Joe Crowley

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. How much total time do you expect will be allotted for debate on the Iraq resolution you referenced previously? And which days are you anticipating the debate will take place? And will ranking members and leadership be included in negotiating the text of that resolution?

Mr. CROWLEY. And if I could ask for further clarification of the schedule for next week, if the majority leader could clarify the sequence of business for next week, we will debate the supplemental conference report on Monday, roll the vote on that measure until Tuesday, and then take up the Transportation, Treasury, HUD bill Tuesday. Do you expect that bill to be completed on Tuesday? And will the Iraq resolution then be debated on Thursday?

Mr. CROWLEY. I thank the gentleman. I would ask the gentleman, is it 100 percent certain that we will have votes on Friday, or it is still up in the air?

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise for the purpose of addressing the schedule with the majority leader for next week. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for striking the last word and yielding me this time. I have tremendous respect for my colleague, Mr. Kolbe, and his efforts, but I do rise in support of this amendment. It's sad we are here today debating this, and I was tempted, quite frankly, to submit once again my testimony from last year because things have not changed in this year that has gone by. I have not seen a discernible change in the attitude of the Saudis towards their education system. They say there are changes made, but in reading The Washington Post and other publications, and as Mr. Weiner has demonstrated on the floor today, in reality, there has been no significant change. There is still the teaching of the next generation of Saudis hatred towards Jews and towards Christians. That needs to change. You cannot just say you are our ally, and all is well; you have to show by deeds and actions that you are as well. You cannot say you are our ally and at the same time export that hatred to other countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan and Indonesia where unrest is fomenting towards the United States. You cannot be our ally and not show by deeds. I do not think the amount of money that we are striking from this bill will make a difference to the Saudis in terms of their training of anti-terrorism. It is in their interest to fight the war on terror. It is in their interest to combat terrorism in their own country. But it is also in their interest, I believe, if they want a strong relationship with this country is to own up to what has been responsible for much of the terrorism that has been exported around the world: It is coming from Saudi Arabia. Much of the money that has being exported around the world to madrasahs that are teaching fundamentalism is coming from Saudi Arabia. You can't have your cake and eat it, too. That is the message we are sending today. That is why I, once again, stand in strong support of the Weiner amendment, and I hope my colleagues send a strong message symbolically to Saudi Arabia that enough is enough. If you are on our side, then act like you are and prove it to us. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the amendment offered by my friend from New York, Mr. Weiner. It's a sad state of affairs that we have to have this debate every year. I felt the urge to use the same exact statement I made last year about all of the failings of Saudi Arabia because nothing has changed. How long is the Administration going to ignore the Saudi support of terrorism? The Saudis claim to be our allies, but at the same time they offer assistance in our war on terrorism, their people fund the terrorists who desire to attack us. Nineteen of the 22 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudi. Saudi blood money threatens those who support freedom and democracy. They continue to export their repressive brand of Islam around the world, creating a new group of angry young men and women. We must take a stand in this House and let the Saudis know that their time of extremism is over because we will not stand for it anymore.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield the gentleman from Massachusetts the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I object for the purposes of claiming the time in opposition.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I object.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support passage of this bill. While I am upset that the Democratic Motion offered by my colleague Nita Lowey, which would have increased the first responder grants for urban areas by $750 million, was defeated on a party line basis, she raises important issues that must be addressed. Where have foreign terrorists struck when they attack our country? They attack major urban areas, as they look to create spectacular havoc while maximizing the killing of civilians--that is the calling card of Osama bin Laden. Remember him? Sometimes we forget him in the discussion of tax cuts and gay marriage and all the other issues--but he is still out there and still threatening our country, and especially New York and Washington, almost everyday. Al-Qaeda is not human--but we need to be ready for other attacks. That means proactive preparedness, as well as improving our reactive response as well. Proactively, we need to better protect our urban areas--the terrorist targeted areas--like New York. New York was the target in 1993 when terrorists bombed the World Trade Center, and again on September 11, 2001, when they completed the job they started 8 years earlier. New York City is the most targeted city in the country and likely on Earth by terrorists. This is a reality Congress and the White House need to face. And if we are serious about protecting America--all Americans--regardless of their voting patterns, then we must go about protecting these most targeted and most vulnerable areas. And I don't just say New York City is targeted to get my hometown more money. We know we are targeted due to information our U.S. intelligence services provide to us. Being on al-Qaeda's hit list is one of the few distinctions New York City has that I am not proud of, and not happy to talk about. But we must talk about it--because it is, again, reality. I salute the Appropriations Committee for working with me and agreeing to the amendment I offered with my colleague from New York, Vito Fossella, to increase the current urban area security initiative by $20 million--a $12.7 million increase over last year. But more funding is needed. But this issue of homeland security and ensuring the resources are there for our first responders--both for proactive and reactive preparedness--is more then an issue of funding in total dollar amounts. It comes down to the flawed funding formulas developed by Congress and the Bush White House to distribute homeland security dollars. These flawed formulas were crystallized last week when President Bush announced a 40 percent cut in urban security aid to New York City, saying the funds weren't needed for us. Instead, these urban security dollars went to places like Louisville, Kentucky, while certainly at risk, cannot claim to have the critical infrastructure of New York City under the terrorist microscope. This is a reality too--a sad and pathetic reality that our homeland security dollars have become the latest pot of federal funding to be politicized by this White House instead of being used to protect Americans at greatest risk of terror attack. Other realities: Our country takes urban security funds created for places like New York and diverts them to Louisville; Our Nation provides more homeland security dollars per capita to Wyoming than to New York; And sadly, protecting our homeland security is more about politics than security. We haven't caught Osama bin Laden, the Taliban is returning to Afghanistan, and Congress is not providing the funds to our first responders to protect our targeted cities--our Nation's homeland security is a sad reflection of our great country.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Emil Eisdorfer, a constituent of mine as well as a friend to the Bronx community for his years of public service. On June 8, 2006, Mr. Eisdorfer will be honored by the Beth Jacob-Beth Miriam School in recognition of all the hard work and his dedication to the Bronx community. He has taken the word community service above and beyond in an effort to serve not only his community but my constituents as well. Mr. Eisdorfer was born in a small town in Ukraine called Mukachevo, known for its rich Jewish history up until World War II when the Nazi's genocide machine took the lives of many of his relatives, including his grandparents. Mr. Eisdorfer's life is a real example of the American Dream. Immigrating to the United States with his wife in 1974, Mr. Eisdorfer, using his knowledge of watch making opened a small business in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood of the Bronx. While he worked to provide for his wife Elena and his two kids Jacob and Sharon, he never forgot where he came from and how he got to America. He used his standing in the Bronx community and knowledge to assist arriving immigrants from the former Soviet Union in job placement and counseling. In addition to helping immigrants here in the United States, Emil also used his 30 years of experience in business, economic development, and retail sales to help create the Business Improvement District, in the Bronx. Emil was always willing to help around the community. Additionally, Emil served on numerous community boards including Vice Chairman of Community board 11 and President of the Jewish Community Council of Pelham Parkway. Under this role he helped expand the council's membership, funding, and improving its services to the community. Emil currently works as a staff-member in the New York City Council, while his two children finish up their advance degrees. Needless to say, the work of this man has no boundaries. I am pleased that Beth Jacob-Beth Miriam School is honoring Emil, and I join with them in extending my appreciation to him for his service to his community.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman, and my friend and mentor, from New York for yielding me this time; and I want to thank her and Chairman Kolbe, another good friend, on another good bill coming out of this committee and proving once again, when it comes to the issue of foreign aid, we can work in a very bipartisan way. This bill is of particular importance because it is the last for Chairman Kolbe, and I would like to commend Chairman Kolbe for his steadfast support of foreign aid and for what I believe will become your greatest legacy, the creation of a Trade Capacity Enhancement Fund. Time does not allow me to go into it in further detail, but I want to thank you for that. This bill also includes $34 million to the United Nations Population Fund, but it has become a norm under this administration that restrictions on providing this important funding will not be released by the administration. The administration seems determined to hinder the health of women and children around the world. While remaining troubled that this detrimental policy continues, there is much good in this bill, particularly when it comes to the issue of the Middle East. I strongly support the funding included in this bill for Israel's foreign military financing and economic aid. We need to continue to ensure that our close allies are able to protect themselves and remain a strong and viable state. While I support our ally Egypt, there are issues that we in Congress must address. I understand that the Egyptians are concerned about how we disburse the aid to them, but it is important for them to understand what we expect of our partner. The government of President Mubarak has shown that it is quite quick to throw dissidents into jail, discriminate against the Coptic minority, tolerate anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in the official press, throw gay Egyptians into jail. The United States must do more to help end this dangerous mix, and before the problem becomes more unstable. There is more I would like to say about the issue of Egypt that time does not permit, but also the country of Pakistan, another country I have been concerned about for quite some time; and I am glad the Appropriations Committee recognized the internal problems within Pakistan. The reductions in ESF and FMF should send a strong message to Pakistan that it cannot use the war on terror as an excuse to repress their people. With that, I urge my colleagues to support this worthy legislation. Many of us in Congress have strong concerns about our partners in the developing world's capacity to handle free trade agreements with the United States and this new fund will help to solve many of those issues. This new fund will provide the much needed assistance to our FTA partners who need increased assistance with labor and environmental standards. My hope is that this new fund will create the environment where we will not have to repeat the divisive CAFTA battle. We should all be doing what we can to support free trade to benefit these emerging democracies. We must recognize that building stable societies must start at the grassroots level and that is why I was pleased to see that this new section of the program will receive $6 million. We need to redouble our efforts to make sure while we move peace along at the top levels we don't forget to focus on the people who will truly make a lasting peace. Egypt has been a strong friend and ally and has done much to help bring about a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but we cannot allow that to cloud our judgment. Egypt should expect more from themselves, if they want to compete in today's world and move forward with the reforms they have outlined. Pakistan is another country I have been concerned about for quite some time and I am glad the appropriations committee recognized the internal problems with Pakistan. The reductions in ESF and FMF should send a strong message to Pakistan that they cannot use the war on terror as an excuse to repress their people. This is a strong bill that will help our friends and allies and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to Deal Amendment to H.R. 5441 The Homeland Security Appropriations Act, changing the requirement for granting birthright citizenship. At a time when Congress is trying to find a solution to immigration, a problem that tears at the very fabric of our Nation, the Deal Amendment is a hateful amendment that does nothing to improve our security or fix this country's immigration problem. We cannot under the guise of security, specifically target undocumented individuals, who are here working and contributing to our economy. This amendment will turn children who are born in the United States into stateless babies, who will be forced to grow up and live in the shadows of our society. This is another far-right Republican approach that does nothing to secure our borders or our country nor contributes in any positive way to this immigration debate. The people of the United States deserve hard work and legislation that helps solve problems and not create them. All this amendment accomplishes is to create a permanent underclass that will be forced to live on the fringes of our society. Attempting to eliminate birthright citizenship will create a whole new immigration problem. And these poor children are going to stay here because they will not have a country to go to. When will we learn that unjust and discriminatory legislation does not work? To deny citizenship to children born within our borders is not only unconstitutional but immoral. We are turning our backs on the very principle that this country was founded on. The notion of the American Dream is being trampled on by the Deal Amendment and by those who would support such legislation in this House. Immigration is a serious problem that requires real solutions. And Homeland Security is too important to be used as a tool of discrimination. I oppose this Amendment. Point of Order

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I did not hear any mention when my colleague from New York spoke as to how much the fuel needs of New York would be met if ANWR were allowed to go through. I suggest that it probably would be somewhere in the range of 10 years, maybe. What about after that? What do we do after that? This is a red herring. This is a distraction. This is not about any one particular State's needs. This is about the needs of our country. Why are we not addressing the needs of our country? This is like dressing a pimple on the cheek of an elephant when the problem is the entire elephant. We need to be looking out for the interests of the entire country, not just one particular State and its needs. We should be talking about alternative fuel sources and developing them in this country. This whole discussion is a political misdirection and a ploy to take the focus off the issues this country is facing today. I ask my colleagues to reject this political ploy. Vote against this bill. Do not allow the pristine country that we are talking about, ANWR, to be disrupted. Let us leave it for future generations, as it is meant to be.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I support the Citizen Corps and yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from New York and the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. I also want to thank the chairman for allowing this discussion here this evening, as well as the ranking member, and for their agreeing to this amendment. This $20 million to this much-needed fund will not only support New York City and New Jersey but other major metropolises around the country, high-threat, high-risk areas. I thank you again for your support for this amendment, in particular my cosponsor of the amendment, Mr. Fossella. Mr. Chairman, first, after talks with the Majority and Minority, I understand this amendment will be accepted by the Chair and Ranking Member, and I thank you for that. I understand the Committee may have some concerns about this program--but it has proven itself for our major urban areas. Working in a bipartisan manner, Representative Serrano, Representative Bill Young, Representative Fossella and myself sat down and crafted this program for the FY 2003 Omnibus, recognizing a gaping hole in homeland security funds for our major urban areas--those high target areas, like New York City, Houston, Washington, DC or Chicago, among other major cities. The gaping hole was our government's ignoring the unique and most pressing needs of our major urban areas, therefore, the birth of the High Threat, High Density Urban Area Program. This program is the only homeland security program specifically targeted towards those municipalities with the greatest threat and vulnerability for terror attacks. With skewed homeland security formulas distributing a portion of all funds equally to all states--ignoring basic security realities--this program is a breath of fresh air, providing funds to those areas deemed at greatest risk of attack. This program has been extremely successful over the years and has provided resources to those communities at greatest risk of attack. Unfortunately, and not due to the hard work of Chairman Rogers or Ranking Member Sabo, this year's Homeland Security bill reduces the funding for this important high threat high density program by over $7 million below last year's enacted amount. This amendment increases this urban area account by $20 million--or an increase of $12.7 million over last year and $20 million greater then in this original bill. We offset this funding from TSA-- Headquarters Administration. As Representative Fossella stated our offset is aimed at the $292 million in the bill allocated for funding their Headquarters Administration at TSA--not for the intelligence or intelligence technology under the TSA title. This offset does not threaten air safety or national security. In fact, our amendment will increase the security of Americans. This urban area program is the front line program to fund first responders, firefighters, EMT's and others who are on the front line defending our cities everyday from terrorist threats. I was recently in 81. Louis with my colleague Russ Carnahan who invited me to the Arch Way, to talk about the pressing needs of first responders and how our Federal Government continues to underfund the frontline in the war on terror. We need to send a message to the firefighters, police officers, EMT's and others that we will as a Congress stand behind these everyday heroes to ensure that they receive the assistance they need to do their job. I am pleased that this amendment will be accepted and, I thank the Chair and Ranking Member.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I rise in support of the Weiner-Schwarz amendment. I want to thank my colleague from New York (Mr. Weiner) for all his hard work on this important issue on attacking invasive species. Many people wonder why members of the New York City delegation would be up here on the Agricultural bill, but the issue of invasive species is a serious one for Members from rural, suburban and urban areas as well. For New York City, the pest in question is the Asian longhorned beetle, and quite frankly, if the Asian longhorned beetle were this big, we would not be having this debate right now. We would all be putting more than $48 million per year towards eradicating it. But it is much smaller. It is about one-and-a-half inches to 2 inches in length. It has been in Queens County since 1999, where I represent. The Asian longhorned beetle has had devastating effects on trees in my home County of Queens but also of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, as well as parts of Chicago and New Jersey. I know this pest has been depriving the residents of my constituency in my district of precious shade, green space, and natural beauty provided by a variety of trees. This issue is particularly serious in an area where trees and shades are at a premium, in the County of Queens. We have lost almost half of the trees that have been lost in New York City. But besides attacking urban area trees, scientists have stated that the Asian longhorned beetle is a real threat to the hardwood trees of America; and if left unchecked, this pest could be more threatening to our Nation's trees and forests than the Dutch elm disease, the gypsy moth caterpillar, the chestnut blight combined. This beetle would be devastating to our timber industry, but let me go to our homes and to the breakfast table. This invasive species can have a direct impact on the maple syrup industry here in America. Imagine, pancakes without real maple syrup. That is what this bug represents to America right now. On this point, I want to thank again the Chair and the ranking member for including report language in this bill recognizing the real threat of the Asian longhorned beetle. The report states: ``The Asian longhorned beetle threatens all hardwood trees, and is of great concern to the northeast, particularly in New York and New Jersey.'' When this pest was first discovered, I called for the assistance of my colleagues in this Chamber and you all responded. I want to acknowledge the great work of then-Chairman Skeen and now Chairman Bonilla, and then-Ranking Member Kaptur and now Ranking Member DeLauro in working with me and the City of New York to try to address this issue. I remember visiting the Heinz family of Ridgewood, Queens, who lost some of their precious trees to this pest in 1999. Due to our hard work here in Washington, we were able to fund investigators who searched the trees to look for the beetle and worked towards eliminating the problem in this particular neighborhood. We were able to replace those trees. Green space and trees are a vital component to the quality of life of my constituents both in Queens and the Bronx and all the outer boroughs, including Manhattan. We can fight this invasive species and other pests that plague our country, like the emerald ash borer, sudden oak death, cactus moth and boll weevil, by passing this Weiner-Schwarz amendment today. In addition to their past support for battling the beetle, I also want to thank Chairman Bonilla and Ranking Member DeLauro for including a provision in their bill granting the Secretary of the USDA discretion to use Commodity Credit Corporation funds to combat the beetle. While this provision is important, it cannot replace the need for this amendment, as over the past several years OMB has not approved CCC funding to combat this beetle and work towards its total eradication. That is why I am supporting this amendment today to provide a $23 million increase to APHIS this year to more effectively combat invasive species in our country. Please support this amendment. It will benefit our constituents in almost every State in the country. In fact, I would argue every State, if you eat pancakes in the morning.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4681 Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006. As an original cosponsor, I fully support this bill and would like to thank my friend from Florida, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen and my Ranking Member Tom Lantos for introducing this important bipartisan legislation. This bill sends a clear message to Hamas that the United States will never support a terrorist organization cloaked as a democratically elected party. The support Hamas, a designated terrorist organization by the United States, received shows many Palestinian people do not want peace with Israel and will continue to support terrorist operations on innocent civilians. Hamas officials continue to endorse recent suicide bombing and continued violence against Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East. As long as Hamas chooses to continue down the path of terrorism, it will meet with financial and diplomatic isolation from the United States and our allies. I have read the statements of several groups opposed to this legislation because this will create a road block towards negotiations. What I want to know is how do you negotiate with a government who is hell bent on your destruction. Would any member of this House negotiate with al Qaeda? I would hope not. Hamas must be isolated, not coddled, and that is what this legislation will do. Hamas would rather cling to the impossible dream of the destruction of Israel than work towards a two-state solution that will bring prosperity and an end to the bloodshed that has tainted this region for so many years. This bill rightly ends direct aid to the Hamas-controlled government. Hamas refuses to change so they must be treated like the terrorists they are. But I want to make clear that the goal of this legislation is not to cause a humanitarian catastrophe but to isolate this terrorist led government, this legislation will allow funding for the basic health needs of the Palestinian people. I'm sure like me, my colleagues would rather be supporting a Palestinian Authority-led government working towards a peaceful two- state solution but instead we face the realities of a Hamas-led government bent on the destruction of Israel. Until this Hamas-led government recognizes Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State, renounces violence, dismantles its terrorist infrastructure, and halts all anti-Israel incitement the United States should never provide assistance to the Palestinian-led government of Hamas.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the resolution introduced by my friend from New Jersey, Chris Smith. I was proud to join my colleagues as an original cosponsor of this important statement by the House of Representatives. While the peace process in the north of Ireland has been moving along, but unfortunately, not at the pace many of us had hoped for after the acceptance of the Good Friday Agreement by all parties, it is still moving forward. We saw one example of the process moving forward when all the political parties of the north met on Monday for the first time since the Assembly was suspended 3\1/2\ years ago. I believe these political parties must overcome all of the obstacles for the sake of the people they were elected to represent in November of 2002. They must elect new ministers to give the people of the north the representational government that they have sought out. But beyond the issue of setting up the assembly, one of the important things about any peace process is making sure that past atrocities have been fully investigated and the people, who committed them be held responsible, which is why this resolution is so important for the peace process. The violence that occurred before and after the signing of the historic Good Friday Agreement still remains fresh in the minds of the victim's families and the public as a whole. To bring about a better trust between the people of the north, the British and Irish Governments agreed to hold public inquiries into high profile murders of human rights defenders like Pat Finucane. It is time for the British to allow the truth to come out. The family of Pat Finucane deserves to know the full extent of collusion that existed and caused the death of this husband and father. The British must live up to their obligations under the Weston Park Agreement and the commitment they made if Judge Cory found evidence warranting a full independent inquiry. It is time for an independent, judicial inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise the awareness of this Congress of the ongoing atrocities being committed by the Burmese military junta. I am deeply disturbed by what appears to be the largest attacks in 10 years on ethnic minorities in eastern Burma. Eastern Burma is a humanitarian nightmare. According to the Thailand-Burma Border Consortium, over the past 10 years, the military junta has destroyed or forcibly relocated over 2,700 villages. Not a single humanitarian relief agency is allowed into the area, not a single journalist is permitted to record the facts, and not a single U.N. official is permitted to meet, let alone protect, those on the run in Burma's eastern jungles. Even in Sudan aid agencies, journalists, and representatives of the United Nations and African Union are allowed-- not so in eastern Burma. It is time for the United States to press the U.N. Security Council to pass a binding resolution requiring change in Burma. It is true that not all members of the Council will initially agree on the language and substance of such a proposal, and it is no secret that Russia and China have opposed the use of sanctions or military intervention in Burma. We have listened to their points, and that is not what we are asking for. Surely all Council members must agree that it is our collective responsibility to stop these attacks on innocent civilians and to facilitate true national reconciliation in Burma. The U.N. Security Council said so itself on April 28th when it stated in its new resolution that ``the Council reaffirmed its strongest condemnation of all acts of violence or abuses committed against civilians in situations of armed conflict.'' By not addressing the situations in Burma, the United Nations Security Council is failing its own mandate and undermining the U.N. Charter. We cannot remain silent. We cannot stand by and wait for someone else to provide leadership, if none is being provided. Leaders of the United States, United Nations and elsewhere should state publicly that it is time for a U.N. Security Council resolution on Burma. As the rainy season approaches in eastern Burma, many lives are at risk. We must act now.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Niranjan S. Shah, a prominent Indian-American businessman, activist, and philanthropist, who was one of the few selected to receive the prestigious 2006 Ellis Island Medals of Honor. This award is presented to influential leaders of various fields and ethnic backgrounds who contribute greatly to American society. Established in 1986 by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO), the Ellis Island Medals of Honor pay tribute to the heritage of those groups that comprise America's unique cultural mosaic and extraordinary individual achievement. Past medalists include six U.S. Presidents as well as Nobel Prize winners and leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports and government. As a young man growing up in India, Mr. Shah was an academic standout obtaining his bachelor's degree in engineering from Sardar Patel University. After the completion of his studies in India he was given the opportunity to pursue a Master's degree in the United States, a big move for a young man from India. With the support of his family and his village, Mr. Shah left India for America and successfully obtained his Master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Mississippi. After receiving his Master's degree he supplemented his engineering education with the Harvard Business School Executive Management program. With this incredible wealth of education a lack opportunities still existed for a young Indian. So Mr. Shah went forward with his own American dream and decided to go it on his own and create what is now a thriving engineering firm. He is well known in his adopted hometown of Chicago for his engineering success. Any American who has flown through O'Hare International Airport, or has attended a convention at McCormick Place has seen first hand the work of Niranjan Shah and his engineering firm. The spirit of making a better life was not limited to just himself but pushed him to provide assistance to those less fortunate than himself. Mr. Shah's generosity was extended to small villages in India and he has worked tirelessly to create a better U.S. Indo relationship. Mr. Shah is one of the few Americans who was also recognized this winter by the President of India through the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, the highest Indian civilian award to be given to people of Indian origin, to recognize the contributions of the Indian Diaspora to India. Mr. Speaker, Niranjan is an asset to the United States and his efforts are deserving of this prestigious award. Mr. Shah fully embodies the commitment and values that the Ellis Island Medal of Honor represents. Mr. Shah will receive this honor joined by his loving wife Pratima, and his two children Smita and Ajay. It is an honor for me to recognize this great American today.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. Madam Speaker, I heard our colleague thank Mr. Paul of Texas for being calm and patient. I don't know how much more patient we can be with a country that supports international terrorism as Iran does. Let me point out, this bill does not authorize the use of force. It does not authorize the use of force. We can say it over and over again. That is clearly not getting through. But this country, we are talking about Iran, is bent on the destruction of our ally Israel, bent on the destruction of our ally Israel and the interests of the United States in that region. This is a peaceful way to help resolve this issue. It will restrict access to reserves by the mullahs in Iran to pursue development of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons. So, Madam Speaker, once again, I rise in strong support of this legislation. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle see the wisdom of this legislation that is seen as well in the Senate, and the President understands the wisdom of this legislation and signs it into law. I yield the balance of my time to my friend, Mr. Pence.

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the Iran Freedom Support Act. This legislation received strong bipartisan support when it was passed in the International Relations Committee last month. I commend my colleague from Florida, Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for introducing this bill and working both sides of the aisle to produce this strong bipartisan piece of legislation. I would also like to thank my ranking member, Tom Lantos, for his continued leadership on ensuring that Iran does not gain access to nuclear weapons. This legislation is not the first step towards war, like I have heard some contend, but I believe a tightening of the current restrictions on Iran. We must use every tool we have, whether it be diplomatically or economically, to limit the development of Iran's nuclear weapons. Iran has shown time and time again that they do not respect the international community, or the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nation's nuclear watchdog. Iran made a deal with the international community when they designed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and that was to not seek nuclear weapons in exchange for civilian nuclear technology. Iran broke this deal 18 years ago when they began to pursue a secret nuclear program with the aim of producing enough material to create nuclear weapons to threaten the stability of the region and of the world. We cannot allow a terrorist state like Iran to attain such deadly weapons. On Monday of this week, Iranian President Ahmadinejad vowed to press ahead with uranium enrichment and boasted how he did not expect the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on this terrorist state. This legislation is needed to let our allies know that the House of Representatives and the United States are serious about using economic means to isolate Iran and ensure they end their nuclear weapons ambitions. The permanent five members of the Security Council have all declared they are opposed to Iran gaining the knowledge to develop nuclear weapons, but words are sometimes not enough. When the IAEA presents its report to the Security Council on Friday, the members of the Security Council must be prepared to move forward with sanctions if Iran chooses to remain in noncompliance of the IAEA. I hope this House speaks with a unified voice today to let our allies know we are serious about stopping Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin).