Brendan Boyle

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney).

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 1132, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1048 West Robinhood Drive in Stockton, California, as the W. Ronald Coale Memorial Post Office Building. Ronald Coale was born in 1932 and led a life of dedicated public service, beginning with service to his country during the Korean war. A member of the Stockton Metropolitan Transit District board of directors beginning in 1973, Mr. Coale rather quickly took on a leadership role, chairing the board from 1975 until 1983. He later served local government and the transit sector through his positions as a council member and vice mayor for the city of Stockton, chairman of the Stockton Port Commission, a member of the San Joaquin Council of Governments board of directors, and worked on behalf of the California Public Utilities Commission and California Trucking Association. Mr. Coale passed away at the age of 81 in April 2014. Madam Speaker, we should pass this bill to recognize W. Ronald Coale's inspiring life of public service and to honor his accomplishments and his memory. I urge passage of H.R. 1132. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Sanford Harling III, a widely known and well-loved 12-year-old from Norristown, Pennsylvania, affectionately known as ``Man Man.'' Sanford tragically died after he selflessly dove back into the flames of his own burning home to rescue his father, who was bedridden while recovering from hip surgery. Unbeknownst to Man Man, his father had already escaped through a second-story window. Although this courageous 12-year-old never reemerged from the smoldering ruins of his home, his memory now resonates well beyond his community thanks to this remarkable act of heroism. While the honor and recognition that Sanford deserves cannot return him to the embrace of his family, perhaps his shining example will inspire other deeds of lifesaving bravery and devotion. He will be forever remembered in our community and our country as a hero. I offer my deepest sympathies to the Harling family and to everyone who knew and cherished this young man's character.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I would simply congratulate the gentleman who does a wonderful job chairing our Foreign Affairs Committee. As I said on a radio show in Philadelphia last week, I really wish those who say that there is no bipartisanship in Washington, D.C., could see the way the ranking member, Mr. Engel, and our chairman, Mr. Royce, conduct our foreign affairs business. I think they would have a different view. I am proud to support this piece of legislation, and I urge all my colleagues to do so. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations and who is a leader on sub- Saharan Africa issues.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this measure. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce, Subcommittee Chairman Smith, and Ranking Member Bass. I also want to thank our Senate colleagues, especially Chairman Corker and Ranking Member Cardin, for advancing this effort. We are now in a place to send this legislation to the President's desk. Mr. Speaker, across sub-Saharan Africa, more than 600 million individuals live without access to reliable electricity. That is double the U.S. population without electricity, nearly two-thirds of their population. For individuals, that deficit means never knowing what will happen with the flip of a switch. It means a day's work needs to come to an end at sunset, that food can't be refrigerated, and that technology that is so valuable for connecting to the rest of the world can't be relied upon. For communities, lack of access to power undermines the ability of hospitals to deliver health care because vaccines spoil and medical equipment sits useless. Businesses can't expand and thrive. Schools are limited in what they can offer students. For countries, these factors combine to undermine stability and stymie progress. Without reliable power, countries can't become strong players in the global economy or strong partners on the global stage. The better these countries do, the better it is for their neighbors, for their region, and for the entire world. As you can see, the United States has an interest in helping these countries grapple with this challenge and making sure the lights stay on. That is why the Electrify Africa Act is such an important bill. This legislation puts into law President Obama's 2013 Power Africa initiative. It seeks to create strong, new partnerships among governments, banks, and other private sector investors with the aim of providing first-time power to 50 million people by the year 2020. It calls for a long-term strategy from our own government for assisting sub-Saharan African countries with national power strategies, and it directs other American agencies to make assistance for power projects in sub-Saharan Africa a top priority. It helps bring American influence to bear around the world to encourage international bodies to bring a new focus on this challenge. Mr. Speaker, I fully support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and the subcommittee chairman and ranking member. Sometimes the right thing to do is also in our strategic interests as a country, and this piece of legislation is a great example of that. I urge this body to pass it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure. Let me first thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his leadership on human rights and anti-trafficking issues and for his hard work on International Megan's Law. I also want to thank the Judiciary Committee for its bipartisan input on this bill. This legislation is the product of a lot of hard work and reflects a commitment to advancing practical and effective ways to help those victimized by sexual predators. This is hard to believe, but around the world today there are tens of millions of victims of human trafficking, which is what we call modern- day slavery. Many of these victims are children exploited in prostitution. In many countries, extreme poverty and gaps in law enforcement create zones of impunity where sex offenders exploit vulnerable children. Sometimes local officials have no idea this is going on. Sometimes they turn a blind eye, and sometimes officials are even complicit in this crime. We have a responsibility to protect all victims and to crack down on this crime that destabilizes communities, fuels corruption, and undermines the rule of law. International Megan's Law aims to prevent child sex offenders and traffickers from exploiting vulnerable children when they cross an international border. This bill would establish an Angel Watch Center within ICE-- Immigration and Customs Enforcement--and provide advance notice to foreign governments when a convicted child sex offender travels to their country. This bill will hopefully prevent some of these horrific crimes from taking place. But, Mr. Speaker, fighting modern slavery requires a much more comprehensive response. Beyond prevention, governments must do all they can to protect victims: robust identification efforts; policies and procedures that get victims out of harm's way; comprehensive support services that include physical and mental health care; education opportunities; legal assistance; reintegration with family and community; and, of course, aggressive investigations and prosecutions to go after those responsible for such heinous crimes. The reality is, the sad reality, is that no single government or single law will put an end to human trafficking. But every step we take strengthens our ability to prevent these crimes, protect victims, and punish those responsible. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Senate amendment to H.R. 515. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on our side. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Missouri an additional 1 minute.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, to conclude, I second the comments that were made by Mr. Smith. I congratulate the family of Megan Kanka. Being a father myself of a 2-year-old daughter, I can't imagine losing a little girl, especially in the heinous way that they did. I remember very much when all of that happened. Hamilton, New Jersey, is only about 40 minutes up the road from where I live in Philadelphia, and I remember the ugly incident very well. The fact that here we are, so many years later, and the family still continues to fight for other little girls and little boys is really remarkable and is a testament to them. I also congratulate the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who I know has worked tirelessly on this bill for a long period of time. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce and also Ranking Member Engel for their leadership and for their hard work on this bill. It seems that every day we see another report about the way modern slavery touches our lives. Fish caught by an enslaved sailor in Southeast Asia ends up in our grocery stores. Rare metals that are needed to power our smartphones are mined through forced labor in Central Africa. Oranges and tomatoes grown right here in the United States are picked by migrants who end up trapped and isolated. Human trafficking is a crime that affects every nation on Earth. It undermines stability, fuels criminal networks, and robs tens of millions of people of their basic freedom. It touches all of our lives. United States Government has long been a leader in the fight against trafficking. Republican and Democratic administrations alike have focused hard on the best way to prevent modern slavery, protect its victims, and prosecute those responsible. The State Department's Annual Trafficking in Persons Report is the global gold standard for assessing how well governments are doing to combat this problem. As we learn more and more about this crime, how it has worked its way into the global supply chain and labor market, we find new ways of disrupting trafficking networks. Part of American leadership on this issue must be to make sure, first and foremost, that we are not making this problem worse. Our foreign affairs agencies employ thousands of foreign contract workers overseas. These men and women work in construction, food service, and security projects abroad. In 2011, inspectors interviewing some of these workers found that 77 percent of them had paid recruiting fees to the company arranging the work. What that means is before workers are able to get these jobs, they need to pay a recruiter a hefty sum. Sometimes these fees are 6 months' or even a year's wages. These fees can include the high costs of housing or transportation to a worksite in a foreign country. So often, a worker arrives at a new job saddled with debt and is forced to work until he or she can pay the so-called recruiter back. This sort of treatment is unacceptable under any circumstances. The fact that this is happening to individuals working for the United States Government is absolutely intolerable.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Staff Sergeant Peter Taub, one of six victims of a suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan on December 21. Peter was a remarkable young man. He was raised in Wyncote, Montgomery County, which I am proud to represent. He served 8 honorable years in the Air Force, assigned to the Office of Special Investigations, and stationed at the Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. At just 30 years old, Peter was a devout father, husband, and son, an exemplary soldier and public servant, an American hero. I offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends Peter left behind and my greatest thanks for his service to our Nation. He gave us all the ultimate sacrifice. My heart especially goes out to Peter's family: his 3-year-old daughter, Penelope; his wife, Christina, expecting another child; his mother, Arlene; his father, Joel; and his brother, Jonathan. No parent should be predeceased by a child, and no child should have to grow up without a parent. These tragic losses are a reminder of the gravity of our foreign policy decisions and military engagement overseas. We must never take these responsibilities lightly. We must never forget the sacrifice that Staff Sergeant Peter Taub and his family have made to protect our freedoms. May God bless Peter's family.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this measure. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, my colleague and friend from California (Mr. Issa), and my fellow Foreign Affairs Committee colleagues for their unanimous support in helping our first responders answer the call to service when a natural disaster strikes abroad. Every year, Americans bravely go abroad to help victims of natural disasters in foreign lands, such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2008 cyclone in Yemen, and 2015 Hurricane Patricia in Mexico, just to name a few. Earlier this year, the world was shocked by the images of Nepal's 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed over 8,600 and injured over 16,800. The United States was one of the largest donors to the relief and rebuilding effort in the wake of this catastrophe through charitable donations, DOD donations, and search and rescue operations and efforts. The United States' search and rescue teams searched for survivors trapped in debris. These first responders continuously put their lives on the line at home and abroad. Mr. Speaker, this is an example of American leadership. Their bravery and efforts do not go unnoticed. We should all do what we can to make their endeavors easier. Unfortunately, American contractors and volunteers, despite being coordinated by USAID, are subject to passport fees at their own expense when attempting to travel abroad in response to these disasters. To alleviate this obstacle, H.R. 3750, the First Responders Passport Act, would allow the Secretary of State to grant their passports free of charge. I am proud to have introduced this commonsense bill with the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) because contractors and volunteers deserve the same treatment as government employees when they are being sent abroad to offer their service on behalf of our Nation. Cultural diplomacy, like the services these brave men and women provide in the face of international disasters, is critical to our international image and international relations. I ask that my colleagues support this bipartisan, commonsense legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. I would just say, briefly, that we are reminded each and every day that American leadership abroad is needed now more than ever. Yes, this has a military component, it has an international relations and diplomacy component, and it also has this soft power component. Mr. Speaker, this is a part of the soft power of the United States, harnessing the idealism and volunteerism of our people to do good for others around the world when they are most in need. This is a rather simple step that we can take to help those who are helping others. I am proud to support it, and I ask that all Members support our legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Well, for anyone to believe that--I know there are some right now who are running for President trying to denigrate America and talk about what is all supposedly wrong with us. I would point out that the whole history of our country has been seeing enormous challenges and meeting them and defeating them. That has been the entire history from Valley Forge, which I am privileged to represent, all the way through to the present day. I would also say to the men and women of my generation--of our generation--who might be understandably skeptical on this issue because each and every month they hear the same statistics we do that this past month was the hottest month on record, only to be beaten by the succeeding month, that we have actually been here before in terms of dealing with environmental degradation. As for our parents' generation, they faced two particularly strong issues that seemed very difficult to meet and defeat. One was with respect to the ozone layer. If we were having this conversation in the early 1970s, a great deal of the talk was about repairing the ozone layer. Even when some of us were kids, that was an issue. Notice that you don't hear about that anymore. That is because we made the important changes that were necessary, and we solved that problem. A second was with respect to our waterways and rivers. I am proud to represent, Mr. Speaker, and to my colleagues here, the Delaware River in Philadelphia, which actually separates Pennsylvania from New Jersey. It is a beautiful waterway. It is also a very historic one, as that is where, famously, on Christmas Day 1776, George Washington and our soldiers crossed the Delaware into the Battle of Trenton to defeat the Hessians and help launch our young Nation on its way to independence. Well, a previous generation ago, that waterway, as well as the Hudson River and countless others, was in its worst state ever. Today, that same Delaware River is cleaner than at any point in our grandparents' lifetime. That is an enormous achievement. It is one that, 40, 50 years ago, most people would have predicted could not have been accomplished. So I would say to all Americans, but especially to those of our generation, yes, this is an enormous problem, but, yes, we can also defeat it. Yes, we can also rise to the occasion, just as we have with each and every other major challenge our Nation has faced.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. First, I just want to commend the gentleman Mr. Swalwell for his excellent leadership when it comes to this issue of utmost importance to our generation, but also to all the other issues that face our generation, especially the student loan debt issue that he and I have spoken about a number of times here on this House floor. With respect to climate change, this should not be a partisan issue. Indeed, in Europe, for decades, centre-right parties acknowledged and still to this day acknowledge the existence of global climate change and work to address it. Here in the United States, however, it has, unfortunately, become a partisan issue. Yet, what is so interesting is that, when I go about my district in Philadelphia and in suburban Philadelphia and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and I speak specifically to small-business owners, small-business owners, by the way, at least half of whom are probably Republican, each and every one of them is talking to me about ways and investments that they are making to ensure that they can get more bang for their buck when it comes to energy and things that they are doing, investments that they are making to ensure that we do better as far as the environment, yet at the same time also reduce costs. I did a tour back in the spring of a major company in my district that has made a massive investment in terms of solar panels on the roofs. This is a major facility, a family-owned business. This is not an insignificant amount of money they have spent in terms of this investment. They would not be doing so if they thought this was a hoax. They would not be doing so if they thought, by transitioning to renewables, they are able to bring down their energy costs and pour more money back into their business. We need to end, especially in this House, this false dichotomy between doing what is right for our economy and doing what is right for our climate and for the next generation. The fact is, if we are smart and show the best of American ingenuity, we can do both.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Well, the first thing is the fact that 194, 195 nations or so from all around the world could come together and agree on one document as ambitious as this one is is truly inspiring not just on the issue of climate change, but, indeed, as we look at all the other immense challenges that we face as a human race. I think that it is great specifically for this issue, but it also shows what we can do together if our hearts are in the right place and we are dedicated toward saving this planet. I also just want to follow up on something that Mr. Lieu said, which is a great point in terms of talking about the broader coalition of people who want action on this incredibly important issue. I would add one more to his extensive list, and that is the insurance companies. Insurance companies, especially on the East Coast, especially in south Florida and the entire Florida peninsula, have a great deal of exposure at stake. They understand that right now--not 20 years from now, not 100 years from now--as we speak, there are parts of Florida, there are parts of Virginia Beach, that are flooding when it is not even raining. These are real consequences that we have to deal with. For those of us in the Philadelphia area, in New York, New Jersey, I never imagined we would be riding out a hurricane and having to deal with the aftereffects--3 years later still dealing with those aftereffects, by the way--and the price tag for that for insurance companies was absolutely enormous. One thing that we all need to consider--and this is a really shocking statistic, but sadly true--last month, November of 2015, was the warmest month in recorded history. Those records have gone back since 1880. We know that this is not a 1-month phenomenon, that indeed it is just a continuation of the trend that we have been dealing with. I would really urge those who want to make this a partisan issue and part of the usual food fight that too often goes on around here, this issue is going to face Democrats, Republicans, Independents, every single person in our country, every single person on Earth. The sooner that we take politics out of this and that we come together on a comprehensive solution that balances, yes, our economic needs with, also, our needs to tackle this issue, the better off all Americans will be.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as a proud representative of a vibrant Ukrainian community in my district, I rise to echo the requests of an extremely important and time-sensitive meeting with the administration where the Ukrainian community pleaded for necessary humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. The global community continues to mourn the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris. These attacks remind us of the importance of our freedom and democracy in our turbulent world--these values must be actively safeguarded each day. Ukraine has been doing just that: fighting for its democracy and freedom each day--denouncing Russian authoritarianism and combating Putin's aggression. Ukrainians are on the ground battling Russian separatists and thugs attempting to steal their democratic freedoms and undermine their self-governance. As a result, Ukraine has suffered 7,883 deaths and 17,610 wounded citizens, according to OCHA's latest report. Five million Ukrainians have been affected by Russia's aggression. It is shocking that this number is hardly discussed. One million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine since 2014, and 1.5 million Ukrainians are considered Internally Displaced People. And these numbers continue to rise. Ukraine needs more humanitarian assistance, and they need it now. Winter is fast approaching. Time is running out for winterization. Temperatures will plummet to 0 degrees and below. Eastern Ukraine has already experienced its first snowfall. We must act before it is too late. Today, many Ukrainians have little to no access to humanitarian assistance because very few humanitarian partners have received authorization from the de facto authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk to operate. Restrictions on freedom of movement have resulted in civilians waiting 24 hours before they can cross checkpoints across the ceasefire line which will be impossible to do in the winter. Additionally, a recent assessment has discovered that 20 percent of Internally Displaced People reside in destroyed or damaged homes. These homes need rebuilding materials now as temperatures continue to drop. These crucial humanitarian supplies need to be airlifted to Ukraine, and the United States should expand its efforts in helping to provide these supplies. It is becoming ever more critical by the day. Let's bring more humanitarian assistance to our partner in democratic freedom, Ukraine, immediately--before the death toll increases any higher.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Mathematic Science and Technology Community Charter School in my district--known as MaST--which was just recognized as the top charter school in Pennsylvania by the Philadelphia City Council. Since opening in 1999, MaST has established a proven record as a high-performing charter school in the region, with multiple awards from local, state, and national entities for its advanced curriculum in STEM education. MaST's focus on STEM education has created a high-achieving student body that is well-prepared for and focused on entering post- secondary education. I am proud to say that 93 percent of graduating students have moved directly into a post-secondary institution over the last three years. Despite these achievements, MaST is only capable of accepting a fraction of the applications it receives every year. This past application year, MaST received 7,165 applications for 96 open spots. I supported a grant application to the U.S. Department of Education which would allow for MaST to meet the needs of a larger body of students who currently lack the tools MaST can provide--particularly advanced education and preparation in STEM fields. MaST is an impressive model for quality education in Philadelphia. If given the resources to grow, MaST will continue to expand its award- winning curriculum which has contributed to its meteoric rise in the past 16 years. I am proud to support this effort.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this bill is a great way for Congress to appear as if it is acting and achieving something without actually doing anything. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. We have had numerous hearings from the beginning of the year, including yesterday, on this issue specifically. One of the great challenges Western countries face is the problem of homegrown terrorism. We saw that last week in Paris when the overwhelming majority of those who perpetrated these acts were French nationals and Belgian nationals. So the big issue we face is: What do we do with those who hold European passports and who can come here easily by getting a plane ticket? What do we do with the problem of homegrown terrorism here in the U.S. among American citizens? Those are the key challenges we face in how we balance our civil liberties, our need for tourism, our need for economic bilateral relations, with our need for security. This bill sadly today does absolutely nothing about that. So we are going to pass this bill. We are going to pat ourselves on the back. We are going to go home and say we did something when actually we have done nothing to solve the problem and protect the security of the American people.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as we near the anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the victims, survivors and families of this tragedy. During this time, nearly 10 million Ukrainians were killed under the direction of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin who ordered the borders of Ukraine sealed to prevent anyone from escaping the man-made starvation and prevent any international food aid from entering. Grain harvests were deliberately confiscated so millions of innocent men, women and children starved all to destroy the nationally conscious movement for independence. In 1985, the United States Commission on the Ukraine Famine formed to expand the world's knowledge and understanding of the events of this genocide of 1932-1933. They found that the victims were ``starved to death in a man-made famine'' and that ``Joseph Stalin and those around him committed genocide against Ukrainians in 1932-1933". And so, today I stand here in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, to remember the suffering experienced under Stalin. I am a proud representative of Pennsylvania's 13th District where I have many Ukrainian constituents whom I would like to specifically acknowledge. I commend the Congress when in 2006 legislation was enacted to authorize the construction of a memorial in the District of Columbia to honor the victims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide. Today, we can see the culmination of this effort with a meaningful memorial by Union Station that I visited earlier today. Unfortunately, today many people have never heard of Holodomor, despite the 10 million that perished. I call for more efforts to be made like that of the Commission to educate the public on this issue, so everyone understands the events of this genocide. We must learn our history so we do not repeat the mistakes of our past. We must ensure this never happens again--especially at a time where Russia continues to show aggression in Ukraine.

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, for the cynics who believe that nothing can happen in Washington and that we are permanently doomed to disarray, this has been a very bad week. First, with the Export-Import Bank, we see a majority of Republicans and an overwhelming majority of Democrats come together and reach a bipartisan compromise, and now here again with this big budget agreement, something that would avoid the catastrophic default, the first in American history if it were to happen. Madam Speaker, I don't agree with everything that is in this bill, but I agree with the majority of it. It is about time this body stopped allowing the 10 or 20 percent we disagree with to block the 70, 80, and 90 percent we agree with. This is a step in the right direction. This is progress. This is what we need to do more of. I am proud to support it.