John Conyers

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this is important legislation passed in the House on a strong bipartisan basis to improve the security of Federal judges, other Federal court officers, and their families. It allows judges to redact from their public disclosure forms personal information about their families that could be used to harm them. It provides increased funding for judicial protective services furnished by the United States Marshals and for Federal witness protection programs. It prohibits publishing of personal information about a judge, law enforcement officer or witness with the intent to cause harassment, intimidation or a crime of violence. It enhances prison terms for assaults and other violent acts with intent to intimidate or interfere with judges and other Federal officers in performance of their official duties. The House passed this bill in July by voice vote under suspension. The Senate has now passed it with an amendment that makes a few refinements, all of which should be acceptable to the House. It takes a slightly different approach to the enhanced prison terms for assaults and violent acts against judges and other Federal officers. This legislation has been years in the making, and we are now finally able to send it to the President. I thank the members of the Judiciary Committee, which I am proud to be the chairman of, but particularly Judge Louie Gohmert, the new ranking member of the Crime Subcommittee, who introduced this bill originally in a previous Congress. I also send out congratulations to the chairman of the Crime Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, Bobby Scott of Virginia, and committee members Randy Forbes of Virginia and Anthony Weiner of New York. I strongly urge support of this legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. The importance of judicial security has been explained by Mr. Gohmert, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Crime and the floor manager today, and it was underscored by the murders of family members of a Chicago Federal judge in 2005, and then, less than 2 weeks later, the killings of a State judge, a court reporter and a sheriff's deputy in an Atlanta courthouse. These acts of violence, along with numerous others, led to the introduction of this measure before us now, H.R. 660, the Court Security Improvement Act, which, among other things, seeks to improve judicial security, not just for court officers, but to safeguard judges and their families as well. Although the security of all Federal buildings increased in the wake of the 1995 April bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the importance of judicial security was brought more particularly to the Nation's attention by reports of the murders of family members of a Chicago Federal judge and the killings less than 2 weeks later of a State judge, a court reporter, and a sheriff's deputy in an Atlanta courthouse. Another incident occurred in June of 2006 when a sniper shot a State judge in Reno, Nevada through the window of the judge's own office. Supreme Court Justices have also been intended targets of violence and death threats. Last year it was revealed that home-baked cookies infused with poison were mailed to all nine Justices in the year 2005. According to one media report, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was quoted as saying that each one contained enough poison to kill the entire membership of the court. All three branches of the Federal Government play unique roles in helping to ensure the safety of judges and the security of the Federal courts. In this joint effort, the role of Congress is to authorize programs, appropriate funds and provide oversight of judicial security. The Judicial Conference of the United States, the principal policymaking body of the Federal judiciary, governs the administration of the United States courts. The Conference's Committee on Judicial Security monitors the security of the judiciary, including the protection of court facilities and proceedings, judicial officers, and court staff at Federal court facilities and other locations, and makes policy recommendations to the Conference. As the central support entity for the judicial branch, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts implements Judicial Conference policies, including security measures. By law, the United States Marshals Service within the Department of Justice has primary responsibility for the security of the judiciary, including the safe conduct of court proceedings and the security of Federal judges and court personnel at facilities and off-site as well. They also provide protection details for those who are targets of threats and attacks, and provides other law enforcement services for the Department of Justice. Within the Marshals Service, the Judicial Security Division is specifically responsible for providing security services and staff support to the Federal judiciary, including personal protection for judges and physical security of Federal courthouses. The USMS, the Marshals Service, conducts threat assessments when they are directed against individuals, including Federal judges, but also United States attorneys, court staff and family members, and then determines the level of security that is necessary for developing security plans and assigning the required resources to ensure their safety. A deputy marshal is required to attend any sessions of the court at the request of the presiding judge. A judicial security inspector, a senior level deputy marshal, is assigned to each judicial district to evaluate courthouse security and procedures and to coordinate scheduling, posting and other matters related to court security officers. The inspectors also conduct security surveys at judges' homes and recommend improvements. To enhance its capability to strengthen protection of the judiciary, the Marshals Service established the Office of Protective Intelligence in the year 2004 to review and analyze intelligence information about the security of those under Marshals Service protection. On a daily basis, the OPI issues security advisories, intelligence bulletins and many other things that I, although I would like to go into it, time does not permit the opportunity to explain in further detail. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, Ranking Member Lamar Smith and I are introducing a bill to codify into positive law as title 51, United States Code, certain general and permanent laws related to national and commercial space programs. It was prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel as part of its functions under 2 U.S.C. 285(b). This bill is the successor to H.R. 3039, introduced in the 109th Congress. It has been updated to include provisions enacted after the earlier bill was prepared. It also contains changes made in response to comments received subsequent to the introduction of the previous bill. This legislation is not intended to make any substantive changes in the law. As is typical with the codification process, a number of non- substantive revisions are made, including the reorganization of sections into a more coherent overall structure, but these changes are not intended to have any substantive effect. The bill, along with a detailed section-by-section explanation of the bill, can be found on the Law Revision Counsel website at http:// uscode.house.gov/codification/legisIation.shtml. The Committee on the Judiciary hopes to act on this bill after providing an opportunity for public review and comment. In addition to sharing concerns with the Committee, interested persons are invited to submit comments to Rob Sukol, Assistant Counsel, Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, H2-304 Ford House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515-6711, (202) 226-2411.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This agreement with the Senate builds on the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act passed this summer. The ambitious legislation before us today, which includes wide-ranging solutions from 10 House committees, invests in the future of America and puts our Nation on a path toward energy independence. It will strengthen national security, lower energy costs, grow our economy, create new jobs, and begin to reduce the threat of global warming. The Energy Independence and Security Act includes several provisions that will strengthen our national security by decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. All told, this legislation will slash U.S. oil consumption by over 4 million barrels per day by 2030--more than twice our current daily imports from the Persian Gulf. I want to applaud Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Dingell for reaching an agreement on fuel economy standards that is supported by both environmentalists and the automobile industry. This bill will raise CAFE standards for new cars and trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020--the first increase in 32 years. It ensures that this fuel economy standard will be reached, while offering flexibility to automakers and ensuring that we keep American manufacturing jobs and continue domestic production of smaller vehicles. Today's legislation puts us on a path to reducing global warming. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 24 percent of the total amount the U.S. needs to cut by 2030 to help save the planet. The bill increases the efficiency of buildings, homes, appliances, and lighting. It also makes a historic commitment to American homegrown renewable energy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The bill before us today will also lower energy costs and create new American jobs. Increased vehicle fuel efficiency will save American families $700 to $1,000 a year at the pump, producing $22 billion in net annual savings for consumers in 2020. The building, appliance, and lighting efficiency provisions will save consumers $400 billion through 2030. In addition, by expanding American-grown biofuels to 36 billion gallons in 2022 and supporting cutting-edge energy research, the bill will help create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. It also provides job training that will prepare workers for 3 million new ``green'' jobs over 10 years. For too long, our country has lagged behind the rest of the industrialized world in recognizing and taking action to address the climate change crisis. Global warming endangers all of us, but threatens to have the most devastating impact on the poorest and the most vulnerable. Our Nation is the richest in the world and one of the largest contributors to global warming, yet, until today, it has not made any substantial efforts towards addressing the problem. I am proud to join with my colleagues as we at long last put America on the path to becoming part of the solution.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to honor the life and career of the Honorable Congresswoman, Julia Carson, who was elected to Congress in 1996, and who died on December 15, 2007. Representative Carson was a most respected friend and colleague of mine and also many other Members of Congress. The Honorable Julia Carson was from the Seventh Congressional District in Indiana. Ms. Carson was a dedicated servant and worked tirelessly for the people of this country and in particular she strongly advocated on behalf of those who were living in poverty or were homeless. The list of legislative efforts that Representative Carson helped to create in this and in previous congressional terms spanned many issues and these legislative efforts are now a permanent part of the history of this Congress and of this county. In particular Representative Carson gave her support for primary, secondary and college, education; and she believed in ``single payer'' health care, for all citizens of this country; she also believed in equal justice for all and lived a life that reflected some of these fundamental values that were the hallmark of her service to this country. Congresswoman Julia Carson honored the legacy of the late Mrs. Rosa Louise McCauley Parks when she introduced legislation which came to fruition on March 4, 1999, when Mrs. Parks was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Representative Carson also introduced legislation to have a commemorative postage stamp issued on behalf of Mrs. Rosa Louise McCauley Parks. Representative Julia Carson will always be remembered by her successful political career and will continue to make her indelible mark in history as a natural politician who steadily strengthened ties between people and who never forgot the community which she loved and served. People who worked with her in Congress will not forget the great sense of humor she would bring to them, when we all were experiencing long and arduous efforts that were often expended in the process of making daily decisions on significant and lengthy congressional efforts. Her continued efforts in Congress addressed the issues and supported legislation in the following areas: She was a staunch advocate for equal rights for men and women. She demonstrated a sincere concern and fought for the relief and support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In her wisdom, she advocated for many medical advances in veterans health care. Her continued outspoken support for the Second Chance Act of 2007, was well recognized. She spoke out for the support of the National Literacy act of 2007. In times of great suffering she stood tall and commemorated the Rutgers University women's basketball team for their vigor in remaining proud of the skill that the team had achieved. She introduced a bill for establishing the celebrated National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. She honored the life of Arva Johnson, a pioneer in the United States Capitol Police Department, when she became the first African American female to wear the police badge. She supported the Horse Slaughter Protection Act. She recognized the 20 years of service of the world famous, Dr. James Hadley Billington, as Librarian of Congress. Congresswoman Carson supported the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007. She worked for the benefit of all persons to have access to affordable drugs and medicines by supporting the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act. In the era of DNA research Representative Carson supported the Stem Cell enhancement Act of 2007. These are a few of the noble congressional legislative actions that she heartily supported and advocated for in the history of her tenure in the Congress of the United States. We appreciate her great efforts in the progress that has been made from all of her humanitarian efforts. I extend my greatest sympathy to the family of Congresswoman Julia Carson on the loss of their mother, a warm and wonderful humanitarian who was an exceptional public figure and who has graciously served this country with her grace, wisdom and gentility. We will all miss her.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 270) to make corrections in the enrollment of the bill H.R. 1593.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this concurrent resolution.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, this concurrent resolution makes technical and conforming changes to the Second Chance Act, H.R. 1593, to expedite its proper enrollment. The House passed the Second Chance Act in November on suspension by a vote of 347-62. May I note for the Record that this is the 10th year during three Congresses that this legislation has been worked on, debated, had witnesses, been voted on; and now we come here today to make some technical changes and, with our holiday wishes, send this measure on its way. The Second Chance Act strengthens overall crime-fighting efforts by helping give ex-offenders tools for staying out of trouble, support for job skills, stable living arrangements, substance abuse treatment, health services, and other very basic resources to successfully rejoin society and lead productive and law-abiding lives. It enjoys, clearly, wide bipartisan support. This concurrent resolution expedites the process of finalizing the bill and sending it to the President in this session of Congress by making a few corrections brought to our attention after the bill passed the House last month, such as standardizing certain criteria in the process for three different kinds of grants and clarifying eligibility for a prison pilot program. It is a good measure. The corrections here are technical only. And I am proud to bring it to the attention of my colleagues for passage as urgently as possible. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. I thank my good friend, a ranking member in the Judiciary Committee, for his important work on this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the End Racial Profiling Act of 2007, along with additional bipartisan cosponsors. As a product of years of extensive consultation with both the law enforcement and civil rights communities, this legislation represents the most comprehensive Federal commitment to healing the rift caused by racial profiling and restoring public confidence in the criminal justice system at large. The introduction of this legislation is a critical step in what should be a nationwide, bipartisan effort to end this divisive practice. Before September 11, 2001, there was wide agreement among Americans, including President Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft, that racial profiling is wrong and should end. Many in the law enforcement community also acknowledged that singling out people for heightened scrutiny based on their race, ethnicity or national origin has eroded the trust in law enforcement necessary to appropriately serve and protect our communities. What was true before September 11, is even more true today: racial profiling is inappropriate and ineffective as a law enforcement tactic. While the Department of Justice promulgated a series of guidelines in 2003 which were designed to end the practice of racial profiling by Federal law enforcement agencies, these measures do not reach the vast majority of racial profiling complaints arising from the routine activities of State and local law enforcement agencies. The guidelines provide no enforcement mechanism or methods for identifying law enforcement agencies not in compliance and, therefore, fail to resolve the racial profiling problem nationwide. In this instance, there is no substitute for comprehensive Federal anti-profiling legislation. Our legislation is designed to eliminate racial, ethnic, religious, and national origin profiling that is well documented. While the majority of law enforcement officers perform their duties professionally and without bias, and we value their service highly, we believe that enough evidence has been presented to warrant federal action. For example, an April 2005 Bureau of Justice Statistics report showed that African Americans and Hispanics experience physical searches and vehicle searches by police significantly more than whites. This is especially disturbing given the fact that in only 3.3 percent of cases for blacks, and 13 percent of cases for Latinos, did they possess criminal evidence, compared to 14.5 percent of cases for whites. The report also revealed a new troubling trend: While the rate of encounters between police and civilians did not change between the 1999 and 2002 survey, the police dramatically increased their use of force and threat of force overall, from less than 1 percent in 1999 to 1.5 percent in 2002. In addition, law enforcement officials disproportionately used force or threatened to use force against blacks and Latinos, at rates roughly three times more than against whites. The End Racial Profiling Act is designed to track and eradicate racial profiling by changing the policies and procedures underlying the practice. First, the bill provides a prohibition on racial profiling, enforceable by injunctive relief. Second, the receipt of Federal law enforcement funding that goes to State and local governments is conditioned on their adoption of effective policies that prohibit racial profiling. Third, the Justice Department is authorized to provide grants for the development and implementation of best policing practices, such as early warning systems, technology integration, and other management protocols that discourage profiling. Finally, the Attorney General is required to provide periodic reports to assess the nature of any ongoing discriminatory profiling practices. Racial profiling is a divisive practice that strikes at the very foundation of our democracy. When law-abiding citizens are treated differently by those who enforce the law simply because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, they are denied the basic respect and equal treatment that is the right of every American. Decades ago, with the passage of sweeping civil rights legislation, this country made clear that race should not affect the treatment of individual Americans under the law. The practice of using race as a criterion in law enforcement undermines the progress we have made toward racial equality. With the cooperation of the administration, we have the opportunity to move bipartisan legislation and end the practice of racial profiling. I hope that we do not miss a historic opportunity to heal the rift caused by racial profiling and restore community confidence in law enforcement.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker it is with great pleasure that I introduce Bishop Earl J. Wright, Sr., as the Guest Chaplain for the day. Bishop Wright is a member of the general board, the governing body of the Church of God in Christ, which he helped to create. He also serves as the jurisdictional bishop of the Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Southwest Michigan--Church of God in Christ, a district comprised of 19 churches. In addition, he is the pastor of Greater Miller Memorial Church of God in Christ located in Warren, MI, and also the pastor of Davis Memorial Church of God in Christ located in Grand Rapids. Bishop Wright also is a founding and supporting pastor of Miller Memorial Church of God in Christ #2 in Haiti. Other accolades for Bishop Wright include being appointed the prayer leader for the Detroit National Day of Prayer in 1992. He was acknowledged for his ministries, church and community leadership roles in the international publication Upscale Magazine as 1 of 50 Most Influential Leaders in the United States in the same year. In 1996, the Christian Women Concerned Organization of Detroit selected Bishop Wright as the ``COGIC Pastor of the Year.'' Bishop Wright is married to the lovely and gracious Dr. (Evangelist) Robin L. Wright, supervisor of Japan Jurisdiction--C.O.G.I.C. In addition to being an evangelist, she is also a writer, and a great administrative help to the local churches in Detroit and Southwest Michigan. Together they have five children: Earl, Jr., wife--Elaine; Michael, wife--Robin; Marvalyn; Ben; and Jonathan. He truly acknowledges his family as his first ministry. The Church of God in Christ is a Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in which the word of God is preached, ordinances are administered and the doctrine of sanctification or holiness is emphasized, as being essential to the salvation of mankind. Elder Charles Harrison Mason is the founder and organizer of the Church of God in Christ, and under Bishop Mason's spiritual and apostolic direction, the Church of God in Christ, the church has grown from 10 congregations in 1907, to the largest Pentecostal group in America. This year the Church of God in Christ celebrated its 100th Annual Holy Convocation; its theme was Celebrating a Glorious Past: Embracing a Promising Future, and it was attended by over 70,000 delegates. In remarking about the convocation, COGIC's Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., said, ``In the last century the Church of God in Christ rose from a motley group of sanctified proselytes to a highly respected denomination with more than 6 million members in 64 countries. The Lord has used the Church of God in Christ to accomplish great things in worship, proclamation, urban renewal, and gospel music.'' The Church is also very active in promoting a social justice agenda that reverses the circumstances of black men, families, and urban communities as well as providing comprehensive programs for youth and young adults. Bishop Wright has shown himself as a true disciple of Christ, relying heavily on his favorite scripture, Romans 4:21, ``And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.'' He exemplifies service to his fellow man, allowing his words to always bring grace to the hearer. He constantly speaks words of hope, spreading the good news to all. He practices evangelism that reflects Christ-like compassion to reach the world with the Gospel. Bishop Earl E. Wright, Sr., is a wonderful man of God and I am happy to know him and to welcome him to the floor of the House of Representatives today as Guest Chaplain.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is with great pleasure that I introduce Bishop Earl J. Wright, Sr. as the guest chaplain for the day. The bishop is very well known in Detroit, and we have known each other since the 1950s, even before Coleman Young became the first African American mayor of our great city. He has a number of responsibilities, but the one that I enjoy bringing to the membership's attention is that he is a founding and supporting pastor of Miller Memorial Church of God in Christ Number 2, located in Haiti. And, of course, we are honored to have his lovely and gracious wife, Dr. Robin L. Wright, who is the senior supervisor of the Church of God in Christ's Japanese Jurisdiction. In addition to being an evangelist, she is also a writer and a great help to the bishop. We have known each other across the years, and I remember coming to him the first time I ran for Congress, and with the late Bishop Bailey, I was able to prevail in my very first election. The bishop has shown himself as a true disciple of Christ, relying heavily on his favorite scripture, Romans 4:21: ``And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.'' He exemplifies service to his fellow man, allowing his words to always bring grace to the hearer. He constantly speaks words of hope, spreading the good news to all. He practices evangelism that reflects Christ-like compassion to reach the world with the gospel. Bishop Earl Wright, Sr. is a wonderful man of God, and I'm happy to know him and to welcome him to the floor of the House of Representatives today as guest chaplain.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. I thank the Speaker and the leaders, the floor managers on this provision. I want to thank first of all the ranking member, Lamar Smith; the Chair of the Immigration Subcommittee on the Judiciary Committee, Zoe Lofgren; and in particular, my friend, Chairman Nick Rahall of the Natural Resources Committee because we have all worked together in making important refinements to the bill. There was a great deal of cooperation. As it is now clear, what we are dealing with now is the fact that the minimum wage question, the immigration standards, and the taxes to the islands are of great consequence. I commend all of my colleagues here this afternoon for the tremendous work that has occurred. Labor unions and human rights groups have long called attention to these abuses. And both the Clinton and Bush administration Justice Departments have brought prosecutions under the 13th amendment. I do also want to commend this administration for the excellent work they have done in this regard. The decision in the 1976 Covenant establishing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to leave decisions on minimum wages, immigration standards, and taxes to the Islands has had tragic consequences. Wide-open guestworker programs, and utter lack of basic labor protections, turned the Northern Marianas into a haven for sweatshops. But modern slavery didn't just occur by day, in the garment factories. It also occurred by night, as cruel brothel owners used deceit and brutality to gratify the demand for prostitutes. Labor unions and human rights groups have long called attention to these abuses, and both the Clinton and Bush Administration Justice Departments have brought prosecutions under the Thirteenth Amendment against some of the most notorious offenders. But these efforts have been blunted at every turn by the factory owners and their high-paid lobbyists. A more fundamental effort is clearly needed, and long overdue, and this legislation will finally provide it. It brings the Commonwealth under the Immigration and Nationality Act, with a balanced approach that will help the Islands through the transition. Workers in the Islands will no longer be kept in the shadows, where they have been too readily prey to abuse. We can see how this effort is already having a result. Just this weekend on Saipan, as many as 15,000 workers and their supporters marched for unity and justice. Fifteen thousand marched on an island of only 60,000 people. We owe it to them to act. The fundamental immigration policy and human freedom issues at stake are of obvious importance to the Judiciary Committee, and I deeply appreciate the openness of the Natural Resources Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Rahall, in working with us on important refinements to the bill. Immigration Subcommittee Chair Zoe Lofgren and I have also had tremendous help from Ranking Member Lamar Smith, in making these improvements in a bipartisan fashion. Finally, I would like to thank the Administration for its constructive role in bringing us to this point.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This agreement with the Senate builds on the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act passed this summer. The ambitious legislation before us today, which includes wide-ranging solutions from 10 House committees, invests in the future of America and puts our nation on a path towards energy independence. It will strengthen national security, lower energy costs, grow our economy, create new jobs, and begin to reduce the threat of global warming. With this legislation, Congress is taking groundbreaking steps to address the crisis of climate change. The bill will increase the efficiency of our vehicles. It makes an historic commitment to American-grown biofuels and requires that 15 percent of our electricity come from renewable sources. The legislation strengthens energy efficiency for a wide range of products, appliances, lighting and buildings. It also repeals tax breaks for big oil companies, and invests that money in clean renewable energy and new American technologies. Not only will these measures reduce our dependence on foreign oil and grow our economy, they will also save consumers billions of dollars. The Energy Independence and Security Act includes several provisions that will strengthen our national security by decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. I am particularly pleased about the compromise that was reached on fuel economy standards, raising standards for new cars and trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The bill ensures that this fuel economy standard will be reached, while offering flexibility to automakers and ensuring that we keep American manufacturing jobs and continue domestic production of smaller vehicles. I want to applaud Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Dingell for reaching an agreement that is supported by both environmentalists and the automobile industry. The legislation before us today also reduces our dependence on foreign oil. The initiative includes a historic commitment to American biofuels that will fuel our cars and trucks. It includes critical environmental safeguards to ensure that the growth of homegrown fuels helps to reduce carbon emissions and does not degrade water or air quality or harm our lands and public health. The plan establishes a plug-in hybrid/electric vehicle tax credit for individuals and encourages the domestic development and production of advanced technology vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. It also includes tax provisions totaling approximately $21 billion--which includes the repeal of about $13 billion in tax subsidies for Big Oil. The Energy Independence and Security Act will help lower energy costs by promoting cleaner energy, greater efficiency, and smarter technology. It requires utility companies to generate 15 percent of electricity from renewable sources--such as wind power, biomass, wave, tidal, geothermal and solar--by 2020. The bill includes landmark energy efficiency provisions that will save consumers and businesses hundreds of billions of dollars on energy costs by requiring more energy efficient appliances, such as dishwashers, clothes washers, refrigerators and freezers. It requires improved commercial and federal building energy efficiency and assists consumers in improving the efficiency of their homes. The bill also strengthens and extends existing renewable energy tax credits, including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydro, landfill gas and trash combustion, while creating new incentives for the use and production of renewable energy, as well as supporting research on solar, geothermal, and marine renewable energy. The energy bill will help create new American jobs and reduce the threat of global warming. The landmark fuel efficiency standard, renewable electricity standard and energy efficiency provisions will not only save consumers and businesses money, but will also significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, this package creates an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program to train a quality workforce for ``green'' collar jobs. These investments in renewable energy could create 3 million green jobs over 10 years. The bill helps small businesses lead the way in renewable energy by increasing loan limits for purchasing energy efficient technologies. It rewards entrepreneurship in the energy sector by increasing investment in small firms developing renewable energy solutions. This initiative also takes aggressive steps on carbon capture and sequestration to come up with a cleaner way to use coal. For too long, our country has lagged behind the rest of the industrialized world in recognizing and taking action to address the climate change crisis. Global warming endangers all of us, but threatens to have the most devastating impact on the poorest and the most vulnerable. Our nation is the richest in the world and one of the largest contributors to global warming, yet, until today, it has not made any substantial efforts towards addressing the problem. I am proud to join with my colleagues as we at long last put America on the path to becoming part of the solution.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, yesterday, I mistakenly voted against H. Res. 37, providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 710, with amendments. In fact, I support this critical legislation, which would make paired kidney donation legal and allow organizations like the United Network for Organ Sharing to track eligibility for paired donation. I voted for passage of the original bill, H.R. 710, The Charlie Norwood Living Organ Donation Act, on March 7, 2007.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property (``PRO IP'') Act of 2007, legislation that highlights the importance of intellectual property enforcement by making several changes to substantive civil and criminal laws; providing for more efficient and directed coordination efforts among the various agencies; and allocating more resources towards enforcement efforts. I am joined by Representatives Berman, Smith, Schiff, Feeney, Issa, Chabot, Cohen, Keller, Jackson-Lee and Goodlatte. The objectives and content of this legislation are supported by a broad range of interests. Many unions and guilds, such as the Teamsters, Directors Guild of America, SEIU, AFTRA, Unite Here, AFM, Laborers, OPEN, IATSE, and others, have sent letters in support of comprehensive IP enforcement legislation, in general, and more specifically, of many of the provisions contained in this bill. On the industry side, the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy, which represents 500 companies and trade associations, from the Motor Equipment Manufacturing Association and PHARMA to NBC Universal and Cleveland Golf, issued a June 2007 set of legislative objectives that are largely captured in this bill. This legislation is an important and necessary step in the fight to maintain our competitive edge in a global marketplace. By providing additional resources for enforcement of intellectual property, we ensure that innovation and creativity will continue to prosper in our society. The need for this legislation is clear. Counterfeiting and piracy costs the global economy between $500 and $600 billion a year in lost sales. That's around 5 to 7 percent of global trade. It costs the United States between $200 and $250 billion a year in lost sales, including 750,000 jobs. And it's not just about money. Counterfeiting and piracy can place human lives at risk. As counterfeiting proliferates in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, aircraft, and auto parts, the harm can be a matter of life and death. For example, the World Health Organization estimates that the prevalence of counterfeit pharmaceuticals ranges from less than 1 percent in developed countries to over 30 percent in developing countries, and over 50 percent of counterfeit pharmaceuticals are obtained from illicit websites. The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest estimates that counterfeit drug commerce will grow 13 percent annually through 2010, nearly twice the rate of legitimate pharmaceuticals. As we read stories about people being harmed by counterfeit toothpaste, toys, or drugs, we see the real effects of these practices on American lives. This legislation attempts to address these intellectual property offenses in a broad and encompassing manner. It does not take only one approach toward bolstering our intellectual property laws but rather tackles the challenges in several ways. First, Titles I and II strengthen the substantive civil and criminal laws relating to copyright and trademark infringement. For example, the legislation address several issues related to registration of a copyright and the manner in which damages are calculated for certain claims of infringement, as well as tackling some of the problems that occur at our Nation's borders and harmonizing the various forfeiture laws for the different intellectual property offenses. Second, Title III of the legislation establishes the Office of the United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Representative, USIPER, in the Executive Office of the President, to handle nationwide and international coordination of intellectual property enforcement efforts. This legislation provides that the USIPER, together with an interagency Intellectual Property Advisory Committee, composed of every federal agency with expertise in either Intellectual Property protection or enforcement, will generate a joint strategic plan to marshal the disparate resources and expertise of United States enforcement efforts and coordinate and consolidate these efforts. Third, Title IV provides for the appointment of intellectual property attaches to work with foreign countries in their efforts to combat counterfeiting and piracy. The attaches will be responsible for coordinating training and technical assistance programs within the host country. Finally, Title V of the legislation raises the level of intellectual property enforcement coordination within the Department of Justice by placing the functions of the existing Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section related to enforcement of intellectual property laws and trade secrets under the auspices of a new Intellectual Property Division, and also transfers the International Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinators to this new Division. This section of the bill also provides for additional law enforcement resources, including local law enforcement grants and additional CHIPS and dedicated FBI personnel, and requires DOJ to provide an annual report of its efforts in intellectual property enforcement. Finally, the bill promotes transparency in the prosecutorial process by directing the DOJ to review and consider modifying their standards for accepting or declining prosecution of the intellectual property laws, including procedures for advising complainants and victims of intellectual property crimes. If the United States is to maintain its position in the increasingly competitive global economy, we must fulfill our obligation to American intellectual property rights holders and ensure that their inventions, creations, writings, and discoveries are not stolen without effective recourse. This comprehensive piece of legislation goes a long way toward protecting that creativity and ingenuity that is vital to the U.S. economy.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3791) to modernize and expand the reporting requirements relating to child pornography, to expand cooperation in combating child pornography, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Members of the House, this measure, H.R. 3791, called the SAFE Act, will improve the ability of our law enforcement officers to investigate offenses involving child pornography and the exploitation of children by the Internet. Under current law, Internet service providers are required to file a report to the cyber tip line of the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children when the provider learns of child pornography. The center serves as a clearinghouse for leads and sends the reports to law enforcement agencies around the United States and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unfortunately though, many Internet companies are unaware of these obligations, and the law is unclear as to the precise information that is required to be reported to the center. This bill addresses the aforementioned problems. First, it facilitates the reporting of child pornography from Internet service providers to the center by clarifying the information that must be reported. Then it specifies the data that must be maintained by the reporting company for law enforcement purposes. And finally, it provides certain liability waivers for the center and Internet service providers for their roles in dealing with child pornography as required by law. Therefore, H.R. 3791 makes clear the precise reporting obligations of Internet providers and, in this way, will facilitate the investigation and prosecution of child pornography and other crimes against children that involve the Internet. I think this is an important measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased now to recognize again Nick Lampson of Texas for the great work he has done in this area. I yield him as much time as he may consume. But I do want to mention Steve Chabot of the Judiciary Committee, who has worked with us all in the creation of this legislation.

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

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

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. The Chair is pleased to recognize the gentlelady from California, Barbara Lee, who has graced us with her presence in my district recently, and we yield her 2 minutes.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1759) to establish guidelines and incentives for States to establish arsonist registries and to require the Attorney General to establish a national arsonist registry and notification program, and for other purposes, as amended.

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