Howard Berman

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time to join the others in making a particular statement on behalf of the sacrifice of military families. We pay great attention, and should, to the sacrifices of our young servicemen and servicewomen who risk their lives in service of their country. We sometimes don't pay as much attention to people who make a tremendous sacrifice by virtue of seeing their loved ones, their spouses, their parents, their children in many cases, going off to military service, particularly in the context of recent times, dealing with the repeated deployments, the disruptions, the movement, the constant concern about the welfare of the loved one. And it is quite appropriate and long overdue that we actually designate this year, 2009, as the year of the military families. I strongly support this resolution.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. 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 the resolution under consideration.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the chairman of the Human Rights Commission, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume. This resolution recognizes the plight of the Tibetan people on the 50th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's exile and calls for a sustained multilateral effort toward a peaceful resolution to the Tibet issue. The resolution is introduced by my good friends, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) and our ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida. I thank them for their leadership in ensuring that the House commemorates this important date. In 1949, the People's Liberation Army of China entered the eastern areas of the traditional Tibetan territory. In 1951, they occupied the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. Fifty years ago this month, the Tibetan people rose up in Lhasa against Chinese rule. On March 17, 1959, His Holiness the Dalai Lama fled Tibet after the People's Liberation Army commenced an assault on his residence. He was followed into exile by some 80,000 Tibetans. Tens of thousands of Tibetans who remained were killed or imprisoned. Under the leadership of the Dalai Lama, Tibetans have sought to overcome adversity and hardship. Exiled communities have been established in India, the United States, Europe, and elsewhere, to preserve Tibetan cultural identity, language and religion. They have succeeded abroad, but at home, the uniqueness of the Tibetan people remains threatened by Chinese policies. Over the years, the Congress has repeatedly championed the rights of Tibetans, applauded efforts by the Dalai Lama to seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute between China and Tibet, and funded programs to assist Tibetan refugees. In 2002, Congress passed the Tibetan Policy Act, the cornerstone of U.S. policy toward Tibet. This legislation codified the position of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and emphasized that it should be U.S. policy to promote a dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama in order to achieve a settlement based on meaningful and genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people. In 2007, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in recognition of his life-long dedication to the causes of peace and non-violent resolution to the Tibet issue. I know that many of our friends in China are distressed by the continued congressional focus on Tibet. To them I say this resolution is not anti-Chinese. We have deep respect for both peoples. But after eight rounds of fruitless meetings between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama, it appears to many of us that China is not serious about achieving resolution of this difficult issue. It's time for China to negotiate in good faith. I urge the Chinese Government to re-examine their policies in Tibet and to provide the Tibetan people genuine autonomy in their traditional homeland. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BERMAN. 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 the resolution under consideration.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 226) recognizing the plight of the Tibetan people on the 50th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being forced into exile and calling for a sustained multilateral effort to bring about a durable and peaceful solution to the Tibet issue.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, at this point I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), the sponsor of the resolution.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) in whose district Mr. Goldman resides.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, this month marks the second anniversary of the passing of Beth Sharon Samuels, an extraordinary Angelino who lost her life to cancer in January 2007 at the age of 31. Beth grew up in Los Angeles, attending the Yeshiva University High School of Los Angeles and graduating as valedictorian. She went on to study at a women's seminary in Israel before graduating from Columbia University with a degree in mathematics. She then completed a three- year program at the Drisha Institute in Bible and Talmud, a Ph.D. in math at Yale, and earned an assistant professorship at the University of California, Berkeley. In the meantime, she gave birth to a daughter Danelle and later to daughter Natalia while undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatments. Beth remains with us, even with increasing distance from her passing. We remember her passion for learning and zealous commitment to charity, her open spirit and fierce dedication to women's Torah study. Beth's legacy will continue to grow through her students, friends, and, of course, her beautiful daughters. I give my condolences to her parents, Elana and Zachary, her husband, Ari, her daughters, Danelle and Natalia, and her extended friends and family on this solemn occasion.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity today to salute a distinguished servant of the U.S. Congress in the field of foreign affairs. At the beginning of February 2009, Charlotte Preece will retire from the Congressional Research Service after 32 productive years of service to the legislative branch. Ms. Preece has spent her entire professional career at CRS serving the U.S. Congress in multiple capacities. She joined CRS in July 1976 as an analyst in European Affairs. In that capacity, she authored dozens of reports for the Congress on issues in U.S. European relations. She was promoted to specialist in European Affairs in 1982, and later headed the Defense Manpower, Budget, and Policy Analysis section for 3 years before becoming assistant chief of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division. She served the last 17 years of her CRS career as the Chief of the Foreign Affairs Division, a position to which she was named in 1991. After a reorganization of CRS in 2000, the Foreign Affairs Division was expanded to incorporate international trade and finance specialists and was renamed the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division. Ms. Preece became the Congressional Research Service's assistant director for Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade. In that capacity, she has supervised a staff that has grown to about 90 policy analysts and is responsible for directing the research agenda to support the work of the U.S. Congress in foreign affairs, defense, and trade. In honoring Charlotte Preece for her service at this time of great challenge for our country, both economically and in foreign affairs, it is worth pausing for a moment to consider the strengths and contributions consistently made to the U.S. Congress by the Congressional Research Service, where Ms. Preece has spent her professional career. We are so well served by this institution, and Ms. Preece epitomizes one of the greatest strengths that CRS offers to the congressional clients it serves: its long-serving analysts are a reservoir of ``institutional memory'' that continually builds on past knowledge and informs future decisions. The importance of CRS' ``institutional memory'' is evident when considering even a brief list of the critical issues that have come before Congress during Ms. Preece's tenure at CRS: the signing of the Camp David Accord by Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin in 1978; the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979; the normalization of relations with the People's Republic of China in 1979; the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Tiananmen Square Crackdown in China in 1989; the end of the Cold War and demise of the Soviet Union beginning in 1989; the Gulf War in 1991; the end of South African apartheid by 1993; the devastating terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001; the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001; and the toppling of Saddam Hussein at the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003. All of these critical events and more unfolded on Ms. Preece's watch at CRS, giving her unique insight and invaluable expertise to a Congress that saw much turnover during the same period. Of the 535 Members who served in the 94th Congress in 1976, when Ms. Preece began her CRS service, only 21 are still serving in 2008: 14 in the House, and 7 in the Senate. Newly elected Members are well served by having access to CRS experts that have not just read about but have worked closely on the policy issues of recent decades. I also want to reflect for a few minutes on the attributes and talents of Ms. Preece herself. Before coming to CRS in 1976, she earned her bachelor's of arts degree in international relations and Soviet area studies at the Pennsylvania State University, where she graduated summa cum laude. She went on to earn a master's degree in international security studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. At CRS, she had the distinction of being the youngest person the Service has ever named to attend the U.S. National War College, graduating with the class of 1983. As head of the CRS Terrorism Task Force, Charlotte Preece personally directed the massive and extraordinarily helpful CRS effort to provide Congress with timely and crucial policy analysis and information in the tragic days and weeks after 9/11. In her distinguished career with CRS, Charlotte Preece has always understood and respected the power and special needs of Congress, including its legislative and oversight responsibilities as well as its obligation to represent the interests of constituents. She has always found time to serve as a mentor, counselor, and friend to others, whether it be to those she supervised, new congressional staff, or newly elected Members of Congress. Her exceptional skills at framing policy issues, her abilities in research management, and her instinctive grasp of the needs and aspirations of those she has supervised have earned her the respect and loyalty of her team. Charlotte Preece will be greatly missed, as will the loss of her exceptional leadership of the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division of CRS. We offer her our deepest gratitude for her many years of contributions to the work of the Congress, and we wish her well.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Frank for introducing H.R. 384, the TARP Reform and Accountability Act of 2009, and I join in support of this legislation that is aimed at bringing liquidity back to our capital markets and enhancing oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. I particularly want to draw attention to Section 402 of the Act, which provides important support to the struggling municipal bond market from those TARP funds already released. I thank the chairman for including this provision, which is intended not only to address municipal offerings, but also to include qualified 501(c)(3) bonds as described in Section 145 of the Internal Revenue Code. These important offerings have also been impacted by the liquidity crisis over the past several months. More specifically, the tightening of credit in our financial markets has greatly affected the 501(c)(3)/non-profit bond market and the many non-profit organizations that rely on these bonds' issuance to carry out their charitable missions. Non-profit organizations provide a much needed back-stop to government programs and ensure that many of the Nation's most vulnerable citizens receive basic needs such as food, shelter, or drug rehabilitation. Without access to sufficient, affordable lines of credit, many charitable programs go unrealized. Particularly now, that cannot be allowed to happen. This new legislation should alleviate this problem and increase liquidity in the bond market, as it makes clear that 501(c)(3) bonds, as defined by Section 145 of the Internal Revenue Code, are considered ``municipal securities.'' It is further my understanding that the support offered by Section 402 of the Act is not a ``federal guarantee'' under section 149 of the Internal Revenue Code, so that the legislative direction and solutions offered in today's bill will be available to the non-profit agencies who rely upon these types of bonds for their important work. Furthermore, for new lending that is attributable to TARP investments and assistance, I encourage the secretary to clarify that 501(c)(3) bonds are eligible investments, and hold accountable those banks receiving funds to ensure that these not-for-profit organizations issuing bonds have access to affordable and competitive rates when seeking letters of credit to support their bond offerings. By holding financial institutions receiving TARP money accountable to use part of those funds to assist the non-profit sector, the secretary will help bring liquidity back to the non-profit bond market.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I would like to call the attention of my colleagues in the Congress to a successful meeting of the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue, TLD, that was held in Miami, FL from December 6- 8, 2008. Chairwoman Shelley Berkley, the gentlelady from Nevada, has consistently provided dynamic and capable guidance to this important interparliamentary exchange. The TLD vice-chairmen, Representative Jim Costa from California and Representative Cliff Stearns from Florida, should be commended for their leadership in helping to strengthen American relationships with our European colleagues. I also wish to thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for being a gracious hostess of this meeting in her sunny district and ably assisting the delegation. Representatives Berkley, Costa and Stearns were joined by six other members at the Miami session. This bipartisan delegation--which also included Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Representative Susan Davis (D-CA), Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Representative Virginia Foxx (R- NC), and Representative Ron Klein (D-FL)--ensured an informed and productive exchange of views with members of the European Parliament. The TLD serves as the formal response of the European Parliament and the U.S. Congress to the commitment in the New Transatlantic Agenda, NTA, of 1995 to enhance legislative ties between the European Union and the United States. Building on the existing interparliamentary relationship, the TLD involves bi-annual meetings between American and European legislators in order to discuss topics of mutual interest and foster transatlantic discourse. During this time of transition in the United States Government, it is particularly important that legislators continue to collaborate on the many important issues facing citizens on both sides of the Atlantic. The TLD discussions in Miami addressed a wide range of foreign policy challenges, focusing on the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai as well as international efforts to address the ongoing challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Members also discussed the current status of diplomatic initiatives regarding the Iranian nuclear threat and the repercussions of the Georgia-Russia conflict. American members responded to European concerns about data protection and the complexity of application procedures as part of the visa waiver program. During the discussion of regulatory initiatives being undertaken by the Transatlantic Economic Council, TEC, American members encouraged their European counterparts to address the EU ban on the import of American poultry as well as discriminatory regulations on chemicals used to manufacture cosmetics--both of which have detrimental effects on American farmers and producers. In addition, the delegates discussed the challenge of climate change, the importance of energy security, and joint efforts needed to address the global financial crisis. Madam Speaker, I would like to enter into the Congressional Record the joint statement that was agreed upon by American and European legislators at the 65th TLD meeting in Miami. This document demonstrates the depth and breadth of the interparliamentary discussions while also highlighting the scope of excellent transatlantic cooperation. Joint Statement of Jonathan Evans, MEP, Chairman, European Parliament Delegation; Shelley Berkley, Chairwoman, United States Congress Delegation; Cliff Stearns, Vice Chairman (Ranking Republican), United States Congress Delegation; and Jim Costa, Vice Chairman, United States Congress Delegation at the 65th Meeting of Delegations From the European Parliament and the United States Congress, December 2008 We, Members of the European Parliament and the United States House of Representatives, held our 65th Interparliamentary meeting (Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue) in Miami, Florida on 6-8 December 2008. Building on the joint statement issued after our last meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on 24-26 May 2008, we reiterated the importance of regular dialogue on a range of political, social and economic issues that affect all of our citizens. We welcomed the new U.S. administration and look forward to the election of a new European Parliament and European Commission next summer. We discussed ways in which to utilize this time of political change on both sides of the Atlantic to further enhance our transatlantic relations and deepen our cooperation. We confirmed that legislators on both sides of the Atlantic should increase dialogue and consultation amongst themselves in order to prevent possible conflicts in the legislative and regulatory regimes. In particular, direct and timely contacts between specialist committees within our legislatures have been valuable means of reinforcing cooperation and should be continued. We agreed to report back to the European Parliament and U.S. Congress on the content and outcome of our discussions, particularly in the areas where joint efforts are likely to result in positive outcomes. We examined a wide array of foreign policy issues, agreeing that joint action by the European Union and the United States is the most effective way to approach many pressing international challenges. We welcomed the results of the EU- U.S. summit in Brdo, Slovenia in June 2008 and stressed the importance of the principles contained in the final declaration. In particular, we agreed that both sides should continue to demonstrate global leadership and effective transatlantic cooperation in the face of challenges such as: Promoting international peace, stability, democracy, human rights, international criminal justice, sustainable development, the rule of law and good governance; and Fighting terrorism while protecting the fundamental freedoms on which our democratic societies are built. We discussed the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, expressing our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and condemning the attacks. We called on the governments of India and Pakistan to cooperate in reducing tensions in the region, called on the government of Pakistan to participate fully in the investigation, and asked the U.S. and EU to assist in these efforts. On Afghanistan, we recognized the need for a joint long- term strategy aimed at stabilizing the internal situation and reducing risks for regional security. We welcomed the EU's decision to expand its EUPOL police training mission from 250 to 400 personnel. On Iran, we assessed the continuing nuclear threat. We pledged to continue our cooperative efforts to confront this challenge with a unified voice, using the dual track of diplomacy and strong sanctions. We called on transatlantic partners to continue to press Iran to comply with its UN Security Council obligations and, if needed, to move forward with additional sanctions to complement UN measures. We assessed the August conflict between Russia and Georgia. While recognizing the importance of continuing to engage in dialogue with Russia about shared concerns, we emphasized that we cannot return to `business as usual' while Russia continues to violate the ceasefire agreement. We stressed that Russia must implement its commitments on withdrawal of its military to pre-conflict positions and allow access by international civilian monitors to all areas in South Ossetia. We reaffirmed our continuing support for the Georgian people and our commitment to aid the country's post- conflict reconstruction. We also expressed concern about the ongoing developments in Russia's domestic and foreign policies, including provocative statements regarding missile deployment to Kaliningrad as well as about the reliability of energy deliveries to Russia's European neighbors and partners. The TLD welcomed the recent admission of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. We expressed our hope that the remaining EU Member States will be eligible to join soon and that the U.S. State Department will review its administrative procedures to determine whether the visa application process can be simplified. We also discussed the importance of ensuring safe trade as well as joint efforts to combat terrorism and transnational crime. We called for the timely sharing of information among our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, emphasizing the importance of protecting individual privacy and personal data. We stressed the positive impact and symbolic importance that would result from an early visit and address to the European Parliament by U.S. President-elect Barack Obama. We agreed on the need for continued discussion of possible joint actions to address the effects of climate change. We also called for increasing attention to the need for energy security through the diversification of energy sources. We discussed the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, scheduled for the end of 2009, and expressed hope that a viable and effective global agreement will be reached. Our dialogue focused on the financial crisis, particularly the ways in which it has affected the housing market, banking sector, employment and industries in Europe and the United States. We expressed support for continued cooperation between our governments in seeking to find collaborative solutions to these problems, including through the recent G- 20 gathering and follow-up meetings. We took stock of the initiatives dealing with global financial instability, such as the European Economic Recovery Plan and the U.S.'s Emergency Stabilization Act of 2008. With regard to the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC), we noted with satisfaction the engagement of the TLD on 13 May 2008 with TEC Co-Chairs Gunther Verheugen and Dan Price in the framework of the advisory groups. We welcome the TEC as a permanent feature of the EU/U.S. relations. We look forward to engaging with the TEC at the next meeting on December 12, which will have particular importance as the last session before the change in administrations. We called on the incoming Obama Administration to take careful note of the TEC outcomes and to pledge its commitment to continuing to engage with the European Union through this important mechanism. We welcomed the progress that has been achieved since the TEC's last meeting. We strongly supported the agreement to recognize each others' accounting standards (U.S. GAAP and EU IFRS), which will save multinational companies on both sides of the Atlantic billions of dollars in compliance costs. We applauded the joint statement committing to openness in foreign investment, greater cooperation on the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR), and efforts to harmonize biofuels standards. We advocated stronger involvement of legislators in contributing to and overseeing these initiatives since many of these issues involve important interests for stakeholders, such as securities regulatory regimes and the creation of a level playing field for insurance/reinsurance. A wide range of issues are also under consideration in the High Level Regulatory Forum (HLRF) and legislators should be informed in a timely manner about the results of their activities. Several items have been identified within the TEC agenda that still require legislative consideration: While achieving reciprocity and mutual recognition of security standards remains critically important, we continued to raise concerns about the U.S. Safe Ports Act and its 100 percent cargo scanning requirement; We reiterated the need to facilitate a solution to the ban on imports into the EU of U.S. poultry which has undergone pathogen reduction treatment, consistent with international commitments; and Regarding the EU's regulation on the registration of chemicals (REACH), we continued to call on the European Commission to bring forward legislation ensuring that European and U.S. producers of cosmetics are treated equitably in their requirement to register substances used in their products with the EU's chemical agency. As we have done throughout the establishment and initial meetings of the TEC, we continued to assert that the TEC initiative should be characterized by transparency and consultation of stakeholders and we called on both Administrations to reinforce the flow of information to the TLD in advance of the TEC meetings. The relevant legislative and regulatory bodies should be aware of the transatlantic impact of proposed legislation and regulations, and understand the benefits of rapid advancements towards a barrier-free regulatory environment. A more formal role should be envisaged within TEC for the U.S. Congress and the European Parliament, in particular via TLD, so as to allow for detailed and accountable reporting of TEC results to legislators. In conclusion, both sides renewed their commitment to make the TLD's work more relevant to the European Parliament and to the U.S. House of Representatives. Amidst a climate of transition on both sides of the Atlantic, we reaffirmed the importance of continuing to strengthen and improve our dialogue in order to realize the full potential of our interparliamentary relationship.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, for a unanimous consent request, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy). (Mr. KENNEDY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to a member of the committee, the gentlelady from Texas, Ms. Sheila Jackson-Lee.

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, When a nation's towns and villages are attacked, without provocation, by nearly 9,000 rockets over the span of 8 years, there could hardly be a more solid case for the use of force in self-defense. At least 700,000 Israelis--10 percent of that small nation--are now within range of missiles and rockets operated by an Islamist terrorist group committed to Israel's destruction. I have no trouble justifying the war Israel has undertaken. I am deeply troubled, however, by the suffering, destruction, and loss of innocent life that war inevitably entails--in this case, a war forced upon Israel by a terrorist enemy that not only targets Israeli civilians but also bases itself among Gazan Palestinian homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals in order to use innocent civilians as human shields and as tools of a propaganda war. It is imperative that a way be found to stop the killing on both sides--but in a manner that will ensure that this round will be the last round. I know the United States and several other nations are working on developing such a plan. Our ally Egypt should be particularly commended for its serious efforts in this regard. What we need is not merely a cease-fire but a transformative cease- fire. We need to ensure not just that Hamas stops firing rockets into Israel; we need to make sure that it stops receiving weapons and weapons parts and stops smuggling them into the Gaza Strip. We should support Egyptian efforts to prevent this illegal arms trade from crossing the Sinai toward the Gaza border. Ideally, the legitimate Palestinian Authority under President Mahmoud Abbas should be restored to its role as the effective authority in Gaza in the aftermath of any cease-fire. The Palestinian Authority was illegally expelled from Gaza by Hamas in June 2007, and it should be restored to its rightful role. As for Hamas, it has no prospect of legitimization in the international community unless it renounces violence and disarms, recognizes Israel, and accepts the validity of all previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. Our resolution supports Israel's right to defend itself against unprovoked terror and re-affirms this body's unwavering commitment to Israel's security and survival as a democratic, Jewish state. It condemns Hamas for its 8-year artillery war against Israel and appropriately assigns Hamas responsibility for the destructive consequences of the ongoing war in Gaza. And it insists that a cease- fire be established that is durable and sustainable and that prevents Hamas from acquiring more arms and provoking another round of fighting. I commend the Speaker and the bipartisan leadership for authoring this important resolution. It provides a sensible way of understanding how we got to the current situation and of how we should move forward. That is why I support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do likewise.

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 34) recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States' strong support for Israel, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

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

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. When a nation's towns and villages are attacked without provocation by nearly 9,000 rockets over the span of 8 years, there could hardly be a more solid case for the use of force in self-defense. At least 700,000 Israelis, 10 percent of that small nation, are now within range of missiles and rockets operated by an Islamist terrorist group committed to Israel's destruction. I have no trouble justifying the war Israel is undertaking, but I am deeply troubled by the suffering, destruction and loss of innocent life that war inevitably entails, in this case, a war forced upon Israel by a terrorist enemy that not only targets Israeli civilians but that also bases itself among Gazan Palestinian homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals in order to use innocent civilians as human shields and as tools of a propaganda war. It is imperative that a way be found to stop the killing on both sides but in a manner that will ensure that this round will be the last round. I know the U.S. and several other nations are working on developing such a plan. Our ally Egypt should be particularly commended for its serious efforts in this regard. What we need is not merely a cease-fire but a transformative cease- fire. We need to ensure not just that Hamas stops firing rockets into Israel; we need to make sure that it stops receiving weapons and weapons parts and that it stops smuggling them into the Gaza Strip. We should support Egyptian efforts to prevent this illegal arms trade from crossing the Sinai toward the Gaza border. Madam Speaker, I commend the Speaker and the bipartisan leadership for authoring this important resolution. It provides a sensible way of understanding how we got to the current situation and of how we should move forward. This is why I support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do likewise. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the chairman of the European Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Wexler).

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the majority leader for the House of Representatives, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall).

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Harman), who is very active on these issues.

Mr. BERMAN. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York, the chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Mr. Engel.