Floor Statements

To the distinguished chairman, let me thank you for the litany and list of achievements of human rights that you have achieved on this floor. And I appreciate the leadership of my subcommittee Chair, Ms. Zoe Lofgren, on many hard issues that have come to her attention over the time of her tenure as chairperson. And as a member of the subcommittee, I am grateful for her leadership. And working with the minority, I thank them on this instance for the cooperation on H.R. 5570. It is an especially unique and important legislative initiative as we make note not only of the many religious leaders in this Nation, but as we make note of the visit of the Aga Khan that, who has spent time in the State of Texas and his followers who have had the privilege of seeing him for the first time in 10 years in the United States, someone who has funded major humanitarian efforts around the world, and of course, the people of New York and Washington, D.C. have the privilege of hosting the Pope in these coming weeks and certainly in Washington.

Religion is special, and is special to this Nation. This legislation is a special immigrant visa which allows qualified religious workers to immigrate to the U.S. and later become citizens if they so chose and meet the qualifications. The other is a nonimmigrant visa which allows qualified religious workers to entry temporarily and perform services in the U.S. for a prescribed period. It has already been noted that the actions of these religious workers may find themselves in parishes, mosques or synagogues, or really simply in the community, as Mother Theresa was in India. Both of these visas may be granted to both ministers and nonminister religious workers.

Yes, there is humanitarian work to be done in the United States. They work in some of our most impoverished communities. And they are sincere in their social and religious humanitarian work. The bill has come under closer scrutiny because of the allegations of abuse and fraud among the foreign petitioners. But I am glad that this bill will provide for a 7-year extension of the program, and it will require DHS to promulgate regulations to eliminate fraud.

We must work together with the Department of Homeland Security, and I do appreciate the work of Dr. Gonzalez to impress upon them that their task is, in fact, to secure America and that they must move quickly on these regulations. If the regulations are not in place by December 31, 2008, to reduce fraud, the program will only be extended for 15 months through January 1, 2010. But if DHS can get the regulations in place, it is automatically extended to January 1, 2016.

I think this is a great start. But I ask my colleagues to consider the expansion of this bill, one to authorize it permanently, but also to look at a small area of which I hope to write legislation on, and that is the insistence that the religious person coming must be of the same religion of that which the person is petitioning for.

I had this circumstance in my district. Grace Community Church is a church with thriving multiple ministries that wanted to bring a young man and his family, a bilingual pastor, to speak to their Spanish congregation and to minister to our Hispanic community in Texas. It was a very, very tough task to address the question of the denials that he received because he was not the same religion of Grace Community Church. He had the same faith. He believed in a higher power. He wanted to do missionary work. The church was legitimate. It had long years in the community. The father of the young man had worked with the pastor of Grace Community Church. But yet we could not get a visa except for the gracious reconsideration of the Department of Homeland Security.

We must reduce fraud. But we can't reduce faith. And when individuals come and want to be missionaries even in this land, we should recognize and grant the opportunity. We can reduce fraud by making sure the institutions exist, the time frame is a time frame that is credible, the individuals are credible, the time that the visa is issued is reviewed, if you will, or overseen by the Department of Homeland Security. But actually, we should encourage those who wish to come to this Nation for good reasons and those who come under this visa are doing so.

So in conclusion, I do want to note that we are celebrating the authorization of this bill this week for very special reasons. But we are also celebrating it because we believe that those who want to do good should be granted the opportunity. As we go forward on this legislation, I am hoping that we will look at some of the small fractures that keep good people from

coming to the United States, worshiping, practicing, serving and working with a great church like Grace Community and others who may wish to bring individuals who may not have the same religious affiliation but have the same belief in the greater goodness and the greater power.

Let me yield back by asking my colleagues to support H.R. 5570. And I thank my colleagues for the great work that they have done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5570, the ``Religious Worker Visa Program Extension Act of 2008'', introduced by the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Representative Zoe Lofgren.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill. The religious worker visa program allows U.S. religious denominations to fill critical religious worker positions for which there are no qualified candidates in the U.S. with qualified religious workers abroad. The program provides for two types of visas.

The one is a special immigrant visa, which allows qualified religious workers to immigrate to the U.S. and later become citizens if they so choose and meet the qualification. The other is the non-immigrant visa, which allows qualified religious workers to enter temporarily and perform services in the U.S. for a proscribed period. Both of these visas may be granted to both ministers and non-minister religious workers.

This bill has come under closer scrutiny recently because of allegations of abuse and fraud among the foreign petitioners. H.R. 5570 would provide for a seven-year extension of the program and it would require DHS to promulgate regulations to eliminate fraud. If the Department of Homeland Security does not issue regulations to eliminate or reduce fraud in the religious worker program by December 31, 2008, the program is only extended for 15 months through January 1, 2010. If the Secretary of Homeland Security issues the regulation then the program is automatically extended until January 1, 2016.

While I support this bill, I would have liked to have this bill be expanded so that a religious worker does not have to work for a religious institution of the same denomination. Presently, a religious worker must be of the same religion as the institution by which the worker is employed. Recently this has created problems.

Pastor Riggle from Grace Community Church in my district in Houston, Texas contacted my office concerning Dr. David Scarpeta who needed a religious worker visa to work in his church. USCIS initially denied Dr. Scarpeta's religious worker petition because Dr. Scarpeta was not a member of Pastor Riggle's church.

In my view, Dr. Scarpeta should not have been excluded from the religious worker program merely because he was not a member of the church that was sponsoring him. This is inconsistent with religious work as I know it in this country. Often religious workers from different denominations and religious workers from different denominations work together in the religious vineyard.

Because I thought the law as interpreted was draconian and far too limited in its application, I worked tirelessly with USCIS to ensure that Dr. Scarpeta would be able to work for Grace Community Church. Through my efforts, I was able to get resolution of that case and now Dr. Scarpeta is an active member of the Grace Community Church.

Madam Speaker I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to examine this bill and recognize that it benefits the religious worker and Americans. I fully support what Representative Lofgren and the Subcommittee on Immigration, of which I am a member, have done in the area of immigration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1102, the Rule to Consider H.R. 5719, ``Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008''. This legislation, introduced by Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis (D-GA), modernizes Internal Revenue Service functions to make filing taxes simpler while improving outreach to taxpayers.

This Rule allows considerations:

Summary of H.R. 5719

Key provisions included in H.R. 5719 as agreed to by the Committee would eliminate the special requirements for individuals to keep detailed records of calls made on employer-provided cell phones; delay for one year the imposition of a three-percent withholding requirement on government payments for goods and services made after December 31, 2010; stops federal contractors from using foreign subsidiaries to evade Social Security and other employment taxes; make the administrators of state and local government programs liable for paying the employment taxes on amounts paid by government programs to in-home care workers provided to elderly and disabled persons; repeal the IRS's authority to use private debt collection companies to collect Federal taxes; prohibit the misuse of Department of the Treasury names and symbols in misleading websites and ``phishing'' schemes; protect low- income taxpayers by prohibiting IRS debt indicators for predatory

refund anticipation loans, allowing IRS employees to refer taxpayers to qualified low-income taxpayer clinics, and authorizing funding for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, ``VITA'' programs, and require the IRS to notify taxpayers if it suspects theft of a taxpayer's identity.

Programs for the Benefit of Low-Income Taxpayers

There are parts of this tax bill that help the working poor and our elderly, making this tax bill truly live up to its name of being one of Taxpayer Assistance--not just give a credit to the top 2% of Americans.

This bill would authorize an annual $10 million grant for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, ``VITA'' programs, increasing the annual aggregate limitation authorized on grants to qualified low-income taxpayer clinics to $10 million.

This bill would allow IRS employees to refer taxpayers needing assistance with tax cases to qualified low-income taxpayer clinics so they can get the help they need. Many people are struggling with how to manage complicated tax cases when they can barely afford to pay their mortgage. This portion of the bill will alleviate the fear that is sometimes associated with IRS tax cases particularly among people who cannot afford legal counsel.

Elderly and Disabled Individuals Receiving In-Home Care

This bill would make the administrators of state and local government programs liable for paying the employment taxes on amounts paid by government programs to in-home care workers provided to elderly and disabled persons. This is yet another provision of the bill that benefits our most vulnerable populations.

Conclusion

Mr. Speaker I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to allow for full consideration of this bill by supporting H. Res. 1102, the Rule providing for consideration of the Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008. I fully support what Representative Rangel and the Committee on Ways and Means has done to alleviate some of the burden on taxpayers.

Amendment Offered by Ms. Sutton

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5719, ``Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008'', introduced by my good friend from New York, Representative Charles Rangel.

Cost as Compared to the War in Iraq

This bill is estimated to cost $22 million dollars over the next 10 years. Before my Republican colleagues balk at this number I want to remind them over the past year, the Administration requested a total of $195.5 billion for FY 2008 emergency war funds at three times--in its original FY 2008 request in February 2008, in an amendment for Mine Resistant Ambush Program (MRAP) vehicles on July 31, 2008, and in an amended request to cover

additional costs submitted on October 22, 2008. Thus far, we have appropriated $90.4 billion for war-related costs of the Defense Department, State/U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, and the Veterans' Administration including funds in both regular and emergency appropriations acts. As of the enactment of the FY 2008 Consolidated Appropriations, this brings the total for funds appropriated to date to $700 billion for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and enhanced security.

Let me be clear, we must support our troops and we must defend our Nation, but at a time when this country's economy is spiraling downward, this tax bill will impact Americans regardless of their political affiliation providing assistance at time when they most need it.

Summary of H.R. 5719

Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008--Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) modify penalty provisions for tax return preparers who take an unreasonable position in the preparation of a tax return causing an underpayment of tax; (2) eliminate certain restrictions on the tax deduction for employee use of cellular telephones; (3) exempt recipients of home care services from liability for employment taxes for payments made to home care service providers; (4) authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to make grants for volunteer income tax assistance programs; (5) require written notice to taxpayers of eligibility for the earned income tax credit; (6) place restrictions on information relating to refund anticipation loans; (7) require the Secretary to notify a taxpayer of any unauthorized use of such taxpayer's identity (suspected identity theft) uncovered during an tax investigation; (8) repeal the authority of the Internal Revenue Service, IRS, to enter into private debt collection contracts; (9) extend the period during which the IRS may return property seized in a wrongful tax levy; and (10) increase penalties for failures to provide correct tax information and to file partnership or S corporation tax returns.

This bill delays until 2012 the 3 percent withholding requirement on government payments to contractors providing goods and services. It also directs the Secretary of the Treasury to conduct a feasibility study on alternative means of delivering tax refunds. H.R. 5719 seeks to expand the prohibitions against the misuse of Department of the Treasury names and symbols to include misuse on an Internet domain address.

Programs for the Benefit of Low-Income Taxpayers

There are parts of this tax bill that help the working poor and our elderly, making this tax bill truly live up to its name of being one of Taxpayer Assistance . . . not just a credit to the top 2 percent of Americans. This bill would authorize an annual $10 million grant for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, VITA, programs, increasing the annual aggregate limitation authorized on grants to qualified low-income taxpayer clinics to $10 million.

This bill would allow IRS employees to refer taxpayers needing assistance with tax cases to qualified low-income taxpayer clinics so they can get the help they need. Many people are struggling with how to manage complicated tax cases when they can barely afford to pay their mortgage. This portion of the bill will alleviate the fear that is sometimes associated with IRS tax cases particularly among people who cannot afford legal counsel.

Elderly and Disabled Individuals Receiving In-Home Care

This bill would make the administrators of State and local government programs liable for paying the employment taxes on amounts paid by government programs to in-home care workers provided to elderly and disabled persons. This is yet another provision of the bill that benefits our most vulnerable populations.

Conclusion

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to examine this bill in its entirety and recognize that it benefits all Americans. I fully support what Representative Rangel and the Committee on Ways and Means has done to alleviate some of the burden on taxpayers.

Madam Speaker, today is Tax Day, April 15, and that's why the Democrats have risen today to be able to tell the American people we're on your side. The Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008 may cost $22 million, but I can assure you that it pales in comparison to the money that my friends are spending on the unending war in Iraq.

I am glad to stand with the taxpayers of America, making sure that the elderly and the disabled are exempted from liability for employment taxes or payments to home care service providers. They deserve our respect, and today we give it to them.

I am glad that we are requiring a written notice to taxpayers of the eligibility of the earned income tax credit. It's a shame that so many think that there is so much fraud for hardworking Americans who don't file for their taxes who deserve it, and I'm delighted to stand with Americans to repeal the authority of the IRS to enter into private debt collection, those guys who have harassed the elderly, the shut-ins, hardworking Americans because they are private bounty hunters.

Today we stand with hardworking Americans. We will do so as well. And we honor our troops, declare the war's end, bring them home and reinvest in America.

Madam Speaker, today is Tax Day and it is the day that D.C. residents pay their Federal income taxes. Yet D.C. residents remain without a vote. D.C. residents enjoy many of the benefits of U.S. citizenship but they lack the vote.

The rest of the Nation votes as District residents pay their taxes and serve in wars abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan. Andy Shallal, a D.C. citizen said it best, ``People like me of Iraqi ancestry and even my son, who was born in the United States, are entitled to vote in the Iraqi's election due in large part to the service of the citizens of the District of Columbia and other Americans who have fought and died in Iraq.'' In spite of D.C. residents' service in foreign wars and even in the American Revolution, and every war since where U.S. was involved, D.C. residents cannot vote in their own country.

Tax Day is a bitter reminder to the Nation that the founders of our country who staged their revolution for representation would then deny representation to residents of their very

own capital city. Professor Viet Dinh, President Bush's former assistant attorney general for constitutional matters, has wiped away the major argument that because the District is not a state, its American citizens cannot vote in the House by detailing the many ways in which ``since 1805 the Supreme Court has recognized that Congress has the authority to treat the District as a state and Congress has repeatedly exercised this authority.'' My favorite is the 16th amendment which requires only that citizens of states pay Federal income taxes. Why then have District residents continuously been taxed without representation?

There is a terrible racial stain that has been at the core of the denial of the rights of D.C. citizens. Congress required the same racial segregation in schools and public accommodations in D.C. and other parts of the South until the 1954 Brown decision. As one southern Senator put it, ``The Negroes . . . flocked in . . . and there was only one way out . . . and that was to deny . . . suffrage entirely to every human being in the District.''

Former Republican Senator Edward Brooke, a native Washingtonian and the Nation's first popularly elected black Senator wrote, ``The experience of living in a segregated city and of serving in our segregated armed forces perhaps explains why my party's work on the Voting Rights Act reauthorization last year and on the pending D.C. House Voting Rights Act has been so important to me personally. The irony of course, is that I had to leave my hometown to get representation in Congress and to become a Member.''

Today, on Tax Day, we need to move to abolish the irony and the tragedy of the many who have come to the Nation's capital seeking freedom for well over 200 years. It is on this day, that D.C. residents pay their Federal income taxes without a vote.

Presently, only three votes are needed for Senate passage of the D.C. Voting Rights Bill. I am a supporter of the bill in the House. I appeal to your conscience and ask for your vote so that finally there will be a vote for your fellow Americans here, who have paid for this precious right many times over in blood and tears. Support the voting rights bill today.

I thank the distinguished chairwoman, Maxine Waters. I would say I am delighted to be part of the Out-of-Iraq Caucus, but that is not the appropriate term. I am delighted, however, to join my colleagues, Chairwoman Waters and Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the other members who have participated and submitted their statement.

I wanted to join my colleagues because it has been a very long journey. I remind Congresswoman Waters in the fall of 2002, we were working hard for people to study the resolution being put before them. We garnered some 133-plus votes to vote in opposition to the then-Iraq resolution.

I want to speak constitutionally and why this special order and the position that Members are taking in opposing any preemptive attack or invasion of Iran and standing solidly against the perceived authority that the President may have.

Frankly, if we look at the 2002 resolution, we will find that it can be assessed that the President's authority

has expired. Saddam Hussein is no longer there. Elements of the resolution required that. The government has changed. There has been a democratic election, and there may be some question as to whether the adherence of the U.N. Security Council resolution is still part of that 2002 war resolution. But I would argue that there have been so many resolutions in the U.N. we could also concede the point that we have protected or adhered to those resolutions.

I truly believe that we are at such a point in history that any actions by the President would warrant extreme actions; or I should not suggest extreme, I should suggest constitutional actions by this Congress. It may warrant raising issues of impeachment. The reason I say that is to use the War Powers Act in a way that ignores the constitutional privilege and right of this Congress to declare war, I believe, is not doing well by the American people.

We already know the results of a war without end, the Iraq war, that is costing $339 million a day, that has already gone past a trillion dollars, that has seen 9,500 of our soldiers injured or maimed, sometimes injured or maimed for life, to see 4,000-plus die. It is a war without end.

Frankly, the question has to become what is the President's goal and intent if he has an idea that Iran is the next target. Has he looked to diplomacy and looked to the question of working with China or Russia to contain Iran? Has he looked at negotiation with the individuals in Iran who really may be interested in some sort of resolution? Is he buying into the constant refrain that Iran is providing the weapons in Iraq? Is he also looking to the perceived friendship between the Iraq government and the Iran government? None of the above.

What I sense in the administration is a percolating attempt to attack Iran, and that percolating attempt based upon the representation of nuclear weapons. I don't want Iran to possess the capacity to engage and to utilize nuclear weapons, nor am I interested in protecting an Iran that has been hostile to the world. I am not interested in coddling terrorists. But we can clearly see that the policies in Iraq have not deterred the terrorists. They have only grown the terrorists. And I would question whether the only way to create peace in the Mid East is to again attack another country in the Mid East.

It is important that we continue to engage for two distinct states, the Palestinian and Israel negotiations. I would have hoped that this administration would have spent their time following through on the road map that the President announced some few years back. I believe that we were distracted in Iraq. We were distracted in Iraq from Afghanistan and from solving the Palestinian-Israeli question.

So I rise today to join my colleagues and say not on my watch, absolutely not. The statistics of the war in Iraq are devastating. Yes, I am prepared today to declare a military success in Iraq. A military success means that our soldiers on one and two and three and four redeployments have done everything the Commander in Chief has asked them to do. Saddam Hussein is gone, there have been democratic elections, and U.N. resolutions adhered to. Bring those soldiers home, declare a military success, and make the statement to the American people that we will never recklessly invade another country.

Iran is somewhat different from Iraq; and, therefore, may have a different story to tell. It may not be the easy route that they might have thought Iraq was. But frankly, my view is that we have crossed the constitutional bounds and that as I yield back to the distinguished chairwoman, I simply believe that we have come to a crisis point that this Congress must accept its duty and say to the President that no war can be declared without a vote of the United States Congress under the Constitution, and I would join with my colleagues, the chairman of the Human Right Subcommittee on International Issues of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman Delahunt, to suggest that the War Powers Act should be amended and should now be that it can only be utilized by a President when the Nation is under imminent attack and when there is necessity to go forward to protect our citizens. Other than that, that War Powers Act should be amended, it should be drawn down, and we should stand with the Constitution. No invasion of Iran on my watch, and constitutional implications for the President of the United States if such attack is proposed.

I thank the distinguished gentlelady for her leadership in the Out- of-Iraq Caucus.

I join my colleagues here tonight to discuss a very important issue: the possibility that this Administration may be intent on leading us into another war in the Middle East, this time against Iran. I would like to thank my colleague Congresswoman Waters for organizing this special order on Iran. Even as we remain engaged in a war in Iraq to which there is no military solution, this Administration has begun beating the drum for war with Iran. I strongly urge my congressional colleagues to send a clear message to President Bush that he does not currently have authorization to use military force against Iran.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that using a military strike against Iran would be a colossal error. As a nation, we are still paying an unacceptably high price for this Administration's ill-advised and ill- executed invasion of Iraq in March 2003. In 2002, when I voted against the Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq, I did so because I believed that this would be a war without end. I believed this resolution would trap us in a conflict that, like the Vietnam War, would consume American resources and lives without tangible yield. Unfortunately for the people of both this country and Iraq, this has proven true.

As a nation, we have already paid an enormous price for the war in Iraq. We have squandered an exponentially increasing amount of money, and, worst of all, lost an unacceptably large number of American lives. However, the over 4,000 U.S. casualties and the $3,919 per second ($123.6 billion per year) we are spending in Iraq have bought neither peace nor security.

Mr. Speaker, even as our troops are caught in the midst of instability and civil war in Iraq, the President has begun the march to war with Iran. We cannot compound the mistakes of the Iraq war with the even bigger mistake of opening up a second military conflict in the Middle East. And yet, the Administration has begun to set the stage for a U.S. attack on Iranian military or nuclear facilities by issuing strong statements about Iran's intervention in Iraq, and using inflammatory rhetoric against Iran in a similar fashion to the run-up to the Iraq war.

In recent weeks, the Administration has increasingly referred to negative behavior of the Iranian regime. Despite contrary findings by the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), Bush has increasingly stated that Iran is building nuclear weapons. The Administration has also cited Iran as a cause of instability in Iraq, and has argued that Iran is killing U.S. soldiers and supplying weapons, training, and funding.

I certainly believe that the current state of affairs in Iran, and specifically those issues relating to U.S. sanctions on Iran and the security of the region, are extremely important and in desperate need of discussion. As a Member of Congress, I find Iran's support of terrorist organizations, pursuit of nuclear weapons, and dismal human rights record to be extremely worrisome. However, I am also concerned by what appears to be movement by this Administration toward yet another war in the Gulf region, without having first exhausted diplomatic means of addressing any conflicts.

I have long been an advocate of a free, independent, and democratic Iran. I believe in an Iran that holds free elections, follows the rule of law, and is home to a vibrant civil society; an Iran that is a responsible member of the region and the international community, particularly with respect to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. An Iran that, unfortunately, we do not see today.

The only effective way to achieve lasting peace and prosperity in the region, along with bringing about reforms in Iran's polity, is to assist the Iranian people in their quest to achieve political, social, and religious liberty. Every government can be judged with the way in which it treats its ethnic and religious minorities, and the current Iranian government gets a failing grade for its treatment of its many and diverse minorities.

The controversy surrounding Iran's procurement of nuclear energy is cause for great concern; however, the administration's avoidance of any and all diplomatic relations with Iran is cause for greater alarm. Moreover, the current rhetoric from the Bush Administration regarding war with Iran is both counterproductive and highly inflammatory. While full diplomatic, political, and economic relations between the U.S. and Iran cannot be normalized unless and until enforceable safeguards are put in place to prevent the weaponization of Iran's nuclear program, these policy objectives should not constitute pre-conditions for any diplomatic dialogue.

Establishing a diplomatic dialogue with the Government of Iran and deepening relationships with the Iranian people would help foster greater understanding between the people of Iran and the people of the United States and would enhance the stability and the security of the Persian Gulf region. Doing so would reduce the threat of the proliferation or use of nuclear weapons in the region, while advancing other U.S. foreign policy objectives in the region. The significance of establishing and sustaining diplomatic relations with Iran cannot be over-emphasized. Avoidance and military intervention cannot be the means through which we resolve this looming crisis.

Mr. Speaker, Middle East experts have repeatedly stated that a U.S. attack on Iran would have disastrous consequences. Among possible outcomes, many experts agree, would be an Iranian counter-attack on U.S. and Israeli interests in the region or throughout the world. Such an attack could also lead to a greater Middle East War, and would undoubtedly bring with it a greater loss of life and financial burden.

Mr. Speaker, now is the time that we need to be looking to ending one Middle East conflict, not to beginning another. We need to work to rebuild our standing in the international community, not to raise further enmity in the Middle East and beyond by attacking another nation. I strongly urge my colleagues to speak out against any potential military strike in Iran.

If the gentlelady would yield, I just came back from Iraq, and you are so right. After going and I think getting a very wide view of the status of affairs there, clearly as we have understood or understand, the government is leaning on the captains of our military. Ranks at the captain level are like the government. There is no seeming intent or plan that would cease the Maliki government from leaning on the United States military, using it as a crutch. So there is no evidence that suggests that they don't intend to have permanent military bases. In fact, every indication from the presentations of the military and others is that they would have it. I believe they are in violation of maybe not the rules of this House, but certainly the respect of the three branches of government.

Finally, I would say that I have legislation that declares a military success, that lists the criteria under which our soldiers went in, and moves it to a diplomatic surge. We should not fool ourselves. The intent is a permanent base that allows them to do the preemptive strike that you are speaking of against any country in the Mideast, and in particular Iran. I believe we have to stop it now, and we have to stop it forever, and we have to lean on the Constitution because we have seen over the last couple of years the Constitution ignored, and that simply cannot stand in this place called America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 886, ``Expressing sympathy to the victims and families of the tragic acts of violence in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Arvada, Colorado.''

This important legislation will honor and memorialize those who were affected by the tragic events in Colorado Springs and Arvada. On that fateful day, a gunman took the lives of five people and wounded 5 more, subsequently taking his own life.

The shootings at New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the Youth With a Mission Center in Arvada on December 9, 2007, remind us once again that the wrath of violence can easily destroy the lives of a congregation gathered in a sanctified establishment. As we reflect on the lives that were spared, we duly note the actions of Jeanne Assam. Jeanne Assam, a former police officer and New Life Church member and security guard, is credited with halting the gunman's spree by shooting him. Though her gunfire did not kill the perpetrator, her act of courage and conviction allowed her to halt the gunman's spree, subsequently preventing the death of more people.

The carnage at the Colorado tragedy commands that we here in this body take a stand against senseless acts of violence whether here in our own country or elsewhere around the world. It is long past time for our national community to declare that injuries inflicted on any member of the community by another simply based on hate or hatred of differences pose a threat to the peace and security of the entire community. For that reason alone, such conduct must be condemned and punished severely, if not prevented altogether. I hope that the incident in Colorado does not reflect a larger problem within our society; however, my optimism is guarded with the reality of an escalating amount of gun violence in schools, malls, and churches.

Neither the mind nor the heart can contemplate a cause that could lead a human being to inflict such injury and destruction on fellow human beings. We can never completely understand why these things happen; however, we must persevere through the melancholy. The loss of those lives and innocence is a tragedy which all Americans mourn. In the face of such overwhelming grief, I hope the families and friends of those affected can take comfort in the certain knowledge that unearned suffering is redemptive. My deepest sympathies are with the victims, their families, and everyone who is affected by this tragic situation. This devastation reaffirms why we, as public officials, must take steps to ensure that the United States is a safer environment where acts of violence based on hate are not tolerated. We cannot sufficiently articulate the feelings of sorrow that are universally felt. I extend my prayers and support to the bereaved families during this time of mourning.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation, and, in-so-doing, showing respect for the lives that were lost, sacrificed, and spared.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5517, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7231 FM 1960 in Humble, Texas, as the ``Texas Military Veterans Post Office.'' I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. Poe, for introducing this important bill, and Chairman Waxman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for bringing this legislation to the floor today. I strongly support honoring veterans of our armed forces, and I am proud to join my colleagues in the Texas delegation as an original cosponsor of this legislation. I hope my colleagues will join me in designating this facility as the Texas Military Veteran Post Office as a token of our appreciation.

The American men and women who serve in our armed forces are one of our Nation's most precious resources. Their service to this Nation could never be repaid, but we can ensure that our veterans who have faithfully served our country receive the recognition they are due and the services they need. Passing this resolution will send a strong message to our veterans that we appreciate their service. Our Nation has a proud legacy of appreciation and commitment to the men and women who have worn the uniform in defense of this country. We must show every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine that we honor and continue to respect their service to our Nation.

Currently, there are 25 million veterans in the United States. There are more than 1,633,000 veterans living in Texas and more than 32,000 veterans living in my Congressional district alone. I firmly believe that we should celebrate our veterans after every conflict, and I remain committed, as a Member of Congress, to both meeting the needs of veterans of previous wars, and to provide a fitting welcome home to those who are now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Veterans have kept their promise to serve our Nation; they have willingly risked their lives to protect the country we all love. We must now ensure that we keep our promises to our veterans.

Because I feel it is time that we recognize the success of our Nation's armed forces, I have introduced H.R. 4020, the ``Military Success in Iraq Commemoration Act of 2007.'' This legislation recognizes the extraordinary performance of the Armed Forces in achieving the military objectives of the United States in Iraq as expressed by the Congressional mandate allowing for use of force, encourages the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe a national day of celebration commemorating the military success of American troops in Iraq.

Most importantly, my legislation provides affirmative and tangible expressions of appreciation from a grateful nation to all veterans of the war in Iraq. It authorizes the Secretary of Defense to award grants to State and local governments ``to conduct suitable activities commemorating military success in Iraq'' and ``to create appropriate memorials honoring those who lost their lives securing military success in Iraq.'' My legislation sets up grants for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, stating ``the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall award to each veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom a grant in the amount of $5,000. The purpose of that grant is to facilitate the veteran's transition to civilian life.'' I am pleased that thirteen of my colleagues have already signed onto this important legislation.

Renaming this post office facility to honor our veterans is a small but important step toward giving veterans the full accolades that they deserve. At various points in our Nation's history, we have sent our sons and daughters overseas to fight in defense of the great values and principles our Nation was founded upon. At times when the need is greatest, America's soldiers have always stepped up to protect our Nation. Let us show them our gratitude by presenting them with a postal facility that stands as a symbol of their dedication and sacrifice. Let us never forget that one of the things that makes our Nation truly great are the young men and women who have fought to defend it and our way of life.

I firmly believe that we must commend the men and women of our military for their exemplary performance and success. When World War II finally came to an end in 1945, celebrations erupted on the streets of cities and towns across our Nation. One of the most enduring images of that war is not a picture of bombs or destruction, but of a jubilant soldier kissing a woman in New York City's Times Square. The veterans we continue to honor as the ``Greatest Generation'' returned home not only to open arms, but also to the G.I. Bill, which offered them college or vocational education, as well as one year of unemployment compensation. It also provided loans for returning veterans to buy homes and start businesses.

This Congress has begun to show our appreciation through legislation. We have already enacted significant increases in veterans' health care funding--increasing it by $5.2 billion. The increase will go for veterans' health programs, including mental health care for returning veterans, especially for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

In the words of President John F. Kennedy, ``As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.'' It is not simply enough to sing the praises of our Nation's great veterans; I firmly believe that we must demonstrate by our actions how proud we are of our American heroes. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5517, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7231 FM 1960 in Humble, Texas, as the ``Texas Military Veteran Post Office.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 259, honoring and recognizing the work of the Meals on Wheels Association of America, MOWAA, its member senior nutrition programs throughout the country, and their annual March For Meals campaigns. I would also like to thank my colleague Chairman George Miller, of the Education and Labor Committee, for bringing this important legislation to the floor today.

The Meals on Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest organization in the

United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need. The first home-delivered meal program in the United States started in 1954 in Philadelphia, PA. The Meals on Wheels Association of America gives cash grants to local senior meal programs throughout the country to assist in providing meals and other nutrition services. The mission of Meals on Wheels Association of America is ``to provide visionary leadership and professional training and to develop partnerships that will ensure the provision of quality nutrition services.''

To cite just one example, Meals on Wheels of Greater Houston, in my home city, has been addressing the nutritional and emotional needs of seniors for 30 years. Meals on Wheels of Greater Houston currently serves more than 3,300 hungry, homebound seniors. In January, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples awarded $9.5 million in State funding to almost 100 agencies that serve meals to homebound elderly and people with special needs, including $1.4 million to Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston. I personally know of the good work of the Meals on Wheels program because I chaired Houston's Interfaith Ministries Board which ran this program. I would also insure that the program survived.

Currently, senior nutrition programs such as Meals on Wheels report that 4 out of 10 programs have waiting lists for nutrition services. There are 78.2 million Baby Boomers, and one of those Baby Boomers turns 60 every 7 seconds. Every 8 seconds someone else is turning 50. The demand for nutrition services is increasing each and everyday and we must continue to support senior nutrition programs such as Meals on Wheels.

The March For Meals campaign has been slowly growing into a permanent part of the Meals on Wheels consciousness. March for Meals is a campaign that takes place at any time during the month of March. The month of March was chosen because it was during this month that the law was enacted that included senior meal programs in the Older Americans Act. Some programs choose to make their campaigns last the whole month, while others concentrate on a single week or day. The biggest component of March For Meals is the Mayors For Meals Day.

Today, Meals on Wheels programs generally operate locally, at the county level or smaller. Programs vary widely in their size, service provided, organization, and funding. Although Meals on Wheels Association of America is a national program, each local program is entirely independent. Depending on the program, meals may be delivered by paid drivers or by volunteers. Most clients of Meals on Wheels programs are elderly and programs receiving Federal funding may not serve people less than 60 years of age.

Mr. Speaker, this important legislation recognizes and honors the commendable hard work and dedication exhibited by Meals on Wheels for over the past 50 years. I encourage other Members of Congress to continue to support their local senior nutrition programs by participating in their annual March For Meals events and campaigns. For these reasons, I strongly support H. Res. 259 and urge all members to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1097, ``Expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2008, as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, to provide attention to the tragic circumstances that face some of our Nation's children on a daily basis and to underscore our commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect so that all children can live in safety and security.'' I would like to thank my distinguished colleague, Joe Courtney of Connecticut, for introducing this important piece of legislation.

There is no greater crime that an individual can commit to a child than the crime of child molestation and child abuse. The perpetrators of this crime rob children of their innocence. Moreover, victims of child molestation are profoundly affected for the rest of their lives. As parents, elected officials and concerned citizens, we have an obligation to condemn this violence, work for stronger enforcement of the law and provide adequate funding for programs to assist children who may have experienced such abuse.

The problem of violence against children and sexual exploitation of children has been highlighted by recent events involving brutal acts of violence against children. Some recent incidents you may remember include: (1) the abduction, rape and killing of 9 year old Jessica Lunford (who was buried alive); (2) the slaying of 13 year old Sarah Lunde, both of whom were killed in Florida by career criminals and sex offenders. In Philadelphia, four defendants were charged with the stabbing and killing of a 15 year old girl, who they then threw into the Schuykill River. All of these tragic events have underscored the continuing epidemic of violence against children. Children who are abused or neglected are at higher risk in adulthood for health problems such as alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, eating disorders, obesity, suicide, and certain chronic diseases

Sadly, sexual abuse is often committed by a family member. Approximately 91,000 of the victims of abuse and neglect had not yet reached their first birthday, with more than 84 percent being less than a month old. Incest is the most common form of child sexual abuse. It is often perpetrated by adults that have been entrusted with caring for a child--a family friend, babysitter, a teacher, day care worker, or even religious leaders. At least one out of five adult women and one out of ten adult men report having been sexually abused as children. In Texas, there were more than 111,000 investigations of child abuse and neglect by the Child Protective Services in Texas. Of those cases, 7,650 were sexual abuse.

In addition, the sexual victimization of children is overwhelming in magnitude and largely unrecognized and underreported. Statistics show that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood, yet less than 35 percent of the incidents are reported to authorities. This problem is exacerbated by the number of children who are solicited online--according to the Department of Justice I in 5 children (10 to 17 years old) receive unwanted sexual solicitations online.

It is estimated that approximately one-third of abused and neglected children grow up to victimize their own children. Child abuse and neglect can have long-term economic and societal costs. Community-based services to overburdened families are far less costly than the emotional and physical damage inflicted on children or the costs of child protective services, law enforcement, courts, foster care, health care, and the treatment of adults recovering from child abuse. The annual estimated cost to the United States for not preventing child abuse and neglect is approximately $104 billion according to a 2008 report by Prevent Child Abuse America.

It will take more than just stronger enforcement of the law to prevent child molestation and other forms of abuse against children. To end this serious abuse of children, all segments of the community such as parents, educators, religious leaders, and community leaders must create a nurturing environment for children where they know that they are loved and deserve to be protected from violence and sexual abuse and feel comfortable in reporting.

Local law enforcement receives increased flexibility in how it invests grants for child abuse victims, specifically by providing access to criminal conviction records by child protective and child welfare workers. This would enable workers to determine if troubled children are victims of abuse. State law enforcement would also have access to court child custody, visitation, protection, guardianships and stay away orders. Police could use this information to establish the validity of urgent complaints concerning children who may have been kidnapped by an abusive ex-spouse.

I express my support for the designation of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. I believe we should increase public awareness of child abuse and neglect prevention and should continue to work to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect. We should recognize that child abuse and neglect prevention programs reduce child maltreatment, strengthen families, reduce mental illness, deter criminal behavior, and contribute to children's positive emotional, academic, social, and cognitive development.

Madam Speaker, I'm delighted to rise today to salute ``Homes for Hometown Heroes.''

Many of us, my colleagues and myself, Members from as far away as California and Arizona, had the privilege of being in Houston, Texas, last evening at the Hyatt Regency to celebrate a very unique and special program where our hometown heroes, injured soldiers, were able to receive their own home by the largess and generosity of many heroes in our community.

Madam Speaker, it's a moving experience to see our soldiers coming in injured but yet strong and resilient. What a privilege to be able to present to them a key to their own home.

I look forward to working with this caucus, the Democratic Caucus, the Republican Conference, and all of our Members to spread this message across America. One has said that all of what they've done, they deserve to be respected and responded to, a home for the injured soldiers, brain damaged, those who cannot walk in wheelchairs, to simply say ``thank you.'' I look forward to announcing a posttraumatic stress disorder center in my own 18th Congressional District.

Last evening reinforced the fact that nothing is too great for those who have put their lives on the front line. I look forward to celebrating the hometown heroes.

I thank the gentlelady from New York, and I am so much in favor of this process that I had to bring two constitutional books to the floor to be seen by my colleagues.

I support this initiative because it restores the constitutional authority to this floor and to the Speaker of the House. And for someone who has voted for trade bills that are fair, I ask my colleagues to recognize that we have an obligation to the American people. For if we look at the month of March, the third month of declining numbers of U.S. jobs, with losses widespread across all sectors and the biggest losses coming in construction and manufacturing, the experts, including Federal Chairman Ben Bernanke and former Federal Chairman Alan Greenspan, have confirmed the serious challenges to the United States economy. One former Labor Secretary has also uttered the word ``depression.''

This is an opportunity for us to be able to establish our authority on the floor to work through legislation and to ask the question of my friends on the other side of the aisle, if trade bills are so effective, why are we losing jobs? Why are people without employment? Why are we in this economic crisis?

And so we are standing up for American workers. We are standing up for the workers in Colombia. I have the greatest respect for President Uribe. I look forward to working on legislation that addresses the labor concerns of working-class indigenous Colombians, and this is a two-way street. My friends on the other side of the aisle cannot prove that ignoring the Constitution will get us jobs.

Vote for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1092, the rule for consideration of H.R. 5724 implementing the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi for her exemplary leadership on this important issue and for bringing this rule to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, it is vital to delay the consideration of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, FTA. The Republican-controlled 109th Congress recklessly allowed the President to precipitously pass free trade agreements without sufficient consideration of the impact on our economy and hard-working Americans and without ensuring that the labor rights of workers are protected in the country seeking the FTA. Today more than ever, with our economy suffering from a substantial downturn, which includes rising unemployment and a housing foreclosure crisis, it is imperative that the Democratic-controlled 110th Congress continue our practice of providing sufficient consideration of free trade agreements prior to their implementation.

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of visiting Colombia last year, and I am extremely concerned about the ongoing oppression of Afro-Colombian populations. Afro-Colombians face the same social barriers that all Afro-Latinos face around Latin America; social marginalization, lack of access to health care, lack of educational opportunities, lack of workforce opportunities. In Colombia, however, this marginalization is intensified by the ongoing conflict. The effects of the armed conflict, specifically forced displacement, in Colombia falls disproportionately on the back of Afro-Colombians. In fact, Colombia's highest rate of displacement in 2003 was recorded in the Choco region, where approximately 75 percent of the population is Afro-Colombian. Because Afro-Colombians largely inhabit areas that have been neglected by the federal government, they have been extremely appealing targets for narco-traffickers, guerilla insurgent groups, and paramilitary forces. Afro-Colombians have been forcibly and violently displaced, and they continue to face a range of human rights abuses that go uninvestigated by the judicial system.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Colombian Government must be more active protecting and promoting the rights of Afro-Colombian populations. This must take the shape of providing more access to health care and education, especially for internally displaced persons. Additionally, more security must be established in typically neglected regions.

H. Res. 1092, as reported by the House Rules Committee, provides that two sections--section 151(e)(1) and section 151(f)(1)--of the Trade Act of 1974 shall not apply in the case of H.R. 5724, to implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. In effect, Mr. Speaker, this rule will suspend the requirement that the Colombia Free Trade Agreement be considered within 60 legislative days in the House. It will give Congress the prerogative to schedule a vote on this piece of legislation, working with labor and many other groups concerned about American workers and fair trade.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that rushing this legislation to the floor would be an incredible mistake. We are currently in the midst of an economic downturn, with numbers released last Friday showing a sharp increase in the number of jobless Americans. According to these numbers, the number of jobs outside the agricultural sector fell by 80,000 last month, a figure that represents the biggest drop in nearly five years.

March is the third month of declining numbers of U.S. jobs, with losses widespread across all sectors and the biggest losses coming in construction and manufacturing. The experts, including Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, have confirmed the serious challenges facing the United States economy.

Mr. Speaker, now is the time to strengthen the American economy. This Congress must put American workers first. I believe that, through bipartisan negotiations coupled with urgent action taken to repair the struggling American economy, we can create the conditions for a successful free trade deal with Colombia. However, Mr. Speaker, this will take time.

Instead of working with Congress to address the legitimate and serious economic concerns of the American people, the President has engaged in highly partisan politics to attempt to ram this legislation through the Congress. On Tuesday, President Bush took the unprecedented step of sending his Colombia trade deal to Congress without following established protocols of congressional consultation. By engaging in this political maneuver, the President has forced Congress to take this action.

The rule we are considering today would remove the fast-track timeline for the Colombia free-trade agreement. By doing so, this rule returns the role, provided by the Constitution, of scheduling considering of measures to the Congress. The authority to do so is provided in the Fast Track law, PL 107-210, which explicitly recognizes ``the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating the procedures of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as any other rule of that House.'' Today, we are doing exactly that.

Mr. Speaker, I believe there are a number of issues that need to be addressed before a free trade deal with Colombia is approved. In addition to the concerns about the American economy and American workers, trade legislation should also benefit the people of Colombia, particularly the working classes. I remain concerned about many ongoing abuses in Colombia that, in my opinion, make such a deal inappropriate at this time. In particular, I am concerned about the suppression of labor rights in Colombia and the targeted killing of labor organizers. Two Foreign Affairs subcommittees, the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight and the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, held a hearing last June about the ongoing pattern of labor violence in Colombia, and I would like to see many of the issues raised in that hearing addressed before a trade deal with Colombia is signed.

I believe that President Alvaro Uribe Velez has, since taking office in August 2002, made important strides toward establishing state control throughout the country, to revitalize the

economy, and to combat corruption. I also believe that a fair free trade agreement can immensely benefit the people of Colombia. Colombia continues to face severe income disparities, coupled with poverty and inadequate social services. According to World Bank estimates, 65 percent of Colombia's population lives below the poverty line. Poverty in rural areas is particularly severe, with rates in these regions approaching 80 percent, and the World Bank estimates that 38 percent of rural residents do not have access to potable water, and 68 percent do not have access to sewage treatment services. In addition, Colombia's rural areas have an estimated illiteracy rate of 15 percent.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we must work together to develop and pass a trade bill that will benefit the American economy, and that will also trickle down to benefit all levels of Colombian society. I was proud to cosponsor and to vote for the Trade and Development Act of 2000, which included the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act. This legislation expanded the Caribbean Basin Initiative, which is intended to facilitate the economic development and export diversification of the Caribbean Basin economies. I supported this initiative because it not only benefited American workers and the American economy, but it also carried true benefits for the people of the target nations. I am proud to vote for fair free trade legislation that will benefit workers both here and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I support this rule because it will return to Congress its constitutionally granted power to schedule consideration of legislation, and it will give us the flexibility necessary to hold bipartisan negotiations regarding this legislation. I urge my colleagues to put the American economy and American workers first during this financially uncertain time, and to support the passage of H. Res. 1092.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 865, ``Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the March 2007 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development makes an important contribution to the understanding of the high levels of crime and violence in the Caribbean, and that the United States should work with Caribbean countries to address crime and violence in the region,'' introduced by my friend and colleague Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, of which I am proud to be an original cosponsor.

Mr. Speaker, I have traveled in the Caribbean recently, and I, together with many of my colleagues on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, had the opportunity to meet with CARICOM leaders last year. I believe that it is extremely beneficial to all our nations, and to the international community, that we continue this trend of increasing engagement and interaction. Equally important is that we ensure that, in our process of engagement, that we are truly listening and responding to the concerns presented by government and civil society leaders of the Caribbean nations, as well as addressing our own social, economic, and security goals.

Crime and violence in the Caribbean region is undoubtedly one area in which our concerns are in line with local needs. Most observers have indicated that the level of crime and violence throughout the Caribbean basin has increased over the past decade, a trend confirmed by a joint report issued by the United Nations and the World Bank last year. This report, titled ``Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean,'' found that crime and violence have increased throughout the Caribbean to such an alarming extent that the region, as a whole, now has the highest overall crime rate of any region in the world.

Mr. Speaker, it is dangerous to characterize an entire region, as each nation is different; however, there are some general statistics regarding the Caribbean Community that cannot be ignored. While some countries have been relatively successful at maintaining low levels of crime, as a whole, the Caribbean has murder rates four times higher than those of the United States. Regional rape rates are above the global average, and three countries in the region are among the 10 countries globally with the highest rate of rape.

In addition to violent crime, trafficking of drugs remains a significant problem in the region, and one that has a serious impact on our own country as well. In 2005 alone, for example, 30 tons of cocaine transited through Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. According to the White House's Office of National Drug Policy, the Caribbean Corridor accounted for approximately 8 percent of the total documented flow of cocaine departing South America in 2004. The region also plays a prominent role in drug-related money laundering.

Mr. Speaker, these facts combine to create a crisis with long-term developmental consequences. Trade, commerce, tourism, and social well- being are all threatened by these crimes, and the nations in the Caribbean region will not be the only ones to suffer. Declining stability in the Western Hemisphere will seriously impair U.S. efforts to fight organized crime and drug trade, while instability in the Caribbean region has historically impacted immigration patterns to the United States. The Caribbean Community is one of our most important allies in ensuring our borders are secure--regional instability means gaps in our border protection efforts.

The United States must work together with our Caribbean friends and allies, to develop effective partnerships in search of workable solutions. If the Caribbean is destabilized, all of our nations will suffer the consequences. We have an opportunity to address this problem before it destabilizes much of the hemisphere and jeopardizes U.S. security.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 865 to express the sense of the House that the U.S. and its CARICOM allies take up the U.N./World Bank report's recommendations and work together to solve this potentially devastating problem before it is too late.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5472, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2650 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Indianapolis, IN, as the ``Julia M. Carson Post Office Building,'' introduced by my distinguished colleague from Indiana, Representative Peter Visclosky. Through this important resolution, the House of Representatives will give final tribute to our colleague, sister, mentor and friend.

As a member of this House, I have been privileged to work with some extraordinary men and women. Julia Carson was an extraordinary woman and an extraordinary champion of justice and equality. Julia Carson was a powerful force for change in this country and was an articulate champion for the poor, homeless and those who suffered from discrimination and racial injustice.

As the first woman and first African-American elected to represent Indianapolis in Congress, Julia truly represented and will be remembered as an American hero. Julia was so keenly committed to those who could not speak for themselves and could not help themselves. A longtime legislator in the Indiana State Legislature and advocate for her community, Julia's history, by its very nature, directed her to the fight for those who, like herself, grew up with very little, but yet could look to this great country and actually believe that they could achieve their dreams.

Julia Carson who grew up poor and lived through segregation was elected in 1996 to the U.S. House of Representatives. Among many, one of her biggest achievements came in 1999 when she successfully pushed through legislation granting the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks, the mother of the civil rights movement.

Congresswoman Julia Carson lived her life to the fullest extent. She left few stones unturned. Her passion for family and community was unparallel. Though she was only a member of this body for 11 years, her life and legacy will last an eternity.

Representative Carson was a true advocate for and of the people. For over 35 years she worked tirelessly for her community and she was the greatest example of humility, self-determination, fortitude, strength and resilience. She will always be remembered for her advocacy of the most disadvantaged and she will truly be missed.

It is because of the legacy of Congresswoman Julia Carson that I rise today in support of the naming the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2650 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Indianapolis, IN, as the ``Julia M. Carson Post Office Building''. Though Julia is no longer with us, we can still honor her.

Mr. Speaker, we must never forget the life and legacy of a woman who touched the hearts and minds of so many. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5395, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11001 Dunklin Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, as the ``William `Bill' Clay Post Office Building.'' I would like to thank my colleague Congressman Carnahan for introducing this bill, and Chairman Waxman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for bringing this important legislation to the floor today.

As my colleagues are aware, William `Bill' Clay served in the House of Representatives for 32 years, until his retirement in 2000. He was a true leader, a champion of civil rights, and a tireless voice for the people of Missouri's 1st Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Clay was born in 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri and he graduated from St. Louis University. He began his political career in 1959, serving as a member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen until 1964. He also worked as a real estate broker, and served his community as a labor coordinator. From 1961-1964, he worked for the union of St. Louis city employees, and later with a steamfitters union until 1967.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Clay was also a true champion of civil rights. He was one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, and, throughout his time in Congress, he championed social justice and labor issues. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised, always seeking to give them a voice in these halls. He was instrumental in fighting racial discrimination whenever and wherever it occurred. Congressman Clay authored the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Act, which provides $375 million in federal loan guarantees for construction and renovation projects at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Because of his commitment to labor he selected committees whose primary business

deals with labor issues, and he served as a senior Member of the Education and the Workforce Committee. Congressman Clay was a champion of education and played a key role in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, including efforts to reduce early grade class sizes by hiring 100,000 teachers nationwide. He has also leading the way for our Nation's schools to be first in getting the resources necessary for school construction, renovation and modernization. His work in education has also included winning concessions from the Republicans to increase the amount of Pell Grant funding and the reduction of student loan interest rates.

From 1991 until 1995, Congressman Clay chaired the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service. Upon his retirement in 2000, he was succeeded by his son, my colleague, Congressman William Lacy Clay.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will honor a true champion of civil rights in a very fitting way. It is fitting that a former Chairman of the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service be honored with a post office in the very town where his political career begun.

I am very proud to support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to join me in voting honoring William ``Bill'' Clay and voting for H.R. 5395.