Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 20, providing further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2007.

I commend the Appropriations Committee for working in a bipartisan manner to construct a resolution that continues to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. As Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, I am especially pleased to note that H.J. Res. 20 restores funding that is absolutely vital to conducting an accurate and cost-efficient 2010 census.

The funding in this bill will enable the Census Bureau to move forward with plans for the first-ever automated census in 2010. In addition to saving time and money, utilizing hand-held computers will improve accuracy and ensure the most precise enumeration possible of the American people. According to Preston Jay Waite, Associate Director for the Decennial Census, field trials have resulted in a 91 percent accuracy rate.

As preparations for the 2010 Census proceed, active oversight will be important to ensure that all Americans are counted fairly. In 2000, the national census missed at least three million people--mostly the poor and minorities. I look forward to working with Ranking Member Michael Turner of Ohio and my other Subcommittee colleagues to conduct essential oversight needed to see that this never happens again.

Mr. Speaker, the action we have taken today will guarantee that we don't retreat from the goal of using technology to improve the way we keep track of changes in our population. I thank my colleagues for passing this continuing resolution and will support efforts in the Senate to pass this legislation with the same commitment to adequately funding the 2010 Census.,

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Orthodontists everywhere by introducing a Resolution to establish a National Orthodontic Health Month. Since the early 1900s, the specialty of orthodontics has been a growing part of our Nation's dental health system. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that U.S. citizens should observe a National Orthodontic Health Month to recognize the advancing art and science of orthodontics. In addition, this Resolution aims to encourage Americans to learn more about the benefit of quality orthodontic care.

Over 5 million citizens of all ages are currently undergoing orthodontic treatment. An attractive smile contributes to self-esteem and self-image, improving a person's self-confidence and contributing to both social and career success. An attractive smile simply makes people more comfortable and more willing to open up to the world around them.

I have been impressed by the impact that orthodontists have not only on their patients, but also the communities in which they serve. Orthodontists are truly dental specialists, undergoing years of training to learn how to safely and effectively correct misaligned jaws and teeth. In addition, orthodontists donate over 62 million dollars worth of pro-bono dental services each year.

The American Association of Orthodontists is the leading voice for orthodontists in this country. The organization represents almost 95 percent of American orthodontists and is dedicated to maintaining the high quality of orthodontic care and promoting advances in orthodontic treatment and technology. I am proud that the American Association of Orthodontists is headquartered within my district in St. Louis, Missouri and I wholeheartedly support efforts to publicize the benefits of orthodontic treatment and the practice of orthodontics.

Madam Speaker, it is with great privilege that I recognize orthodontists today before Congress and I urge my colleagues to join me in working to establish a National Orthodontic Health Month. I myself can attest to the positive benefits of orthodontic care, as I have become one of the millions of adults who use braces to improve my oral health. By establishing a National Orthodontic Health Month we are taking a big first step towards educating people about the importance of orthodontic care as part of their overall oral health.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 390) to require the establishment of a national database in the National Archives to preserve records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction and to provide grants to State and local entities to establish similar local databases.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 390.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 390, which authorizes the National Archives to preserve historical documents relating to servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction. Introduced by my friend, Representative Lantos of California, the bill calls on the Archives to place these documents in a searchable electronic database for use in historical and genealogical research.

As a cosponsor of H.R. 390 and chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, I am pleased to see the measure presented for consideration by the House today. Under this legislation, grants will be made available to States, colleges and universities, and genealogical associations to preserve similar records in their possession and make them available electronically. The bill will for the first time make a wide range of historical documents relating to servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction easily accessible and searchable. This will vastly improve the ability of African Americans to research their lineage. It will also facilitate the efforts of historians performing research into this period of American history.

An identical version of this bill was approved unanimously by the Committee on Government Reform last year. And as someone with a deep appreciation of African American and American history, I am honored to support its passage today.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of this legislation, Representative Lantos.

Mr. Speaker, in closing I want to thank my good friend from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for his leadership on this issue. We appreciate it. I want to commend my good friend from California (Mr. Lantos) for sponsoring this bill that will catalog and preserve these records from a time long ago.

Being a history enthusiast, I believe the adage that a people who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it, and I urge the House to pass the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4, the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007. I commend Congress for doing everything possible to make prescription drugs more affordable and accessible to Medicare beneficiaries. I wish to congratulate my dear friend and colleague from Missouri, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson, for working tirelessly in a truly bi-partisan fashion to enable the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors.

My support for this bill is unwavering and it is my sincere hope that the conference report assures patient's access to all life saving medicines. My constituents deserve nothing less than the best coverage available at the lowest price. I am dedicated to improving the Medicare prescription drug program and will continue working to advance the critical goal of decreasing out of pocket costs for seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I commend you along with my colleagues Representatives Rangel and Dingell for your leadership in helping seniors gain access to affordable medicines.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my hometown St. Louis Cardinals on winning the 2006 World Series. Rather than chase individual glory, the sole goal of all 25 players on the playoff squad was winning the World Series.

While many of these players have been awarded a variety of honors, including the Most Valuable Player Award, the Cy Young Award, the Gold Glove Award, the Silver Slugger Award and the Rookie of the Year Award, and the opportunity to appear in All-Star games, I congratulate this year's World Series MVP, David Eckstein, along with two Gold Glove winners, Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen.

St. Louis has a wonderful baseball tradition, because Cardinal fans have always faithfully supported their team. The St. Louis Cardinals have a history of great players, including Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Curt Flood, Willie McGee and Stan Musial. Against all odds, the extraordinary win marks the 10th World Series title for the Cardinals.

I commend General Manager Walt Jocketty and owner Fred Hanser for assembling and leading a great organization. In addition, Manager Tony LaRussa and the coaching staff have done a remarkable job of guiding this team to victory. I would also like to commend the San Diego Padres, the New York Mets and the Detroit Tigers for proving worthy and honorable opponents during the post-season.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great privilege that I pay tribute to the players, coaches, management and all other personnel of the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as the fans, who, I may note, have never had a riot after the celebration starts for a World Series title. On this great victory today, before Congress, I ask for approval of this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, as well as my friend and chairman, Chairman Shuster of Pennsylvania. I thank them both for their support of this bill.

I rise in support of H.R. 1556, a bill to designate a park in the City of St. Louis in honor of the late Judge Clyde S. Cahill.

Judge Cahill served on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri for more than two decades, appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980. Judge Cahill was the first African American to serve in the eighth circuit court.

The Honorable Clyde S. Cahill, Jr., was a native St. Louisian. He graduated from Vashon High School and served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He went on to graduate from St. Louis University and St. Louis University School of Law.

Early in his legal career, Mr. Cahill served as chief legal adviser to the Missouri office of the NAACP and filed the first lawsuit in the State of Missouri calling for enforcement of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. The Board of Education.

Throughout his career, Clyde Cahill demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the quality of life in the African American community. He was a leader in the struggle for civil rights, and he was active in many domestic programs to help the poor and disadvantaged.

In 1966, he joined the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, and later he went to work for the St. Louis Human Development Corporation. He also served as executive director and general counsel for the Legal Society of St. Louis, where he played a pivotal role in expanding legal aid services throughout eastern Missouri. Judge Cahill was truly a dedicated public servant who spent his life pursuing justice and equality for others.

Today, throughout St. Louis, Judge Cahill is fondly remembered for his courteous style and his compassionate heart. He was a hardworking man with a generous spirit who helped to improve the lives of countless citizens, some who knew him well and others who never even met him. Judge Cahill's contributions will benefit generations, and St. Louisians will forever cherish his memory.

I also want to add, Mr. Speaker, that I grew up knowing Judge Cahill going to school with his children. We are friends to this day. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 1556, a bill to designate a site at the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse as the Clyde S. Cahill Memorial Park.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

With little to no evidence of past fraud, it is outrageous that my Republican colleagues are going to extraordinary lengths to suppress Democratic votes.

H.R. 4844 would impose undue hardship on seniors, women, minorities, the disabled, and lower-income voters, who are all less likely to have proof of citizenship. This bill qualifies as nothing more than a 21st century poll tax, which is unconstitutional.

The malicious intent of this law was recently acknowledged in Missouri when a State judge ruled it an impermissible additional qualification to vote and in violation of the State constitution. It would have disenfranchised over 170,000 voters.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that this bill is nothing more than a sham and fraudulent. In Missouri, for instance, we were not able to find any cases of vote fraud over the last 50 years. So would the proponents tell me where the fraud comes in?

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006. I believe the bill before us is a thoughtful and measured approach for establishing the Federal Government's role in promoting the adoption of a national health information network.

The bill before us takes the logical step of codifying the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT at HHS. This will ensure long- term stability and continuity in the establishment of policies and programs relating to network interoperability, product certification, and adoption throughout the health care stakeholder community. It will also prove beneficial to both providers and public health agencies nationwide as vital clinical, prescribing, and laboratory information will be accessible through one integrated network.

I want to thank Congresswoman Johnson and Congressman Deal for their good work.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006. I believe the bill before us is a thoughtful and measured approach for establishing the Federal government's role in promoting the adoption of a national health information network.

The bill before us takes the logical step of codifying the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT at HHS. This will ensure long- term stability and continuity in the establishment of policies and programs relating to network interoperability, product certification, and adoption throughout the health care stakeholder community. It will also prove beneficial to both providers and public health agencies nationwide, as vital clinical, prescribing, and laboratory information will be accessible through one integrated network.

Just last week, the Institute of Medicine released its report on the number error rates involved with prescribing patient medications, and how the use of e-prescribing would contribute to reducing the number of annual errors in hospitals by 400,000 and save an estimated $3.5 billion this year alone. Utilizing health IT is not only economically beneficial, but will also prevent many costly and unnecessary patient injuries relating to drug interactions.

I realize the bill before us is not a perfect one, and I agree with my friends who have stated that stronger protections for the security and privacy of personal health information are desperately needed. Let me be clear that I'm very disappointed that some thoughtful amendments offered by my Democratic colleagues on security and privacy will not be considered today. I do not believe, however, that health IT platforms used for the preservation or transmission of identifiable patient information are any more vulnerable to security breaches than modern paper-based record systems.

In fact, many providers, insurers, and hospitals have already transitioned from paper based records to electronic health record systems, while taking internal steps to ensure that appropriate security and access controls are built into their IT systems and are compliant with current law. All we are doing today is taking the next step to ensure that all who choose to utilize health IT have a blueprint for system standards to ensure optimal functionality for all participants.

I thank Congresswoman Johnson and Congressman Deal for their good work.

Madam Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to reject the cynical attempt to politicize a critical health care issue that offers hope to millions of Americans, embryonic stem cell research. Last year a bipartisan coalition in this House voted for hope, and we should not abandon that today.

In my State almost 1 million people suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and spinal cord injuries, and I will not turn my back on them.

Expanding Federal support for stem cell research is also vital to helping America maintain our leadership in medicine and the life sciences. And for minorities and lower-income Americans who suffer from higher rates of chronic diseases, embryonic stem cell research could unlock the secrets to closing the health care disparities gap.

The American people support this research because they know that someone they love will be helped. We should not sacrifice that hope on the altar of partisan politics.

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

Mr. Speaker, students are at a much greater risk while traveling to and from school than at any other time during their school day. During the 1997-98 school year, about 800 children from the ages of 5 through 18 were killed during normal school transportation hours, while traveling by passenger car, foot, bicycle, public transportation or school bus. Although school buses are the safest form of highway transportation, they are not fail-safe.

The most dangerous part of the school bus ride is getting on and off the school bus. Fatalities that occur when students board and exit school buses account for approximately three times as many school bus- related fatalities than for fatalities that occur when the school buses are occupied. The area around the bus when the bus is loading and unloading is called the danger zone. The danger zone is comprised of the areas outside of the bus where the children are in the most danger of not being seen by the driver. It is the 10 feet in front of the bus where the driver is too high to see a child, 10-foot-long blind spots that run along both sides of the bus, and the area behind the school bus.

The goal of National School Bus Safety Week is to ensure safe, efficient, economical and high-quality transportation for school children on their trips to and from school and school-related activities. This is certainly a goal we all can support, and I urge my colleagues to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues, Mr. Marchant of Texas and as well as Mr. Duncan of Tennessee, and urge a favorable vote of passage of the School Bus Safety Week. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

As a member of the Government Reform Committee, I am pleased to join my colleague Representative Marchant in support of H.R. 4962, legislation sponsored by Representative Boehlert which names a post office in Utica, New York, after Captain George A. Wood. H.R. 4962, which was cosponsored by the entire New York delegation, was unanimously approved by the Government Reform Committee on June 29, 2006.

George A. Wood, a native New Yorker, was by all accounts a stellar person. A graduate of Notre Dame Junior Senior High School in Utica, George was a high school track and football star. After high school, he graduated from Cornell University and went on to earn master's degrees from New York State University Colleges at Albany and Cortland.

A history buff who was fascinated with military history, George joined the military and was assigned to B company, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas.

Sadly, at age 33, Captain Wood was killed while on patrol in Baqubah, Iraq, on November 20, 2003, when his tank rolled over an improvised explosive device. Captain Wood is survived by his wife Lisa and daughter Maria.

Mr. Speaker, it is always difficult to learn of a soldier's death, but I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the legacy, sacrifice and accomplishments of Captain Wood by designating the Utica post office in his name. I note that Captain Wood's father and grandfather were postal employees at the Utica facility. How fitting.

Madam Speaker, I urge the swift passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge the swift passage of this bill. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, 40 years of political turmoil forced many individuals from the Republic of El Salvador to flee the country in search of peace and security in the U.S. Currently, there are over 900,000 Salvadoran Americans living in the U.S. The majority of them have found new homes in California, New York, and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

The history of the U.S. is a rich and enduring tapestry woven with the threads of many remarkable lives, cultures and events. The lives, work, and

artistry of Salvadoran Americans have added strength, vitality and purpose to that tapestry.

The Salvadoran-American community continues to make great economic and cultural contribution to the United States. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 721.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis), my colleague.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).

(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 721, supporting the goals and ideals of Salvadoran American Day, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House for 5 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, I urge this administration to take immediate action on a plan to withdraw our troops from Iraq. The American people were misled into this war, and they want the leaders of this Nation to take responsibility and end this war now.

I was among those who opposed the tragic decision to launch this war. I warned that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would plunge us into a bloody quagmire of violence that would only intensify the instability in the Middle East and leave our own Nation less secure and less able to protect our national interest.

The sad truth is that all the grimmest predictions have now come true. Today, the Taliban are mounting a major comeback in Afghanistan. Iran is on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon. Somalia is dominated by an al Qaeda-inspired militia, and the Hezbollah has attacked Israel. In return, Israel has attacked Lebanon. Here at home, our Nation is at risk.

As fundamental recommendations of the 9/11 Commission remain unfulfilled, those who still support the Iraq war often claim it has made this Nation a safer place, that it has kept away the terrorists and stopped another 9/11 tragedy.

Unfortunately, such wishful thinking is only an effort to justify the horrendous human suffering that we have caused by this misguided mission, an effort to justify a war that was never properly planned and executed, a war that has wounded thousands and cost the lives of 2,547 American soldiers.

The human toll of this war is still climbing, and throughout the world terrorism is on the rise. This administration talks a lot about national security, but without doing anything about it.

Those in Congress know the war in Iraq has made America a more vulnerable Nation. Congress is appropriating millions and millions of dollars on homeland security projects. The U.S. Capitol complex is saturated with security, and certainly no one in this body behaves as if the war in Iraq has made our Nation safe from terrorism.

In fact, the Iraq war has only inspired terrorism. Democracy is not flourishing in the Middle East, and the costs of the Iraq war and our global antiterrorist operations will top $500 billion next year.

It is time to bring our troops home and to devote our resources to protecting the American people.

Mr. Speaker, on July 1, 2006, thousands of Iranians from around the world, including the members of the Iranian American Cultural Association of Missouri, gathered in Paris to express their interest in a free Iran and their support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

At this gathering, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi gave a speech about the need to bring freedom and democracy to the people of Iran. I would like to take this opportunity to share with my colleagues an excerpt from her inspiring address.

In the name of God, in the name of Iran, in the name of

freedom, fellow Iranians, dear friends: With warmest

greetings to all of you who represent the freedom, dignity

and the resistance of our homeland, Iran. The sound of

shackles of the religious dictatorship breaking apart and the

song of victory can be heard in your resolve and faith, in

the uprisings of our Azeri compatriots, and in the victory of

those who persevered after the events of June 17, 2003. I

also send my greetings to the distinguished personalities

from France and other countries that have honored us by their

presence. I thank Madam Edith Cresson, the former Prime

Minister of France and the honorable mayors in different

cities in the province of Val d'Osie as well as the dignified

deputies of various parliaments from around the world.

Dear Friends: We are standing at a very extraordinary

juncture of Iran's history: The turning point for a major

birth and a magnificent destiny toward which we are being

steered. Today, all the paths to ensure the survival of the

velayat-e faqih regime have reached a dead end. Neither the

deceitful spin game of reform nor the policy of appeasement

bore any fruit. Propelling Ahmadinejad to power submerged the

regime in its entirety in a mortal crisis. Today, the sun for

the future of our nation is on the horizon. The terrorist

label (against the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran)

has become a source of shame for the appeasers and the June

17 dossier has discredited them further. The waves of victory

and freedom rush ahead in the declaration of 5.2 million

Iraqis, in the ruling by the Paris Court of Appeals and in

the spate of uprisings in Iranian cities. So, with a voice

louder than ever, we again say, the only option, the only

correct path and the only correct answer to the Iranian

problem is the establishment of democracy. We say no to war,

no to appeasement, yes to the third option: which is

democratic change by the Iranian people and their Resistance.

We say that the great nation of Iran itself has the

capability and the capacity to change its own destiny to

achieve democracy. And it undoubtedly will. Accordingly, I

will present the outlines of the Resistance's program for

the Iran of tomorrow. This program reflects the Iranian

people's historic aspirations.

1. In the future Iran the natural and inalienable human

rights of every Iranian must be respected. The rights to

life, freedom, and security of every citizen of the Iranian

nation will be considered equal under the law regardless of

their gender, race, religion, ethnic makeup, and dialect. We

are committed to the ``Universal Declaration of Human

Rights''.

2. In the future Iran all individual freedoms will be

recognized. These include freedom of speech, clothing,

marriage and divorce, employment, travel, choosing one's

residency and citizenship.

3. The litmus test of the legitimacy of the country's

political and legal makeup is the universal suffrage. In the

future Iran the right to make key political decisions in

society and the people's right to change the government will

be respected and various councils will be set up in all

spheres of society in order to uphold and guarantee

democracy.

4. We seek a pluralistic republic, in which complete

freedom of parties, associations and unions are guaranteed.

5. In the free Iran of tomorrow we will defend the

abolition of the death penalty. This is our response to the

ruthless killings and brutality with which the mullahs have

ruled clutched on to their reign. Torture will be banned

under any circumstances. There will be no room for cruel and

degrading punishments under whatever pretext, including under

the cloak of religion.

6. The Iranian Resistance is committed to the separation of

church and state. In the Iran of tomorrow the principle of

freedom of religion will be respected. The country's laws

will not ban any religion. No religion will enjoy privilege

over another and no citizen will be subjected to any personal

or social privilege or privation in their individual or

social rights because of their belief or non-belief in any

religion.

7. We are committed to the Convention on the Elimination of

All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. In the Iran of

tommorow, men and women will enjoy equal rights in all

political, social and economic sectors. Women will have equal

participation in the political leadership of the country.

8. In the Iran of tomorrow all forms of sexual exploitation

of women will be prevented. Polygamy will be banned.

Physical, sexual and psychological violence against women

will be considered a crime.

9. In the Iran of tomorrow oppression, discrimination and

lawlessness concerning children and child labor will be

banned.

10. The judiciary of the future Iran will be founded upon a

uniform system of justice. It will be a two-tiered system

based on the presumption of innocence, the right to defense,

the right to seek justice, the right to be tried in open

courts with the presence of the jury. In this system, their

will be no discrimination on issuing judgment. The complete

independence of the judges and the Bar Association will be

guaranteed.

11. In the Iran of tomorrow the free market will be

respected. Economic opportunity will be provided to the

people equitably and all restrictions on self employment will

be lifted.

12. We are determined to ensure that in the Iran of

tomorrow every member of society will enjoy access to social

services, including education, hygiene and athletic

opportunities. Universities will be governed by independent

councils elected by the faculty and students.

13. In the Iran of tomorrow the just right to autonomy of

the people of Kurdistan will be recognized. We seek the

eradication of dual discrimination against all ethnic

minorities in Iran in the framework of the country's

indivisible territorial integrity.

14. In the Iran of tomorrow, interference in the internal

affairs of other countries will be banned and others will be

banned from interfering in our internal affairs. We demand

peace, mutual respect in international relations, good

neighborliness and the establishment of diplomatic relations

with all countries of the world. The Iran of tomorrow will be

a non-nuclear country and devoid of weapons of mass

destruction.

Dear compatriots, honorable friends, What I enumerated was

the synopsis of the Iranian Resistance's views and program

for our nation once it is liberated from the oppression of

the mullahs. To realize this program, free elections will be

held for a national constituent assembly within six months of

the toppling of the ruling religious dictatorship. At the end

of the six-month period, the provisional government will step

down and the people's elected constituent assembly will begin

work to appoint the new government and draft the new

constitution. Three years ago, when the French police

launched an unprecedented raid against the office of the

National Council of Resistance of Iran, freedom was again at

stake. From the onset, it was obvious that the raid was the

outcome of a deal with the theocracy ruling Iran. In truth,

the Resistance of a victimized nation was being suppressed.

Fortunately, in the past three years, this Resistance's

perseverance overcame the June 17 conspiracy. Two weeks ago,

on the anniversary of the June 17, 2003 raid, the Paris Court

of Appeals revoked the oppressive and unwarranted

restrictions against members and officials of the resistance.

This ruling clearly testifies to the innocence of this

resistance and the hollow nature of the June 17 dossier and

the accusations of cult and terrorism that go with it.

Dear Friends, Today, there is only one way to thwart this

threat. The West must reverse course and respect the will of

the Iranian people to establish democracy. Any step in other

directions, any delay in this respect will benefit the

regime. The Resistance is the solution not only for

establishing democracy in Iran but also for peace and

security in the entire world. The solution to the nuclear

crisis and to thwart the danger of a war is democratic change

in Iran. Indeed, by relying on its beloved nation, this

Resistance holds the key to the Iranian equation. The mullahs

are trying to give the impression that opposition to war

means supporting their regime. Thus, any opposition to war is

only justified when accompanied by opposition to religious

fascism. Opposition to war is effective only when it is

accompanied by supporting the Iranian people's Resistance for

freedom. On behalf of the Iranian people's Resistance, I want

to remind the Western countries to learn of the catastrophic

experience of giving concessions to the religious One day,

the late Dr. Mossadeq in his trip to the United States told

President Harry Truman, I have not come to ask for anything.

I have come to ask you to remain neutral in the dispute over

oil. Today, we are not asking you for anything, neither

money, nor weapons. But we demand that you remain neutral in

the struggle the Iranian nation is waging to attain freedom

and democracy. We are demanding that you remove the MEK from

the terrorist list and recognize the right of the Iranian

people to resist dictatorship. The declaration by 5.2 million

Iraqis who demanded the eviction of the clerical regime from

Iraq and the recognition of the status of the People's

Mojahedin Organization of Iran is a brilliant achievement by

this front. This declaration is a great victory and

breakthrough which presents Iraq and the rest of the world

with the correct path to democracy, security and independence

of Iraq, by rejecting the Iranian regime's meddling which has

targeted Iraq's survival and democracy. The fact that some

5.2 million Iraqis above the age of 18 declared that ``the

terrorist allegation against the People's Mojahedin

Organization of Iran has no legitimacy or credibility and

must not be taken as a criterion for dealing with the

MEK,'' demonstrates first and foremost that the near

unanimous majority of Iranians have rejected this label.

Fortunately, Iraqis invited the United Nations,

international organizations and the International

Committee of Lawyers to study and examine the signed

documents of their historic declaration. We urged those

organizations and especially the United Nations Security

Council to accept the invitation. For this reason, we have

said time and again that we will accept free elections

under the auspices of the United Nations and based on

popular sovereignty and not the velayat-e faqih and will

accept a referendum. At the same time, however, we said

that a viper would never give birth to a dove. One should

not expect anything other than killings and repression

from the ruling theocracy. Twenty-seven years of crime and

suppression are enough. It is now time for freedom and the

people's sovereignty. Our salutes to Ashraf and its great

commander Mojgan Parsai, and to MEK's Secretary General

and her proud colleagues, my beloved brothers and sisters

in Ashraf City, who in the past three years on stepped up

their steadfastness as they confronted an assortment of

difficulties, bombings, the denial of their water,

electricity, medicine and supplies, the massacre of Iraqi

workers of Ashraf City and intelligence, terrorist

conspiracies and kidnappings. The Iranian people and

Iran's brave women and men who are resolved in the

struggle for freedom hold the key to our nation's freedom.

It is the Iranian people and Resistance who endeavor for

change, bring about change and build the future. It is the

Iranian people and their Resistance who will overthrow the

evil of fundamentalism. Iran will become the land of

democracy and human rights. The Iranian nation will

triumph and will be free.

May God bless you all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the reauthorization of one of the most critical pieces of legislation that this House has ever produced, the Voting Rights Act.

Today we have heard firsthand accounts of how this act changed America, and recent research confirms that the Voting Rights Act is as essential today as it was in 1965.

The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law concluded that there is still a shocking continuing reality of racial discrimination in voting that is pervasive, and these problems are nationwide.

Their three key findings were especially disturbing. First, records from the U.S. Department of Justice confirm that the actual number of documented complaints to Federal officials have increased between 1982 and 2004.

Second, polling places and voting hours in minority neighborhoods were routinely changed shortly before elections.

And finally, election officials were found to have illegally purged voters from registration lists and to have refused to translate election materials.

Mr. Speaker, it is time that people in power stop playing with that basic essential right to vote in this country.