vitality of our democracy. I am confident that we can work with India so that they can meet their energy needs through nuclear technology. Accordingly, that is why it is important that this legislation urges India to sign and implement an IAEA Additional Protocol for Safeguards, as India has committed to do. It also restricts issuance of U.S. export licenses under the Agreement (which has entered into force) until India completes the process of bringing its Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into force.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation also requires the Administration to keep the Congress fully and completely informed regarding new initiatives for civil nuclear cooperation agreements. It requires additional reporting requirements for an Annual Report to Congress on implementation of the Agreement required by the Hyde Act. It also requires a Presidential certification that it is U.S. policy to seek greater restrictions on transfer or uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing equipment technology at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) or with NSG governments before entry-into-force of the India Agreement. Finally, this legislation declares that the India Agreement does not supersede the Atomic Energy Act or Hyde Act.

Peaceful nuclear cooperation with India can serve multiple U.S. foreign policy objectives so long as it is undertaken in a manner that minimizes potential risks to the nonproliferation regime. This will be best achieved by sustained and active engagement and cooperation between the India and the United States.

This landmark legislation serves both our strategic interests and our long-standing nonproliferation objectives. We should heed the sage words of the Iraq Study Group which recommends engaging rather than abandoning the possibilities dialogue offers. Our engagement and subsequent abandonment of Iran has resulted in their current pursuit of nuclear technology. We should not make the same mistake in South Asia. We need to remain engaged with India and Pakistan so that they remain our most important allies rather than our adversaries.

We are on the path to fostering an enduring relationship of mutually beneficial cooperation with India. The new realities of globalization and interdependence have brought a convergence of interests between the world's largest democracy and the world's most powerful one. I accompanied President Clinton in his groundbreaking trip to India marking a new phase in the bonds that bind our two countries. This legislation builds on this relationship

by permitting an invigorated relationship in the field of nuclear cooperation, an area of critical importance given India's increasing energy demands.

I am hopeful that the nonproliferation measures in this legislation anchor India in the international nonproliferation framework by including: safeguards between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); end use monitoring of U.S. exports to India; and strengthening the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which are the group of countries that restrict nuclear proliferation throughout the world.

In addition, this legislation maintains Congressional oversight over the ongoing relationship of nuclear cooperation between the U.S. and India. We must continue to enhance our nonproliferation policy and bolster our argument that the rest of the world should agree to this robust inspection regime.

In conclusion, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Tax Act of 2008. This legislation is a timely, necessary, and comprehensive approach to addressing our energy crisis. I support efforts to extend the expiring business tax provisions. Opponents of H.R. 6049 are concerned that the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to this bill would permanently increase taxes on businesses to pay for a temporary, one-year extension of expiring business tax provisions. I fail to see the merits of the opponent's contention and I believe that the benefits far outweigh any potential costs. Given the circumstances, the American economy is spiraling downward, energy prices are high, and unemployment is high, some kind of relief must be granted. To the extent that this body can grant some kind of relief, it is to be supported. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I am committed to working with industry actors to make sure that some balance is struck in the future.

The following are provisions that are widely supported by various interest groups:

Extension of Expired and Expiring Business Tax Provisions-- Legislation is urgently needed to extend critically important provisions. A number of provisions--such as the R&D credit, the election to deduct state and local general sales tax, and the railroad track maintenance credit--already have expired. Others--such as the exception under subpart F for active financing income and the look- through treatment of payments between related controlled foreign corporations (CFCs) under the foreign personal holding company rules-- expire at the end of this year.

Clean Energy Tax Incentives--The extension of the clean energy tax incentives. These incentives will go a long way toward the development of the renewable and alternative energy technologies essential to America's energy future. The Chamber believes it is critical to promote the responsible use of all energy sources. To reach this goal, government and business should support investment in new technologies that expand alternative energy and enable traditional sources of energy to be used more cleanly and Cleanly and efficiently.

Some business interests have concerns with revenue offset provisions included in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6049, including those related to:

Punitive Oil and Gas Taxes--Business claim that Congress must be mindful of the crosswinds hitting the American economy from the financial sector to the housing sectors. Many believe tax increases on the oil and gas industries are out of sync with an American economy showing great demand for increased domestic energy production, which could provide the opportunity for the energy industry to add a significant number of high-wage jobs. Many are concerned with provisions that would freeze the section 199 deduction for oil and gas companies. This change would discourage energy investment, resulting in the loss of jobs, a decrease in the supply of oil and gas, and an increase in the costs for businesses that rely on oil and gas.

Many businesses interest groups are also concerned with the proposed modifications of the foreign tax credit rules for oil and gas companies, as this change would place domestic firms at a competitive disadvantage to foreign oil and gas manufacturers.

FUTA Surtax--Some businesses are concerned with the proposed extension of the FUTA surtax, which was added to the tax code in 1976 as a temporary measure and should have been allowed to expire long ago, having outlived the purposes and term that served as the rationale for its enactment.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation--Some acknowledges that tax deferred plans used by offshore partnerships are created as part of complex legal agreements between managers and limited partners who are usually passive foreign investors. Foreign investors utilize these deferral arrangements to better align the interests of the manager with the investors. Altering these economic arrangements could cause these investments to migrate to other countries.

I will end, as I began. I believe that this bill is solid and makes great strides toward providing relief to the American people. I support this bill, and I am committed to working with industry and businesses to make sure that their concerns are heard and addressed.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5244, the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act. This legislation is timely and necessary, and importantly, it should alleviate the economic woes that consumers are experiencing during these tough economic times. The purpose of this bill is to provide crucial protections against unfair, but unfortunately common, credit card practices.

While the Federal Reserve will likely issue regulations on this same topic, it is important that we as legislators do not abdicate our responsibility to the Administration. As members of Congress, we must do all that we can to ensure that the credit interests of the American people are well taken care of. Any regulation passed by the Federal Reserve will likely be the subject of judicial challenge. Thus, legislation will be needed.

H.R. 5244, ends unfair, arbitrary interest rate increases by preventing card companies from unfairly increasing interest rates on existing card balances. The bill makes clear that retroactive increases are permitted only if a cardholder is more than 30 days late, if a pre- agreed promotional rate expires, or if the rate adjusts as part of a variable rate. Under this bill, a credit card company has to give 45 days notice of all interest rate increases so consumers can pay off their balances and shop for a better deal elsewhere.

This bill is the first of its kind to stop excessive ``over-the- limit'' fees and it ends unfair penalties for cardholders who pay their balances in full on time. H.R. 5244 also protects cardholders from due date gimmicks and prevents companies from using misleading terms and damaging consumers' credit ratings. Perhaps, most important is that the bill protects vulnerable consumers from high-fee subprime credit cards and it bars issuing credit cards to minors. This bill should help Americans and will require credit companies to employ fair credit card practices.

I recognize that the credit card industry and other members of the financial services community may oppose this bill. They argue that the limits this legislation would place on the competitive market come with unintended consequences, such as higher costs for consumers and reduced access to credit. The legislation would also result in the elimination of policies that benefit consumers, and disregards efforts by Federal regulators to complete and promulgate new credit card regulations.

Opponents of H.R. 5244 claim that the bill includes a number of prescriptive mandates that will increase costs and/or limit options that consumers have today. For example, the cost associated with requirements that dictate how a customer's payment can be attributed to their outstanding balance will likely result in the end of promotional rate offers. Importantly, these opponents do not indicate that the consumers will be provided with more disclosure and fair and accurate information on rates that will not likely be changed by the credit card companies.

It is immaterial that the Federal Reserve will be issuing regulations that govern credit card practices. It is the purview of this Congress to legislate and it is by legislative authority that agencies promulgate regulations. I do not find the arguments in opposition to this bill to be persuasive.

The credit card market is highly competitive. Although we are experiencing tough economic times and the credit card companies are feeling economic pressure, so too, are the American consumers. The consumers are merely working-class people. If the credit card companies think they are squeezed, imagine the plight of the American people. Something must be done.

H.R. 5244 is balanced and is a step in the right direction. I support the bill and I look forward to working with the credit card industry and the consumers on this very important issue.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6049, the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Tax Act of 2008. This legislation is a timely, necessary, and comprehensive approach to addressing our energy crisis. I support efforts to extend the expiring business tax provisions. Opponents of H.R. 6049 are concerned that the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to this bill would permanently increase taxes

on businesses to pay for a temporary, one-year extension of expiring business tax provisions. I fail to see the merits of the opponent's contention and I believe that the benefits far outweigh any potential costs. Given the circumstances, the American economy is spiraling downward, energy prices are high, and unemployment is high, some kind of relief must be granted. To the extent that this body can grant some kind of relief, it is to be supported. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I am committed to working with industry actors to make sure that some balance is struck in the future.

The following are provisions that are widely supported by various interest groups:

Extension of Expired and Expiring Business Tax Provisions-- Legislation is urgently needed to extend critically important provisions. A number of provisions--such as the R&D credit, the election to deduct state and local general sales tax, and the railroad track maintenance credit--already have expired. Others--such as the exception under subpart F for active financing income and the look- through treatment of payments between related controlled foreign corporations (CFCs) under the foreign personal holding company rules-- expire at the end of this year.

Clean Energy Tax Incentives--The extension of the clean energy tax incentives. These incentives will go a long way toward the development of the renewable and alternative energy technologies essential to America's energy future. The Chamber believes it is critical to promote the responsible use of all energy sources. To reach this goal, government and business should support investment in new technologies that expand alternative energy and enable traditional sources of energy to be used more cleanly and efficiently.

Some business interests have concerns with revenue offset provisions included in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6049, including those related to:

Punitive Oil and Gas Taxes--Businesses claim that Congress must be mindful of the crosswinds hitting the American economy from the financial sector to the housing sectors. Many believe tax increases on the oil and gas industries are out of sync with an American economy showing great demand for increased domestic energy production, which could provide the opportunity for the energy industry to add a significant number of high-wage jobs. Many are concerned with provisions that would freeze the section 199 deduction for oil and gas companies. This change would discourage energy investment, resulting in the loss of jobs, a decrease in the supply of oil and gas, and an increase in the costs for businesses that rely on oil and gas.

Many businesses interest groups are also concerned with the proposed modification of the foreign tax credit rules for oil and gas companies, as this change would place domestic firms at a competitive disadvantage to foreign oil and gas manufacturers.

FUTA Surtax--Some businesses are concerned with the proposed extension of the FUTA surtax, which was added to the tax code in 1976 as a temporary measure and should have been allowed to expire long ago, having outlived the purposes and term that served as the rationale for its enactment.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation--Some acknowledges that tax deferred plans used by offshore partnerships are created as part of complex legal agreements between managers and limited partners who are usually passive foreign investors. Foreign investors utilize these deferral arrangements to better align the interests of the manager with the investors. Altering these economic arrangements could cause these investments to migrate to other countries.

I will end, as I began. I believe that this bill is solid and makes great strides toward providing relief to the American people. I support this bill, and I am committed to working with industry and businesses to make sure that their concerns are heard and addressed.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, the United States economy has spiraled downward within the last few years of the Bush administration. Sadly, the state of the U.S. economy has worsened as a result of recent crises, such as the impending mortgage crisis, financial crisis on Wall Street, and Hurricane Ike, which has inflicted hardship upon the people of Houston. Consumers are finding that their wages have decreased, yet food and gasoline prices have been steadily rising.

By the end of the year it has been estimated that 15 million Americans could have mortgages worth more than the value of their homes. It is absurd that home prices could fall enough to produce about 20 million Americans with a negative equity. While there is not much time to take action, Congress must act responsibly.

A crisis of this magnitude requires a significant bipartisan response, but Democrats will work to protect American taxpayers from undue exposure and believe a properly designed legislative package could ultimately allow taxpayers to be paid back for this emergency measure.

The Congress will not simply hand over a $700 billion blank check to Wall Street and hope for the best. Not after having pushed for greater oversight, regulation and accountability from Wall Street for years while the Bush administration refused to take action. Congress must implement strict limitations and restrictions along with rigorous oversight over any and all monies disbursed, as well as new regulations. We must work together to strengthen our economy and conduct vigorous oversight.

It is imperative that Congressional committees hold a series of hearings that will examine the Bush administration's mismanagement of financial market regulation and how it led us to this remarkable failure. Wall Street CEOs should not be pocketing millions while taxpayers are forced to bail them out. Democrats will continue to work to secure reasonable limits on executive compensation for CEOs and other top executives

I came across a quote that I would like to share with everyone from the former chairman of AT&T: ``The ancient Romans had a tradition: whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible: he stood under the arch.'' There needs to be accountability somewhere, especially since the American people are going to be paying for the mistakes of Wall Street with or without a bailout.

The Federal bailout of the U.S. mortgage market is going to cost the government upwards of $700 billion. The mortgage bailout is more than the war in Iraq has cost the U.S. Government thus far. To put that number in perspective, it amounts to more than the GDP of Turkey and only modestly smaller than that of Australia.

Additionally, there have been unforeseen costs which have been incurred over the past few years due to natural disasters such as the recent Hurricane Ike. Houston and the other affected areas suffered a minimum of $6 billion and as much as $16 billion in property damage. That estimate does not include the cost of inland flooding, a type of damage not covered by conventional insurance policies.

Due to insurance companies pulling out of the Gulf coast after previous hurricanes, the state-led insurance pool must pay much of the cost, yet only has $2.3 billion, leaving the state of Texas potentially responsible for billions of dollars in claims. Due to hurricane Ike, gas prices have surged in Texas and the impact of Hurricane Ike will be felt throughout America. Oil refineries near Houston provide more than 20 percent of the transportation fuel used in the U.S. Many of the operations were shut down in anticipation of the storm's arrival and gasoline prices jumped in parts of the country as a result.

The American people are struggling as it is to pay their mortgages, feed their families, fill their cars with gas and find employment. More than a week after Hurricane Ike passed through, there are still parts of the Houston metropolitan area without electrical power and it may take weeks to restore normal life in the most devastated areas, like Galveston.

In order to get the U.S. economy back on track we must work in a bipartisan manner. Nevertheless, Americans ought not forget the catastrophic choices of the last eight years under Republican leadership, choices that led to financial meltdown, massive job losses, a disastrous energy policy that prioritizes oil company profits over people, skyrocketing health care costs, a costly war that should never have been waged, and a surplus turned into a deficit that will burden generations to come.

It is a necessity that the government create jobs through investment in our Nation's infrastructure, extend unemployment benefits, ensure families don't go hungry with food stamp assistance, make certain that Americans do not lose health coverage as a result of State budget crises, provide additional foreclosure assistance to families and make home heating assistance available at a time of record energy prices. Americans are suffering and this decision must be hard thought and given much deliberation.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today with a heavy heart as I cast my vote against S. 3001, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. While I support our men and women in the armed forces and our need to ensure our national security, I cannot with a clear conscience support a National Defense Authorization bill that includes money for Iraq without time-lines for an exodus.

Samuel Adams, who was known as the Father of the American Revolution, stated ``All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.'' While most of us value freedom, many of us do not risk our lives for it on a daily basis like our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

H. Con. Res. 320

That is why I chose to celebrate one of our heroic daughters of Texas, Specialist Monica L. Brown of the United States Army with House Concurrent Resolution 320 for her efforts earlier this year.

Specialist Brown was the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the Nation's third-highest medal for valor. This solider from Lake Jackson, Texas is only 19 years old.

On April 25, 2007, Specialist Brown was part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the eastern province of Paktia when a bomb struck one of the Humvees.

When Specialist Brown saw her fellow soldiers were injured, she grabbed her aid bag and started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers from her platoon scrambled out. Under this commotion, she assessed her patients and moved them to a safer location because they were still receiving incoming fire.

The Pentagon's official policy is to prohibit women from serving in front line combat roles in the infantry, armor or artillery, but the nature of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with no real front lines, has seen women soldiers take part in close quarters combat more than previous conflicts.

Though I have opposed the war in Iraq from its inception, I remain absolutely committed to ensuring that we recognize, celebrate, and honor the service of our sons and daughters returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Our troops in Iraq did everything we asked them to do, and I firmly believe that we must commend the men and women of our military for their exemplary performance and success in Iraq.

Defense BIll

This defense bill reflects our commitment to support the men and women who fight to secure not only our citizens' freedom but the freedom of others. This bill will provide the necessary resources to protect the American people and our national interests at home and abroad. The Armed Services committee has provided for military readiness; taking care of our troops and their families; increasing focus on the war in Afghanistan; and improving interagency cooperation, oversight, and accountability in this year's defense authorization bill.

Defense Provisions

We must maintain our efforts to restore military readiness in order to meet current military challenges and prepare for the future. Thankfully, this defense bill:

Provides fair compensation and first-rate health care, and improve the quality of life of the men and women in the armed forces (active duty, National Guard and Reserves) and their families.

Provides our servicemen and women with the resources, training, technology, equipment (especially force protection) and authorities they need to succeed in combat and stability operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Seeks to reduce our Nation's strategic risk by taking action aimed at restoring, as soon as possible, the readiness of the military services to conduct the full range of their assigned missions.

Improves the efficiency of Defense Department programs and activities, and applies the savings toward high-priority programs.

Improves the ability of the armed forces to counter nontraditional threats, including terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Promotes the transformation of the armed forces to deal with the threats of the 21st century.

Ensures aggressive and thorough oversight of the Department's programs and activities to ensure proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars and compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Thank You to Our Troops

We must extol our military for their courage and sacrifice in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The United States cannot and should not permanently prop up the Iraqi government and military. Whether or not my colleagues agree that the time has come to withdraw our American forces from Iraq, I believe that all of us are of one accord that our troops deserve our sincere thanks and congratulations.

The United States Armed Forces successfully toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein and captured the key cities of Iraq in only 21 days. The Armed Forces performed magnificently in conducting military operations designed to ensure that the people of Iraq would enjoy the benefits of a democratically-elected government governing a county that is capable of sustaining itself economically and politically and defending itself militarily.

While our troops have achieved the objectives for which they were sent to Iraq, they are now caught in the midst of a sectarian conflict. Unfortunately, there is no military solution to Iraq's ongoing political and sectarian conflicts.

The objectives for which this Congress authorized war in Iraq have been met; therefore, that authorization should no longer be the basis for ongoing involvement by U.S. armed forces. Our military has already paid too heavy a price for this Administration's ill-advised and poorly planned war effort in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, although I appreciate the need to protect our great nation from enemies both foreign and domestic, and I support without hesitation our troops, I cannot in clear conscious support S. 3001 without clear withdrawal timelines for Iraq. I yield back the balance of my time.

However, I will continue supporting the funding that is particular to supporting our troops, their families and our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the State of Texas, and all of my colleagues that have been working on the devastation that we experienced in Hurricane Ike, I say thank you to our leadership and chairman of the Appropriations Committee and my colleague, Chairman Obey, and the staff, because disasters always need the benevolence and the friendship of the American people. And I thank you very much for your concern about the people in the Midwest and on the gulf region who have suffered, through no fault of their own.

And so this is what our newspaper looks like every day for the last 10 days. The picture is one of a gentleman, 80 years old, Roy Krause in my district, with a tree protruding out of his house. His wife is in the hospital, no lights, no place to go. Galveston and regions around are suffering. And so I am very pleased that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This rule is necessary so that we can begin to help people. The $6.5 billion in CDBG money, one-third of it will be out of Washington, into the hands of the State of Texas, in 60 days. We have thousands of people returning as evacuees with no place to live; $400 billion for Economic Development Agency because we have businesses whose lights are still out; $800 million to FEMA that could help our businesses that have suffered business interruption.

I met a couple as I was giving out MREs and water and ice. They had just come back from being evacuated. They are on hourly wages. They don't know how they're going to pay their rents.

Social services block grants, $600 million. Because of our utility company, CenterPoint, we have hospital and nursing homes today without power and electricity. Those hospitals cannot dry out because they don't have power. And so this grant that we will have will be necessary.

The Army Corps of Engineers, we don't have levees. I'm grateful for the levees. We have bayous that overran themselves and flooded people. So we are grateful for this, $200,000 in an earmark that I was able to secure for predisaster work and $1 million for flooding.

But the real crux is human needs. We need this money now. And in addition to this legislation, I'm glad that we are taking care of our veterans, many of whom were displaced because of the hurricane, homeless veterans, people who were about to transition to a better life, then got wiped out.

Yes, we need moneys for the Red Cross, and I support the $150 million that they need, but I really want this money to get to our people.

And finally let me say, some of this devastation comes about because our utility companies were too worried about profits than performance, and so I have 180 schools that are out because of lack of power. I'm glad this bill will provide moneys from FEMA for public buildings to help them rebuild.

But let me say this to my colleagues, we have got to address the crumbling infrastructure in America.

The PUC of Texas ordered our utility company to precut limbs, to rebuild their power lines, to make them metal. They did not do it, and now we have close to 800,000 people without power still, not because we are trying to get more than we expect after a disaster, but it is because we have poor performance. Our trees are down. They are confused. They don't have an organized special needs list. My nursing homes are without power. My hospitals are without power.

I'll be writing legislation to correct this immediately and provide penalties for those who cannot provide service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act. Although this legislation does not include the important legislative and policy language I sought to help my fellow Houstonians and Texans on the road to recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Ike, it does appropriate $22.9 billion in disaster assistance, which will help communities in Texas and across the nation rebuild, rejuvenate their local economies, and take steps to fortify ourselves from future disasters.

I have been working diligently and tirelessly to prepare for the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Ike since September 11, and I have been in Houston nearly every day since Hurricane Ike hit landfall to assist my constituents and my fellow Texans respond to and recover from the widespread impact. The government should not abrogate its responsibility over the general welfare of its citizens, and all levels of government (federal, state, and local) must do a better job of coordinating and ensuring that relief is delivered in a timely and efficient manner. I am optimistic that this bipartisan legislation does that by assisting the victims and states affected by Hurricane Ike, especially in Texas, get on the road to recovery.

I worked with Chairman Obey and my fellow Texan colleagues to appropriate $7.9 billion in disaster relief funds for FEMA so that this Agency can continue helping communities recover from Hurricane Ike by using these funds for emergency housing, school repairs, debris removal, infrastructure improvements, emergency protective measures, utility repairs, and water facilities. I also worked to provide $6.5 billion in Community Development Block Grants (CDBGs), which are flexible grants that help communities recover from disasters by providing temporary housing, repairing and replacing damaged homes and public infrastructure, and stimulating economic development activities. I also worked to include $600 million in social services block grants to provide

states with flexible sources of funding to address emerging needs ranging from food assistance to urgent healthcare needs. We also have appropriated $1.3 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers to repair damage to infrastructure, especially bayous, drainage channels, and levees to bolster flood control efforts. Furthermore, we have appropriated $799 million for loans and technical assistance by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to businesses and homeowners who have been hit hard and need increased assistance. This legislation also includes assistance for emergency highway relief, levees in New Orleans, wildfires, economic development assistance, international disasters, and international food aid.

While Hurricane Ike has left an enormous amount of devastation, it has brought out the amazing unity, strength and resilience that Texans and Americans possess. Whether rich or poor, black or white, young or old, Democrat or Republican, everyone has been working together to rebuild and move forward. This is a great testament to the insurmountable American spirit.

More than 60 Americans and over 28 Texans have died as a result of Hurricane Ike. In addition, the hurricane has caused millions of dollars of damage in Houston and Galveston and billions of dollars damage throughout the Nation. After touring the devastation throughout the Houston and Galveston area, it is clear that the funds I helped secure for FEMA and CDBG grants are needed to help residents with recovery efforts in Houston and throughout Texas.

As a senior Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, which has oversight over FEMA and DHS, I saw firsthand the waste, fraud, and abuse that occurred in the response and recovery effort to Hurricane Katrina. Furthermore, the almost exclusive use of major, national contractors marginalized and excluded small, minority, and local contractors from participating in the cleanup and rebuilding of New Orleans in particular. This exclusion of small, minority, and local contractors cannot be allowed to occur again in the response and recovery effort in Houston and throughout Texas. I am committed to exercising my oversight over funds appropriated to DHS and FEMA to ensure that they utilize, small, minority, and local businesses that must play an integral role in the recovery and rebuilding of their communities.

Furthermore, the response efforts to Hurricane Ike in Texas, unfortunately similar to Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana but to a smaller extent, revealed breakdowns in communication between the state and local government on the one hand and FEMA and the Federal Government on the other hand. These communication failures resulted in unnecessary and avoidable delays in deploying vital resources to individuals and families in need. I look forward to hearing from the panelists on how we can increase the role that FEMA can play in the response and recovery efforts to natural disasters in order to ensure the most expeditious and efficient decision-making process possible. Whether it be through legislation or simply improved preparation and communication, we must take concrete steps to ensure that in the ongoing recovery effort, bureaucratic barriers are eliminated and minimized and that resources are deployed to individuals and families in need efficaciously.

Nearly 6 million people nationwide and over 2.5 million Texas residents lost electricity and approximately \1/3\ Houstonians still have not regained power. This is unacceptable. CenterPoint, and to a smaller extent Entergy, have demonstrated that their utility infrastructure is lacking and insufficient to deal with a disaster of this magnitude. Clearly, we need to invest substantial funds to improve our electric grids to ensure that the disparate impact on vulnerable populations such as the elderly, disabled, and impoverished, are corrected and are never allowed to reoccur. Furthermore, I am drafting legislation to ensure that utility companies who ignore recommendations to upgrade their power infrastructure and fail to prepare for natural disasters face both civil and criminal liability for their negligent actions.

Also, nearly 1 million people evacuated before Hurricane Ike and tens of thousands of Houstonians and Texans are facing a major housing crisis that must be addressed. The City of Houston will need over $2 billion for emergency shelters, temporary housing, removal of debris, emergency protective measures, and repairs for infrastructure, schools, and water facilities. The City of Houston also estimates that it will require over $300 million in CDBG grants for permanent housing to address this housing crisis. I am confident that I will have the strong support of my congressional colleagues in my efforts to ensure that Houston and Texas receives the funds it so desperately needs on the road to recovery.

Also, the procedure for reimbursement of uninsured home damage is extremely cumbersome and slow and must be streamlined to assist families on the path to recovery. The current steps which allow for applicants to be rejected by the Small Business Administration (SBA) after they have registered with FEMA and have had their homes inspected and their losses assessed is broken and must be fixed.

Although I support the additional support of our troops included in the Defense Appropriations portion of this legislation, I still must reluctantly oppose allowing President Bush to continue a war which the American people also oppose by failing to impose timelines for withdrawal. However this legislation also restores the crucial American priorities shortchanged by the President's proposed budget, this legislation restores vital homeland security programs, life-saving medical research, education for our children, financial aid for secondary studies, energy independence, and services for seniors.

Throughout this year, the Democratic-led Congress has worked to restore these critical programs, and this omnibus appropriations bill represents the final rejection of the President's misguided budget cuts. Instead, this legislation provides funding for medical research, health care access, and rural hospitals. It increases funding for K-12 education, student aid, and vocational education. This legislation invests in our Nation's first responders, invests in highway infrastructure, and in a safe future for our children through renewable energy.

Mr. Speaker, it is essential that the Congress, as the direct representatives of the American people, approve appropriations legislation that reflects the priorities of the American people. That is what this bill does. It restores funding, supported by a strong, bipartisan majority, for a wide variety of American needs. Even as the President asks for billions more to fund a war that the majority of Americans do not support, he proposes to essentially freeze most domestic funding.

In addition, I am pleased to have been able to secure funding for a number of projects benefiting the citizens of the 18th congressional district of Texas such as $1 million for Harris County Flood Control District, $200,000 for City of Houston, and $200,000 for FEMA Pre- Disaster Mitigation. These funds will be crucial to ensure the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Ike is not repeated.

Mr. Speaker, while I am pleased with many of the provisions of this legislation, this legislation contains some language which is unacceptable to me, and is unacceptable to the American people. My colleagues and I in the House of Representatives have tried, numerous times, to provide funds for the troops in Iraq specifically linked to a requirement for the immediate commencement of the redeployment of U.S. forces.

As lawmakers continue to debate U.S. policy in Iraq, our heroic young men and women continue to willingly sacrifice life and limb on the battlefield. Our troops in Iraq did everything we asked them to do. We sent them overseas to fight an army; they are now caught in the midst of an insurgent civil war and continuing political upheaval. The United States will not and should not permanently prop up the Iraqi government and military. U.S. military involvement in Iraq will come to an end, and, when U.S. forces leave, the responsibility for securing their nation will fall to Iraqis themselves. However, whether or not my colleagues agree that the time has come to withdraw our American forces from Iraq, I believe that all of us in Congress should be of one accord that our troops deserve our sincere thanks and congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, we have already lost over 4,100 American lives and $500 billion in taxpayer dollars in Iraq. We have occupied the country for over four years. And our President continues to push a strategy devoid of clear direction and visible targets, while rejecting congressional calls to solidify an exit strategy.

In November 2006, the American people clearly stated that they did not want to see an endless conflict in Iraq; they went to the polls and elected a new, Democratic Congress to lead our nation out of Iraq. I am proud to be a member of the Congressional class that listens and adheres to the will of the American people, as we did when both houses of Congress approved Iraq Supplemental bills that instituted a timetable for U.S. withdrawal. We need a new direction, because we owe our brave, fighting men and women so much more. Washington made a mistake in going to war. It is time for politicians to admit that mistake and fix it before any more lives are lost.

This Congress will not, as the previous Republican Congress did, continue to rubber stamp what we believe to be an ill-conceived war. As we continue to receive reports on the situation in Iraq, it is important that we continue to look forward, to the future of Iraq beyond a U.S. military occupation.

Despite the multitude of mistakes perpetrated by President Bush and former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, our troops have achieved a military success in ousting Saddam Hussein and assisting the Iraqis in administering a democratic election and electing a democratic government. However, only the Iraqi government can secure a lasting peace. Time and time again, the Iraqi government

has demonstrated an inability to deliver on the political benchmarks that they themselves agreed were essential to achieving national reconciliation. Continuing to put the lives of our soldiers and our national treasury in the hands of what by most informed accounts, even by members of the Bush Administration, is an ineffective central Iraqi government is irresponsible and contrary to the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the American people.

Our nation has already paid a heavy price in Iraq. Over 4,100 American soldiers have died. In addition, more than 30,600 have been wounded in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003. This misguided, mismanaged, and misrepresented war has claimed too many lives of our brave servicemen; its depth, breadth, and scope are without precedent in American history. In addition, the U.S. is spending an estimated $10 billion per month in Iraq. This $10 billion a month translates into $329,670,330 per day, $13,736,264 per hour, $228,938 per minute, and $3,816 per second. Ultimately, many estimate that Bush's misadventure in Iraq will cost over $1 trillion.

Mr. Speaker, this House previously passed legislation providing our brave soldiers in Iraq with the resources they need, while requiring that the President begin to redeploy our troops. We have worked tirelessly to keep our soldiers and our nation safe. The open-ended war funding provided by this legislation is not the will of the American people, and I am proud to stand here, on their behalf, and oppose this legislation.

Let me thank the managing member, Mr. Kind of the Ways and Means Committee, for his leadership and the leadership of Chairman Rangel. And as well, let me thank my colleague Congressman Kevin Brady who over the last 10 days we have traveled throughout our respective districts, along with Congressman Lampson and Congressmen Al Green, Gene Green and Ron Paul, and

we've worked together in a bipartisan effort to obviously respond to the devastation and needs of our constituents.

People are suffering through the impact of Hurricane Ike. We've been told that there will be billions and billions of dollars of damage, 40,000 to 35,000 people still evacuated, many of them coming back to devastated housing and loss of housing.

This is an important initiative. I think one of the most important aspects of it is the ability to increase low-income housing tax credits to States that contain Federal disaster areas. That is particularly important because we've seen the damage to our multiple family housing units. I've also seen the damage that comes about through our regular housing.

Mortgage revenue bond financing for individuals suffering home damage as a result of Federal disaster, there's a limit to the annual amount of taxing housing bonds that each State may issue. This bill allows an increase, a very important part of recovery.

In addition, a business is allowed a 5-year carryback period for certain losses related to the disaster. Of course, the State of Texas has Federal disaster counties, and we have an enormous impact in our business communities, particularly small businesses in our neighborhoods and in our cities.

So this legislation is an important tax relief bill that I believe responds to the crux of the need for recovery, and that's what we want to do in the gulf region. We want to recover. Galveston wants to recover. The southeast part of Harris County wants to recover, and the inner city neighborhoods that I represent such as southeast, such as Acres Home, South Park, Sunny Side, northeast Houston, all of those want to recover.

For that reason, I rise to support The Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008, H.R. 7006, and I ask my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on a very important issue to me, House Resolution 7006, the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008. Right now, over 800,000 people in the greater Houston area are without power; this is not acceptable. We must pass responsible legislation to make it easier for people to get back on their feet after natural disasters ravage their communities. It is time to show the Nation that we learned the lessons of Katrina and Rita and now Ike as well as the other natural disasters we have faced in recent memory.

Katrina and Rita taught FEMA quite a lot on how to recover from natural disasters that destroy thousands of people's homes and livelihood. We now have more advanced warning systems in place, a better plan to evacuate those in the storm's path and our first responders are better trained to deal with the medical crisis for those whose best option is to stay. All these things helped save countless lives in my district, but now we face the true test of how a nation responds to a natural disaster.

While we have plenty to praise about the response, sadly, we also have plenty to criticize. The utility companies were told to improve their infrastructure so that a disaster like this would not cripple the region; however, more than a week after Hurricane Ike, these utility companies left my constituents to clean up with flashlights and candles. Power still has not been restored to almost a million people, and we face an emerging health crisis because of it.

I have taken every opportunity to talk to people facing this crisis and to find out what the Government can do to help them rebuild their shattered lives. A number of stories that I have heard have been inspirational, they want, more than anything, to help their friends, family and neighbors. My staff has received hundreds of calls from people begging to be of any assistance. These brave souls look at the

devastation and refuse to sit by and watch as people they don't know, as well as their loved ones, suffer.

This bill will honor those wonderful human beings by helping ease the burden they have willingly placed on themselves to help. They will get a higher reimbursement for the miles they drive in the service of others. The limit that corporations are allowed to write off on their taxes would be waived. This will allow companies to help the communities they support and still remain responsible officers for the employees who work for them.

Madam Speaker, this legislation would also help people's way of life remain protected during Federal disasters. Being able to deduct a greater cost for their damaged property help keep homes in the affected areas instead of them not being rebuilt and relocating. Allowing small businesses to write off expenses relating to these disasters assures that the jobs for those who return still exist. Businesses would also be able to focus on healing before they focus on gathering what is owed to them. Moving the carry-back period, the statue of limitations on claiming damages from natural disasters, from 2 years to 5 years would provide financial assistance as well as peace of mind.

Since the time of the founding of our country, the Government has been helping out towns and cities affected by disasters. In 1803 a small fire ravaged the town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and the Congress reacted. This is widely considered the first use of any type of disaster relief.

Today, a lot of my constituents are no better off than they were a week ago; this must be remedied. This bill is a great step forward to help communities recover, and we must pass this bill. With that, I am also pleased to be an original cosponsor of this legislation with my Texas colleagues, Congressman Al Green and Congressman Kevin Brady.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on S. 3023, Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. This bill is so important to our men and women who have served, are currently serving, or will serve one day.

As President John F. Kennedy once said, ``As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.'' Every day on this Floor, we praise the efforts of the soldiers who defend our way of life and our safety. If it is not time that we live by President Kennedy's words, and not just pay them lip service, when will it be?

Veterans face some of the greatest hardships that any of us can ever imagine. When they return from service, a large number of them can't acclimate back in to their life in an easy manner. This number goes up when you look at the members of the service who have seen action in one of the theatres that we have fought wars in. As of September 24, 2008, we have lost 4,125 men and women. As you all know, death is not the only sacrifice that these brave Americans make. Over 10 times that number of soldiers killed, 10 times that amount have been wounded. When they do return, they expect that the benefits they were promised are there to help them transition.

This bill provides a few things that will help the period of transition run smoothly. First off it says that veterans who need disability assistance can get it with ease. As anyone who has ever filled out a government form, they know that they were not designed with simplicity in mind. These forms often take trained professionals and a large amount of time to understand how and where to file this paperwork.

The current way to file is just as confusing as how you file other governmental forms. If this bill passes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs would be required to publish regulations relating to how people in need would request disability assistance. This bill would require clear and concise words as well as input from the public on what they think. The best way to prevent confusion is to get interested stakeholders to be brought into the process.

Second, this bill will standardize the process's time limits. No time limits on how long a person has to file claims exist today. This means that if the agency decides they want to deny a claim based on time, there is no mechanism to appeal. The 60 day deadline allows disabled veterans who are denied to fight back and get the coverage.

Our soldiers, and the patriotism that they inspire in Americans, need to be protected. This bill will help the veterans of the past, and the solders of the future, worry about their safety and not worry about what they will do when

they get home. We need to help these heroes out anyway we can.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for House Concurrent Resolution 255, expressing the sense of Congress regarding the United States commitment to preservation of religious and cultural sites and condemning instances where sites are desecrated. The heart of this bill is protecting the memory and beliefs of those around the world. Protecting the beliefs of others allows me to rest easy that my beliefs and the beliefs of those in the 18th Congressional District of Texas are kept safe.

Protecting religious freedoms isn't just about allowing anyone to pray to whatever God they believe in, it is also about allowing them to have religious sites that are safe from molestation by people who disagree with what those places symbolize and embody. These sites are more than Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques; they are gardens, statues, and cemeteries.

Before 9/11 happened, the Taliban was still in the midst of wreaking havoc on all those who believed in things different from them. In March 2001, Supreme Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar issued an edict against un-Islamic graven images. This edict made two mountain sized, 1,500 year old sandstone statues of Buddha against the law. Through hand placed dynamite and tank shells fired from below, these two majestic monuments of sixth century ingenuity were reduced to rubble. As if this wasn't bad enough, the culprits of this despicable deed went through local museums with sledge hammers finding anything that was related to other religions. After it was over, 2,500 artifacts from centuries passed were lost forever to what can only be described as petty, but effective, vandalism.

Mr. Speaker, destruction like this should not be allowed. This does not just hurt those who follow the teachings of Buddha; this hurts those who have their own beliefs shared by people around the world. Christian burial grounds, Jewish monuments to the Holocaust, and Islamic mosques need to be protected to assure that every man, woman, and child has the right to practice whatever religion they want.

Second only to personal safety, in regard to defending religious rights, is safeguarding the sites that are sacred to a religion. Buddhists around the world were gravely hurt by the destruction of their statues. Before the Taliban had come to power, these 15 story tall monuments had served as a beacon for Buddhists everywhere. They could come and view the proof that people just like them 15 centuries ago had the same basic beliefs that they did. This was proof that this faith could endure and in fact, had for generations.

This bill will express to the world, in a clear and unwavering voice, that the United States of America will not tolerate such brutal attacks on religion. Residents of my district know that if anyone in the world was attacking their most tightly held beliefs and religious ideals that the Federal Government would not sit idly by and watch as a repeat of the destruction on the mountainside of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, occurred.

Sites from Jerusalem's Wailing Wall to the supreme holy city of Mecca to the Vatican City should remain protected from those who don't believe what these places represent. In the end, the right to practice any religion you

choose doesn't just protect those who practice; it protects those who don't practice. Religion, like speech, is such an engrained belief in our country, since the time of the founding of the country, that it must be protected at all costs.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1451. This is important. It is a nonpartisan human rights commission that will have a universal code of human rights which is imperative. This human rights commission will look at charges of human rights violations according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that will certainly show countries and individuals who choose to violate what every individual has a right to: their civil liberties. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 1451 because it establishes a commission on human rights that creates a way for Congress to promote, defend, and advocate internationally recognized human rights.

This resolution is timely because there have been numerous violations of civil rights all over the world. Egregious human rights violations are occurring in countries such as Sudan, Pakistan, Colombia, and China every day.

Sudan's own president is wanted by the ICC for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. This is the first time the ICC Prosecutor has named a sitting head of state, and the first time it has accused a suspect of genocide. There are also allegations of attacks on peacekeepers by rebels in Darfur. There are also numerous abuses of women in Pakistan where Dr. Shazia was a 32-year-old Pakistani physician who worked at a hospital run by Pakistan Petroleum Limited, a state-owned natural gas supplier in Baluchistan, a remote area of Pakistan. On January 2, 2005, Dr. Shazia was attacked and raped in her home, a guarded compound, by an intruder who broke in at night while she was sleeping. She reported the crime although told to stay quiet. Doctors sedated her and flew her to a psychiatric hospital in Karachi. The government forced Dr. Shazia to sign a statement saying that she had been given government help and that she wanted to close the matter.

China is also a country that commits numerous civil rights violations. It has a 1982 constitution that guarantees freedom of speech, but the Chinese Government often uses the subversion of state power clause to imprison those who are critical of the government. The PRC is known for its intolerance of organized dissent toward the government. Dissident groups are routinely arrested and imprisoned, often for long periods of time and without trial. The Chinese Government also limits religious freedom by requiring that members of the Communist Party be atheists.

Between June 2006 and June 2007, at least 280 Colombian civilians were extra judicially killed by Colombian security forces and many of them were subsequently presented by those forces as guerrillas killed in conflict. And this year human rights groups have continued to document extrajudicial killings by some Colombian military forces.

As a civilized nation, we cannot remain silent at outrages such as these. We must give voice to those who cannot on their own, and we must scream at the offense to human rights and settle for nothing less than full and complete justice. The United States Congress must show the violators that their actions will not be condoned or ignored. We must come together and take action on the atrocities occurring in the international community.

The human rights commission will promote human rights education, serve as a medium for dialogue on human rights issues, and promote the realization of human rights obligations. Promoting human rights education is vital for administering justice to those who have been wronged and this bill proposes to do just that. We need to know what is wrong in order to help those who have been wronged.

Establishing a human rights commission is important in establishing a united American foreign policy that consistently stands for human dignity around the world. We need to use this commission to find the best course of action to encourage countries from around the world to adopt principles for the protection of human rights.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1461, ``Recognizing the Tenth Anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Kenya and Tanzania who lives were lost or whose were injured as a result of these attacks which is introduced by my distinguished colleague Representative Scott. This legislation is important to ensure that we remember those who lost their lives and those lives were affected by these tragic and horrendous bombings.

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On August 7, 1998, approximately 4,000 people were injured in the Nairobi bombing and 85 injured in Dar es Salaam. These attacks which killed hundreds of people, first brought international attention to Osama Bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist network, and stand out as one of the worst anti-American terrorist attacks preceding September 11, 2001.

This legislation will recognize all the citizens whose lives were lost in these bombings. In addition to recognizing the 10th anniversary of the al Qaeda bombings, this resolution will recognize all the families and friends of victims lost in the attack and mourn those who lost their lives in these tragic and senseless attacks. This resolution will also express gratitude for the people of Kenya and Tanzania for their gracious contributions and assistance following these attacks in striving for future opportunity, democracy, and prosperity, and reaffirm its resolve to defeat al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.

It is a national tragedy that lives have been victim to reckless acts of terrorism, and the least we can do as a Congress, as a Nation is to recognize those involved in this tragedy and the counties who came to our aid. We cannot withhold this honor from those victims that perished in the tragedy. As honored Members of Congress, we have the honor to have the opportunity to recognize this anniversary and ensure the proper recognition is given to those involved in the terrorist bombings of 1998. Anything else would be giving in to the power of the terrorist, to which America will not yield.

I firmly believe that we must pass this legislation in order to demonstrate our support of those people who lost their lives and those people who lost their loved ones, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Though this was a horrible tragedy, we can recognize the Tenth Anniversary and bring honor to those who were victims of al Qaeda.

Madam Speaker, I too want to add my appreciation to the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Berman of California, and the ranking member, Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who was obviously here during that first Durban Conference in 2001.

Interestingly enough, that conference preceded the horrific tragedy that occurred in this country. I might venture to say that the contempt and hatred that was expressed there certainly did not help in adding to the idea that we are all part of the human family. But I will say to you that this is a characterization of relief.

And I do thank my colleague from California, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Both of us were on that early delegation. But more importantly we worked extensively to pressure, if you will, the Bush administration to actually send a high level delegation. In fact I believe that if we had sent a high-level delegation, many of us many times will argue for boycotting. In this instance, we worked with Secretary Powell and begged him to go so that he could put a face of America, and that face of America will be in conjunction with the basis of this particular conference, and that is for the first time to be able to hold a conference that marked an important recognition of the historic wounds raised or caused by slavery, colonialism and related ongoing racism, racial discrimination, including the recognition of trans-Atlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity and the people of African descent, people of Asian descent, and indigenous people, and as well to stamp out racial discrimination against persons of African descent, members of Jewish, Muslim, castes, indigenous Roma and Sinti and other communities. That is what we were supposed to be doing. But because I believe we did not send a high-level delegation, it was hijacked. We were hoodwinked. But I can assure you that as I can recount the actions of those of us who went unofficially claiming we were official, we were running from one meeting to the next to be able to argue for the purpose of this particular conference, putting the message of America forward, suggesting that we want to stamp out racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination. We were there on the front line.

This is an important statement. And that statement says that America does recognize the sins of the past, that we do embrace those around the world who have suffered injustices, and we reject the anti-Semitism or creating an opportunity for this to be a cause of bashing Israel. But I believe that as we go as a full delegation, which I hope that many of us will again be able to attend the Durban review in 2009, you will see the opportunity for African Americans and those descendants of slaves around the world, those who are presently abused, you will see a standing up for the cause of eliminating and eradicating racism wherever it is and

scapegoating any people, which includes as well the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

Madam Speaker, I believe that this is a right step. I wish we had had this document. I wish we had had a high-level delegation some years ago. And if I might quickly acknowledge Mary Robinson.

I acknowledge the then Human Rights Commissioner, Mary Robinson, who was the architect somewhat of this idea. Her heart was in the right place. She was there. She wanted us to speak on the issues that this conference needed to grapple.

Racism, Madam Speaker, is intrinsic. It is deep. It is in the souls of many. It covers ethnicities and language. It is difficult to deal with. This is an important conference. This legislation should craft it, design it and stand for it in the right way.

Let me thank the NAACP for its support of this legislation. And I understand Wade Henderson, who was one of the architects of working with this, this is the right direction to go. I'm looking forward to a conference that speaks to the issues and embraces all of those who have been victims of racism and discrimination and to end it forever and ever.

Mr. Speaker, I rise is strong support of H. Res. 1369, Recognizing nongovernmental organizations working to bring just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, which I am a cosponsor of. This bill was introduced by my distinguished colleague from California Congresswoman Barbara Lee. This important legislation encourages countries in the Middle East to find a solution that will ensure long lasting stability, prosperity, and self-sufficiency in their region and affirms the importance of nongovernmental organizations to this process.

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For decades, the United States and Israel have maintained strong bilateral relations based on a number of factors, including strong domestic U.S. support for Israel; shared strategic goals in the Middle East; shared democratic values; and historic ties dating back to U.S. support of the creation of Israel in 1948. U.S. economic and military aid has been a major component in cementing and reinforcing these ties. Although there have been occasional differences over Israel's settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Israeli arms sales to China, successive administrations and many lawmakers have long considered Israel to be a reliable partner in the region, and U.S. aid packages for Israel have reflected this sentiment.

However, the elongated years of fighting between Israel and Palestine are indirectly detrimental to the position of our country in the Middle East. The most beneficial solution for the United States, Israel, and Palestine is lasting peace in the holy regions, and as the Congress of the United States we must recognize that nongovernmental organizations can facilitate this process and aid every country involved. The stability of the Middle Eastern region is important the United States, and this resolution will reaffirm our commitment to supporting any steps towards peace in the Israel and Palestine.