Gary Ackerman

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. I would be delighted to yield to the chairman.

Mr. ACKERMAN. I thank the gentleman from California. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Chairman, despite the fact that this might be a complicated and extraordinary and difficult thing for the President to do, we have every confidence in the President on this side that he will be able to come up at least with some criteria that he at least thinks is objective and report in his own language, using his own complicated or simplistic criteria, whether or not he thinks corruption is prevalent in the various provinces in Afghanistan. We are leaving that up to him. And we will fully understand that in any language that he presents it to us, it will come from him, and that will be his determination. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the lifelong achievements of Rabbi Michael and Elaine Strasberg, of Flushing, New York. The Rabbi and Elaine will be the Guests of Honor at the Seudas Shabbos of Congregation Ohr Moshe in Hillcrest, New York, on May 12, 2007, where they will be honored for their lifelong community service. They will celebrate this joyous occasion surrounded by family and friends. The Strasbergs have been leaders in their community for more than three decades. Rabbi Michael led the Israel Center of Hillcrest Manor for 30 memorable years, during which he performed the B'nai Mitzvah services for my own children. More recently, he joined Congregation Ohr Moshe, which will be honoring the couple at a gala dinner on May 12. The Rabbi Strasberg now works at Sinai Chapels as Director of Pastoral Counseling. In this setting, he provides comfort and strength to families who are going through the trying and painful time of the loss of a loved one. The Rabbi also educates the community with his moving shiurim or lectures on the substance and meaning of the Torah. Michael and Elaine actively participate in community events and organizations on behalf of Sinai Chapels, and work to preserve halacha (Jewish law) and Jewish tradition. Elaine Strasberg is well-known for her superb cooking and enthusiastic leadership of Israeli dance classes for the women in the community. Elaine is also frequently at the top of my mind, as the creator of crocheted yarmulke, which I wear most often. The Strasbergs have always been great supporters of Israel and active in many causes to this end. The Strasbergs take great pride and joy in their family, especially their children and grandchildren. They have five children; daughters Chaya, who is married to Dani; Zahavi, Malka, Rehana, and son Amichai, who is married to Adina. They have four grandchildren and are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the fifth. Madam Speaker, I want to commend Rabbi Michael and Elaine Strasberg for their years of dedicated commitment to the Flushing and Jamaica communities and their residents. The Strasberg's integrity, selflessness, and good example have made a compelling difference in the lives of those they have touched. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me now in honoring Rabbi Michael and Mrs. Elaine Strasberg.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 7) calling on the League of Arab States to acknowledge the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and to step up their efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur, as amended.

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

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me first thank the sponsor of this resolution, our friend and colleague from the Bay Area, Barbara Lee, for introducing this important measure. Let me also acknowledge the leadership on the Darfur issue of our distinguished majority leader, our friend and colleague, Steny Hoyer, who recently returned from a very important and timely mission to the region. Madam Speaker, we are still haunted by the echoes of the Holocaust, which Congress commemorated last week in the Capitol rotunda. The message from that horrific time is fresh in our minds as we consider another terrible genocide, the slaughter in the Darfur region of the Sudan. Despite that profound message, the international community has allowed as many as 450,000 people to be killed, by some estimates, in Darfur. The Sudanese Government has been allowed to perpetuate a shocking campaign of terror for too long. And complacent governments around the world have stood on the side lines for too long. So today, the question faces us, will we again fail to heed the message of the Holocaust? Will we allow Khartoum to keep terrorizing the impoverished and desperate minority there into extinction? Slight signs of progress have emerged over the past few weeks, even if it has come too late for the dead. The Sudanese Government agreed to let a 3,000 person strong United Nations peacekeeping force to enter the country and join the African Union troops already there. This is meant to be a stepping stone to a larger and more robust force. But the Sudanese Government made the decision under pressure and only after months of excruciating backtracking and delay. But the Sudanese Government has resisted the U.N.'s efforts to send 20,000 peacekeepers to Darfur. The U.N. has deemed this larger force necessary to protect civilians and to enforce a peace. I have no doubt that Khartoum will continue to play games until they once again feel the pain of international pressure. As we speak, the government there is deliberately intimidating aid workers in Darfur. Let me be clear: The difference between a small, targeted force and a very substantial deployment is no mere sticking point. It is absolutely essential. It is essential to stopping the Arab militias from continuing to carry out the government's dirty deeds. It is essential to clearing the path for crucial food and water and health supplies to reach the refugee camps. And it is essential because injustice is only really addressed when it is obliterated, not when it is slowed to a painful trickle of displacement, harassment and disrupted lives. We must have that bigger U.N. force in the Sudan. Now, finally, the international community has spoken with one voice. But more pressure needs to be applied. They cannot be allowed to slide backward this time. The resolution before the House today urges those who may have the most influence, the Arab League and its member states, to take dramatic steps to help bring peace to Darfur. The resolution urges the Arab states to declare the systematic torture, rape and displacement of Darfurians a genocide, and to support and accept U.N. peacekeepers. It also urges the Arab League to work with the United Nations, the African Union and the United States Presidential Special Envoy for the Sudan, Andrew Natsios, to bring about peace and stability to Darfur, the refugee camps, and along the Chadian border. I believe it is the solemn duty of all who have said ``never again'' to speak out about genocide, especially this brutal one in Darfur. More importantly, I believe it is our duty in this Congress to do something about it without any delay. I ask all of our colleagues to vote for this important and timely resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 8\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Barbara Lee), member of the Committee on Appropriations and the main sponsor of this resolution now before us.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey, Congressman Bill Pascrell, a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois, the Honorable Bobby Rush, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, to the Tenth District of Ohio, the Honorable Dennis J. Kucinich, chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, I yield 1 minute.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, it is now my distinct honor to yield to the gentleman from Maryland, the distinguished majority leader of the House of Representatives, recently returned from leading the delegation in this House personally to see the suffering going on, Mr. Steny Hoyer.

Mr. ACKERMAN. I thank the gentleman for accommodating our Members on the majority side. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke), the newest member of our delegation.

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

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1678) to amend the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations to provide assistance for domestic and foreign programs and centers for the treatment of victims of torture, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, and yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me first thank the distinguished ranking member of the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee, my very good friend, Chris Smith, for his long-standing leadership in the fight against torture. I am very proud to be a cosponsor of this very important piece of legislation before us today. The Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 is a landmark piece of legislation that enshrines the fundamental commitment of this Nation to assist all survivors of torture, wherever and whoever they might be. The programs supported by the TVRA combat the effects of the most despicable of all human rights violations: The increasing use of torture around the world. Although exact figures are difficult to ascertain, according to Amnesty International, a well-respected defender of human rights, more than 150 countries worldwide still engage in torture. An estimated 400,000 to 500,000 foreign torture victims reside in the United States, and over 100 million may exist worldwide. More than 250 treatment centers operate internationally with the sole purpose of providing medical, psychological and social services to torture survivors. These crucial facilities provide a distinctive type of treatment to those victims. In the U.S., the Center for Victims of Torture, located in Minnesota, was the first of its kind in the United States and the third torture victims treatment center in the world. The personal ramifications of torture are beyond the comprehension of those who have not gone through it. Torture leaves no victim unscarred. It shapes the remainder of their lives. While physical wounds may ultimately heal, torture survivors need ongoing psychological services and therapy to cope with post-traumatic stress that afflicts them daily. Recovering from torture is a long-term process. It can take years before torture survivors can once again feel emotionally stable and comfortable in society. The bill before the House today funds our very important fight against torture, both nationally and internationally. For international programs, this legislation authorizes $12 million per year for centers and programs administered through USAID's Victims of Torture Fund. It also authorizes an additional $12 million a year for centers and programs administered through the U.N. Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture. Domestically, our legislation authorizes $25 million annually for the Department of Health and Human Services so that HHS can assist domestic treatment centers fully and sufficiently. The sad truth is that torture is not waning; if anything, it is on the rise. As a moral force and a Nation that exhibits empathy to those in most need, it is our firm responsibility to help the victims of torture with these comprehensive programs. The funds authorized are urgently needed to achieve this goal. I strongly support this legislation, and encourage every Member of the House to do so as well. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, to the gentlewoman from the 18th District of Texas, the chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, and also a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Sheila Jackson-Lee, I yield 3 minutes. (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. ACKERMAN. I thank the gentleman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey), the chairwoman of the Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. ACKERMAN. If the gentleman will yield back the balance of his time, we are prepared to do so as well.

Mr. ACKERMAN. I yield back the balance of our time.

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

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 125) expressing deep concern over the use of civilians as ``human shields'' in violation of international humanitarian law and the law of war during armed conflict, including Hezbollah's tactic of embedding its forces among civilians to use them as human shields during the summer of 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and the State of Israel, as amended.

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