Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to re-introduce the Small Business Tax Equalization and Compliance Act, legislation that would extend the existing tip tax credit--the 45(b) credit--to employers in the salon industry and at the same time encourage tax compliance through education and improved tip reporting requirements. This legislation makes needed changes to the tax code to help support a vital and growing sector of America's economy, the salon industry.

The salon industry is one of America's most diverse industries and home to a large number of entry-level jobs, but with room for advancement and opportunities that go far beyond minimum-wage. The industry is also a significant employer of women, particularly working mothers who need flexibility in their work schedules.

In 1993, Congress formally recognized that employers should not be responsible for paying FICA taxes on income that was not paid by them, and granted the restaurant industry a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on the employer's share of FICA taxes paid on tip income above the minimum wage. Much like restaurants, salon employees receive a large portion of their income in the form of tips. As a matter of tax fairness, it is time to extend similar treatment to the salon industry.

My bill also includes provisions to improve tip reporting to ensure that all salons--whether the traditional employer-employee model or the non-employer salons where independent contractors report their own tips--are fully complying with reporting requirements.

I believe that small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and salons are an important part of the small business community. Eighty-two percent of salon establishments have fewer than 10 employees and 98 percent of salons are single-unit operations. Extending the tip tax credit to these small businesses would provide much needed tax relief, particularly in these challenging economic times, and allow them to reinvest in their businesses, employees, and communities.

A strong economic recovery will depend on the health and strength of our small business sector. It is imperative that we work to ensure our tax rules governing this sector are fair, simple, and encourage compliance. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I seek to call my colleagues' attention to the powerful and important speech that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2009. In it, he calls on all nations to stand with Israel in confronting the threats posed by Iran and by terrorists around the world. This is a conflict between civilization and barbarity, he says, and the record of the United Nations hangs in the balance.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Speech to the General Assembly

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, nearly 62 years ago,

the United Nations recognized the rights of the Jews, an

ancient people 3,500 years old, to a state of their own in

their ancestral homeland.

I stand here today as the Prime Minister of Israel, the

Jewish state, and I speak to you on behalf of my country and

my people.

The United Nations was founded after the carnage of World

War II after the horrors of the Holocaust. It was charged

with preventing the reoccurrence of such horrendous events.

Nothing has undermined that mission, nothing has impeded it

more, than the systematic assault on the truth. Yesterday the

President of Iran stood at this very podium, spewing his

latest anti-Semitic rants. Just a few days earlier, he again

claimed that the Holocaust is a lie.

Last month, I went to a villa in a suburb of Berlin called

Wannsee. There, on January 20, 1942, after a hearty meal,

senior Nazi officials met and decided to exterminate my

People. They left detailed minutes of that meeting and these

minutes have been preserved for posterity by successive

German governments. Here is a copy of the minutes of the

meeting of senior Nazi officials instructing the Nazi

government exactly how to carry out the extermination of the

Jewish people. Is this protocol a lie? Is the German

government, are all German governments lying?

A day before I was in Wannsee, I was given in Berlin the

original construction plans for the Auschwitz-Birkenau

concentration camp. These plans of the Auschwitz-Birkenau

concentration camps I now hold in my hand. They contain a

signature by Heinrich Himmler--Hitler's deputy himself. Are

these plans of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp

where one million Jews were murdered, are they a lie too?

This June, President Obama visited another concentration

camp--one of many--the Buchenwald concentration camp. Did

President Obama pay tribute to a lie?

And what of the Auschwitz survivors whose arms still bear

the tattooed numbers branded on them by the Nazis? Are those

tattoos a lie too?

One-third of all Jews perished in the great conflagration

of the Holocaust. Nearly every Jewish family was affected,

including my own. My wife's grandparents, her father's two

sisters and his three brothers, and the aunts, and uncles and

cousins--all murdered by the Nazis. Is this a lie?

Yesterday, the man who calls the Holocaust a lie spoke from

this podium. To those who refused to come and to those who

left in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral

clarity and you brought honor to your countries.

But to those who gave this Holocaust-denier a hearing, I

say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent

people everywhere: Have you no shame? Have you no decency?

A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy

to a man who denies the murder of six million Jews while

promising to wipe out the State of Israel, the State of the

Jews. What a disgrace! What a mockery of the charter of the

United Nations!

Now, perhaps some of you think that this man and his odious

regime, perhaps they threaten only the Jews. Well, if you

think that, you're wrong--dead wrong. History has shown us

time and time again that what starts with attacks on the Jews

eventually ends up engulfing many, many others.

For this Iranian regime is fueled by an extreme

fundamentalism that burst onto the world scene three decades

ago after lying dormant for centuries. In the past thirty

years, this fanaticism has swept across the globe with a

murderous violence that knows no bounds and with a cold-

blooded impartiality in the choice of its victims. It has

callously slaughtered Moslems and Christians, Jews and

Hindus, and many others.

Though it is comprised of different offshoots, the

adherents of this unforgiving creed seek to return humanity

to medieval times. Wherever they can, they impose a backward

regimented society where women, minorities, gays or anyone

else deemed not to be a true believer is brutally subjugated.

The struggle against this fanaticism does not pit faith

against faith nor civilization against civilization. It pits

civilization against barbarism, the 21st century against the

9th century, those who sanctify life against those who

glorify death.

Now the primitivism of the 9th century ought to be no match

for the progress of the 21st century. The allure of freedom,

the power of technology, the reach of communications should

surely win the day. Ultimately, the past cannot triumph over

the future.

And our future offers all nations magnificent bounties of

hope because the pace of

progress is growing, and it is growing exponentially. It took

us centuries to get from the printing press to the telephone,

decades to get from the telephone to the personal computer,

and only a few years to get from the personal computer to the

Internet.

What seemed impossible a few years ago is already outdated,

and we can scarcely fathom the changes that are yet to come.

We will crack the genetic code. We will cure the incurable.

We will lengthen our lives. We will find a cheap alternative

to fossil fuel and yes, we will clean up the planet.

I am proud that my country Israel is at the forefront of

many of these advances--in science and technology, in

medicine and biology, in agriculture and water, in energy and

the environment. These innovations in my country and many of

your countries offer humanity a sunlit future of unimagined

promise.

But if the most primitive fanaticism can acquire the most

deadly weapons, the march of history could be reversed for a

time. And like the belated victory over the Nazis, the forces

of progress and freedom will prevail only after a horrific

toll of blood and fortune has been exacted from mankind.

This is why the greatest threat facing the world today is

the marriage between religious fundamentalism and the weapons

of mass destruction. The most urgent challenge facing this

body today is to prevent the tyrants of Tehran from acquiring

nuclear weapons.

Are the members of the United Nations up to that challenge?

Will the international community confront a despotism that

terrorizes its own people as they bravely stand up for

freedom?

Will it take action against the dictators who stole an

election in broad daylight and then gunned down Iranian

protesters who died on the sidewalks and on the streets

choking in their own blood? Will the international community

thwart the world's most pernicious sponsor and practitioner

of terrorism?

Above all, will the international community stop the

terrorist regime of Iran from developing atomic weapons,

thereby endangering the peace of the entire world?

The people of Iran are courageously standing up to this

regime. People of goodwill around the world stand with them,

as do thousands of people who have been protesting and

demonstrating outside this hall all this week. Will the

United Nations stand by their side?

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the jury is still out on the

United Nations, and recent signs are not encouraging.

Rather than condemning the terrorists and their Iranian

patrons, some here in the United Nations have condemned their

victims. This is exactly what a recent UN report on Gaza did,

falsely equating terrorists with those they targeted.

For eight long years, Hamas fired rockets, from Gaza on

nearby Israeli cities and citizens--thousands of missiles,

mortars--hurtling down from the sky on schools, homes,

shopping centers, bus stops. Year after year, as these

missiles were deliberately fired on our civilians, not a

single UN resolution--not one!--was passed condemning those

criminal attacks. We heard nothing--absolutely nothing--from

the UN Human Rights Council, a misnamed institution if there

ever was one.

In 2005, hoping to advance peace, Israel unilaterally

withdrew from every inch of Gaza. It was very painful. We

dismantled 21 settlements--really bedroom communities and

farms. We uprooted over 8,000 Israelis. We just yanked them

out from their homes. We did this because many in Israel

believed that this would get peace.

Well, we didn't get peace. Instead we got an Iranian backed

terror base fifty miles from Tel Aviv. Life in the Israeli

towns and cities immediately next to Gaza became nothing less

than a nightmare. You see the Hamas rocket launchers and the

rocket attacks not only continued after we left, they

actually increased dramatically. They increased tenfold. And

again, the UN was silent--absolutely silent.

Finally, after eight years of this unremitting assault,

Israel was forced to respond. But how should we have

responded? Well, there is only one example in history of

thousands of rockets being fired on a country's civilian

population. This happened when the Nazis rocketed British

cities during World War II. During that war, the allies

leveled German cities, causing hundreds of thousands of

casualties.

I'm not passing judgment. I'm stating a fact--a fact that

is the product of the decision of great and honorable men--

the leaders of Britain and the United States fighting an evil

force in World War II.

It is also a fact that Israel chose to respond differently.

Faced with an enemy committing a double war crime of firing

on civilians while hiding behind civilians--Israel sought to

conduct surgical strikes directed against the rocket

launchers themselves. Now mind you that was no easy task

because the terrorists were firing their missiles from homes

and from schools. They were using mosques as weapons depots,

as missile caches, and they were ferreting explosives in

ambulances.

Israel, by contrast, tried to minimize casualties by urging

Palestinian civilians to vacate the targeted areas. We

dropped countless flyers over their homes. We sent thousands

and thousands of text messages to the Palestinian residents.

We made thousands and thousands of cellular phone calls

urging them to vacate, to leave. Never has a country gone to

such extraordinary lengths to remove the enemy's civilian

population from harm's way.

Yet faced with a clear-cut case of aggressor and victim,

whom do you think the United Nations Human Rights Council

decided to condemn? Israel. A democracy legitimately

defending itself against terror is morally hanged, drawn and

quartered, and given an unfair trial to boot.

By these twisted standards, the UN Human Rights Council

would have dragged Roosevelt and Churchill to the dock as war

criminals. What a perversion of truth! What a perversion of

justice!

Now, Delegates of the United Nations, and the Governments

whom you represent, you have a decision to make. Will you

accept this farce? Because if you do, the United Nations

would revert to its darkest days, when the worst violators of

human rights sat in judgment against the law-abiding

democracies, when Zionism was equated with racism and when an

automatic majority could be mustered to declare that the

earth is flat.

If you had to choose a date when the United Nations began

its descent, almost a free fall, and lost the respect of many

thoughtful people in the international community, it was that

decision in 1975 to equate Zionism with racism. Now this body

has a choice to make. If it does not reject this biased

report, it would vitiate itself: It would begin or re-begin

the process of vitiating itself from its own relevance and

importance.

But it would do something else; it would send a message to

terrorists everywhere, saying: Terrorism pays; all you have

to do is launch your attacks from densely populated areas,

and you will win immunity.

And then a third thing: in condemning Israel, this body

would also deal a mortal blow to peace. Let me explain why.

When Israel left Gaza, many hoped that the missile attacks

would stop. Others believed that even if they didn't stop, at

the very least Israel would have made this gesture, an

extraordinary gesture for peace, but it would have

international legitimacy to exercise its right of self-

defense if peace failed. What legitimacy? What self-defense?

The same UN that cheered Israel as we left Gaza, the same

UN that promised to back our right of self-defense, now

accuses us--my people, my country--of being war criminals?

And for what? For acting responsibly in self-defense, for

acting in a way that any country would act with a restraint

unmatched by many. What a travesty!

Ladies and gentlemen, Israel justly defended itself against

terror. This biased and unjust report provides a clear-cut

test for all governments. Will you stand with Israel or will

you stand with the terrorists?

We must know the answer to that question now. Now--not

later. Because if Israel is again asked to take more risks

for peace, we must know today that you will stand with us

tomorrow. Only if we have the confidence that we can defend

ourselves can we take further risks for peace.

And make no mistake about it. All of Israel wants peace.

Any time an Arab leader genuinely wanted peace with us, we

made peace. We made peace with Egypt led by Anwar Sadat. We

made peace with Jordan led by King Hussein. And if the

Palestinians truly want peace, I and my government, and my

people, will make peace. But we want a genuine peace, a

defensible peace, a permanent peace.

In 1947, this body voted to establish two states for two

peoples--a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews accepted

this resolution. The Arabs rejected it and invaded the

embryonic Jewish state with hopes to annihilate it. We ask

the Palestinians to finally do what they refused to do for 62

years: Say yes to a Jewish state! As simple, as clear, as

elementary as that. Just as we are asked to recognize a

nation-state for the Palestinian people, the Palestinians

must be asked to recognize the nation-state of the Jewish

people.

The Jewish people are not foreign conquerors in the Land of

Israel. It is the land of our forefathers. Inscribed on the

walls outside this building is the great Biblical vision of

peace: ``Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. They

shall learn war no more.'' These words were spoken by the

great Jewish prophet Isaiah 2,800 years ago as he walked in

my country, in my city--in the hills of Judea and in the

streets of Jerusalem. We are not strangers to this land. This

is our homeland.

But as deeply connected as we are to our homeland, we also

recognize that the Palestinians also live there and they want

a home of their own. We want to live side by side with them,

two free peoples living in peace, living in prosperity,

living in dignity.

Peace, prosperity and dignity require one other element. We

must have security. The Palestinians should have all the

powers to govern themselves except a handful of powers that

could endanger Israel.

This is why the Palestinian state must be effectively

demilitarized. I say effectively, because we don't want

another Gaza, or another South Lebanon, another Iranian

backed terror base abutting Jerusalem and perched on the

hills a few kilometers from Tel Aviv. We want peace.

I believe that with good will and with hard work, such a

peace can be achieved. But it requires from all of us to roll

back the forces of terror, led by Iran, that seek to destroy

peace, that seek to eliminate Israel and to overthrow the

world order. The question facing the international community

is whether

it is prepared to confront those forces or to accommodate

them.

Over 70 years ago, Winston Churchill lamented what he

called the ``confirmed unteachability of mankind.'' By that

he meant the unfortunate habit of civilized societies to

sleep and to slumber until danger nearly overtakes them.

Churchill bemoaned what he called the ``want of foresight,

the unwillingness to act when action will be simple and

effective, the lack of clear thinking, the confusion of

counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation

strikes its jarring gong.''

Ladies and gentlemen, I speak here today in the hope that

Churchill's assessment of the ``unteachability of mankind''

is for once proven wrong. I speak here today in the hope that

we can learn from history--that we can prevent danger in

time.

In the spirit of the timeless words spoken to Joshua over

3,000 years ago, let us be strong and of good courage. Let us

confront this peril, secure our future and, God willing,

forge an enduring peace for generations to come.

[Translation from the Hebrew] ``The Lord will give strength

to His people, the Lord will bless His people with peace.''

I thank the gentleman from California for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I want to single out and say how much I appreciate the work of Congresswoman Dina Titus from the State of Nevada, as well as Chairman Rangel and Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Stark on this very important issue.

The economic downturn has hit many parts of this country very dramatically, but none more dramatically than in the State of Nevada, and certainly in the southern part of the State that I represent. I have 100,000 Social Security recipients in my congressional district, many of whom will be impacted by the increase in the Medicare part B premiums next year.

Since this increase is not going to be offset by the normal cost-of- living increase in their Social Security checks, I think this is a very important way and a very necessary way of helping to keep my seniors, who rely on Social Security and who will be harmed with this additional payment, keep them whole.

So I want to thank my colleague again and join with her in protecting the seniors in the State of Nevada and throughout the country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of a concurrent resolution honoring the Black Stuntmen's Association and the Coalition of Black Stuntmen and Women for their central role in the fight for racial equality in the film and television industry.

I have the honor of representing some of the founding members of these organizations, and I feel it is time the Congress of the United States recognizes the part they played in combating discrimination in Hollywood.

The film and television industry was not immune to the racial and cultural struggles of the 1950s and 1960s in America. This was reflected in the small number of African-Americans and other minorities working throughout the industry. When stunt doubles were needed for the few African-American actors working in Hollywood, common practice was to ``paint down'' white stuntmen, using makeup to darken their complexion. As more African-American actors began to find work in the major studios in the 1960s, the almost exclusive use of white stuntmen became a more visible example of the racial discrimination still plaguing our society.

In 1967, a group of African-American stuntmen, athletes and extras founded the Black Stuntmen's Association to address these lingering problems in the industry. The Coalition of Black Stuntmen and Women was formed in 1973 to continue the fight against racial bias in Hollywood. Together these groups confronted the studios over their discriminatory practices, pursuing legal action to bring additional diversity to the industry and monitoring compliance with the resulting agreements. Through their tireless efforts, members of the Black Stuntmen's Association and the Coalition of Black Stuntmen and Women paved the way for greater racial equality in film and television in the ensuing years.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize some of the individuals who were involved in the founding and operation of the Black Stuntmen's Association and the Coalition of Black Stuntmen and Women: Eddie Smith, Marvin Walters, Jadie David, Ernie Robertson, Henry Kingi, Alex Brown, S.J. McGee, and Willie Harris.

The efforts of these men and women, as well as many others, bore fruit in other aspects of the industry as well. African-Americans began to break through racial barriers both in front of the camera as actors and behind the camera as directors, producers and in other management positions. Their lasting contributions have changed the way Hollywood does business, and they truly deserve our recognition and gratitude.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the Black Stuntmen's Association and the Coalition of Black Stuntmen and Women.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady from California for yielding me this time, and I thank my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as cochairman of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus and in support of this resolution and in support of the people of Taiwan. It was a horrific and frightening thing to see the devastation that the typhoon wrought on Taiwan; over 600 dead, scores missing, and so many thousands hurt. Nearly 200,000 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. We mourn these losses and send our deepest condolences to the people and Government of Taiwan.

At the same time, I am so proud of the United States of America, the fact that we sent timely aid and helicopters to help our friends in their recovery efforts. While the Taiwanese people are strong, certainly strong enough to recover completely on their own, I hope that as a friend of Taiwan, we will continue to show our support for them and help them through this difficult time.

Taiwan is an important trade partner, fellow democracy, and a strong U.S. ally in a very volatile region of the world. It is my sincere hope that our two democracies, that our two countries, will continue to have a close and strong relationship for many years to come through the good times and the bad. This certainly is as bad as it gets, but it will get better.

Madam Speaker, today I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the centennial anniversary of Cragin and Pike Insurance in Las Vegas.

In 1909, the first insurance company in Las Vegas opened its doors in newly incorporated Clark County, Nevada. Peter Buol, the original owner, provided real estate and insurance services to the citizens of the newly established City of Las Vegas. The business philosophy established by Peter Buol was carried on by partners Ernie Cragin and William Pike. Their combined dedication to and vision for our community contributed immensely to the political, economical, and environmental development and history of Southern Nevada.

Ernie Cragin served as Las Vegas Mayor for 25 years and was instrumental in establishing the Helldorado Days celebration and parade downtown. He also worked to bring the U.S. Army's Aerial Gunnery School, which is now known as the world famous Nellis Air Force Base to Southern Nevada.

William Pike, who began as an assistant to Peter Buol and would later own the company, witnessed the construction of the Hoover Dam and helped many of the workers meet their financial and insurance needs.

After the passing of Ernie Cragin and William Pike, Paul McDermott and Frank Kerestesi continued the name of Cragin & Pike Insurance. The current partners--Tom Kerestesi, Mark McKinley, Greg McKinley and Tom Burns continue the Cragin & Pike tradition of personal service by providing insurance, risk management and surety products to Southern Nevadans.

On September 24, 2009, Cragin & Pike Insurance celebrates 100 years of continuously doing business in Southern Nevada. I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating Cragin and Pike Insurance on their 100th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act. The legislation would extend unemployment benefits by up to 13 weeks for over 300,000 jobless workers who reside in high unemployment States and that are projected to run out of unemployment compensation by the end of September. This bill will serve as a lifeline, aiding those who are still struggling to find work in Las Vegas and other parts of Nevada.

The once recession-proof economy of my district of Las Vegas has not been spared from the effects of this downturn. In fact, Nevada has been hit harder than any other State by the foreclosure crisis, and our unemployment rate has skyrocketed to over 13 percent, the second highest in the Nation. This legislation will bring much-needed relief to many jobless Nevadans.

It is absolutely critical that Congress step up and pass this federally funded extension of unemployment benefits. I support the bill we are considering today because it will help hardworking Nevadans get by until the situation improves--and it will--and they can return to work.

Madam Speaker, Nevada has been a boom State for as long as I can remember. My family has been there for 46 years, and with every passing year, more and more people moved in and more and more people flourished in a very strong economy. But when the bust came, it came with a vengeance, and I am afraid that the State of Nevada, like many other States in this country and many other countries in the world, is suffering and is in the midst of an economic crisis.

We have the highest mortgage foreclosure rate in the country in my congressional district and I have one of the highest unemployment rates. And what makes this so startling is perhaps a year ago there was virtually no unemployment in my district and in the State of Nevada.

There has been a lot of criticism about the stimulus package. It is called the Recovery Act, more commonly known as the stimulus package. People say it is not big enough. People say it is not fast enough and that it is not working. But I have to tell you, the people of Nevada have received extraordinary benefits from this stimulus package.

There was a reason that I voted for it. It provided education funding, unemployment benefits, health care benefits, tax breaks, Social Security money for my seniors, and my disabled veterans received substantial funds as well.

According to the Nevada State Treasurer, $426 million in stimulus funds have already been paid out to people in Nevada. That doesn't include the tax cuts, the Social Security payments or the payments to our disabled veterans. Money is flowing into Nevada and is keeping many families afloat during this economic crisis, and it is an economic crisis the likes of which none of us have ever seen and none of us ever thought would happen.

But let me tell you in real terms how this stimulus package is benefiting the folks back home.

Tax cuts: The Making Work Pay tax credit. I know you recall, Madam Speaker, there was $400 for individuals, $800 for families. Ninety-five percent of American families and individuals are already seeing a decrease in their withholding and their paychecks. One million families in Nevada are seeing more money in their monthly paycheck because of this stimulus package at a time when this money is so desperately needed.

118,000 Nevada families are going to benefit from the Child Tax Credit expansion.

American Opportunity Tax Credit. There is a new $2,500 tax credit that is going to help 32,000 Nevadans go to college. I know what it is like when you don't have money to go to college and you have to take out loans and grants. This is going to help kids, like me, that went to school and depended on these loans and grants.

Alternative minimum tax. 31,000 people in my district would have been slammed by the alternative minimum tax if the stimulus package had not been passed.

There is tax relief for business as well. Whether you are a large casino or a small business in the State of Nevada, we provided relief for you: cancellation of indebtedness, bonus depreciation, small business expensing. For most of us, we don't understand what that is, but for small business people and businesses in general, this is their very lifeblood, and we have saved thousands of Nevada's small businesses from going under.

Unemployment insurance. With an unemployment rate of over 12.5 percent and going higher--we haven't bottomed

out yet--the very fact that we were able to provide unemployment benefits, extension of unemployment benefits and expansion, so that Nevada families that find themselves unemployed for the first time ever are going to be able to use this as a bridge to get from where they are now to where we need to be.

Health care. So many of my constituents, the very poorest of us, depend on Medicaid money. The State of Nevada had no Medicaid money. The Federal Government came in and helped the State of Nevada so that we can continue to provide health care for the poorest among us.

Education. We all talk about the importance of education and how it is the most important thing that we can provide children for their future and for the future of this country. Well, Nevada was broke. The State legislature couldn't figure out where we were going to get the money, and the Federal Government came to our rescue; $400 million in fiscal stabilization funds.

What is that? That means that we are going to prevent teacher layoffs and other education cuts. We were restoring the money that was slashed by the Nevada Legislature, $70 million in special education, $70 million in disadvantaged student funding. These were so important for the people of Nevada, so important for our schoolchildren.

And when things get tough and people are laid off, the first thing they are going to need is food stamps in order to feed their families.

I know that my time is almost up, but there are three things that are so important. A $250 one-time payment to all Social Security beneficiaries. That is 100,000 people in Nevada that will benefit from that. Veterans, a $250 one-time payment to disabled veterans. 18,000 veterans in Nevada will benefit from that. And infrastructure funding as well. $200 million will be spent in Nevada on infrastructure. $33 million are for flood control projects, and the rest is going to go to the Regional Transportation Commission to continue to improve our infrastructure, all very important.

The people of the State of Nevada need to know this, and I appreciate the fact that this body passed that legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate once again the anniversary of Turkey's illegal invasion and occupation of Cyprus, beginning in 1974, lasting up to the present time. The division of Cyprus has wreaked havoc on the island nation and left its Turkish- occupied section in disarray. It is cruel that the Cypriot people should continue to be subjected to this conflict.

Three summers ago, we were all pleased to see the two sides reach a major breakthrough in the troubled history of this divided island. After years of conflict, both sides committed themselves to the re- unification of Cyprus based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation and political equality. By agreeing to these principles, they recognized the status quo is unacceptable and that continuing it only hurts Turkish and Greek Cypriots.

It is my hope--and I believe my colleagues share in my feeling--that the two sides will soon be able to begin full-fledged negotiations, leading to a final status agreement and the removal of all Turkish troops from the island. Last Congress, this House expressed its support for these efforts by unanimously passing H. Res. 405, of which I was a proud cosponsor.

Madam Speaker, we urge the two parties to move forward in their discussions and, at the same time, we urge the international community to step back and allow the Cypriots--and the Cypriots alone--to make the decisions affecting their future. No one can force an agreement on them.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill. It addresses climate change, promotes the development of clean-energy sources, and brings us closer to our goal of securing America's energy independence. This bill also takes extra steps to protect consumers while creating new green jobs.

Nevada is in the forefront of renewable energy use. In 1997 Nevada enacted a renewable portfolio standard requiring that 20 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2015. Nevada's solar potential, coupled with our State's geothermal and wind resources, will bring jobs to Nevada and make us a leader in the use of production of clean energy.

In contrast, the alternative proposed by the House Republicans continues the same old failed policies, including the Yucca Mountain project. It doubles the amount of nuclear waste that can

be shipped to Nevada and jams twice as much of this radioactive garbage down our throats. The Republican plan to more than double the size of the Yucca Mountain dump would only double the danger to families in Nevada and across our Nation at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

I thank the gentleman from California for yielding and for his steady leadership on this and so many other issues, the ranking member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) for his leadership on this and so many other Middle East-related issues as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and in support of the people of Iran whose voices deserve to be heard in a free, open and democratic way. We are not here today to discuss the outcome of this election or involve the United States in the internal politics of Iran. The American people, through their elected representatives, are here today to stand with the people of Iran and people all over the world who yearn to express their opinions and to exercise their right to free speech and fair elections.

It takes an enormous amount of courage to stand up to your government in a repressive society, and the American people applaud those heroes who face intimidation and oppression for expressing their views. I am personally in awe of the Iranian people and hope others will learn by their example. I also support President Obama, who I believe has steered an excellent course for dealing with this situation. While some have called upon him to condemn the Iranian government more forcefully, I believe it is essential that the United States not interfere in this remarkable debate and public demonstration. What the world is watching unfold in Iran is condemnation enough of what is happening in that country. We should, however, encourage free speech, free elections and nonviolence for all the parties involved. It's a wise course, and I believe it is one we would have benefited from in years past.

I thank the gentleman from California once again. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation. I support it totally.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on rollcall Nos. 340 through 350. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on each. Thank you.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank my colleagues Mr. Waxman and Mr. Klein for putting this resolution together.

Mr. Speaker, the shooting at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a sad reminder of how anti-Semitism, intolerance, and hatred can lead to senseless acts of violence and death.

My deepest condolences go out to the family of our security officials, Officer Johns, who was killed while defending the visitors and staff of the museum. His bravery and actions in the line of duty are to be commended and will long be remembered.

This disturbing attack on Washington's Holocaust Memorial Museum and the accompanying loss of life underscore the importance of teaching each new generation about the causes of the Holocaust and how we must work together to prevent the spread of intolerance and hatred based on religion, ethnicity, race, color, anything you choose. This shocking and horrific hate crime should be condemned by all Americans. We must speak with one voice that this is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the United States of America.

This resolution is a worthy first step in this effort. I urge unanimous vote in favor of this resolution by my colleagues.

I thank the gentleman from California for yielding and for his extraordinary leadership not only for this bill but on our committee.

I rise today in support of this important bill. It contains a number of important elements that all of my colleagues should support. It increases our diplomatic corps dramatically, allowing the hiring of 1,500 additional Foreign Service officers over the next 2 years; it increases our financing of peacekeeping missions in Darfur and Chad; it doubles the size of the Peace Corps and sets out a plan for better response to humanitarian needs worldwide.

The bill also contains a sense of Congress calling for the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He has been held hostage for nearly 3 years, and it's time that he be brought home to his family and his loved ones. If there is ever to be a Palestinian state, returning Gilad Shalit would be a true demonstration that the Palestinians are capable of self-governance and humanitarian behavior.

With that, I call on my colleagues to support this bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I hope that I do not take the remainder of your time.

I am here to speak in strong support of this resolution. I think it's a very important one and one that needs to be stated in this legislation and stated far more often. The fact of the matter is is that Iran poses an existential threat to the entire civilized world. It is as much a threat to the United States and Europe and the Arab countries in the region as it is to Israel. A nuclear Iran cannot be allowed to happen. The only difference is that the President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, has singled out Israel for particular hatred and contempt and has threatened to wipe Israel off the map.

We have learned after Adolf Hitler that when the leader of a country threatens to exterminate you or wipe you off the map, you ought to take them seriously. So you have a President of Iran that is desperately attempting and rapidly attempting to acquire nuclear capability, not necessarily for peaceful means but for military means and a threat to Israel to wipe it off the map.

I suggest to you that this is a very dangerous combination, and that is why this resolution is important. And I thank the gentleman very much for introducing this amendment. I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be able to share this time with my very dear friend and colleague, Eliot Engel from New York. I think he made very clear how anxious we are to see peace come to the Middle East and how we support a two-state solution that has been America's policy in the Middle East for many years.

But there is another component to that, and that component is that the Palestinians have to show good faith too--and by showing good faith, that means recognizing Israel's right to exist, adhering to prior agreements and doing other things that would demonstrate, including ending the terror and the violence against Israel--that they are serious partners for peace.

Eliot, when they talk about sitting down at the peace table, you need to have a partner at the peace table, particularly one that recognizes your right to exist. If your peace partner, so-called, doesn't recognize your right to exist, what are you negotiating, for your right to exist for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years?

When the Palestinians show good faith by truly ending the terrorism, recognizing Israel's right to exist, adhering to prior agreements calling for peace and other measures, then the Israelis can have the security they need to sit down and negotiate a two-state solution.

They have made unilateral withdrawals of land over multiple decades, and, as my dear colleague knows, these have been very, very tough choices for Israel. They have made them with very little in return.