Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 388) expressing the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense and the Federal Voting Assistance Program should take certain additional and timely measures to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and their dependents are provided with reasonable information on how to register to vote and vote in the 2008 general elections, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I stand with the House leadership in full support of House Concurrent Resolution 388. This resolution insists that the government strengthen its promise under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to assist our military and overseas citizens to vote.

House Concurrent Resolution 388 would direct the Federal Voting Assistance Program to provide military personnel and their dependents with electronic reminders about the election process and ensure paper and electronic copies of the Federal Post Card Application are provided.

According to a 2006 U.S. Election Assistance Commission Report, 70 percent of uncounted military and overseas ballots were due to incorrect or undeliverable addresses. House Concurrent Resolution 388 would also direct election offices to work with the Federal Voting Assistance Program to update contact information as well as expand outreach efforts to military and overseas voters.

I applaud Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Blunt for their leadership in drafting this bipartisan resolution. House Concurrent Resolution 388 reinforces the government's commitment to assisting our military and overseas voters. I urge all Members to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6625) to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record.

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

H.R. 6625 will make certain that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs provides the voting assistance and opportunities that our veterans deserve.

H.R. 6625 responds to a Department of Veterans Affairs voting assistance policy established in May, which was misguided and unacceptable. The VA directive permitted voting assistance only if requested. It prohibited election officials and nonpartisan organizations from providing assistance to our veterans at VA facilities. Despite the policy changes made by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs last week, the policy still doesn't offer the meaningful voter registration and voting assistance our veterans deserve.

H.R. 6625 will require the VA to assist our veterans by permitting States to designate VA facilities as voter registration agencies under section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act. In addition, the bill would prohibit the VA from banning State and local election officials and nonpartisan groups from distributing nonpartisan information about voting and providing voter assistance at VA facilities.

Voter registration drives conducted by these election experts have energized millions of voters who historically have not participated in elections. H.R. 6625 requires that nonpartisan groups with the expertise and experience be allowed to assist veterans with the voting process with minimal disruption to facility operations.

My district in San Diego is home to a large concentration of veterans. I

know that the future of our country matters so much to them, and they want to be involved. Certainly, the veterans who have fought and suffered to protect our democracy should be given every opportunity to vote.

Much has been said about the importance of this bill for voter registration, but I'd like to draw your attention to section 4 because it may be the most important part.

Section 4 provides veterans with assistance in voting by absentee ballot, also called voting by mail. It requires that absentee request forms be available in VA facilities and ensures that veterans can get help completing their absentee materials and returning them to the elections office.

Why is this so important? Not only does voting by mail save voters what can be a difficult trip to the polls, but it allows them more time to study their choices. For veterans, having time to vote without the pressure of a line of people behind them is especially helpful because many are voting in new jurisdictions where candidates and issues may not be familiar to them. Further, some of their illnesses or injuries mean they need additional time to mark their choices.

Unfortunately, voting absentee is not as straightforward a process as it should be in many places. State rules vary widely about who can vote absentee and how. Some States have forms with plenty of fine print, others require a formal letter just to request an absentee ballot, and some States even insist on doctors' notes or notary signatures. And of course, different States have a range of deadlines that must be met.

To make sure that votes count, some veterans could really use assistance navigating this overly complex process. I am pleased that our committee passed my legislation to lift some of the restrictions on voting by mail, and it is my sincere hope that we will make voting absentee more doable for everyone.

In the meantime, the least we can do for our brave veterans is to give them a little help with their absentee ballots.

I want to thank Mr. Ehlers for working with the committee to draft language that guarantees our veterans will always receive the voter assistance they need. I would also like to thank the 54 colleagues who have joined Mr. Brady and me to introduce this legislation and especially applaud the dedication and work that Representatives Filner and Watson have shown on this issue.

Our veterans have dedicated their lives to protecting our democracy and our government and we should be dedicated to ensuring veterans that they are given every opportunity to vote and participate in the very democracy they defend.

I urge all Members to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to Representative Watson of California.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 61) expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States flag flown over the United States Capitol should be lowered to half-mast one day each month in honor of the brave men and women from the United States who have lost their lives in military conflicts.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on this resolution.

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

This resolution recognizes our servicemen and -women who have fought and died for our country and the sacrifice made by their families. The resolution provides for the flag over the Capitol to be raised at half- staff once a month in honor of all the U.S. men and women that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our Nation.

While we in Congress and the majority of the American people go about our day-to-day lives, this small gesture should serve as a constant reminder of those brave men and women who have given their lives in defense of the freedoms that we, the American people, enjoy. We owe all of our fallen servicemen and -women a debt that can never be repaid.

I am pleased to support this resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it as well.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to the sponsor of this bill, Representative Lincoln Davis of Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman bringing this legislation forward.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and I urge passage of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor not only one of my colleagues but a dear friend, the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

As we all know, she served the 11th Congressional District of Ohio with dignity and pride, and she represented her district with compassion, always with compassion, fighting for justice and equality.

I was very fortunate because, when I arrived here in 2001, my office was right across the hall from Stephanie's, and so you can imagine how embraced I felt by her and by all of her staff, by all of the people who were so close to her, such a loyal group of people.

There have been many stories told this evening, and many more will be told of her accomplishments; there have been many tributes that people have paid to her, but in this very brief time, I just wanted to talk for a minute about how her influence goes far beyond the district that she represented because, for years, Representative Tubbs Jones had been a special guest speaker before a group of young people from San Diego, the Aaron Price Fellows. She always came to those meetings at my request, and was always so enthusiastic. She would just captivate this room of high schoolers, who come from very diverse backgrounds, with warmth and humor. She would weave her congressional experience with her personal stories to excite the whole group, and she would encourage their discussion. She'd love their questions and really would be so energized, energized in that room of young people every year that she spoke to them just as she did every time she spoke on this very floor. I think it says so much about Stephanie that she shared her time and a lot of that time with students far from her district.

So, today, we remember her as such an inspirational leader, inspirational for so many--from high school students, to her constituents, of course, and to all of us here--to her colleagues. I am proud to say that I will continue to be inspired by her as I serve in Congress, and I can just think her saying today, ``Hey, girlfriend.'' So I want to say to her ``Thanks, girlfriend. Thank you for everything.''

Mr. Speaker, I represent 100,000 college students and eight colleges and universities in the San Diego region, and obviously I am very interested in the provisions in the conference report for College Opportunity and Affordability Act. And I am proud of this agreement for many of the reasons that have been given, but I am proud of it for these reasons also:

It makes servicemembers eligible for more financial aid. It stops student loan interest from piling up when servicemembers are off serving our country. And, it guarantees our men and women in uniform will not use their academic standing when they return. And, also, because it allows students to receive work study payments when they are prevented from working by natural disasters such as we had with the wildfires in the San Diego region.

I want to thank Chairman Miller, Ranking Member McKeon, Chairman Kennedy, and Ranking Member Enzi for their hard work. I urge the adoption of this conference report.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act. I also want to applaud Congresswoman DeLauro and Chairman Miller.

When I was growing up, women only had a few career options. You could either be a teacher, a nurse, a secretary or a social worker, all very noble and difficult professions, but which don't pay nearly enough, mostly because a disproportionate number of women still do these jobs. But when my granddaughter enters the workforce, she will be able to work in any field she wants. So we have come a long way. But we still have, as many have said, a long way to go.

The tragedy is that our daughters and granddaughters will do the same jobs as men on a number of occasions in a number of fields, but will only earn something like 77 percent of what their male colleagues earn for the same work. So despite the progress that we have made over the past four decades, many employers continue to overlook and occasionally even intentionally ignore the contributions of their female employees.

It is about transparency. That is what we are talking about today, to give women who traditionally have stood by and been hesitant about taking full credit for their hard work the tools that they need to be certain that they are recognized in the workforce for what they are actually accomplishing.

Employers must recognize all of their employees for this important work that they do and reward them with fair compensation. Unfortunately, despite what we are hearing, it is not happening on its own. Our daughters and our granddaughters need this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, as chairwoman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, I strongly support the Injunctive Relief for Veterans Act, H.R. 6225.

Now, early in the 110th Congress I introduced the Veterans Education Tuition Support Act, or H.R. 2910, to guarantee tuition reimbursement and readmission for every servicemember deployed while attending college. Now, I did that because I had heard from a number of servicemembers about their situations. Many reported that they had problems during activations, including harassment from bill collectors for tuition, and difficulty re enrolling back into school.

Our men and women in uniform already face unthinkable levels of pressure and stress while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, and they deserve to know that they will treated fairly by their institution and can easily return to their studies after the mission is over.

I am pleased that Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin has included provisions from H.R. 2910 into H.R. 6225, and I want to thank the committee for taking up this very important issue.

Madam Speaker, due to a travel complication beyond my control, I regretfully was unable to vote on three items of legislation before the House on July 14, 2008. My flight from San Diego, California was cancelled. I did not arrive to Washington, DC, until past the legislative hour.

I would have voted ``yea'' on each of the three bills before the House Monday. They are as follows:

(1) H. Res. 1067--Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the crossing of the North Pole by the USS Nautilus (SSN 571) and its significance in the history of both our Nation and the world.

(2) H. Res. 1080--Honoring the extraordinary service and exceptional sacrifice of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), known as the Screaming Eagles.

(3) H. Con. Res. 297--Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the integration of the United States Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Ms. Zoe Lofgren's bill, H.R. 5803. In our State of California, voting machines were decertified after a careful scientific review showed them to be prone to problems. Now we use paper. We don't need backup ballots. But many jurisdictions still use the voting machines that they purchased. And it becomes obvious that even under the management of the most diligent election officials, glitches with voting systems are rare, but they are inevitable.

The question is not whether there will be some technical problems on Election Day, but how will we respond? How bad will they be? Asking voters to come back is not a solution. We must have a plan B, a plan B ready on the spot.

That is what this bill gives us. Most of the time, as we know, emergency ballots will go unused. But we cannot afford to be without them. Opponents would argue that it's wasteful to invest in something we hope never to use. Well would we ever think of not investing in life rafts on ships, air bags on cars, or fire escapes on buildings? Emergency paper ballots are the air bag of our democracy. We can't afford not to have them in place when the vitality of election is on the line. And we know, Mr. Speaker, that in November, that will be the case. The election could be very close. And the country needs to come together in the end.

If people believe that somehow they didn't have the opportunity to vote, then they will perceive that this was not a fair election. After a spirited election, people will come together, but only if the American faith in our democracy has been borne out. This is one way to help. And I believe that we must go forward and look at this. Only the States that need it will apply. And I would expect that they would be very prudent in the way they request that

kind of funding through the grant program.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 25th anniversary of Dr. Sally K. Ride's historic journey as the first American woman in space.

Dr. Ride also happens to be one of my constituents, and I have had the pleasure of meeting her. Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Ride and the STS-7 crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger were propelled into space. It had been over two decades since Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind. But on June 18, 1983, Sally K. Ride took a large stride for women everywhere by becoming the first American woman in space.

A gifted athlete, Dr. Ride had opted out of a promising tennis career to pursue college degrees in physics and English at Stanford University.

In 1977, Dr. Ride's interest was piqued by a NASA announcement seeking young scientists to serve as mission specialists on shuttle flights. Hers would be the first NASA class ever to accept women.

Out of thousands of applications, NASA selected Dr. Ride to be one of six women out of 35 new astronauts, and the class became known as the ``35 New Guys.''

To be sure, Mr. Speaker, on her historic space mission, Dr. Ride wasn't simply along for the ride. She was the mission's flight engineer, tested a robotic arm which deployed and retrieved satellites, and assisted the commander and pilot during flight.

Six years later, Dr. Ride flew into space again. Her experience and success earned her the respect of our Nation and her colleagues.

In 1986, she was asked to served on the Presidential Commission investigating the tragic Challenger explosion. Dr. Ride left her position at NASA in 1987, but has never stopped inspiring and encouraging the next generation to explore the world of science and space. Her impact on young women has been particularly profound.

She is a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego and director of the University of California's California Space Institute. And she has also founded her own company, Sally Ride Science, which encourages students and their parents and teachers to learn about and enjoy the field of science. And I know from personal experience that at the science and math fairs, she is the hit. She is the highlight, and all of the young people really line up to talk with her.

Capturing the essence of Dr. Ride's life work, her company's motto is ``All Science, All the Time.''

It is this undying dedication to her field and to informing and inspiring young people that has been so characteristic of Dr. Ride since her barrier-breaking space mission a quarter of a century ago. With women like her leading the way, it is no wonder that the number of females to obtain degrees in science and engineering has increased dramatically in the last 30 years.

Ensuring that women are equitably represented in science and technology fields will mean a new level of global competitiveness for our country. This is something we need as we continue to fall behind as a Nation in math and the sciences.

While Dr. Ride's mission landed safely 25 years ago, the task of achieving gender parity in her field is far from over.

As Dr. Ride's Congresswoman and as the grandmother to a young and curious granddaughter, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 377) authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the beginning of the integration of the United States Armed Forces, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 377.

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

Mr. Speaker, this concurrent resolution provides for the use of the Capitol rotunda to mark the 60th anniversary of the integration of the United States Armed Forces. I support the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, 60 years ago, President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which established the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Forces. Determined to end segregation in the Armed Forces, President Truman issued this historic directive to end discrimination experienced by African American soldiers.

Executive Order 9981 was successful in ending racial segregation in the military and its effect is long-standing. As a result of the directive, segregation based on creed, gender, and national origin was also abolished. It is important we recognize such an historic victory for civil rights and for our Armed Forces.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I just urge that Members support H. Con. Res. 377 which provides for use of the Capitol rotunda marking the 60th anniversary of the integration of the United States Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I join with the California Medical Association, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the Clinical Social Work Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, the Food Marketing Institute and Kidney Care Partners in supporting H.R. 3631.

Parliamentary Inquiry

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Robert C. Dynes, who stepped down recently as the 18th President of the University of California, one of the world's premier research universities. President Dynes has devoted his talents and vision to the University's historic mission of academics, research, and public service to the state of California.

A renowned scientist with a steadfast commitment to the highest standards of intellectual life--a hallmark of the University of California since its inception--President Dynes has demonstrated himself to be a skilled, creative, and resourceful leader. During his time at the University of California, he has tackled the vital issues facing higher education in the 21st century with both tenacity and foresight.

His service as President of the University of California has been the capstone of a remarkable career in both private industry and higher education. Before he came to the University of California, Dr. Dynes served for 22 years at AT&T Bell Laboratories as department head of semiconductor and material physics research and director of chemical physics research.

I came to know President Dynes in his role as the Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego from 1996 to 2003. Under Chancellor Dynes' guidance, UCSD achieved national and international acclaim for its research and educational excellence.

During his tenure at the University of California, President Dynes has been a staunch and effective advocate for America's security and competitiveness through advances in science and technology. He has also demonstrated this commitment to encouraging innovation on the national level by serving in key positions in the National Academy of Sciences, the Association of American Universities, and the U.S. Council on Competitiveness.

President Dynes also spearheaded the effort by the University of California to overhaul the university's management of our nation's nuclear security national laboratories. To accomplish this goal, he paired the latest scientific evidence with innovative security strategies to update the management and oversight of the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories.

President Dynes has also been a vigorous and visionary leader in the national movement to reform K-12 math and science education. Among his most notable achievements is his collaboration with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California State University system, and California's industry leaders in creating the Cal Teach Science and Math

Initiative. This endeavor has won high praise from both federal policymakers and U.S. corporate leaders.

With globalization playing a greater role in our society, President Dynes recognized that research universities must ``facilitate the free flow of ideas between borders'' to create the economy and quality of life of the future. To strengthen the research capacity and the intellectual development of American students, he initiated international cooperation with institutions of higher education, as well as with business and industry, in China, India, Canada, and Mexico.

President Dynes' foresight and leadership is evident in the launch of the first new research university of the 21st century--University of California, Merced. Likewise, his hard work was instrumental to the creation of the Governor Gray Davis Institutes for Science and Innovation. Both of these efforts will help keep California at the cutting edge of research into bioengineering, nanotechnology, next generation Internet and the many other elements of the ``New Economy.''

Therefore, I rise today in tribute to my friend Robert C. Dynes--for the invaluable service he has rendered to the country and to the state of California. I would like to thank him for his leadership in the continuing search for new knowledge and commend him for his steadfast commitment to the students of California.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule on H.R. 5749 to extend unemployment benefits to millions of American workers, including over 700,000 in my home State of California. And I'd like to speak about one of those real Americans that I am accountable to.

Just yesterday I spoke with a 51-year-old woman, whose name is Karen, from San Diego. After working for the past 10 years as a Consumer Service Specialist for a large telecom company, Karen was recently laid off from her job. And she's been actively looking for work but has been unable to find one because of the poor economy.

Unable to afford health insurance, the stress of being unemployed is beginning to take a toll on Karen's health. And it's also become harder and harder for her to pay her bills. She told me just looking for a job cost money because you've got to pay for the gas to drive to the interview. She can certainly relate to this discussion this morning.

To make matters worse, her unemployment benefits have just ended. She told me that she has worked hard her whole life and that she is not looking for a hand out, just her life back.

I think we can all agree Karen is one of those hardworking Americans we came to Washington to help.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5749 to extend unemployment benefits to millions of American workers, including over 700,000 in my home State of California.

I wanted to take this opportunity to put a human face on the recent economic downturn.

Just yesterday, I spoke with a 51-year-old woman named Karen from my home district of San Diego.

After working for the past 10 years as a customer service specialist, Karen was recently laid off from her job.

She has been actively looking for work but has been unable to find a job because of the poor economy.

Unable to afford health insurance, the stress of being unemployed is beginning to take a toll on Karen's health.

It has also become harder and harder for her to pay her bills. She told me, ``Just looking for a job costs money, because you've got to pay for the gas to drive to the interviews.''

And to make matters worse, her unemployment benefits have just ended.

By voting for H.R. 5749, we will provide the support millions of Americans need to get back on their feet.

Let us help American workers get their lives back.