Joe Crowley

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney). (Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, women who develop fistula as a result of childbirth are often abandoned by their husbands, rejected by their communities, and forced to live in an isolated existence. For that reason I am very pleased that the State bill contains $5 million for treatment of women with obstetric fistula and for fistula prevention services. The fistula prevention section of the bill was added in committee by an amendment that I sponsored that had enjoyed unanimous support, including support of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). Because the fistula provision enjoyed strong bipartisan support in committee, I am disappointed that my friend has chosen to offer this amendment. The Smith amendment establishes two tiers of fistula services to be carried out by clinics supported by the United States. Fistula repair and rehabilitation services are ``mandatory,'' while fistula prevention services, including the provision of contraception, is considered ``discretionary.'' Also, references to ``contraceptives'' have been removed. Mr. Chairman, the most effective way to decrease the incidence of fistula is to ensure that 12-year-old girls in rural Africa and other young high-risk women do not get pregnant in the first place. For the life of me, I fail to understand why we would want to downgrade the attention paid in this bill to fistula prevention and remove any discussion of contraceptives. I understand the concerns raised by the gentleman from New Jersey that some faith-based hospitals do not wish, as a matter of conscience, to distribute contraceptives. I have no problem with that exemption. But in order to deal with the faith-based hospitals, the entire fistula prevention section of the bill, which I authored in committee and, again, had the support of every member of the Committee International Relations, was accepted, including the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), it is a shame, Mr. Chairman, that this amendment is offered, and I therefore oppose this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Once again I have to express my disappointment that we find ourselves here now in final passage of this bill when we had an amicable agreement in the committee and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and I, somewhat working together in the committee, agreed to this initial amendment to include my language. I will just say for the record it says in the underlying text of the bill: ``Each center established pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall, to the maximum extent practicable.'' It is not mandatory. It does not say they have to do this. Shall ``carry out the following activities,'' and included in that is contraception. My question for the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) is, is contraception included in family planning?

Mr. CROWLEY. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, it is not clear to me. It is again unfortunate we find ourselves here at this point. And I stand, again, in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Smith amendment on fistula. While we are similarly concerned about preventing fistula and the impact it has on women's lives in the developing world, I must rise in opposition to this specific language as it does not expressly support contraception as a means of preventing fistula. While this may sound like nit picking to some, it goes to the heart of preventing this horrific tragedy in women. Mr. Smith and I were in agreement in Committee on my original language on fistula prevention, and I appreciated your initial comments about this language on our plan to prevent fistulas from occurring by focusing on prevention of pregnancy through contraception. May amendment, which was universally accepted by the committee, expressly called for support of contraception because this is often the only way girls, young women, and women whose bodies are not prepared for pregnancy-contraception is often the only way they can protect themselves. This language takes out contraception--which is the best way to prevent fistula. It would be nice to imagine that all young girls in the developing world--who are especially vulnerable to fistula--would delay their first pregnancy. But that is simply not the reality that many young girls face. As such, we must include contraception in this bill when we talk about fistula. Otherwise we are-- In fact, I recently met with a physician who repairs fistulas in Nigeria. He said that Nigeria sees 20,000 new fistulas cases per year and--to use his words--``we can't only treat these cases, we have to prevent them.'' And how do we prevent them--the answer is clear. Contraception. But for millions of girls and women who in the developing world-- fistula is an all too real part of their everyday existence. I am pleased that the base bill addresses the fistula issue, by providing funding for fistula treatment. And I applaud this committee for including language on fistula. However, we need to do both prevention and treatment. Unless the incidence of fistula can be reduced through prevention activities, women and girls in the developing world will face a never-ending cycle of despair. And the backlog of women needing surgical repair will never be erased. But for many, the simplest and best answer is to make family planning available to those who want to use it. In fact, one estimate finds access to family planning--including contraception--would reduce maternal disability and death by at least 20%. To be sure, we need to address the larger social issues that contribute to the problem--girls' education, general access to healthcare, and women's economic development and empowerment are all an important part of confronting the fistula tragedy. And that must include contraception. It is as simple as life and death. It is as important as the humanity that unites all of us. If we understand fistula to be as tragic as it truly is, then the best response must include steps to prevent women and girls from ever having to face it in the first place.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for being here to offer my amendment and to take the position in support of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, my amendment deals with the July 5 declaration of the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization known as SCO, which is made up of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the People's Republic of China, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This declaration called upon the antiterrorist coalition to set a deadline for the temporary use of the infrastructure facilities of the SCO member states and for the military presence in these countries. I do not believe it is appropriate to begin to pull out of Central Asia while al Qaeda and the Taliban are still an active threat to the emerging government in Afghanistan and coalition troops seeking to root out the remaining fighters of the Taliban as well as al Qaeda. China and Russia should not be pushing policy on their smaller neighbors just because they are uncomfortable with having Western antiterrorist coalition troops in Central Asia. Terrorism is not an issue for the United States alone but for the entire world, and we must all work together to fight these sick individuals. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States has no territorial designs on the region and they should not view coalition troops as a threat. Under Secretary of Defense Douglas Feith said in an interview recently that U.S. military operations are based on circumstance, not dates, and the circumstances in Afghanistan remain dangerous. So we must not allow China and Russia to dictate the timetables on our security. Mr. Chairman, my amendment calls on the administration to open a dialogue with the appropriate members of the SCO and let them know about the importance of retaining the antiterrorist coalition troops. I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act. Chairman Hyde along with Ranking Member Lantos crafted a bipartisan bill that was strongly supported by the House International Relations Committee. I would also like to give my sincerest thanks to all the staff of the committee who have worked so hard to make sure that all the members of this committee had an opportunity to way in on the bill to make improvements that were important to us. The committee has worked with me and my staff to make sure that language was included, which expresses the Sense of Congress that the President of the United States and the Secretary of State should engage in an open dialogue with the Government of Poland to achieve a final and complete settlement for individuals and groups who had their private property seized by the Nazis during World War II or by the Communist Polish government after the war. This clause simply calls on the government of Poland to develop a final and complete settlement for private property that was seized or confiscated by the Nazis during WW II or by the Communist government of Poland after the war. The President of Poland Alexsander Kwanieski met with congressional leaders from the United States Helsinki Commission and said that he intended to draft a new law intended to provide compensation that would not discriminate based on residency or citizenship of an individual and it would be ready to take effect by the beginning of 2003. This clause calls on the President of the United States and the Secretary of State to engage in an open dialogue with the government of Poland and work with them to ensure that restitution legislation is implemented. We are now in June of 2005 and limited action has been taken to resolve this situation. These reparations need to be made immediately if they are to be of any benefit to many of the Holocaust survivors. Another initiative that was included was regarding language to create a report on what the United States is doing to assist our friend and ally Israel in their efforts to establish diplomatic relations. As I'm sure many of my colleagues in this committee are aware that a number of nations have not established full diplomatic relations with the State of Israel. Israel currently maintains diplomatic relations with 160 countries. Thirty-three countries do not have any diplomatic relations with Israel at all and one country has only limited relations. The violence that has consumed Israel, Gaza and the West Bank has only exacerbated this problem. In order for Israel to be a full member of the world community, it must establish diplomatic relations. The Israeli Embassy tells me that Israel is actively seeking to establish and upgrade their relations with several countries. This has proven difficult with many of the Islamic nations. I believe the U.S. should be doing everything possible to help Israel establish these relations and that is why I have authored this language. Another issue I worked on was the inclusion of a sense of Congress on the need for an additional Consular Post in southern India. With Bangalore and Hyderabad becoming booming high technology centers the need for the United States to have a close center to these areas is imperative. I have also worked to include an authorization of funding to two well deserving groups, Project Children and Cooperation Ireland. Many of my colleagues will be familiar with this because you have taken summer interns from this program. These two organizations have a long history of successfully developing people-to-people exchanges that encourage reconciliation and conflict resolution in Northern Ireland. For over a decade, there has been a sustained bipartisan national policy to support ongoing efforts to end the civil conflict in the north of Ireland. This policy has included the direct involvement of both President Clinton and President Bush. While the latest efforts to restore power sharing have fallen short and the political process is at a standstill, I believe that the United States must remain engaged in Northern Ireland at all levels to encourage peace and reconciliation. With the assistance of the committee, I was able to include report language supporting the Asian University for Women. The goal of this university is to prepare these women for positions of political, financial, cultural and social leadership across the globe. By convening a new class of 500 women each year in a supportive, non- sectarian, intellectually rich and rigorous academic environment, the University eventually will generate a network of women professionals who will drive the development and enrichment of their countries and the region. War is not the only way to fight terrorism, the education of women is one way of stopping the breeding of hate in the children around the world. Finally, on the issue of Iraq, I was able to include by a bipartisan vote language calling on the President to put forth a plan for success in Iraq. This clause requests a plan from this Administration on how we will be providing for a stable and secure Iraqi government, military and police force that will allow the United States presence to be diminished. By accomplishing these tasks, the United States would be taking a realistic and viable approach to longer term success in Iraq. I would like to thank the Chairman and Ranking members as well as their staffs for crafting a bill we should all be proud to support.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, July 18, 2005, I was not in Washington due to weather delays that stranded my flight and therefore I was unable to vote. If I were here, I would like the Record to reflect I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote 380, ``yes'' on rollcall vote 381, and ``yes'' on rollcall vote 382.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who will be addressing a joint session of Congress next week. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Singh at a dinner in April 2002 at the U.S. Embassy. An Oxford economist by training, Prime Minister Singh ushered in a new era of economic liberalization in India. Through slashing red tape and eliminating bureaucracy, he cut India's deficit and opened the economy, leading to India's status as a primary figure in the global economy. I have had the opportunity to visit India three times, and led 13 of my colleagues to visit India for their first time. In my own district, we boast the 2nd largest South Asian community in the country. On behalf of the merchants of Little India on 74th Street in Jackson Heights in my district, and as the former co-chair of the India Caucus, I look forward to the Prime Minister's remarks and congratulate him and the Indian American Community for the historic address.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I thank, again, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his kind words of support for this resolution as well. Mr. Speaker, on May 16, 2005, after many years of opposition, the Kuwaiti Parliament finally granted women the right to vote and to run for public office. If you and I, Mr. Speaker, had drafted this bill in the Kuwaiti legislature, I know it would have read somewhat differently. As worded, it states that ``a Kuwaiti woman, voting and running for political office, should do so while fully adhering to the dictates of Islamic Sharia.'' That suggests the possibility of limiting the application of this law. However, my Kuwaiti friends assure me that the law indeed will be applied universally to all of Kuwait's women citizens, and it is my hope that that will indeed be the case. In any case, the Kuwaiti parliament's action marks an important step on the path towards full democratization. It should also be noted that, with the enfranchising of women in Kuwait, women in every nation that holds elections now have the right to vote, except in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, there still remain nations where neither men nor women have the right to vote, a peculiar and regrettable form of gender equity. Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution. I urge my colleagues to support it as well. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CROWLEY

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

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I, again, thank my colleague and friend the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his moving words in support of this resolution sponsored by our good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and commend him for his leadership on this resolution and for his never- ending efforts to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur. Over the weekend in Khartoum, the new Unity government of Sudan was sworn in with former rebel leader John Garang serving as one of its two vice presidents. The civil war between north and southern Sudan lasted 21 years and cost millions of lives, untold suffering, and billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance. However, while the North-South agreement is a major milestone, it did not cover the conflict still raging in Darfur. Just 4 days ago, Mr. Speaker, ten Janjaweed militia on horseback, wearing masks, opened fire on internally displaced persons on their way to a humanitarian camp in Sudan. Five innocent civilians were killed, and four were injured. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago this month, the House and Senate passed a concurrent resolution that declared atrocities in Darfur a genocide. Janjaweed militia groups, directed and supported by the old regime in Khartoum, have systematically tortured, raped and murdered innocent civilians, driven over 250,000 from their homes into neighboring Chad, and internally displaced more than 2 million people. According to the United Nations, an average of 10,000 people have died each month over the past year and a half from disease and other preventable causes. In spite of growing international pressures, the government of Sudan has denied humanitarian assistance to starving civilians, harassed aid workers and thwarted attempts to bring international monitors to the situation. Mr. Speaker, because of our persistence, in March, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1593 referring the situation in Darfur to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, also known as the ICC. After conducting a worldwide investigation, the ICC says it has credible information about grave crimes against humanity committed in Darfur. Mr. Speaker, the efforts of this committee and many others have brought peace to southern Sudan, and it remains my strong hope that our continued work will help bring peace to Darfur. Piggybacking a little bit on my colleague from New Jersey's alluding to our very wonderful Chaplain, we all have to be mindful of that ladder and watch our step on each rung, and no more does that reflection need to take place than in Darfur today. Prayer, inner reflection, a moment to look at ourselves, especially in places of conflict, I think, is a good thing to do, and this resolution is a good resolution calling attention to that effort. Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution, and I thank the sponsor again.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for overseeing this important resolution that was offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde). Mr. Speaker, over the past 50 years, the North Korea Government has systematically kidnapped hundreds of innocent citizens of foreign countries. Young men and women from Japan and South Korea have been kidnapped by North Korean agents from beaches in Japan, fishing boats off the South Korean coast, and the border region of China near North Korea. Left behind have been hundreds of families desperately seeking the return of their loved ones. While a few Japanese citizens were finally allowed to return to their families in Japan in 2002, many more remain behind, along with hundreds of kidnapped citizens from South Korea. Mr. Speaker, the United States has many issues which must be negotiated with the North Koreans, from their nuclear program to human rights. We are therefore encouraged by the announcement over the weekend that the Six-Party Talks will resume at the end of July in Beijing. This resolution makes it clear that the issue of North Korean abductees must be part of any dialogue with the North Korean leadership and that our countries will never have fully normal relations until all questions surrounding the abductees have been answered. Mr. Speaker, as we meet today, there are hundreds of Japanese and South Korean families desperately seeking knowledge about long lost relatives kidnapped by North Korea. It is our duty to make every effort to reunite these families with their loved ones and to get them the information they have been seeking for decades. I strongly support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so as well. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Nadler- Shays-Crowley amendment to increase funding for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program by $10 million to $295 million. HOPWA is the only Federal housing program that specifically provides cities and States hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic with the resources to address the housing crisis facing people living with AIDS. New treatments and medications are allowing those suffering with HIV and AIDS to live longer lives, and the housing provided by HOPWA allows people to improve the quality of their lives and access life-extending care. But make no mistake about it, AIDS is still a debilitating disease and we must ensure those suffering have the assistance, both in medical care and housing, that they need. And the fact is, without adequate housing and nutrition, it is extremely difficult for individuals to benefit from the new treatments. HOPWA is one of HUD's most successful programs serving roughly 80,000 households across 39 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The HOPWA program serves as seed money as each dollar used for HOPA housing assistance is matched by a dollar of housing assistance from other government and private sources. HOPWA is a successful program that has been of great benefit to people in some of the greatest need. Please support this amendment to aid and comfort those suffering from HIV and AIDS.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the opening of the Jain Center of America in Elmhurst, New York, a part of my Congressional district. As the Congressman of the second largest concentration of Indian Americans in the United States I am proud of the 55,000 South Asians I have the privilege of representing in the U.S. Congress. This beautiful new temple was built to accommodate the currently growing population of practicing Jains in the New York area, which amounts to an estimated 1,300 people. Perhaps most importantly this new temple consists of the 2 sects and the 4 sub-sects of Jainism, a reflection of the growing diversity in the Jain community. This will be the first time in America that all the different sects of Jainism will be able to practice in one place. Jainism is one of the oldest religions originating from India. Jainism is based on the principle of ahimsa, non-violence in thought, feeling and action, an important tenet for any religion but heavily stressed in Jainism. Another foundation of Jainism is the belief in reincarnation; the goal of a Jain is to break free from the cycle of birth and re-birth and obtain enlightenment (moksha). In Jainism there are 24 teachers, thirthankeras, who teach their followers the path to moksha (nirvana). In the temple the different idols represented are those of these teachers, who are not gods because they do not create or destroy. Jains believe that the universe is just here--there is no beginning or end. Although many people know little about Jainism, I believe its tenets, especially that of non-violence, should play a significant role in today's world. All of us, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or any other religion can learn a great deal from Jainism. I commend the Jain community of New York for building this new temple and wish them the best of luck in whatever they do.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I am speaking today in strong support of the two Nobel Peace Prize candidates from Vieques, Puerto Rico. Nilda Medina Diaz and Maria Reinat Pumajero are members of the Woman's Alliance of Vieques, an organization committed to the fight against poverty, human rights violations, and international injustices that occur in over 150 countries around the world. I would like to acknowledge Nilda Medina Diaz for her successful efforts for the demilitarization of Vieques. Nilda has also co-founded the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, which later led to the ending of the weapons training and military exercises that occurred on this U.S. Marine base prior to 2003, after 60 years of military usage. She also continues to play a large role in Puerto Rico's environmental clean up effort as a member of Restoration Advisory Board of Vieques. In addition, I would also like to recognize Maria Reinat-Pumarejo. She also played a large role in the closing of Vieques as a military base. In addition, her grassroots organizing of working class women against racism and sexism has led her to co-found the Institute for Latino Empowerment. As Maria saw the need to expand her efforts across a larger base, she collaborated with the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, an organization that serves Caucasians and also people of color. In addition, Maria works closely with the East Asia- U.S.-Puerto Rico Women's Network against Militarism, in which she is both furthering her efforts to alleviate racial tensions, and uniting against a common cause in the United States and abroad. I have had the opportunity to visit the Island of Vieques twice and have seen both the damage that multiple years of bombing have done to that island and the tremendous recreation and economic possibilities that lie ahead for the people of Vieques. As the original author of the base legislation, which led to the withdrawal of the U.S. Navy presence from Vieques, I know how important the advocacy of the Puerto Rican Community in Puerto Rico, on Vieques and on the mainland of the U.S.A. and in these Halls of Congress was to achieving our successful shared goal. Ms. Diaz and Ms. Pumarejo are just two of the hundreds of committed community advocates, elected officials, and friends from throughout the world who worked hard and dedicated themselves to improving the future of Vieques and the Puerto Rican people. The women mentioned above are two of 1,000 women nominated this year for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize that have been engaged in creating better communities, alleviating poverty, and working for a common goal. Their efforts have reflected upon many of the Puerto Rican and Latino communities in my district as a source of power and hopefulness for the future. I commend these women for their Nobel Peace Prize nominations, their commitment to empowering women across borders, and for their dedication to the closing of the Vieques Marine Base.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friends, the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman Knollenberg) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Ranking Member Olver), for their commitment to helping me find a solution to this FAA funding as it pertains to soundproofing. For the record, the Lexington School is about anywhere between a quarter mile or half a mile as the crow flies from La Guardia Airport, so it is very proximate, very close; and on behalf of my constituents, I thank both gentlemen for their assistance in this.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Massachusetts for yielding to me. I want to thank the ranking member for doing that, and I rise to speak about the issue of the FAA and school soundproofing funding. I recently heard from a school in my district, the Lexington School in Queens, that was awarded Federal funding for soundproofing from the FAA, and I thank the gentleman for the time for a colloquy between himself and the ranking member and the chairman. They have completed all of the initial investigations and are finalizing the specs as mandated by the FAA, and they anticipate obtaining bids by the end of this year. The school is now awaiting their promised soundproofing funds, which are now mysteriously being held up by the FAA because the school does not have bids in this fiscal year. This certainly appears to be contradictory to the intent of Vision 100 legislation and FAA's own guidance on priorities for issuing discretionary funds which recognizes that a project is considered started if bids are received in the fiscal year or within 6 months from the end of the fiscal year. I am concerned that other schools may also be waiting for delayed funding. These soundproofing funds are vital for schools, and this money must be forthcoming. I ask the chairman and ranking member if they will work with me to look into this concern with respect to the FAA funding for soundproofing.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in strong support of the Weiner-Ferguson-Crowley-Israel Amendment on Saudi Arabia. I ask my colleagues--how long is this Congress going to continue to provide the Saudis with aid when they provide us with little to no assistance in fighting the war on terror? The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia says they are making progress, but yet everyday we see that the leading source of foreign insurgents in Iraq are coming from Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom says that they are opening up to reforms and point to the holding of partial elections for town councils as an example of this supposed opening. Surprising that no mention is made about how women are still not allowed to vote. While all these supposed reforms and actions against terrorists are going on we saw the arrests of 13 Saudi intellectuals for simply calling for Saudi Arabia to evolve into a constitutional monarchy. This country, a country with the vast reserves of the world oil supply, the same country charging my constituents $2.25 and more a gallon for gas at the pump, also receives foreign aid, to bring military officers here for training. Training officers to defend a regime which doesn't give equal rights to women, to non-Muslims, which exports terror to Iraq, and Afghanistan, and most painful of all, jacks up the price for every gallon of gas at the gas pump for Americans. Support the Weiner-Ferguson-Crowley-Israel amendment. Say no to foreign aid to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Sanders- Rohrabacher Amendment which cuts funding for the Export-Import Bank. While one may argue that this amendment will simply prohibit the Export-Import Bank from approving federal loans or loan guarantees for the construction of nuclear power plants in China, this amendment sends a bad message. This amendment is one more step in the attempts of some in the House to shut down Ex-Im completely. Now I respect the sponsors of this amendment who are true opponents of Ex-Im, but we cannot be fooled by thinking that one can vote for this language and still be a supporter of the Export-Import bank or free trade. The Export-Import Bank was created to help U.S. exporters match competition from foreign export credit agencies in Japan, Germany, France, Canada, and other countries. Ex-Im is also required by law to work toward securing international agreements to reduce government- subsidized export financing, thereby promoting a level playing field for U.S. exporters--which means jobs for Americans in America. Ex-Im finances approximately two percent of U.S. exports annually. Among Ex-Im financed exports were U.S. civilian aircraft, electronics, energy-related products, engineering services, medical equipment, vehicles, and agricultural equipment. Even the sponsors of this amendment acknowledge that the funds for this project will go towards creating jobs in the U.S. They can claim that Westinghouse is a British owned company, and thereby something that does not deserve U.S. support, but using that same argument, Chrysler Motors is now a German owned company--should we not have any dealings with Chrysler and the thousands of American workers and UAW employees employed there. Nonsense--oppose this amendment and support U.S. jobs and free and fair trade.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend for yielding me this time. I want to commend her and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) for their fine work on this balanced and bipartisan bill. Under tight budgetary restrictions, they have crafted an important bill which addresses the priorities that affect the developing world while also shoring up our global allies. I thank the chairman and ranking member for supporting priorities of mine, including the Asian University For Women that is located in Bangladesh, and increased funding for Peace and Reconciliation programs in this legislation as well. One of the groups included in the Peace and Reconciliation program is Project Children and Cooperation Ireland. Many of my colleagues have taken on interns from this program, and the young men and women from the north of Ireland have benefited greatly from these internships. As progress in the peace accord remains unsteady, we in the United States must continue to support programs that bring together the future leaders of the north of Ireland and show them their differences are not insurmountable. I hope the House conferees will work with the Senate to see that this program is funded during the conference committee. This bill also includes $34 million for the U.N. Population Fund; but as has become a norm under this administration, the restrictions on providing this important funding will not be released by this administration. The administration seems determined to hinder the health of women around the world; and while I am troubled that this detrimental policy continues, there is much good in this bill, particularly when you look at the Middle East. I strongly support the increase of $60 million to the State of Israel for a total of $2.3 billion in foreign military financing and economic aid in this bill. I believe the United States must do more, though, to combat the anti-Israeli and Western stances taken by our supposed allies like Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia still has not lived up to the test of the President's ``you are either with us or against us.'' It is time for this administration to start treating Saudi Arabia like the supporter of terrorists that they are. 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. Chairman--I want to commend my colleague Chairman Jim Kolbe and my good friend Nita Lowey for their work to craft a fair and balanced bipartisan bill. Representing one of the most diverse Congressional districts, I know how important U.S. foreign assistance is to nations around the World and I have seen the success of our assistance firsthand. Under tight budgetary restrictions they have crafted an important bill which addresses the priorities that affect the developing world while also shoring up our global allies. I was proud to work with the Chairman and Ranking Member on several initiatives that are important to my constituents and their families overseas. I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for supporting priorities of mine including the Asian University for Women that is located in Bangladesh and increased funding for the Peace and Reconciliation programs in this legislation. One of the groups included in the Peace and Reconciliation program is Project Children and Cooperation Ireland. Many of my colleagues have taken on interns from this program and the young men and woman of the north of Ireland have benefited greatly from these interns. As progress in the peace accords remains unsteady we in the States must continue to support programs that bring together the future leaders of the north of Ireland and show them that their differences are not insurmountable. I hope the House conferees will work with the Senate to see that this program is funded during the conference committee. I believe these types of programs are a step in the right direction to help solve some of the problems that we face around the world. This bill also includes $34 million for the United Nations Population Fund, but, as has become a norm under this administration, the restrictions on providing this important funding will not be released by this Administration The administration seems determined to hinder the health of women around the world. While I remain troubled that this detrimental policy continues there is much good in this bill, particularly when you look at the Middle East. I strongly support the increase of $60 million to Israel, for a total of $2.3 billion in foreign military financing and economic aid in this bill. As Prime Minister Sharon begins the courageous disengagement plan of removing Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip, this funding is more needed than ever to help Israel's security and shore up civil society programs in the Palestinian Authority. As we continue to support our friend Israel from outside threats, I believe it is time to start to rethink the way we provide aid to Egypt. In the House International Relations Committee recent markup of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act the way aid is given to Egypt was changed by our Chairman and Ranking Member. Egypt is at peace with all of its neighbors and I see no external threats against them that warrant the need for keeping military assistance constant. The real threat in Egypt is from within, the limited amount of freedom that exists for her people as the level of poverty increases is a dangerous mix. The Government of President Mubarrak has shown that it is quite quick to throw dissidents into jail, discriminate against the Catholic Minority, tolerate anti Semitism and anti Zionism in the official press, throw gay Egyptians into jail and some of my colleagues say this is ok, that the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know. The United States must do more to help end this dangerous mix before the problem creates instability. 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. I believe the United States must do more to combat the anti Israeli and Western stances taken by our supposed allies like Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has still not lived up to the test of the Presidents you are either with us or against us. It is time for this administration to start treating Saudi Arabia like the supporter of terrorists they are. 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. I also commend my colleagues for holding this Administration accountable on their lack of distribution of funds in the Millennium Challenge Account. The MCA created with great fanfare, has not lived up to the expectations set by this Administration. I will hope that during the next few months of the Conference this Administration will work with Congress to insure that the MCA reaches the potential it was created under. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.