Russ Carnahan

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, on Monday, March 8, 2010, the world will mark the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action--the most comprehensive global policy framework to achieve the goals of gender equality, development and peace. While we reflect on this milestone and celebrate the advancements of women thus far, we also need to pause and take stock of what more can be achieved. To fully live up to the goals of equality, development and peace it is imperative that we continue to promote opportunities for women to directly shape these policies by being involved in politics at all levels, and in all countries. Without this perspective, equality is no more than a hollow word. The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy states that true democracy cannot be achieved unless there is a genuine, equal and complementary partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society. Even we in the United States, where there are only about 15 percent of women in legislative positions and only 33 percent in ministerial positions, have a long way to go to fulfill this principle. It is important that lawmakers, both here and abroad, advocate for policies that empower women. In many countries that I've traveled to, I have seen firsthand the need for support from governments, international bodies, NGO's, and local communities. It is especially important that we educate young women and girls from an early age in order to give them as many opportunities later in life. Just this last Congress the United States joined the list of countries that have shattered the glass ceiling of female leadership in parliament, with the appointment of Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives. We have yet to elect a female President--although we will surely see that day soon. However, the leadership and courage of strong women in the United States who have broken down tough barriers continues to inspire many around the world. These women have demonstrated remarkable accomplishment our nation, and women across the globe can be proud of. They are a testament to the power of women everywhere. Likewise we look to groundbreaking female leaders in other countries and praise their confidence and ability in forging the path for others to dare to fill their shoes and even go beyond. One of the best examples of this, is Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She inspired many when she addressed a Joint Session of Congress. The challenges faced by peoples everywhere are faced with the help of strong women. And today many women still face challenges fully acceding to all of the positions and roles formerly reserved for men. The impact and involvement of women is critical in reducing poverty, improving education and health care, reducing the violence against them, enhancing human rights on the whole, and even recovering from the brunt of the global economic crisis. We celebrate these advancements, but continue to pursue and address the various challenges and inequalities women face day to day. I would like to thank the Inter-Parliamentary Union for its great work on this front and for calling this gathering today, in the spirit of cooperation and progress toward achieving the goals of equality, peace and development.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of an individual I was just beginning to get to know last year during the height of the intense debate over health insurance reform--Melanie Shouse. It is with sadness that I inform you that we have lost Melanie earlier this month entirely too soon. Melanie was diagnosed with breast cancer years ago and was unable to afford a doctor. After being diagnosed she became one of the St. Louis area's strongest advocates for health care reform, but sadly wasn't able to see her hard work come to fruition. Last year, she was kind enough to share her story with those for and against health insurance reform at one of my town hall meetings. Melanie handled herself with great poise and distinction as she had throughout her time advocating for reform and I could not thank her enough. She so successfully made the case for reform. Despite our loss, she continues to give us hope that health insurance reform can become a reality. My thoughts are with Melanie's partner Steve, her parents, sisters and grandmother. Melanie served as an inspiration for so many and will be sorely missed.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight, I wanted to support the House Resolution which expresses condolences to and solidarity with the people of Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake of January 12th, 2010. I would like to praise the work of Meds and Food for Kids (MFK), an internationally renowned non-profit program, based in St. Louis. MFK was designated by the U.S. Agency for International Development as an official distributor of food to the malnourished people of Haiti. It is also important to recognize and leverage the work of international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Food Program. This earthquake, which destroyed the U.N. Headquarters, has caused the greatest single loss of life in U.N. history. The U.N. Security Council voted on January 19 to send 3,500 more peacekeepers to Haiti. President Obama announced $100 million in additional assistance to help Haiti during this time of crisis. I want to help ensure that taxpayer resources, as well as donations given through private charities, are spent efficiently, transparently, and effectively, and are used to help those Haitians most in need. Rebuilding efforts will take years. It is important that once this story slips from the front pages of newspapers that the international community, including the United States, is still there to lend a lending hand.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, there is a condition in this country that affects more than 3 million people and sees 200,000 new cases every year; 25 percent are children. It's epilepsy. It's the third most common neurological disorder after Alzheimer's and stroke. The cause is unknown in two-thirds of epilepsy cases. It can develop at any age. It can be a result of genetics, stroke, head injury, and other factors. Earlier this year, I met a spirited 9-year-old from my district. Since the age of 7, Chad has been living with epilepsy and faces daunting challenges in school because of various misconceptions. Despite major progress in diagnosis and treatment, epilepsy is often misunderstood and overlooked. Contrary to belief, it is not contagious. Some believe epilepsy is curable with medication or treatment when, in fact, over 30 percent of patients suffer uncontrollable seizures despite treatment. This is why raising awareness is so important. It will dispel myths and empower millions affected by this condition. I urge my colleagues to support further research, awareness, and education as we work together to find a cure for epilepsy.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and the gentleman from Nebraska for managing this today. On behalf of the firefighters, the amazing firefighters that serve my constituents in Missouri, I rise today in strong support of the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009. H.R. 3791 reauthorizes and improves the FIRE and SAFER Grant programs which assist firefighters, first responders and local communities in my home State of Missouri and nationwide with the equipment, training, and personnel needed to protect the public. In these difficult economic times, it is imperative that we provide local fire departments around the country the needed equipment, training and staffing for both full-time and volunteer firefighters, urban and rural, to quickly respond to emergencies. This legislation will reduce the grantee matching requirement at a time when many jurisdictions are finding it increasingly difficult or impossible to maintain equipment, training, and personnel. FIRE grants will provide funding to hire additional personnel, modify facilities, and obtain protective gear and other resources to respond to fire and related hazards. I'm pleased to be a cosponsor of this legislation and to have joined my colleagues on the Science and Technology Committee to bring it to the floor. I now urge the full House to support and pass the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Policies of poor regulation and lax oversight of our financial system came to a head 1 year ago, greatly contributing to the worst financial crisis this country has experienced since the Great Depression. Over the past year, we have made tough choices and taken firm steps to bring our economy back from the brink, but there is still much more work to do on the path to recovery, including enacting comprehensive reform on how Wall Street works, to protect Main Street and American families. As we move forward, we must hold Wall Street accountable by making commonsense reforms to our financial regulatory system that will help prevent such a crisis from ever happening again. As we rebuild our economy, we must assure Wall Street can't take risks that jeopardize the whole economy: businesses, large and small, and family budgets, savings and retirements. Financial regulatory reform will put procedures in place to make sure taxpayers will never again have to bail out too-big-to-fail institutions who take on irresponsible risk. It also restores accountability and transparency so that the problems are recognized and fixed before they threaten the entire economy as well as outlaw many of the egregious practices that led to the worst financial crisis in decades.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, ``millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. The time has arrived for action to help them attain that opportunity and that protection.'' President Truman delivered these words in a special message to Congress in 1945, calling for comprehensive health care in America. Health care in America has been broken far too long, unavailable and unfair for too many, becoming more unaffordable every year. Health care premiums have doubled in 10 years. Health care bills are the number one reason for personal bankruptcies in our country. Health care costs are the number one contributor to our deficit. We spend more on health care than any other country, yet we rank near the bottom in terms of health care results. This bill builds upon the best parts of our private employer-based system and fixes what's broken to lower costs, increase competition, promote preventive medicine, and protect seniors. Many ideas and concerns from Missourians I represent have been included in this bill to make it even better. History and the American people are calling us to action. The time is now to fix health care in America.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 838) welcoming to the United States and to Washington, DC, His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch on his upcoming trip on October 20, 2009, through November 6, 2009, as amended.

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

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a leading voice in the Congress on issues concerning the Ecumenical Patriarch, for introducing this resolution. We are all pleased to welcome Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of nearly 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world, to the United States and to our Nation's Capital. Elected as the 270th Archbishop of the historic throne of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has been a tireless advocate for religious freedom, Muslim-Christian dialogue and international environmental protection. Known as the Bridge Builder and the Patriarch of Peace, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has provided hope to those who have survived under Communist oppression and has also traveled throughout the Muslim world, advocating for religious tolerance and understanding. Sitting at the crossroads between East and West, the Ecumenical Patriarchate itself is a testament to half a millennium of Christian- Muslim coexistence. In fact, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has strived to communicate his message of tolerance and understanding directly to millions of Muslims around the world. Another important theme of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's has been environmental protection which has earned him the title of Green Patriarch. It is fitting then that the Ecumenical Patriarch began his visit to the United States in New Orleans and convened a symposium on the environmental health of the Mississippi River. This marks the eighth environmental symposium Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has held since 1995. In 2002, at the Adriatic Sea Symposium, Pope John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a historic joint declaration, underlining the spiritual duty of caring for God's creation in the interest of future generations. Madam Speaker, while I am pleased that we've come here today and expressed our strong support for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and his leadership on many important issues, we must also remember that the Patriarchate itself operates under numerous onerous restrictions imposed by the Government of Turkey, the country where the Patriarchate is located. The Patriarchate's property rights, its freedom to open religious schools and other issues of religious freedom must be properly addressed by the Turkish Government. Indeed, the very future of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is endangered by the Turkish requirement that the Ecumenical Patriarch be a natural-born citizen of Turkey. As the Greek Orthodox population of Turkey has dwindled to less than 3,000 persons, the pool of potential future Ecumenical Patriarchs has virtually dried up. This archaic requirement that the Patriarch be a natural-born Turkish citizen was born in the difficult post-World War I environment in which the modern Republic of Turkey was created. It is certainly unworthy of the self-confident regional power that Turkey has become, and we call on Turkey to end this requirement, and end it now, before it strangles the Patriarchate. I urge my colleagues to join me in welcoming His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch and honoring all he has done to promote peace, religious understanding and the protection of our environment. I strongly support this resolution, and I urge all my colleagues to do likewise. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Space).

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

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 45) encouraging the Government of Iran to allow Joshua Fattal, Shane Bauer, and Sarah Shourd to reunite with their families in the United States as soon as possible.

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. CARNAHAN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. Con. Res. 45, a resolution encouraging the Government of Iran to allow the American prisoners Joshua Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd to reunite with their families in the United States as soon as possible. On July 31, 2009, these three American hikers were taken into custody by Iranian officials near northern Iraq. They were seized because the Iranians said they had crossed into Iranian territory while on a hike in a rural region near the Iraq-Iran border. The three hikers certainly had no malicious or devious intentions. The area they were hiking through, part of Iraqi Kurdistan, is mountainous but not obscure. In fact, it is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. If the three Americans did, indeed, cross into Iranian territory, they almost certainly did so unknowingly and unintentionally. At the time of her capture, 31-year old Sarah Shourd was teaching English in Damascus, Syria, where she was living with her boyfriend, Shane Bauer--a writer and photojournalist. Their friend and fellow University of California--Berkeley alumnus, Joshua Fattal, was traveling with them in Iraqi Kurdistan. Their adventure in Iraq turned into a nightmare when they were seized by the Iranians. This important resolution calls on the Government of Iran to provide these three innocent, young Americans, at a minimum, the opportunity to speak with their families by phone. It also encourages the Government of Iran to free them so they can be reunited with their families in the United States as soon as possible. Of course, Joshua, Shane and Sarah are not the only Americans currently being held in Iran. The Iranian-American scholar, Kian Tajbakhsh--an urban planner with a doctorate from Columbia University-- was arrested in July, and was sentenced last week to 15-years' imprisonment for his involvement in the peaceful demonstrations that followed the July 12 election fraud. Another Iranian-American, 71-year old Reza Taghavi, has been imprisoned since May 2008 without a trial or formal charges. In April, this body passed House Concurrent Resolution 36, regarding the case of the former FBI agent, Robert Levinson, who has been missing in Iran since 2007. As the United States and the international community engage Iran on its nuclear weapons program, we must not forget the plight of these innocent Americans. I commend Undersecretary of State William Burns for raising this issue with his Iranian counterpart at the October 1 Geneva meeting. I encourage him to continue to do so at all subsequent meetings with Iranian officials until our fellow citizens are freed. A New York Times editorial this past Saturday said it well, entitled ``More Iranian Injustice.'' The editorial called for the immediate release of the imprisoned Americans, and it went on to read, ``Iran may sit at the negotiating table with the United States and other world powers, but it will never earn the respect it craves if it continues these kinds of human rights abuses.'' I commend Senator Arlen Specter for introducing this timely resolution in the Senate, and I commend our colleague from Pennsylvania, Allyson Schwartz. This deserves our deep appreciation for their leadership on this issue. Madam Speaker, we care passionately about the freedom of our fellow citizens, and it is in that spirit that I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Schwartz).

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased now to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 784) honoring the 2560th anniversary of the birth of Confucius and recognizing his invaluable contributions to philosophy and social and political thought.

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

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. This resolution before us honors the birth of Confucius over 2,000 years ago and recognizes his contributions to philosophy and social and political thought. I would like to thank my friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) for introducing this resolution. According to Chinese tradition, Confucius was born in 551 B.C. to a poor but noble family. He became a high-level government minister but later resigned his position after becoming disillusioned with the misbehavior and corruption of the rulers in feudal China. Confucius then embarked on a long journey throughout the small kingdoms that made up China with a devoted group of students, expounding his political philosophy. He would return home to spend his last years teaching and compiling his wisdom into a set of texts that would become known as the ``Confucian Classics.'' After his death, Confucius would serve as the ``spiritual ancestor'' of later teachers, historians, philosophers, and literary scholars whose lives and works figure prominently in Chinese intellectual history. Indeed, he would become not only China's preeminent philosopher but also Asia's most influential thinker as well. Confucius' birth over 2\1/2\ millennia ago was not only celebrated in China late last month but throughout Asia, including South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. He taught respect for one's elders and for understanding one's responsibility to others within the existing social structure. He believed that government officials should be chosen for their virtue and ability, not for their birth. Confucius believed that the purpose of the government was the welfare of the people. And perhaps most importantly, he taught that a ruler who was not righteous and humane would forfeit the ``Mandate of Heaven'' and, thus, lose the right to govern. Confucius' teaching developed into a system of philosophy known as Confucianism, which would have profound impact on the thought and life of East Asia. Some have compared his influence with that of Socrates in the West. I strongly support this resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased now to yield 5 minutes to the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).