Wm. Clay

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. With little to no evidence of past fraud, it is outrageous that my Republican colleagues are going to extraordinary lengths to suppress Democratic votes. H.R. 4844 would impose undue hardship on seniors, women, minorities, the disabled, and lower-income voters, who are all less likely to have proof of citizenship. This bill qualifies as nothing more than a 21st century poll tax, which is unconstitutional. The malicious intent of this law was recently acknowledged in Missouri when a State judge ruled it an impermissible additional qualification to vote and in violation of the State constitution. It would have disenfranchised over 170,000 voters. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that this bill is nothing more than a sham and fraudulent. In Missouri, for instance, we were not able to find any cases of vote fraud over the last 50 years. So would the proponents tell me where the fraud comes in?

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006. I believe the bill before us is a thoughtful and measured approach for establishing the Federal government's role in promoting the adoption of a national health information network. The bill before us takes the logical step of codifying the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT at HHS. This will ensure long- term stability and continuity in the establishment of policies and programs relating to network interoperability, product certification, and adoption throughout the health care stakeholder community. It will also prove beneficial to both providers and public health agencies nationwide, as vital clinical, prescribing, and laboratory information will be accessible through one integrated network. Just last week, the Institute of Medicine released its report on the number error rates involved with prescribing patient medications, and how the use of e-prescribing would contribute to reducing the number of annual errors in hospitals by 400,000 and save an estimated $3.5 billion this year alone. Utilizing health IT is not only economically beneficial, but will also prevent many costly and unnecessary patient injuries relating to drug interactions. I realize the bill before us is not a perfect one, and I agree with my friends who have stated that stronger protections for the security and privacy of personal health information are desperately needed. Let me be clear that I'm very disappointed that some thoughtful amendments offered by my Democratic colleagues on security and privacy will not be considered today. I do not believe, however, that health IT platforms used for the preservation or transmission of identifiable patient information are any more vulnerable to security breaches than modern paper-based record systems. In fact, many providers, insurers, and hospitals have already transitioned from paper based records to electronic health record systems, while taking internal steps to ensure that appropriate security and access controls are built into their IT systems and are compliant with current law. All we are doing today is taking the next step to ensure that all who choose to utilize health IT have a blueprint for system standards to ensure optimal functionality for all participants. I thank Congresswoman Johnson and Congressman Deal for their good work.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006. I believe the bill before us is a thoughtful and measured approach for establishing the Federal Government's role in promoting the adoption of a national health information network. The bill before us takes the logical step of codifying the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT at HHS. This will ensure long- term stability and continuity in the establishment of policies and programs relating to network interoperability, product certification, and adoption throughout the health care stakeholder community. It will also prove beneficial to both providers and public health agencies nationwide as vital clinical, prescribing, and laboratory information will be accessible through one integrated network. I want to thank Congresswoman Johnson and Congressman Deal for their good work.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to reject the cynical attempt to politicize a critical health care issue that offers hope to millions of Americans, embryonic stem cell research. Last year a bipartisan coalition in this House voted for hope, and we should not abandon that today. In my State almost 1 million people suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and spinal cord injuries, and I will not turn my back on them. Expanding Federal support for stem cell research is also vital to helping America maintain our leadership in medicine and the life sciences. And for minorities and lower-income Americans who suffer from higher rates of chronic diseases, embryonic stem cell research could unlock the secrets to closing the health care disparities gap. The American people support this research because they know that someone they love will be helped. We should not sacrifice that hope on the altar of partisan politics.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. As a member of the Government Reform Committee, I am pleased to join my colleague Representative Marchant in support of H.R. 4962, legislation sponsored by Representative Boehlert which names a post office in Utica, New York, after Captain George A. Wood. H.R. 4962, which was cosponsored by the entire New York delegation, was unanimously approved by the Government Reform Committee on June 29, 2006. George A. Wood, a native New Yorker, was by all accounts a stellar person. A graduate of Notre Dame Junior Senior High School in Utica, George was a high school track and football star. After high school, he graduated from Cornell University and went on to earn master's degrees from New York State University Colleges at Albany and Cortland. A history buff who was fascinated with military history, George joined the military and was assigned to B company, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas. Sadly, at age 33, Captain Wood was killed while on patrol in Baqubah, Iraq, on November 20, 2003, when his tank rolled over an improvised explosive device. Captain Wood is survived by his wife Lisa and daughter Maria. Mr. Speaker, it is always difficult to learn of a soldier's death, but I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the legacy, sacrifice and accomplishments of Captain Wood by designating the Utica post office in his name. I note that Captain Wood's father and grandfather were postal employees at the Utica facility. How fitting. Madam Speaker, I urge the swift passage of this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I urge the swift passage of this bill. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega). (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis), my colleague.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, 40 years of political turmoil forced many individuals from the Republic of El Salvador to flee the country in search of peace and security in the U.S. Currently, there are over 900,000 Salvadoran Americans living in the U.S. The majority of them have found new homes in California, New York, and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The history of the U.S. is a rich and enduring tapestry woven with the threads of many remarkable lives, cultures and events. The lives, work, and artistry of Salvadoran Americans have added strength, vitality and purpose to that tapestry. The Salvadoran-American community continues to make great economic and cultural contribution to the United States. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 721. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 721, supporting the goals and ideals of Salvadoran American Day, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, students are at a much greater risk while traveling to and from school than at any other time during their school day. During the 1997-98 school year, about 800 children from the ages of 5 through 18 were killed during normal school transportation hours, while traveling by passenger car, foot, bicycle, public transportation or school bus. Although school buses are the safest form of highway transportation, they are not fail-safe. The most dangerous part of the school bus ride is getting on and off the school bus. Fatalities that occur when students board and exit school buses account for approximately three times as many school bus- related fatalities than for fatalities that occur when the school buses are occupied. The area around the bus when the bus is loading and unloading is called the danger zone. The danger zone is comprised of the areas outside of the bus where the children are in the most danger of not being seen by the driver. It is the 10 feet in front of the bus where the driver is too high to see a child, 10-foot-long blind spots that run along both sides of the bus, and the area behind the school bus. The goal of National School Bus Safety Week is to ensure safe, efficient, economical and high-quality transportation for school children on their trips to and from school and school-related activities. This is certainly a goal we all can support, and I urge my colleagues to do so. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues, Mr. Marchant of Texas and as well as Mr. Duncan of Tennessee, and urge a favorable vote of passage of the School Bus Safety Week. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House for 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, I urge this administration to take immediate action on a plan to withdraw our troops from Iraq. The American people were misled into this war, and they want the leaders of this Nation to take responsibility and end this war now. I was among those who opposed the tragic decision to launch this war. I warned that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would plunge us into a bloody quagmire of violence that would only intensify the instability in the Middle East and leave our own Nation less secure and less able to protect our national interest. The sad truth is that all the grimmest predictions have now come true. Today, the Taliban are mounting a major comeback in Afghanistan. Iran is on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon. Somalia is dominated by an al Qaeda-inspired militia, and the Hezbollah has attacked Israel. In return, Israel has attacked Lebanon. Here at home, our Nation is at risk. As fundamental recommendations of the 9/11 Commission remain unfulfilled, those who still support the Iraq war often claim it has made this Nation a safer place, that it has kept away the terrorists and stopped another 9/11 tragedy. Unfortunately, such wishful thinking is only an effort to justify the horrendous human suffering that we have caused by this misguided mission, an effort to justify a war that was never properly planned and executed, a war that has wounded thousands and cost the lives of 2,547 American soldiers. The human toll of this war is still climbing, and throughout the world terrorism is on the rise. This administration talks a lot about national security, but without doing anything about it. Those in Congress know the war in Iraq has made America a more vulnerable Nation. Congress is appropriating millions and millions of dollars on homeland security projects. The U.S. Capitol complex is saturated with security, and certainly no one in this body behaves as if the war in Iraq has made our Nation safe from terrorism. In fact, the Iraq war has only inspired terrorism. Democracy is not flourishing in the Middle East, and the costs of the Iraq war and our global antiterrorist operations will top $500 billion next year. It is time to bring our troops home and to devote our resources to protecting the American people.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on July 1, 2006, thousands of Iranians from around the world, including the members of the Iranian American Cultural Association of Missouri, gathered in Paris to express their interest in a free Iran and their support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran. At this gathering, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi gave a speech about the need to bring freedom and democracy to the people of Iran. I would like to take this opportunity to share with my colleagues an excerpt from her inspiring address. In the name of God, in the name of Iran, in the name of freedom, fellow Iranians, dear friends: With warmest greetings to all of you who represent the freedom, dignity and the resistance of our homeland, Iran. The sound of shackles of the religious dictatorship breaking apart and the song of victory can be heard in your resolve and faith, in the uprisings of our Azeri compatriots, and in the victory of those who persevered after the events of June 17, 2003. I also send my greetings to the distinguished personalities from France and other countries that have honored us by their presence. I thank Madam Edith Cresson, the former Prime Minister of France and the honorable mayors in different cities in the province of Val d'Osie as well as the dignified deputies of various parliaments from around the world. Dear Friends: We are standing at a very extraordinary juncture of Iran's history: The turning point for a major birth and a magnificent destiny toward which we are being steered. Today, all the paths to ensure the survival of the velayat-e faqih regime have reached a dead end. Neither the deceitful spin game of reform nor the policy of appeasement bore any fruit. Propelling Ahmadinejad to power submerged the regime in its entirety in a mortal crisis. Today, the sun for the future of our nation is on the horizon. The terrorist label (against the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran) has become a source of shame for the appeasers and the June 17 dossier has discredited them further. The waves of victory and freedom rush ahead in the declaration of 5.2 million Iraqis, in the ruling by the Paris Court of Appeals and in the spate of uprisings in Iranian cities. So, with a voice louder than ever, we again say, the only option, the only correct path and the only correct answer to the Iranian problem is the establishment of democracy. We say no to war, no to appeasement, yes to the third option: which is democratic change by the Iranian people and their Resistance. We say that the great nation of Iran itself has the capability and the capacity to change its own destiny to achieve democracy. And it undoubtedly will. Accordingly, I will present the outlines of the Resistance's program for the Iran of tomorrow. This program reflects the Iranian people's historic aspirations. 1. In the future Iran the natural and inalienable human rights of every Iranian must be respected. The rights to life, freedom, and security of every citizen of the Iranian nation will be considered equal under the law regardless of their gender, race, religion, ethnic makeup, and dialect. We are committed to the ``Universal Declaration of Human Rights''. 2. In the future Iran all individual freedoms will be recognized. These include freedom of speech, clothing, marriage and divorce, employment, travel, choosing one's residency and citizenship. 3. The litmus test of the legitimacy of the country's political and legal makeup is the universal suffrage. In the future Iran the right to make key political decisions in society and the people's right to change the government will be respected and various councils will be set up in all spheres of society in order to uphold and guarantee democracy. 4. We seek a pluralistic republic, in which complete freedom of parties, associations and unions are guaranteed. 5. In the free Iran of tomorrow we will defend the abolition of the death penalty. This is our response to the ruthless killings and brutality with which the mullahs have ruled clutched on to their reign. Torture will be banned under any circumstances. There will be no room for cruel and degrading punishments under whatever pretext, including under the cloak of religion. 6. The Iranian Resistance is committed to the separation of church and state. In the Iran of tomorrow the principle of freedom of religion will be respected. The country's laws will not ban any religion. No religion will enjoy privilege over another and no citizen will be subjected to any personal or social privilege or privation in their individual or social rights because of their belief or non-belief in any religion. 7. We are committed to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. In the Iran of tommorow, men and women will enjoy equal rights in all political, social and economic sectors. Women will have equal participation in the political leadership of the country. 8. In the Iran of tomorrow all forms of sexual exploitation of women will be prevented. Polygamy will be banned. Physical, sexual and psychological violence against women will be considered a crime. 9. In the Iran of tomorrow oppression, discrimination and lawlessness concerning children and child labor will be banned. 10. The judiciary of the future Iran will be founded upon a uniform system of justice. It will be a two-tiered system based on the presumption of innocence, the right to defense, the right to seek justice, the right to be tried in open courts with the presence of the jury. In this system, their will be no discrimination on issuing judgment. The complete independence of the judges and the Bar Association will be guaranteed. 11. In the Iran of tomorrow the free market will be respected. Economic opportunity will be provided to the people equitably and all restrictions on self employment will be lifted. 12. We are determined to ensure that in the Iran of tomorrow every member of society will enjoy access to social services, including education, hygiene and athletic opportunities. Universities will be governed by independent councils elected by the faculty and students. 13. In the Iran of tomorrow the just right to autonomy of the people of Kurdistan will be recognized. We seek the eradication of dual discrimination against all ethnic minorities in Iran in the framework of the country's indivisible territorial integrity. 14. In the Iran of tomorrow, interference in the internal affairs of other countries will be banned and others will be banned from interfering in our internal affairs. We demand peace, mutual respect in international relations, good neighborliness and the establishment of diplomatic relations with all countries of the world. The Iran of tomorrow will be a non-nuclear country and devoid of weapons of mass destruction. Dear compatriots, honorable friends, What I enumerated was the synopsis of the Iranian Resistance's views and program for our nation once it is liberated from the oppression of the mullahs. To realize this program, free elections will be held for a national constituent assembly within six months of the toppling of the ruling religious dictatorship. At the end of the six-month period, the provisional government will step down and the people's elected constituent assembly will begin work to appoint the new government and draft the new constitution. Three years ago, when the French police launched an unprecedented raid against the office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, freedom was again at stake. From the onset, it was obvious that the raid was the outcome of a deal with the theocracy ruling Iran. In truth, the Resistance of a victimized nation was being suppressed. Fortunately, in the past three years, this Resistance's perseverance overcame the June 17 conspiracy. Two weeks ago, on the anniversary of the June 17, 2003 raid, the Paris Court of Appeals revoked the oppressive and unwarranted restrictions against members and officials of the resistance. This ruling clearly testifies to the innocence of this resistance and the hollow nature of the June 17 dossier and the accusations of cult and terrorism that go with it. Dear Friends, Today, there is only one way to thwart this threat. The West must reverse course and respect the will of the Iranian people to establish democracy. Any step in other directions, any delay in this respect will benefit the regime. The Resistance is the solution not only for establishing democracy in Iran but also for peace and security in the entire world. The solution to the nuclear crisis and to thwart the danger of a war is democratic change in Iran. Indeed, by relying on its beloved nation, this Resistance holds the key to the Iranian equation. The mullahs are trying to give the impression that opposition to war means supporting their regime. Thus, any opposition to war is only justified when accompanied by opposition to religious fascism. Opposition to war is effective only when it is accompanied by supporting the Iranian people's Resistance for freedom. On behalf of the Iranian people's Resistance, I want to remind the Western countries to learn of the catastrophic experience of giving concessions to the religious One day, the late Dr. Mossadeq in his trip to the United States told President Harry Truman, I have not come to ask for anything. I have come to ask you to remain neutral in the dispute over oil. Today, we are not asking you for anything, neither money, nor weapons. But we demand that you remain neutral in the struggle the Iranian nation is waging to attain freedom and democracy. We are demanding that you remove the MEK from the terrorist list and recognize the right of the Iranian people to resist dictatorship. The declaration by 5.2 million Iraqis who demanded the eviction of the clerical regime from Iraq and the recognition of the status of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran is a brilliant achievement by this front. This declaration is a great victory and breakthrough which presents Iraq and the rest of the world with the correct path to democracy, security and independence of Iraq, by rejecting the Iranian regime's meddling which has targeted Iraq's survival and democracy. The fact that some 5.2 million Iraqis above the age of 18 declared that ``the terrorist allegation against the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran has no legitimacy or credibility and must not be taken as a criterion for dealing with the MEK,'' demonstrates first and foremost that the near unanimous majority of Iranians have rejected this label. Fortunately, Iraqis invited the United Nations, international organizations and the International Committee of Lawyers to study and examine the signed documents of their historic declaration. We urged those organizations and especially the United Nations Security Council to accept the invitation. For this reason, we have said time and again that we will accept free elections under the auspices of the United Nations and based on popular sovereignty and not the velayat-e faqih and will accept a referendum. At the same time, however, we said that a viper would never give birth to a dove. One should not expect anything other than killings and repression from the ruling theocracy. Twenty-seven years of crime and suppression are enough. It is now time for freedom and the people's sovereignty. Our salutes to Ashraf and its great commander Mojgan Parsai, and to MEK's Secretary General and her proud colleagues, my beloved brothers and sisters in Ashraf City, who in the past three years on stepped up their steadfastness as they confronted an assortment of difficulties, bombings, the denial of their water, electricity, medicine and supplies, the massacre of Iraqi workers of Ashraf City and intelligence, terrorist conspiracies and kidnappings. The Iranian people and Iran's brave women and men who are resolved in the struggle for freedom hold the key to our nation's freedom. It is the Iranian people and Resistance who endeavor for change, bring about change and build the future. It is the Iranian people and their Resistance who will overthrow the evil of fundamentalism. Iran will become the land of democracy and human rights. The Iranian nation will triumph and will be free. May God bless you all.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the reauthorization of one of the most critical pieces of legislation that this House has ever produced, the Voting Rights Act. Today we have heard firsthand accounts of how this act changed America, and recent research confirms that the Voting Rights Act is as essential today as it was in 1965. The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law concluded that there is still a shocking continuing reality of racial discrimination in voting that is pervasive, and these problems are nationwide. Their three key findings were especially disturbing. First, records from the U.S. Department of Justice confirm that the actual number of documented complaints to Federal officials have increased between 1982 and 2004. Second, polling places and voting hours in minority neighborhoods were routinely changed shortly before elections. And finally, election officials were found to have illegally purged voters from registration lists and to have refused to translate election materials. Mr. Speaker, it is time that people in power stop playing with that basic essential right to vote in this country.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the out of Iraq Caucus I rise in opposition to this resolution. We would not even be debating this bill if the American people were not disillusioned by this war and did not want to bring our troops home. I was among those who opposed the tragic decision to launch this war. I warned that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would plunge us into a bloody quagmire of violence that would only intensify the instability in the Middle East and leave this nation less secure and less able to protect our own national interests. The sad truth is that all the grimmest predictions have now come true and today-- The Taliban are mounting a major comeback in Afghanistan; Iran is on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon; Somalia is dominated by an al Queda-inspired militia; And, here at home, our Nation is at risk. The fundamental recommendations of the 911 Commission are still waiting. Those who still support the Iraq war often claim it has made this Nation a safer place. That it has kept away the terrorists and stopped another 911 tragedy. Unfortunately, such wishful thinking is only a way to justify the horrendous human suffering that we have caused by our misguided mission, an effort to justify a war that was never properly planned and executed and that has wounded thousands and cost the lives of two thousand five hundred American soldiers. The toll of this war is still climbing and throughout the world terrorism is on the rise. The administration talks a lot about National security but those in Congress knows the war in Iraq has not made America a safer nation. We are appropriating millions and millions of dollars, at a time of skyrocketing Federal deficits, to fortify security in the U.S. Capitol Complex and at all other Federal facilities across this Nation. If Members of Congress believed this Nation is safer than it was before we captured Saddam Hussein, then why would we allow a single lost airplane to trigger the evacuation of the U.S. Capitol? Why does a single suspicious noise cause the lock down of the house office buildings? And just yesterday, why did the leadership of Congress upgrade our supplies of escape hoods? No one in the leadership of Congress is behaving like we have diminished the terrorist threat. We know the war has made U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. Our National security is still in danger. Democracy is not flourishing in the Middle East. It is time to bring our troops home and to devote our resources to our own national security. I commend my courageous colleague, Mr. Murtha who has displayed tremendous patriotism on the battlefield, and in this chamber. I support his call to implement a strategic redeployment from Iraq and implore the Members of this body to have the good sense to listen to the people of this Nation and to support the call to redeploy our U.S. troops in Iraq.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 626 introduced by my distinguished colleague from Missouri. This resolution will recognize the efforts and achievements of the 2005 National League Most Valuable Player, the legendary St. Louis Cardinals infielder, Albert Pujols. The professional career and life pursuits of Albert Pujols exemplify nothing short of perseverance, skill, and integrity. His statistics for the first 5 years of his career rank amongst the best in baseball history with a .332 career batting average, 201 home runs and 621 RBI's. Pujols is distinguished as being the only player to have a batting average higher than .300--and to have hit over 30 home runs-- and to have driven in over 100 runs in each of his first 5 seasons. He was recipient of the 2001 Rookie of the Year Award for the National League, 2003 National League batting champion, and the Most Valuable Player of the 2004 National League Championship Series. Pujols throughout his athletic career has demonstrated the highest level of sportsmanship and showmanship--earning him the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 National League Championship Series. In an exceptional 2005 campaign Pujols established career highs in walks and stolen bases. With 41 home runs and 16 stolen bases, he became just the second Cardinal to finish with at least 40 home runs and 15 stolen bases in a single season, after Rogers Hornsby in 1922. Pujols finished second in the National League with a .330 batting average--hitting his 200th career homer along with a grand slam. Additionally, but not understated, Pujols finished with 117 RBI's, 97 walks, and a career low 38 doubles caused by nagging injuries. Cardinals' fans were given even more ammunition to celebrate in 2005, because Albert Pujols' Most Valuable Player recognition marks the first time that the Cardinals have had both a Most Valuable Player and Cy Young award winner-pitcher, Chris Carpenter in the same year. Pujols' characteristics and accomplishments are not limited to his accolades on the field. Off the field Pujols and his wife, Deidre, have three children: Isabella, A.J. Alberto Jr., and their newest addition Sophia. Both Pujols and his wife are generous and active supporters of community issues and in 2005 established the Pujols Family Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to the ``love, care and development of people with Down Syndrome and also reaches out to impoverished families in the Dominican Republic.'' Recently Pujols became the third fastest player in major league history to reach 25 home runs in a season and was on pace to hit a record breaking 82 home runs--before an oblique injury--which would have surpassed the single-season home run record of 73 home runs held by Barry Bonds. Albert Pujols has become a role model and an inspiration to his fans, and others, through his many outstanding achievements. I congratulate him on his 2005 successes both on and off the field, and we all wish him a speedy recovery and a quick return from his present injuries. He is truly a modem American hero and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American--world-renowned dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, social activist, and museum founder, Katherine Mary Dunham. Called ``Miss Dunham'' by many, she dedicated her life to celebrating the vibrant African-Caribbean roots and influences on dance and helped shine the light of the world on the unique dance forms and rituals of the African Diaspora. A pioneer and founder of the anthropological dance movement, Miss Dunham created the Dunham Technique and showed the world that African American heritage is rich and beautiful. Upon her death on Sunday, May 21, 2006, Miss Dunham had lived a vibrant, creative, and revolutionary 96 years. While she may have died in her New York City apartment, her heart longed for a return to the Midwest where she had established the Katherine Dunham Museum and Children's School in East St. Louis, IL, and where she cultivated generations of dancers, musicians and other artists throughout the region. Her ties to St. Louis, MO, and East St. Louis, IL, began in earnest in 1967 when she joined the faculty of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Thus began a legacy that continues to this day; which includes the Katherine Dunham Center, the Katherine Dunham Dynamic Museum and creation of a dance anthropology program. Later, the college would rename its East St. Louis Center the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities and name its communications arts building after Miss Dunham. Born in Chicago, IL in 1909, Miss Dunham studied dance in her early teens and would later become one of the first African Americans to attend the University of Chicago where she earned her bachelor, masters and doctoral degrees in social anthropology. Using a Rosenwald Fellowship, she traveled and completed groundbreaking work on Caribbean and Brazilian dance anthropology as a new academic discipline. Later, she was hired as dance director for Chicago's Federal Theatre Project. In 1931 Miss Dunham established her first dance school in Chicago, called the Negro Dance Group. By 1934 her dance career included both American and European theater in musicals, operas and cabarets throughout the world. She danced on Broadway and with Les Ballet Negre, the first black ballet company in the United States. Her film career included ``Stormy Weather'' and ``Cabin in the Sky,'' which she co-choreographed with George Balanchine. In New York she founded the Katherine Dunham School of Arts and Research dance school and a touring company--The Katherine Dunham Troupe. From the late 1930s through the 1940s the dance troupe won critical acclaim while performing in more than 100 original works choreographed by Miss Dunham. Her specific style for teaching dance is still used throughout the world. Miss Dunham bravely used her fame to call public attention to social injustices both at home and abroad. During World War II, she successfully filed lawsuits against hotels that practiced racial discrimination. In her later years, a 47-day hunger strike by the 82- year-old Miss Dunham in 1993 helped focus attention on the plight of Haiti. Miss Dunham's intellectual, artistic and humanitarian contributions have earned her at least 10 honorary doctorate degrees, along with many coveted awards, including the Presidential Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, French Legion of Honor, Southern Cross of Brazil, Grand Cross of Haiti, NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, Lincoln Academy Laureate, the Urban Leagues' Lifetime Achievement Award, the Women's International Center's Living Legacy Award and the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Miss Dunham recounted her life and artistic experiences in eight books, including her autobiography ``A Touch of Innocence.'' Her ground-breaking work in every aspect of dance, theater, music and education has been immortalized in the Library of Congress, where a collection of at least 1,694 items in a variety of video/motion picture formats has been preserved as part of the Katherine Dunham Collection. Mr. Speaker, I urge members of Congress to join me in honoring the life of Katherine Dunham. Through dance, science and artistic expression, Miss Dunham worked tirelessly, encouraging all humanity to abandon the depths of despair in their lives and to drink robustly from the well of hope--through art.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Edna Edwards Pritchett on the occasion of her 90th birthday which will be celebrated on April 28, 2006. Edna Pritchett has been a pillar in our community. She has lived her entire life in the First Congressional District of the Great State of Missouri. She is a 1934 graduate of the historic Sumner High School and was the second of three generations of her family to attend that landmark institution. During her outstanding career spanning 42 years, Mrs. Pritchett has served with distinction with the American Cancer Society and the Homer G. Phillips Hospital--another landmark institution in my congressional district. She also worked in several capacities with the St. Louis Board of Education. In 1969, Mrs. Pritchett joined the Monsanto Company and retired from its International Division in 1979. But, her service to our community did not end at that point. She continued to be a conscientious citizen and a neighborhood beacon--serving in a number of capacities including Neighborhood Watch and First Night Programs which she continues to this very day. Through the years, Mrs. Pritchett has given the full measure of her abilities, dedicated services and wise counsel to the St. Louis community. She gave tirelessly of her time as a Girl Scout Troup Leader at the All Saints Episcopal Church and later as a poll worker with the St. Louis County Board of Elections. She also volunteered with the University City Public Schools as a reading advocate for children and with other educational programs throughout the school district. Edna Pritchett was the devoted wife for 43 years to Raymond W. Pritchett until his passing in 1985. She has been a dedicated homemaker, a loving, nurturing and caring mother to her four children, Mattelyn, Edna Jean, Harriet and Raymond, as well as a trusted confidant and friend to her late sister, Regina Edwards. Her shining personality and indomitable spirit has brought warmth and cheer to her family and into the lives of all who have had the opportunity to know her. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent such a respected and beloved constituent. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the great humanity and lifetime achievements of Mrs. Edna Edwards Pritchett and extend my very best wishes to her as she celebrates this great milestone with her family and friends.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday February 15, 2006, a briefing was conducted in the Canon Caucus room of the U.S. House of Representatives. Entitled: Iran: Threats, Challenges and Prospects For Change, the briefing was sponsored by bipartisan group of Members of Congress. During this event speakers assessed the current situation in Iran, the Iranian nuclear threat and the status of the Iranian opposition group, the MEK. I would like to take this opportunity to share with all of my colleagues my opening statement and some of the highlights from the remarks of the panelists: I would like to begin by thanking all of the Iranian Americans who have traveled to Capitol Hill today to hear the views of our expert panelists. I also want to thank my fellow members of Congress who are here with us in support of this event. Let me start by recognizing Tom Tancredo of Colorado, thank you for being here, and also Congressman Boozman of Arkansas. Can we give them both a hand for their participation [applause]. I also want to thank our distinguished panelists for taking the time to share their insights and understanding of current events in Iran. It is critically important that all Americans understand the true nature of the grave threat posed by the radical extremists, anti American regime in Tehran. We're facing a very dangerous crisis with Iran today. The Iranian government is sponsoring terrorism, developing nuclear weapons, meddling in the future of Iraq and violating the fundamental human rights of their own people. The world community cannot afford to allow the Iranian mullahs to continue to be a regional threat or to grow into a nuclear threat. For too many years we have done nothing to help the Iranian people--inside and outside of Iran--in their struggle for democracy. For too many years we have tolerated terrorism and violence from Iranian extremists. It is time to take action. If we fail to take action against the mullahs meddling in Iraq we risk the future of the Iraqi people and we may find that the Iranian regime and not the Iraqi people were the real winners of the Iraq war. U.S. policies toward Iran have failed to achieve our goals. While many advocate more dialogue with Tehran our time is running short. We must seize the opportunity to aid the people of Iran and it is time to give support to the Iranian people who have longed for democracy for more than a quarter of a century. I am troubled by the strategy of our government and the insistence that the Iranian government and the Iranian opposition, the MEK are equal threats to peace and freedom. There is no logic in this reasoning and it is undermining our foreign policies. The U.S. must exercise a genuine commitment to helping the Iranian people overcome the oppressive regime that despises democratic principles and denies fundamental human rights. I commend all who are working today for the sake of human rights, peace and democracy in the Middle East. I share your vision of a free and peaceful Iranian nation. The first panelist to address the briefing was Professor Raymond Tanter the former member of the National Security Agency and the President of Iran Policy Committee. His statement began: Please allow me to cut to the chase and begin with my conclusions: Coercive diplomacy, military action, and regime change for Iran are three options for the international community. Rather than sliding into military action as coercive diplomacy also fails, it is time to consider regime change for Iran. Because the only possibility to carry out regime change is via the groups feared by the regime in Tehran, the United States should remove their terrorist designation. Coercive diplomacy combines threat of force with promise of diplomacy. For several years, the European Union pursued a policy of promise without threat, ostensibly in order to bolster the fortunes of moderates like former President Mohammad Khatami relative to the likes of the Supreme Leader and President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rather than reinforcing the moderates, however, there has been a consolidation of power under the Supreme Leader and his selected President Ahmadinejad. Professor Tanter went on to say: President Bush should issue a Finding or Presidential Directive authorizing all appropriate measures to effect regime change in Iran The next panelist to address the conference was Ms. Lynn Derbyshire who is a representative of victims of terrorism in Beirut She recently testified in the U.S. Congress against the Mullah's regime support of terrorism. She started her remarks with the story of her brother who was killed in Beirut by the Iranian regime. Ms. Derbyshire then explained that placing the Iranian Resistance in the terrorist list was a present to the clerical regime in Iran. She said: ``Ahmadinejad, not Iranian Resistance, is a terrorist.'' She continued on saying that ``Iranian and American people basically want the same thing. They all want to put a stop on terrorism.'' Lt. General Tom McInerney (USAF, ret.), former Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and an IPC Co-Chair, also addressed the briefing. He examined the military option toward Iran: and said: The United States has the ability to target the known nuclear sites of Iran and delay its nuclear weapons program. With such capability in hand and in the context of failing diplomacy, we should leave the military option on the table. General McInerney added: However, military alternatives have risks, which suggest that choosing the military option should be a last resort. Prior to taking military action, it is important to begin a regime change clock. McInerney concluded: Regime change begins when the Great Powers remove Iranian opposition groups from so-called terrorist lists. I favor removing of the Mujahedeen-e Khalq from such lists; empowering the Iranian people by recognizing their main opposition groups; building an Arab political coalition to support these opposition groups; and eroding the legitimacy of Tehran regime to point where it collapses in face of determined efforts of the Iranian people working through dissidents and exiles. The next speaker to address the briefing was Mr. Bruce McColm, President, Institute for Democratic Strategies, a non-profit organization committed to strengthening democratic processes abroad. In his remarks he asked: Can we imagine one day saying that Iran is an island of democratic stability in a turbulent region? We can if we help the Iranian people stand up and demand a greater say in their government and in their own lives. He continued: Since the days of the Iranian Revolution, we in the West have viewed the Iranian people as victims of a repressive regime. Some thought the period of the Khatami Presidency could usher in much-needed reforms, a little more respect for basic human rights, and possibly the day when a democracy could be established and the Iranian people could take their rightful place in the world community. The election--I mean, selection--of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President should dispel this illusion once and for all. He stated: Now is the time when we should stop looking at Iranians as victims and use our considerable resources to empower this talented civilization so it can create the free, prosperous society their considerable talents are capable of. McColm also said: If we are serious about regime change in Iran, what can be done? He talked about the bills passed in the Congress that are necessary first steps to send the proper signal to Tehran that there is a new day dawning and their day is ending. He explained: Attempts by the United States and the European Union to placate the leadership of Iran by placing the MEK on the proscribed list of terrorist organizations should end. It is way past time to take back lran's lone diplomatic victory over the past fifteen years. De-List the MEK and the NCRI now. It is the right thing to do. He also said: Before his recent execution, MEK activist, 30-year old Hojjat Zamani wrote Kofi Annan a letter to encourage the United Nations investigation of the status of the families of political prisoners in Iran. He was too aware that the Iranian regime has been adroit in blackmailing families of those involved in activities considered contrary to the regime. This practice continues to this day. The international community should create a fund in Zamani's name to subsidize the families of political prisoners so as to alleviate their financial suffering. The last speaker was Mr. Nasser Rashidi who showed a picture of the Mojahedin member, Hojjat Zamani and announced his execution by the Iranian regime which took place on February 7th. He highly praised all the political prisoners and said that the people of Iran are determined to bring freedom and democracy back to their homeland no matter what price they have to pay. Mr. Rashidi said that the people of Iran have already sacrificed 120,000 of their best children who have been executed to bring freedom to their country and they will pay even more. He continued as saying: It is a mistake to believe that only one individual in the ruling elite is aiming to wipe another country off the map. The colossal mistake is to name the enemy as the individual called Ahmadinejad and not the ideology. The rulers of Iran are representing an ideology that is called ``Islamic Fundamentalism'', or sometimes is called ``Islamic Extremism.'' He said that many members of both chambers have expressed their opposition to the designation of MEK as an FTO. He thanked the many congressional advisors and staff present at the meeting for supporting the Iranian people and their resistance. He then pointed out the latest news conference held by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi in Auver-sur-Oise, France where she said: If the West stops giving concessions to the mullahs, petro- dollars do not fill the mullahs' coffers, silence and inaction vis-a-vis the systematic human rights abuses and terrorist crimes are ended, and the terrorist list as well as other unjust restrictions on the Resistance are removed, change would be within reach. At the conclusion of the three hour briefing reporters interviewed the panelists about the Iranian threat.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I want to take a moment to thank the Chairman Pombo and Chairman Saxton and Ranking Members Rahall and Christensen for their willingness to support and their generous help of their staffers who have worked hard to bring the St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum bill to the floor today. H.R. 452, which I sponsored along with Representatives Skelton and Carnahan, will authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the feasibility of including the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum in St. Louis among the National Park Service's inventory of Federal monuments. At a time when our soldiers are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American people feel a very special connection to our military forces, and the citizens of our Nation have a very real need to visit shrines that honor our Nation's veterans. The St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum is a treasured monument to our Nation's veterans. I believe this landmark is truly one of the most outstanding memorials ever built in tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives in service to our Nation. The St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial was initiated by residents of St. Louis in the 1920s to honor the brave Americans who lost their lives in World War I. After several years of fundraising for land acquisition and construction, the monument was dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on October 14, 1936, and officially opened to the public on Memorial Day, 1938. The Soldiers' Memorial was a unique place in our Nation's history as it is the only structure in St. Louis that is known to have been dedicated by a sitting U.S. President. The Soldiers' Monument is a national treasure and an architectural masterpiece. Designed by one of the 20th Century's foremost art deco sculptors, Mr. Walker Hancock, its entrance is flanked by four limestone sculptures which symbolize the most important virtues in a soldier's life: courage, loyalty, sacrifice and vision, while its ceiling displays a mosaic tile in the shape of a large gold star that is dedicated to our Nation's Gold Star Mothers. The Soldiers' Memorial is an important cultural resource and gathering place. It attracts nearly 48,000 visitors each year and provides the setting for more than 20 ceremonies annually, including changing of command and retirement ceremonies and many patriotic events hosted by veterans groups. It is the center of an annual Veterans Day Parade and Observance, which is the largest of its kind in the Midwest, drawing participants from several surrounding States and presenting more than 100 marching units. In recent years, the memorial has received support and contributions from active military personnel and veterans to help the city of St. Louis maintain this cherished structure. At this time in our history, we are engaged in a war against terrorism. The people of our Nation are mourning more than 2,000 American service men and women who have given their lives in the Iraq War. The American people are anxious to pay tribute to the Nation's veterans, and they should have national shrines to commemorate their friends and family members who have lost their lives for our Nation. It is time for the Federal Government to consider acquiring the St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum in its inventory of national monuments. I believe that a study of this monument would show that it is an historically important structure with a national significance. H.R. 452 is strongly supported by veterans groups and other civic organizations. I hope the Members of this body will endorse this important effort to help create a Federal monument to honor our Nation's veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Malik Ahmed, the founder and chief executive officer of Better Family Life, Inc., a holistic cultural and community development corporation he founded in February 1983. He has pioneered the concept of synthesizing and blending the imperatives of African-American culture with the complexities of community and economic development. Better Family Life is dedicated to the prosperity and growth of the African-American family, as well as the preservation of culture, consciousness and community. Organized out of a need to find internal solutions to the crises within the African-American family, the organization's mission is to plan and establish social, cultural, artistic, youth, economic, housing and educational programs that help to promote positive and innovative changes within the metropolitan St. Louis and East St. Louis communities. Under his leadership Better Family Life, Inc. has grown to include a full-time professional staff of more than 70, with 30 percent of the staff having advanced degrees. Recently, the organization purchased the former Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School at 5415 Page Boulevard, in St. Louis, MO. When the $4 million renovation is completed, the three- story facility will be home to the Better Family Life Cultural Center & Museum, housing corporate offices and four--job training--community programs: Project RESPECT--job training--Neighbor-to-Neighbor Housing Counseling & Asset Building, Youth Passport to the Future and Cultural Arts. Other Better Family Life programs include the annual Kwanzaa Expo and the Unity Ball extravaganza. The 20th annual Unity Ball has grown to include approximately 1,500 attendees and honors numerous community leaders, elders, youth, movers and shakers at all levels. Recently, in response to this country's worst disaster on record, Better Family Life, along with the Millions More Movement, spearheaded a relief drive for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, sending an 18-wheel tractor- trailer filled with donations from the St. Louis community to Hattiesburg, MS. Prior to founding Better Family Life, Mr. Ahmed was a registered representative with the prestigious financial planning firm, The Moneta Group. An avid collector of fine art and literature, he is president of B4 Positive Products and Marketing, a business he founded in 1989 to network, market and distribute books and African artifacts. Mr. Ahmed has traveled extensively throughout the United States and abroad. He speaks fluent French. As a Peace Corps volunteer, he worked for 3 years as an urban planner in the West African country of Mali, where he successfully developed a cost-effective sanitation program for the capital city of Bamako. Mr. Ahmed holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in public administration/policy analysis. He is the recipient of many community service awards and serves on various boards. He is married to DeBorah and they have one son, Shabazz. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognized Mr. Malik Ahmed before the United States House of Representatives for his tireless dedication to the development of culture, community and self-improvement among minorities in St. Louis.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn this fiscally irresponsible and morally offensive budget proposal which violates every principle of responsible government. This budget reconciliation bill, as presented by the majority leadership, is a pathetic attempt to disguise their real intentions to pass another bloated windfall for the wealthiest Americans at the expense of millions who are already suffering great hardships. It is shameful that the same leaders who spend much of their time talking about morality and family values would attempt to finance another tax cut for millionaires by cutting food stamps for the hungry and slashing $12 billion from Medicaid. At the State level, hundreds of thousands of hard-working Americans are already losing their Medicaid benefits. In Missouri alone, in my State, the Republican legislature and governor have managed to knock 90,000 Medicaid recipients off of the rolls and another 30,000- something children off of CHIPs. We are pushing these people into the army of the uninsured, which now numbers more than 45 million in this country. On top of this travesty, the majority leadership is trying to reward big oil and big gas companies with a get-into-ANWR-free card as part of the budget reconciliation. These same companies made $27 billion in profits during the last 90 days, and they still want more? I appeal to my Republican colleagues to rediscover their humanity and to return to fiscal sanity. The courageous communities along the gulf coast who survived the hurricanes and people of goodwill across this country are counting on Congress to do the right thing. The very last thing we should do is to punch more holes in a safety net that is already badly damaged. Mr. Speaker, poverty and food insecurity in the United States are on the rise and Hurricane Katrina just made things worse. The number of Americans in poverty is rising steadily, from 32 million in 2000 to 37 million in 2004. More than one in six U.S. children lives in poverty. Food insecurity in the United States increased in 2004 for the fifth straight year, affecting 38.2 million people or 11.9 percent of our households. Children fared even worse; 19 percent of them were food insecure in 2004, meaning their families did not have enough money to provide sufficient food. The combination of stagnant wages and sharply rising costs for essentials such as health care and energy has forced more struggling families to skimp on food in order to pay their bills. This year, Hurricane Katrina left hundreds of thousands of families with no homes and no jobs. This reconciliation bill cuts $7 billion from programs serving working families and vulnerable individuals. Over 5 years, the House bill cuts child support by $4.9 billion; cuts food stamps by $844 million; cuts foster care assistance by $577 million; and cuts Supplemental Security Income to the elderly and disabled by $732 million. These cuts are likely to generate more poverty and economic insecurity among families and individuals struggling to get by. We must defeat this resolution and then renew our bipartisan commitment to restoring balance, fairness and common sense to the budget process. Mr. Speaker, I thank you.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Mr. Brother Deloch, a constituent of mine and well-beloved and respected husband of 75 years, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle. I was saddened to recently learn of his passing on Friday evening, October 14, at the age of 97. Mr. Deloch was born January 20, 1908 in Macon, Mississippi to the late Mr. Israel and Mrs. Cora (Grey) Deloch. After the death of his father, Brother Deloch, along with his mother and siblings, moved to Kinloch, Missouri. During the late 1920's Brother Deloch met Emma Lou Dailey and on January 22, 1930 they were joined in holy matrimony. He remained faithfully married his whole life; Brother and Emma Lou had nine children together. Brother and Emma Lou were together as husband and wife for 75 years, Mr. Speaker. Soon after getting married and making it through the great depression, Brother Deloch worked for several years installing and repairing motors as an employee of the French, Gerleman Electric Company. From there, he became a clerk for the Missouri Kansas Texas (MKT, Katy) Railroad Company and later for the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. He retired in 1973 and moved to Mulberry Grove, Illinois where he played a vital role in developing the infrastructure of the Royal Lakes Sub-Division. A little over a decade and a half later he returned to St. Louis where he served the pastor and the church family of Bostick Temple Church of God in Christ. He also worked in the Church Pantry and kept up his active and faithful service to the church and his community until his health began to fail earlier this year. Brother Deloch leaves behind Emma Lou, his lovely wife of 75 years, four sons and three daughters: Marvell Aaron; Mozell Jr; Frederick Douglas; Walter James; Anetta Bernice Carter; and Annabelle Ireland of Flint, Michigan, and Anita Louise Hyshaw of St. Louis. He also leaves behind fourteen marvelous grandchildren, and twenty-four wonderful great grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I ask those assembled here today to pay tribute to Brother Deloch and celebrate his long life, his faithful and loving marriage of seven and half decades, and the family and friends who remember him with great affection.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, this is to register my support for the legislation, H.R. 3764, to establish an independent commission to study the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Katrina. The disaster brought by Hurricane Katrina is indisputable. The failure of government agencies and elected officials to effectively minimize the suffering and death of the victims in the Gulf Coast is indefensible. History will record the Katrina disaster as a turning point in this nation's history. When the waters rose and the levees burst, the world watched as thousands of sick and elderly Americans, thousands of poor families with young children cried out for food and water. American citizens who trusted the advice of the government were abandoned in an evacuated city without food or water, without plumbing, without law enforcement, without transportation and without hope. The pictures we saw were nothing short of unbelievable. Mr. Speaker, in September 2005 the image of America was forever changed in the eyes of the entire world. As a nation we can no longer pretend that all Americans have the opportunity to share in the wealth of this great nation. The winds of Katrina exposed the truth to all Americans and to all the world. The very least this body must now do is to abandon the partisanship that has stifled public policy making for too many years. We are elected officials and our first responsibility is to represent the people--not to represent political parties. There should be no disagreement that whatever government did or did not do in response to Hurricane Katrina, we did not do our best. The mission failed. And it was not the failure of one person or the failure of one government agency or the failure of any political party--it was a collective failure. Now we must come together to do everything humanly possible to make certain that this never, ever happens again. Mr. Speaker, we must establish an Independent Katrina Commission to assess the federal government's response to this hurricane and to determine what we must do to effectively respond to future large-scale catastrophes. The people of this nation expect nothing less. It would be stupid and it would be senseless for this body to even consider doing otherwise. I implore my colleagues to remember the thousands of American citizens whose trust in our government was destroyed when their livelihoods were lost, their homes were washed away and the poor and the sick were left all alone to die. It will take a generation or more for most of the victims and their families to mend; this Congress must do everything possible to support them. The recovery of our nation is at stake. We must work to ensure that Katrina remains the single greatest natural disaster in our history. We need an Independent Katrina Commission to restore faith in this government and to ensure that we never again experience a preventable disaster.