Floor Statements

The Republicans in the Senate are once again doing everything they can to destroy Medicare for millions of seniors by blocking legislation that will stop the 21 percent cut in payments to doctors who care for our elderly citizens. They say they are worried about the deficit, and paying the docs will add to the deficit. Excuse me, we're fighting two wars not paid for. We have homeland security needs not paid for. Medicare part D, not paid for.

Not a word from the Senate Republicans. But they are drawing a line on paying the doctors who treat Medicare patients. This is going to add to the deficit. Let's stop playing politics with Medicare, pay the doctors, and provide health care for millions and millions of our senior citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the State of Israel and all peace-loving nations who seek to defend their citizens and put an end to terrorism. Unfortunately, we live in an age when those simple goals are under threat and we face enemies who will use any means at their disposal to indiscriminately kill men, women and children who stand in their way.

As the world knows, on May 31, the Israeli navy stopped a flotilla of six ships headed toward the Gaza Strip. These ships were flying under Turkish flags and claimed to be carrying tons of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. However, the real goal of these so-called ``peace activists'' was--in their own words--to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and allow Hamas to import whatever they want to Gaza, including weapons. But these activists should remember that Hamas can end the blockade at any moment by recognizing Israel's right to exist, ending the violence and releasing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held by Hamas without access to the Red Cross for four years.

When the Israeli navy attempted to commandeer the boats and bring them to Israeli ports for inspection, most of the passengers aboard the boats cooperated and used only non-violent, passive resistance to impede the Israeli efforts. However, one of the boats was filled with members of an Islamist group with connections to Hamas and Hezbollah, called IHH (Insani Yardim Vakfi). These ``peace activists'' immediately attacked the Israeli soldiers with knives, metal bars, wrenches, clubs and rocks. The soldiers' lives were clearly at risk and they fired back to quell the fighting, killing nine.

It is important to point out that these IHH members were not serving a humanitarian mission. If that were the case, they would have cooperated with the Israelis and the Egyptians in order to expedite the arrival of their cargo. Prior to the incident, Israel offered to have the aid delivered to an Israeli port for inspection and delivery to Gaza. There was even a similar Egyptian offer, but the activists rejected both of those offers. As the organizers themselves said, this operation was about more than just delivering aid, but rather about ending the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

I also reject the entire premise that there is any need for humanitarian supplies in Gaza. In 2009, more than 738,000 tons of food and supplies entered Gaza. The total amount of aid transferred from Israel to Gaza in 2009 increased by 180 percent, compared to the amount transferred in 2008. From January 1, 2010 through May 8, 2010, 230,690 tons of humanitarian aid was transferred from Israel into Gaza through the Israel-Gaza goods crossings. This included medical supplies, milk powder and baby food, meat, chicken, fish, grains, legumes, oil, flour, salt, sugar, fresh vegetables and dairy products as well as animal feed, hygiene products and clothes. That does not sound like a humanitarian crisis to me.

Hamas and its allies are simply using Israel's legal blockade of Gaza as a propaganda tool to undermine international support for the State of Israel. But if it weren't for this blockade, Hamas could import unlimited amounts of weaponry and rockets, which they would turn against Israeli civilians, as they have done in the past. If the naval blockade were broken, as the activists seek, every man, woman and child in Israel would be at risk from Iranian and Syrian missiles.

Unfortunately, efforts are now underway to unfairly paint Israel as the aggressor in this incident, when they were simply acting to defend their citizens. Calls are mounting for an international investigation like the biased and deeply-flawed Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of war crimes in its self-defensive Operation Cast Lead. I join Israel in rejecting these calls. Israel, a strong democracy and America's close ally, is perfectly capable of conducting a fair, credible investigation that meets international standards.

I find it even more galling that such calls are now being made, given the silence following North Korea's horrific attack on a South Korean ship that killed 46 sailors. It is time the world focused on such real threats to peace, while recognizing Israel's right to defend its civilian population against persistent terrorist threats.

I am also deeply disturbed by Turkey's recent actions and statements regarding Israel and the Palestinians. Their irresponsible support for this so-called ``aid'' flotilla actually sought to bolster the Hamas terrorists in Gaza who have pledged to destroy Israel at any cost. By seeking an end to the blockade, Turkey is trying to legitimize a terrorist group that targets civilians and harms any chance for peace. As I've said, Turkey--and the world--should remember that Hamas can end the blockade at any moment by recognizing Israel's right to exist, ending the violence and releasing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held by Hamas without access to the Red Cross for 4 years.

Meanwhile, Turkey's actions have undermined the moderate Palestinians who have been building institutions, ending corruption and cracking down on violent extremists. If there is a chance for peace in the region, it does not come from the extremist elements Turkey is supporting.

And Turkey is hardly in a position to criticize Israel. The world community should remember that Turkey has been illegally occupying the northern part of Cyprus--a sovereign nation--for over three decades, despite international calls to remove its troops. They have also steadfastly refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide and have systematically denied basic religious rights to the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Istanbul. With their recent actions, Turkey is once again showing its true colors, as a supporter of terrorists, and not a champion of peacemaking.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply disturbed by the recent events and fear that the world is once again blaming the victim. Israel must be allowed to defend itself--for its own sake, for ours, and for the sake of all people around the world who are under threat of terror. We must not be duped into believing that these Hamas-sympathizers are somehow acting in the name of peace. Nothing could be further from the truth. We must take a united stand for democracy, for the rule of law, and for peace.

Mr. Speaker, Nevada is hurting. The people I represent in Southern Nevada are hurting.

This bill extends the unemployment benefits for the 14.2 percent of my fellow Americans who find themselves unemployed so they can pay their bills and feed their children. It's not their fault that they are unemployed.

I support this bill because teachers I represent are going to get a tax credit for the school supplies they purchase, because Nevadans will be able to continue to deduct our sales tax from our Federal income tax, because there's money in here so we can provide summer jobs for high school students. Small business will receive tax incentives to preserve their jobs. Restaurants and retail stores can improve their businesses and expand by the R&D tax credit. Major job-creating infrastructure projects like the expansion of McCarran Airport and all of those great downtown building and transportation projects are going to continue because of the Buy America Bonds and the Recovery Zone Bond program.

And, finally, the extension of Medicare reimbursement to our country's doctors for 19 months. It's necessary. It's not permanent. We need to do permanent. It's going to help them care for their patients.

Mr. Speaker, the time has come for this Congress to come to grips with the serious crisis in our health care system, the reimbursement of our doctors for treating our Medicare patients. Unless we act, there will be a 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursement to those doctors that treat our senior citizens.

We are in danger of creating a situation that may very well cause the collapse of our Medicare system. I favor a permanent fix; that's what we promised the doctors. We are now considering a 19-month fix. I'm not happy with it; I'm going to support it. Let everybody in this House vote for that Medicare reimbursement fix for the doctors so they can continue to treat senior citizens until we figure out a way of permanently fixing this discrepancy.

Unless we're prepared to go to medical school and go back home to our districts to treat our senior citizens, we better make sure that our doctors get adequately reimbursed so this system will continue.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1391) congratulating Israel for its accession to membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. Israel's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a prestigious group of the world's most advanced economies, is a monumental achievement and is testimony to Israel's remarkable economic success and diplomatic acumen.

The unanimous decision by the 31 member states of the OECD to accept Israel is a recognition of Israel's economic strength as well as of its democracy and of its ability to contribute to the organization and to the world's economy.

Israel was one of the few economies in the world to have positive economic growth in the midst of last year's global economic crisis, and it is expected to grow at least 3.5 percent in 2010. As a member of the OECD, Israel will be in an even better position to advance key economic sectors of its economy, including technology, medicine and agriculture. This will prove beneficial, not only to the State of Israel but, as the record of Israeli entrepreneurial creativity attests, to the entire world.

Mr. Speaker, Israel's accession to the OECD is an important achievement for the State of Israel, and it also demonstrates the importance of U.S. engagement in multilateral organizations. Without the emphatic support of the Obama administration's delegation to the OECD, Israel almost certainly would still be waiting at the organization's door, knocking to come in.

I would like to congratulate and thank our OECD mission in Paris for their hard work. This strong team of diplomats worked tirelessly to support Israel's OECD candidacy, and it dutifully ensured that Israel's candidacy was not politicized and that it was judged by objective economic and democratic standards.

Mr. Speaker, the lesson from this victory is clear: U.S. engagement works. Without a strong presence at this international organization, we risk leaving our ally Israel to battle alone against its many biased critics. It is important to remember that maintaining a strong U.S. voice in international organizations isn't important just for America's interest but for Israel's interest as well.

I want to thank the Obama administration for their strong support for Israel at the OECD, and I look forward to working with them to ensure that there is the same support going forward at the OECD, at the U.N., and at other multilateral organizations.

The unanimous vote by OECD members to admit Israel not only highlights Israel's growing global economic importance, which it certainly does and is, but it also represents an important sign that the U.S., when properly engaged, can help to defeat the unrelenting efforts of Israel's detractors and, may I say, haters.

I would like to thank my dear friend, Ranking Member Ileana Ros- Lehtinen, for introducing this important resolution and for making Israel's accession to the OECD possible.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is plain to see from the words of my esteemed colleague, it is plain to see Israel's extraordinary impact on the global economy. Its accession to the OECD will have a positive impact on our global economy at a time when our economy is suffering worldwide.

It would be my hope that the Palestinians, rather than to continue to refuse to make peace with Israel, to continue its terrorist attacks on innocent Israelis, its continuance to refuse face-to-face negotiations with the Israelis for peace, to actively incite anti-Semitism and hatred towards Israel, and to continue its attempts to delegitimize Israel's very right to exist, that perhaps instead it would be more worthwhile for the Palestinian people if its leaders would work with Israel to improve its own economic situation, to raise the Palestinian people from the misery, poverty, and squalor in which they live, and in which they continue to live, not because of the Israelis' success, but because of the lack of movement on the part of the Palestinian leadership that continues to use and abuse their own people and attempt to delegitimize Israel's very right to exist.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Thank you very much, Ms. Wasserman Schultz. We usually start our days together because we're next-door neighbors, and it's a pleasure to see you 14 hours later here on the floor of the House. But I want to thank you for spearheading this effort. I think it's very important. And I know this is near and dear to your heart, and you've done an extraordinary job year after year bringing the Jewish American story to our fellow citizens, and I appreciate it very much.

I can't help but agree with you about the beautiful story that our colleague, Allyson Schwartz, spoke of. I leaned over to you and said, Is she talking about her grandmother? And you said, No, that's her mother. And I know how much that means. I also have heard her story many times, and it also puts a lump in my throat as well.

Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, my family story is very much an American Jewish story. And not unlike so many millions of other American Jews that came to our shores from other places, my mother's side of the family comes from Thessaloniki, Greece, where there was a very vibrant community, Jewish community prior to World War II. Half of the population of Thessaloniki, Greece were Jewish before World War II, but by the time the Nazis finished, there were only 1,000 Jews left in Salonika out of the 80,000 that existed and lived there and thrived there prior to World War II. I'm not presumptuous enough to think that my family would have been among those thousand chosen to live.

On my father's side of the family, from the Russia-Poland border, an entire culture, from 1,000 years of Jewish culture in that part of the world, was exterminated as a result of World War II. My family escaped both the Russia-Poland area and Thessaloniki, Greece in order to come to our Nation's shores. And I grew up hearing stories of what their lives were like where they came from and how thrilled and excited they were to come to the United States of America and truly felt this started as a haven. It was the very survival of my family. Had they stayed where they lived in Europe, we would have been exterminated in the Holocaust, but we did survive. We came to this remarkable country, where not only did we have an opportunity to survive, but we've had an opportunity to thrive.

I'm second-generation American. When my grandparents came here--and this is a story that is so common among American Jewish families--they couldn't speak English. They had no money. They had no skills.

The only thing they had was a dream, and that dream was that their children and their children's children would have a better life here in the United States than they had where they came from.

I often think of myself, and I hope this isn't too presumptuous, as my grandparents' American Dream. But I think even in their wildest dreams they never would have imagined that they would have a granddaughter that was serving in the United States House of Representatives. When I am doing this, I often think of my grandparents and realize that they went through so much in order to come to this country. And we have been able to share in the extraordinary success and largesse of this remarkable country.

We are very lucky as an American Jewish community to be very much a part of the fabric of this great country, to have full acceptance, to be able to access the highest levels of power, to actually be able to effectuate meaningful change in a very positive way by participating in the American political process.

My father, much like so many of the others that spoke today, is also a World War II veteran. He is 85. His name is George Levine. He is still working. But I think what demonstrates our commitment and our love of this country and our patriotism as American Jews is the fact that my father also joined the Navy when he wasn't quite old enough to do so. But he wanted to fight for his country. He wanted to stand up and do something positive for the United States of America to show that we belonged here and we were part of this great country.

There are 500,000 Jews that served in the American Armed Forces during World War II, including numerous Jews who rose to the rank of general, and several more were admirals. Now, my father was never an admiral in the Navy, but he served and he served his country proudly and well; and I continue to be very proud of him.

We have made more than a life for ourselves in the United States of America. We are very proud Americans, and we are very proud Jews. And we appreciate so much the fact that this country offered so many remarkable opportunities and gave us a chance not only for survival, but to become a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. I think it's incumbent, and I think most Jews feel this way, that given the rights that we have here in the United States also comes responsibilities.

Those responsibilities mean good citizenship and participating in the political process and voting and being knowledgeable and getting a good education so that you can not only be part of the foundation of this country, but to give back to a country that has given us so many opportunities. So I am very much a part of the American Jewish community, but it's a story that so many of us share with our fellow Americans.

Ms. Wasserman Schultz, I want to thank you very much for giving us the chance to thank this great country not only for taking us in, but for letting us be so much a part of not only the culture and the political life, but to be very much involved in the greatness of the United States of America. Thank you for giving me this chance.

Well, if it wasn't for your leadership we might not be here this evening doing this, so I thank you. Congresswoman, when you and I hear the beautiful song ``God Bless America,'' it means a great deal to us because I think every day God bless America, God bless this country.

But the interesting thing is Irving Berlin gained prominence as a composer of patriotic songs. As you know, Irving Berlin was a very famous composer, he was Jewish, and he wanted to

show his love of this country and use his talents in order to create these remarkably patriotic songs. And ``God Bless America'' is still among my favorites. And he received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in recognition of his service to this country in composing these patriotic songs. So whenever I hear that song I get a little patter in my heart, and it particularly makes me proud that an American Jew composed it.

History.

Thank you very much.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of building safety, and to recognize the leadership of the International Code Council (ICC). The ICC develops and publishes the building safety, energy efficiency and fire safety model codes used in most cities and States of the United States, as well as in many other nations.

We don't have to look far to see how important the issue of building safety is to people in America and around the world. This year, we had sobering reminders of the importance of properly enforced building codes in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. The loss of life and catastrophic property damage of those disasters might have largely been avoided had modern building codes been in place and enforced, as they are throughout the U.S.

With those tragedies in mind, I want to congratulate the leaders of the ICC who sponsor Building Safety Month, celebrated in May. The leaders of the ICC, including my constituent and the Director of Development Services for Clark County, the President of the Board of Directors, Ronald L. Lynn, of Las Vegas, Nevada; Vice President, James Brothers, from Decatur, Alabama; Secretary/Treasurer, William Dupler, from Chesterfield, Virginia; Immediate Past President, Adolf Zubia, from Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Director Guy Tomberlin, from Fairfax County, Virginia, have joined ICC's Chief Executive Officer Rick Weiland in Washington this week to discuss the critical need to support the adoption and administration of the latest building codes, to make sure Americans are safe at home, at work, at school and at play.

In particular, I am pleased to take this opportunity to celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions of Ron Lynn. During a career that has spanned almost 30 years, Ron has been an incredible asset to the Las Vegas community and has played a central role in helping our city grow. We have all benefitted from his involvement in groups such as the McCarran Airport Hazards Area Board of Adjustment, Nevada Earthquake Safety Council, Nevada Organization of Building Officials, the Western States Seismic Policy Council's Architecture, Engineering and Construction Committee, the Nevada State Hazard Mitigation Planning Steering Committee, and the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Advisory Committee.

Ron is among the very best of the thousands of men and women who work every day to make sure our buildings comply with building and fire codes. Their work, largely unseen and often unnoticed, is critical to keeping Americans safe.

Congratulations, Ron, on a distinguished career spent ensuring the safety of your fellow citizens, and congratulations to the hard working members and leadership of the ICC.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 62nd anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel.

Sixty-two years ago, a brave group of Jews living in the Middle East made the audacious claim that a Jewish State could be successfully re- invented in their ancient homeland. More than 2,000 years after the last independent Jewish government had come to an end, they believed they could somehow re-establish a Jewish state, almost from scratch, in a way that had never happened before, anywhere in the world.

These daring Jews came from all around the globe: from Yemen, from Russia, from France, from the United States, and, in many cases, from the very land that was about to become the State of Israel. They shared a common heritage, but it remained to be seen whether these disparate peoples could unify to develop a country or a common culture. Could they even agree on what kind of government to form? Or what laws to pass?

Their claim was particularly bold, given that seven Arab neighbors stood ready to destroy this state in its infancy. Armed with some of the most advanced weaponry known to man, these Arab countries were determined never to allow a Jewish state in their neighborhood. But, in what can only be described as a miracle, this tiny Jewish state survived those initial days and fought to victory in 1948. They did it again in 1956, 1967 and 1973. In fact, every time Arab countries sought to destroy Israel, they found the Israelis stronger and more determined than ever to survive.

Seeing that the military option wasn't successful, the Arab nations turned toward a different method to try to destroy Israel: terrorism. Through rockets, bus bombings, suicide attacks, hostage crises and the murders of countless innocent civilians, Israel has continued to survive, determined that life will go on, as usual, no matter what the obstacle or challenge.

Israel's enemies have also tried to use the United Nations, UN, to delegitimize it. They have passed resolutions in the UN equating Zionism with racism. They have created entire agencies at the UN to highlight Israel's alleged ``war crimes.'' And they have hijacked the UN Human Rights Council to push their own racist, anti-Semitic agenda.

And despite all of these enemies, Israel has demonstrated over and over its desire and yearning to live in peace. They willingly gave up the Sinai to make peace with Egypt, and signed a peace agreement with Jordan in 1994. They withdrew from Lebanon a decade ago and pulled out of Gaza in 2005, all in hopes they would find a peace partner on the other side.

But instead, Israel's offers have been spurned, and their adversaries have refused to negotiate. Their so-called ``partners'' say that Israel must make unreasonable concessions before they will even sit down and negotiate with them. When Arab leaders were invited to attend a peace conference with Israel, in 2007, they even refused to walk through the same door as Israel's leaders.

Through all this, the United States has stood by Israel, even in these darkest of times. We provided Israel with weapons, with technical expertise and a friendship that has endured through generation after generation of American leadership. The American people demand no less: we believe in the Jewish people's right to a homeland, and their right to live in peace, as our democratic ally. This position does not win us friends in the Muslim world, but we stand by this position because we know it is right. The people of Israel, I know, are eternally grateful for this friendship and have repaid it with their loyalty throughout the years of its existence.

I am extremely proud of the strong U.S.-Israel relationship and I call on the Obama Administration to continue this tradition of strong U.S. support for Israel. We must focus our attention not on minor irritants in our bilateral relationship, but on bringing the parties together to meet face-to-face for negotiations. We cannot impose any solution on them; only they can come up with a negotiated solution that strengthens the security for both sides and brings about a state for the Palestinian people. Only they can bring peace to this region.

Mr. Speaker, the idea of the State of Israel is as audacious today as it was 62 years ago. It shows that a group of determined individuals can successfully band together and triumph in the most difficult of circumstances. It shows

that David can defeat Goliath, with the proper planning, courage and determination.

I honor and stand in awe of the State of Israel on its 62nd birthday. It is an achievement many people thought would never be possible. On this historic day, I call on my colleagues to join me in congratulating Israel on this milestone and in assuring them of U.S. support for generations to come.

I thank the gentleman for giving me this time to offer my condolences to the people of Poland.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join with Polish Americans, with our Nation and, indeed, with the whole world in expressing our deepest sympathies to the people of Poland following this weekend's tragedy that killed their President, the First Lady and a number of other Polish military and civic leaders and dignitaries. We remember these men and women who gave their lives while in the service of Poland, and we send our sincerest condolences to those families who have lost loved ones.

President Kaczynski fought for freedom during the Cold War and brought our two nations closer together during his tenure in office. His legacy will not be forgotten. America stands with our ally Poland, and we pledge our continued support during this time of transition.

As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and as chairman of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue, I call on my colleagues to ensure U.S. support for Poland's needs after this heartbreaking and breathtaking incident and to support this resolution expressing our condolences to the people of Poland.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my cosponsorship from H.R. 1549.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today out of great concern about the Iranian nuclear threat. As dozens of foreign leaders meet here in Washington to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, I am deeply worried that we are allowing the greatest potential nuclear threat in the world to go unchecked. Iran has repeatedly threatened to wipe Israel off the map. They have threatened to destabilize the entire Middle East and, with that, the entire global community.

In his last visit to the United States, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that a nuclear Iran ``represents as great a threat to the United States, to Europe and to the entire Middle East as it does to Israel.''

The rest of the world should not expect Israel to do its dirty work. I agreed with that then. I agree with it now.

If we want to avoid a nuclear Iran--and I believe we must--and if we want to ensure that Israel does not have to take matters into its own hands, we must immediately enact strong, effective economic sanctions that make it

clear to Iran that we will not tolerate this pursuit of nuclear weapons. The alternative is simply unthinkable.

I look forward to passing a strong bipartisan/bicameral sanctions bill so that the President may sign this bill into law as soon as possible.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to call my colleagues' attention to a recent blog post on the Jerusalem Post website, written by Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, ADL. Mr. Foxman challenges the idea that there is ``linkage'' between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other conflicts in the Middle East. It is both unrealistic and dangerous to believe that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will somehow solve our problems in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and everywhere else in the Middle East. Distinct conflicts require distinct solutions and lumping them all together serves no one's interests, least of all our own. I highly recommend this excellent article.

[From the Jerusalem Post, Mar. 21, 2010]

A Point of View: Linkage and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

(By Abraham Foxman)

No matter how many times it is proven to have no validity,

the theme of linking the

Israeli-Palestinian conflict to broader issues in the region

rears its head over and over again. Zbigniew Brzezinski did

it in the 1970s, trying to blame Soviet influence in the

region on the absence of a solution to the Arab-Israeli

conflict. Prior to the first Gulf War, there were those who

opposed the war on the grounds that we needed first to

address the Palestinian issue before we could credibly

confront Saddam Hussein. And early on in the Obama

administration, reports were circulating suggesting that

American interests throughout the Middle East were dependent

on progress on the Palestinian-Israeli front.

Henry Kissinger, in his magisterial two-volume memoir,

dealt with this matter head on. He demonstrated during the

Cold War that America's ability to further its broader

regional interests was connected not to a need to resolve the

Palestinian issue, but to showing America's moderate allies

in the region--Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the Gulf States--

that it paid to be allied with America. The best way to prove

that? When Israel was under attack by regional extremists

supported by the Soviets, it was vital for the US to make

sure that Israel triumphed. By doing so, the moderates would

absorb the truth that the future lay with the US and its

allies. Standing up against radicals and with one's allies,

rather than blaming one's friends for problems in the region,

continues to be the best formula for serving US interests in

the Middle East.

Now we are hearing the linkage theme once again. After the

brouhaha between the administration and the Israeli

government surfaced, a story emerged indicating that a

military team under General David Petraeus's CENTCOM command

reported to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm.

Michael Mullen in January that Israel was jeopardizing US

standing in the region. And then Petraeus himself, speaking

before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 16,

reinforced this message. He stated that the Israeli-

Palestinian conflict ``foments anti-American sentiment, due

to a perception of US favoritism for Israel.'' He went on to

say that ``Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits

the strength and depth of US partnerships with governments

and peoples in the AOR (Area of Responsibility) and weakens

the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world.''

Once again, an illusion is at work here, one that will, if

pursued, invariably result in no real progress being made in

the region. We all want peace between Israel and the Arabs.

And putting more effort toward such a goal is a good thing.

What is not real, and is dangerous, is putting most of

America's eggs in the region in this basket.

The Arab-Israeli conflict has never responded to such a

heavy emphasis. Progress is made when Arab leaders decide

it's time for peace. Maybe Assad of Syria is considering

this, and it should be explored. But that's very different

from placing this conflict at the center of everything.

Disappointment, as always, will follow since the gap between

what the Arabs want and Israel wants is substantial.

Moreover, Arab willingness to accept Israel's legitimacy as a

``Jewish State'' is belied by everything that comes from Arab

leaders and Arab media.

What inevitably happens if such unrealistic weight in the

region is given to the Israeli-Arab conflict is that Israel

comes to be seen as the problem. If only Israel would stop

settlements, if only Israel would talk with Hamas, if only

Israel would make concessions on refugees, if only it would

share Jerusalem, everything in the region would be fine. Iraq

would be fine. Afghanistan would be fine. Pakistan would be

fine. Iran would be fine. Lebanon would be fine.

Of course, this is nonsense. These problems would remain

even if Israel did not exist. The result of such an approach

would be no progress on America's interests and great stress

in US-Israel relations.

The Kissinger approach of strengthening moderates may be

tainted in some minds because it may be associated with

Bush's policy--but it doesn't have to be. One doesn't have to

be a Bush supporter to understand that the greatest need in

the region today is for victories by the moderates over the

radicals. In Israel's case, radical challenges exist from

Hamas in the south, Hizbullah and Syria in the north, and

Iran. All are complicated challenges. US support for a strong

and wise Israeli policy in response to these challenges will

provide the best opportunity to strengthen American

interests. Holding off Hamas, weakening Hizbullah, or

preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons will provide the

biggest boost to moderates throughout the Middle East. If the

Obama administration can help bring about one or more of

these accomplishments, it will go a long way to restoring

American influence in the region and, by the way, make

Israeli-Arab peace far more likely.

This linkage trend, if continued, is dangerous and

counterproductive. It could undermine the historic bipartisan

support for Israel in America, a support based on moral and

strategic grounds, that has been--and still is--good for both

countries. It will reduce whatever incentive the Palestinians

have to reach a compromise peace with Israel; if America is

backing away from Israel, the Palestinians would reason, then

hopes of Israel's disappearance will be strengthened. It will

raise questions about American loyalty and credibility among

the Arabs who, despite their rhetoric criticizing US support

for Israel, would be far more distressed about the US

abandoning an ally.

It diverts attention away from the larger challenges in the

region--Iran's nuclear program, and the challenge of Islamic

extremism and terrorism. Finally, it has the smell about it

of blaming the Jews for everything. The notion that al-

Qaida's hatred of America or Iran's pursuit of nuclear

weapons or the ongoing threat of extremist terrorist groups

in the region is based on Israel's announcement of building

apartments is absurd on its face and smacks of scapegoating.

It's time for the administration to step back not only from

the harsh rhetoric but also from the illusionary thinking

about Israel hurting American interests. America and Israel

can have their differences, but the US has no better ally

than Israel. The administration needs to recognize this and

find ways to reassure those who are raising concerns.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership.

This legislation is yet another strong step towards economic recovery for Las Vegas, the State of Nevada, and the Nation. The provisions of this bill will spur the creation and growth of small businesses and help State and local governments make critical job-creating infrastructure investments that are essential to long-term economic recovery.

Build America Bonds have been an essential source of funding for critical infrastructure projects in my district. That includes millions for investments by McCarran International Airport, millions for essential upgrades to water and sewer systems by the Las Vegas Water Authority, millions in highway and transit improvements by Clark County.

The extension of Recovery Zone Bond programs will make my district eligible for yet another source of financing for infrastructure projects that will spur economic growth and help bring down one of the highest unemployment rates in the Nation. Fifty percent of the building trades in Las Vegas are idle. Families are suffering.

Speaking of families, families and small businesses are going to directly benefit from this legislation. The increased deduction for small business start-up expenses will provide new opportunities for business creation and help create jobs we so desperately need.

And Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, this is incorporated in the bill and will help many Nevada families who struggle daily to help make ends meet.

The people of my district are struggling with difficult economic times. This Congress continues to focus on policies that will create new opportunity for growth and investment in Las Vegas and help entrepreneurs build job-creating small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of health care reform.

While not perfect, this bill addresses key obstacles that continue to plague the system. The cost of health care premiums is skyrocketing out of control, creating an atmosphere where only insurance companies can and will prosper and prevail. Without this reform, our individual citizens and businesses will continue to be devastated by unsustainable costs or barriers to coverage.

This bill would increase access for those who have been denied insurance in the past, either because they can't afford it, have a pre- existing condition, or have been dropped from coverage after getting sick. It would provide financial assistance to working families to make their health care costs affordable and it would provide businesses with tax credits for providing health care for their employees.

In my district, this bill would extend coverage to 155,500 uninsured residents, guarantee that 26,200 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage, reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $74 million annually, and allow 63,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.

I believe it is my duty to fight for the health, well-being and protection of the citizens I represent. While this package does not contain all the reforms needed, it provides a framework of very positive first steps that will achieve a great deal for Nevada families. There is no doubt that more must be done, but I believe this is a step in the right direction. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 562, a bill originally introduced by Representative Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.