Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment with Mr. Scott Peters of California. Mr. Peters and I both have an interest in saving money-- and this amendment would save $5 million--and in putting our money wisely in research on renewable energies which saves individuals money--individual citizens money--and protects our environment and using that money, instead of putting the money in the budget to do research on coal and fossil fuels that contribute to global warming and a threat to our environment. The fact is the Department of Energy's energy efficiency program has been effective. This would increase it by $10.3 million. This program is underfunded already in the bill, and it would take $15 million from funds that are in the budget for coal research and development--$15 million that are in excess of the President's budget request. The Department of Energy's energy efficiency programs partner with private industry, small business, and academics to facilitate research, development, and deployment of innovative energy efficiency technologies in manufacturing, buildings, and homes. In this collaboration with these different stakeholders, they have determined the best practices that can be found and then put into commercial use, resulting in energy-saving advancements that create jobs and give businesses competitive advantages with foreign competitors. Increasing energy efficiency is often done in ways that the individual citizen benefits in their home by saving money by more energy-efficient devices and appliances. We work on these in the Energy Department now, and they finalized new efficiency standards for more than 30 household and commercial products. These include dishwashers, refrigerators, water heaters--just the general stuff you have got in your kitchen and your home. Because of the Energy Department's new efficiency standards, consumers are estimated to save more than $400 billion--$400 billion for our constituents, consumers--and we will be cutting greenhouse emissions by 1.8 billion metric tons through 2030. That is a lot of help to our environment and a whole lot of help to our constituents in saving money. Just as an example, walk-in coolers and freezers, the rules that have been proposed will yield $37 billion in savings, while cutting 159 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. That is the equivalent of taking 30 million cars off the road. As the cost of energy continues to pose a burden on the American consumers' wallets--our voters, our taxpayers, our constituents--and costs them more money and extreme weather causes climate change which threatens the fauna and the flora, our property and way of life, we need to find ways to reduce energy consumption and decrease those adverse affects upon our environment. Mr. Chairman, we need to redouble our efforts at this point on renewable energy and energy efficiency, and the efforts by this amendment would save money--$5 million for the budget, energy deficit reduction--it would protect our environment by having more research on energy efficiency standards, save our consumers and constituents money, and protect our environment at the same time, and yet not have us invest needlessly in fossil fuels, which is the opposite direction we should be going. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment and show their vote for fiscally conservative, sound budget deficit reduction programs, as well as protect the environment and be concerned about the effects on the pocketbook of our individual consumers. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I have unfortunate news. We have lost a great American and a great Tennesseean, Senator Howard Baker, Jr. Senator Baker passed away today. Howard Baker served this country well, and he served it in a fashion that was worthy of admiration from both parties and all people because he was an American first, a Tennesseean second, and a Republican third. He served three terms in the United States Senate. He served as majority leader and minority leader. He served as the United States Ambassador to Japan, and he served as Chief of Staff to President Ronald Reagan. He was a private practicing attorney as well, at the firm Baker Donelson, which was a firm his grandfather started, and he practiced law at one time with his father, who served in this House as a United States Representative from Tennessee. Howard Baker had been recognized since his retirement from the Senate on many occasions. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and had received other awards. His was a life well lived and a life to be demonstrated to others as a role for legislators to work with both sides of the aisle and to work for America first. A life well lived, Howard Baker.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, how do we all get here? How do we get to be one of 435 people in the United States Congress, a great honor that it is to serve in this Congress? Madam Speaker, we all get here because people vote for us, the American public votes. It is the essence of a democracy. That is what makes this country great. That is why we have sent soldiers to Iraq and other places, to try to give other people democracy and have people vote. Forty-nine years ago, this Congress passed the Voting Rights Act. John Lewis, a Member of this Congress now, marched in Selma, Alabama, and was beaten by troopers to get the right to vote. Even before that, students went to Mississippi and throughout the South--which was called the Mississippi Freedom Summer--to register people to vote and had to fight to give African Americans the opportunity to vote. Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman were killed in Mississippi. They were Mississippi Freedom Summer fighters. I met with Andy Goodman's--who was murdered down there--brother yesterday because a year ago, almost to the day, if not to the day, the Supreme Court, in Shelby v. Holder, ruled part of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. Our Chief Justice said it is no longer needed. Well, he was wrong. It is needed. Everyone should be entitled to vote. There are issues about States, right now, denying people the right to vote--voter ID, Madam Speaker, long lines, ending early voting, different problems being placed before people to stop them from voting, that is anti-American, yet it is occurring in this country right now. There is a Voting Rights Amendment Act proposed, right now bipartisan, but limited bipartisan. Mr. Sensenbrenner and a few other Republicans--I can count them on both my hands--are cosponsors, along with Democrats, to pass a law that would require preclearance in States that have shown by actions--indeed, discriminatory practices--that would inhibit the right to vote and stop it before it becomes discrimination, but we have got just a paucity of Republican support. I haven't been a sponsor of that act because the decision was we wanted to be bipartisan, and for a Democrat to be a sponsor, they had to bring a Republican along. I went over here, Madam Speaker, and I talked to at least 15 different Republicans and asked them to be a cosponsor because I thought they should have been a cosponsor because I wanted to be a cosponsor, and I had to bring somebody with me. It would have been easier to go to the South Pacific and find that airplane in the ocean than to find another cosponsor over here, so today, it is being opened up for Democrats to show that they want to be for voting rights. I will be added as a cosponsor today, and many, many, many other Democrats will be too. Madam Speaker, every Republican should join as well. This is American as apple pie, to have a Voting Rights Act that gives the courts--the Justice Department--the right to go and have preclearance and stop discrimination before it occurs. The Voting Rights Act amendment would create a new coverage formula to identify those States and localities with a recent history of discriminatory voting laws and practices that are still at high risk for continuing voting discrimination. It would enhance the authority of courts to order a preclearance remedy, require greater transparency regarding voting changes, and clarifies the Attorney General's authority to send Federal observers to monitor elections in jurisdictions subject to preclearance requirements. Those changes that the Voting Rights Amendment Act would make to current law would help prevent voting practices that are likely to be discriminatory before they have a chance to cause harm. The House Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member, and particularly the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, of which I am the ranking member, should have hearings immediately and pass this act now. Forty-nine years ago, this Chamber historically passed voting rights, and now, we can't pass an amendment. In 2006, the House voted to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act by a vote of 390-33, which meant, on both sides of the aisle, great majorities were for it, but now that the Supreme Court has struck it down and said we need to modernize it by finding States in localities that are currently exercising discriminatory practices, we can't come up with a formula because, politically, it would harm, theoretically, one side more than the other. Just as Mr. Gutieerrez spoke earlier about immigration and how that is going to affect the Republican Party in the future elections, voting rights will affect them too, and it won't affect them positively because, if the party becomes a party that is against people of color and giving them the American right to vote, as well as opportunities for sound and logical immigration practices, which this country needs for labor, it will be a minority party forever. I am not here to lecture the Republicans about what they can do to help themselves politically. I am saying what they can do to make America more America. Pass the voting rights amendment.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, due to unexpected flight delays, I was detained from voting on Monday, June 23 and was unable to be present for rollcall vote No. 339 and rollcall vote No. 340. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on both. I was also detained by a meeting with constituents on the evening of June 24 and was unable to be present for rollcall vote No. 350. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of an outstanding guitarist, songwriter, singer, and legendary Memphis musician, Mabon Hodges, better known as ``Teenie'' Hodges, who passed away in Dallas just yesterday. Teenie started playing the guitar at age 12, and he and his brothers were part of the Hi Rhythm Section, which was part of Royal Studios and Hi Records music that produced Al Green and Otis Clay and others, a great part of the Memphis sound in the seventies under Willie Mitchell, a great producer and great musician himself. Willie Mitchell kind of adopted Teenie and taught him something about playing guitar and helped him in his career. Willie's grandson, Boo Mitchell, now runs that studio. Teenie has been a part of it in the heart of the Hi Rhythm Section, which is well known throughout the world. He cowrote, with Al Green, ``Love and Happiness'' and ``Take Me to the River'' and other great tunes. He continued playing through the spring. He fell ill with emphysema, which he had for years, but the emphysema got so strong that he had to be taken to the hospital in Dallas this spring, and then he passed away from emphysema. Services will be held in Memphis next week. I was a friend of Teenie's. He was a great Memphian, a wonderful spirit, and a great talent. All of Memphis will miss him, and all of us in the country appreciate his great music and contribution to our culture.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 149th anniversary of Juneteenth and the 21st annual celebration in Memphis, Tennessee. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced in the town square that all slaves were free. Although this came nearly three years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the newly freed men and women rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations, and thus, the Juneteenth holiday was born. This year, the Memphis Juneteenth celebration was very different from past celebrations. First, the Board of Directors changed the name of the celebration from the ``Juneteenth Freedom & Heritage Festival'' to the ``Juneteenth Urban Music Festival.'' Second, the celebration took place in the Robert R. Church Park on Beale Street in Downtown Memphis instead of the historic Douglass Neighborhood, where the celebration has taken place for the past twenty years. The importance of this change in location to the Robert R. Church Park is especially significant to the celebration of this important day in history. Robert R. Church was born in Memphis on October 26, 1885 and soon became a prominent civil rights leader in the City of Memphis and in the State of Tennessee. In 1916, he founded the Lincoln League, which helped African Americans in the Memphis area by organizing voter registration drives and paying poll taxes for those who could not afford it. Through the Lincoln League alone, he enabled thousands of African Americans in the Memphis area to exercise their right to vote in local, state and national elections. However, his work did not stop there. In 1917, he chartered the first Tennessee chapter of the NAACP in Memphis. Two years later, his dedication to the organization and its mission was recognized when he was elected to serve on the national board. Robert R. Church continues to be a prominent and revered political figure in Memphis because of his work to make the processes of government inclusive to all members of society, regardless of race or social class. As such, the Juneteenth celebration this year focused on the same mission: expanding the Juneteenth celebration so that thousands more people may take place in this joyous celebration. This year, the celebration included a variety of musical performances varying from gospel performers to neo soul artists. In addition to these performances, the celebration offered a poetry slam and a showcase featuring majorettes, drummers, cheerleaders, and steppers. By appealing to all members of the community and relocating to a larger space, the Juneteenth celebration provided the people of Memphis with a celebration that was consistent with the mission of Robert R. Church: a mission of inclusiveness that we should all strive for as we continue to serve the people of our great nation. Mr. Speaker, this is a time to commemorate the end of slavery in America and to recognize the many contributions of African-American citizens. I ask my colleagues to join me in observing our nation's 149th anniversary of Juneteenth and the 21st annual celebration in Memphis.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. COHEN. That is what I was astonished about, Mr. Farr, when I watched this movie. It was Katie Couric, and I forget all the other people involved in producing it. But it was about how Congress had basically acquiesced to special interests to change the dietary guidelines, to the detriment of children, women, and infants. Carbohydrates and the production of insulin causing the digestive system and body to produce fat is the main cause of obesity. It is not exercise. It is not pushing yourself away from the table so much, but they discovered it is carbs and white potatoes. So we are now putting white potatoes back because of the potato industry? This is the Idaho provision?

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Miller was talking about white potatoes. How does this bill affect white potatoes? I saw this movie called ``Fed Up,'' and white potatoes in general are the evil that cause people to get obese and gain weight. How are white potatoes in this bill?

Mr. COHEN. Will the gentleman yield for a question?

Mr. COHEN. Sausages and white potatoes. Thank you, sir.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to urge my colleagues to support the Kelly-Cohen-Titus amendment to increase funding to the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program. For many young people, the end of school is an exciting day, and they get out for the summer. But for the millions of children and families who rely on school lunch for meals, the summer months are a time of stress, anxiety, and hunger when those meals disappear. The Summer Food Service Program, created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. Last Monday, I joined the Summer Food Kickoff at Emerald Square in Memphis in support of this program. I had the opportunity to speak with kids, watch them in delight as they ate their lunch and listened to them read books provided by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. This amendment would increase the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children program by $3 million. The project allows USDA to study alternative approaches to providing food assistance to low-income children in urban and rural districts through the summer months. Additional funding to this program for children would not only reduce childhood hunger when school is out and encourage healthier eating but allow us to learn more about food insecurity among children and the best approaches to reducing it long-term. The wealthiest Nation of the world should not send its children to bed hungry, so making sure they have the food they need must be a top priority. This program helps fill the gap when students are not in school, providing meals for many children that would otherwise go hungry in Memphis, Chicago, Las Vegas, and throughout the Nation. By increasing funding to this program, we can be sure we are feeding our kids a healthy meal each day. I urge passage of the amendment to restore funding to the Summer Food Service Program. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, today, sadly, the House asked for a moment of silence for a student who was killed in Oregon. Yesterday, sadly, we had a moment of silence for deaths in Nevada. We didn't have a moment of silence for the death of a student at Seattle Pacific University in Washington 3 or 4 days earlier. Sadly, it is becoming a regular occurrence of moments of silence for children who are killed in schools. We had Santa Barbara. We have had others. There have been 74 since Newtown. The silence is deafening that the House has not acted. Whether it is mental health, whether it is gun laws, the House needs to act and not continue to be silent.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, this has been an interesting discussion. I want to join Chairman Wolf in commending the DEA agents who have lost their lives, most of which I am sure lost their lives way before sequestration and whose lives would have been lost--they are good men and women, but it is not because we didn't give them enough money. When we are cutting other areas of the government and we just saw legal services getting cut by $15 million, why are we giving DEA $35 million more? They just did a book here, ``The Dangers and Consequences of Marijuana Abuse.'' I don't know how many of these were published, but it is almost a comic book when you read it. They go so far as to have a section--and I love pets, I miss my cat, and I miss my dog--but they have a section that pets are also at risk. More dogs are being poisoned by marijuana. They are really going to the bottom line, to try to find some rationalization for their work that they are protecting pets, and these pets are in areas where marijuana is not legal. They also have a section in here about other consequences of marijuana use, and that is where they get the pet section. Then they have this section here, and they have this whole area about somebody breaking in and stealing cash from a marijuana dispensary and saying it is a problem. Well, sure, it is a problem, just like people break into liquor stores and rob them. The reason they do is because there is a lot of cash money there, and the Federal Government hasn't allowed the marijuana dispensaries to use credit cards. Because of the fact that they have to use cash, they attract robbers and burglars. That is not something that the marijuana causes. That is something that the government causes by requiring there to be a lot of cash there, and that is independent of the fact that it is marijuana. That is listed under other consequences of marijuana use. That is not a consequence of marijuana use. That is a consequence of the government not allowing those people to use credit cards and, instead, having large amounts of cash on hand. The director there has embarrassed herself time after time after time. She is the last supporter of the failed war on drugs. She refuses to accept the fact that President Obama said that alcohol has more damage to consumers than marijuana. She questioned the President on that, and she is wrong. She also questioned mandatory minimums and thinks mandatory minimums are still the right thing to do. I think most all of us know mandatory minimums are a colossal failure and waste of time. It is $30,000 a year to put people in jail. She criticized Mitch McConnell. Senator Mitch McConnell criticized her because they went and confiscated hemp seeds in Kentucky that were there for study. They are out of control, and the $35 million additional that we are intending to give them is throwing money away. It is not going to have anything to do with DEA agents being killed. In fact, it might save some. The fact is that we have to prioritize where we spend our moneys, and this is not a spot. If we want to put that money into education, if we want to put it into health care, if we want to put it into other areas that are important--and probably the $35 million should go to the National Institutes of Health where we could find a cure for cancer or diabetes, find treatments for stroke or illnesses that deal with heart disease, AIDS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, that is where money needs to go. That is money that saves American people's lives, and giving money to DEA is not going to save a DEA agent, and more DEA agents are going to die from heart disease and cancer and diabetes and Parkinson's and AIDS than die because they have been shot, and that money would be better spent to save them by putting it into NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, and finding treatments and cures for the diseases that will kill us all, but we are not doing NIH, we are doing DEA. That is a mistake. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. I rise, Mr. Chairman, to greet my fellow Tennessean, and I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, first, I would like to express my appreciation for the career of Chairman Wolf, in particular, his cochairmanship of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. He has done tremendous work during his time in Congress on human rights issues that are of great import, and chairing that commission named for our great colleague Tom Lantos is impressive, and I thank you for that. The amendment I have before us would increase by $5 million the bill's funding for grants to address the backlog of sexual assault kits at law enforcement agencies. DNA analysis has been revolutionary in helping to catch criminals and prevent crimes from occurring in the first place, but this evidence does us no good if it remains untested and sits on the shelf in a lab somewhere. Despite progress over the last few years, the number of untested rape kits continues to number in the hundreds of thousands in our Nation. That is hundreds of thousands of victims whose assailants have never been brought to justice, left to prey on yet more women. A recent article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal highlighted the need to end this backlog once and for all. It described a serial rapist who was finally caught by the police in 2012. He could have been stopped nearly a decade earlier if only his first victim's rape kit had been tested. It was not, and instead he was able to and did attack five more women over the next 8 years. Missed opportunities like this happen all across our country every day. The trauma inflicted on victims of rape can be compounded when they know their assailants roam free while critical evidence goes untested. Sadly, I must say the city of Memphis leads the country in untested rape kits, with a backlog of over 12,000 built up over decades. The mayor and our city leadership have committed to addressing this problem and have devoted significant resources to eliminating the backlog, but they need our help. The estimates are that it would cost at least $6.5 million to test each rape kit, far beyond the means of a city forced to tighten its belt in these difficult times and deal with our economic problems. This makes the Federal assistance essential. I appreciate the chairman's commitment to eliminating the backlog, and the funds in this bill are an important start. They put in $36 million, $1 million more than I think the President recommended. It is merely a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed. This amendment would take $5 million from the Drug Enforcement Administration, which is a $2 billion agency that receives a $35 million increase in this bill, even though their work product will go down because of the lack of need to enforce marijuana laws in States where it has been legalized or medical marijuana has been legalized. With the growing number of States in that category, DEA can and will shift its resources from marijuana and still have plenty of money to prevent prescription drug abuse, stop major heroin and cocaine traffickers and the other drug trade that they should make as their priority. DEA would barely notice these funds, but for a small investment we can make an even more significant cut in the rape kit backlog at law enforcement agencies. Women will be spared being raped, and justice will be served. I think the choice should be clear. We should stand with the victims of this most heinous crime that we know in this Nation and ensure their assailants are brought to justice. I urge the adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, this amendment which I offer with Mr. Quigley of Illinois, who is a champion of equal access to justice, would restore the bill's cuts, devastating cuts, to the Legal Services Corporation. This Nation is justifiably proud of its legal system. In fact, when we visit with foreign folks or travel in foreign lands, the thing I hear most about America that they appreciate is our legal system. It can be impossibly complex, with a language all its own, unfamiliar to many people with its laws and procedures. It can be a bewildering maze even for highly educated people, even for lawyers. Now imagine that you are poor, uneducated, scared, and trying to navigate the legal system by yourself. Without legal representation, too many people are simply unable to vindicate their rights under the law. Think about victims of domestic violence who need protective orders from abusive partners, homeowners facing foreclosure--and indeed we have had too much of that in the last few years--or seniors who have been victimized by fraudulent lenders. Legal assistance is vital to ensure that these parties are treated fairly and made aware of their rights. That is why I have been a champion of Legal Services, which helps fund legal aid programs throughout the country. Unfortunately, this bill cuts $15 million from Legal Services Corporation, which will mean untold numbers of Americans will go unrepresented in court and unable to pursue justice. Even if this amendment passes and the funding is restored to the $365 million level, it will be a far cry from what is really needed. Consider this statistic, Mr. Chair. In 1995, the Legal Services Corporation was funded at a $400 million level. That is higher than it was last year and higher than it would be if this amendment passes, by $35 million. In today's dollars, that $400 million figure would be $600 million, and all we are asking is to get it to $365 million. Unfortunately, we have cut our commitment to this program, and it is having serious consequences. Nationally, nearly 50 percent of all eligible potential clients are turned away because of lack of funding. In the Memphis area, Legal Services lost 5 percent of its funding due to sequestration. When you add in State and local funds lost over recent years because of budget cuts, its funding was reduced by more than $300,000, and its staff was reduced from 50 to 38. The attorneys do heroic work, but to further reduce its funding will have serious consequences for their ability to serve those in need. The rights we are guaranteed under the law mean nothing if they can't go to court to enforce those rights. With no money to hire a lawyer, no ability to navigate this system on their own, too many people are left without justice. Unless we ensure legal assistance, we effectively shut the courthouse doors to Americans who rely on attorneys to protect their rights. This amendment would increase funding for LSC by reducing funds for the Drug Enforcement Administration, a $2 billion agency that receives a $35 million increase in this bill. This does not intend to stop DEA's important work to prevent prescription drug abuse or go after heroin and cocaine traffickers, but they can do their work with the funds that will be in this bill after this money is given to Legal Services. DEA would barely notice this loss of funds, but in the hands of Legal Services it would change the lives of thousands of people who need legal representation. We are still coming out of the Great Recession, and the disparity and wealth is greater than ever. So those people in the middle class, and those people who are poor particularly, which are greater than ever, have more and more and more need for Legal Services. It should not be cut at this time. I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for cosponsoring this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, President Obama announced his plans to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan. As we prepare to welcome these men and women home, we must ensure that the VA medical centers are well-equipped to meet the needs of these returning heroes, in addition to those who are currently receiving care. Like all of my colleagues here, I am outraged by the deaths and medical errors at VA medical centers around the country, including those in Memphis. As soon as the VA inspector general issued a report about preventable deaths at the Memphis VA, I wrote Secretary Shinseki expressing my concerns about the Memphis facility. I invited him to visit the center to assess what resources it needs to improve care for the nearly 200,000 veterans served by that facility. I have been in close communication with the director at the Memphis medical center to discuss quality of care improvements for our veterans. I am committed to making sure that our VA medical centers have the resources that they need to deliver quality care to our Nation's veterans. This is a serious matter, and it will become more critical as more heroes return home. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this issue.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my best wishes to the people of Azerbaijan as they celebrate Republic Day. This year marks the 96th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, when the people of Azerbaijan first gained their independence from the Russian Empire on May 28, 1918. Although Azerbaijan's independence was ended by Soviet forces in 1920, it is noteworthy that the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was the world's first secular parliamentary democratic republic in a predominantly Muslim nation--earning diplomatic recognition from the United States during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. We also recall with admiration that the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan granted universal suffrage to its citizens in 1918, making it the first Muslim country to give women the right to vote. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan restored its independence in 1991. Parliament adopted the Constitution Act on the Restoration of the State of Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan on October 18, 1991. For the people of Azerbaijan, these last two decades of independence have not been without challenges. At the top of the list would be the ongoing conflict with Armenia. Although a cease fire was signed in 1994, more than 20% of Azerbaijan's territory--including Nagorno- Karabakh and seven surrounding districts--remains under Armenian occupation, leaving Azerbaijan to cope with hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons. In 1993, the U.N. Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding complete, unconditional and immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. I am happy that Azerbaijan is committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Armenia, and I support a swift and peaceful resolution to this conflict as well. Azerbaijan is a key global security partner for the United States. Azerbaijan and the United States cooperate in countering terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and narcotics trafficking. Azerbaijani troops serve shoulder to shoulder with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, as they previously did in Kosovo and Iraq. In support of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan has extended important over-flight clearances for U.S. and NATO flights as well as regularly providing landing and refueling operations at its airports for U.S. and NATO forces. Azerbaijan also plays an important role in the Northern Distribution Network, a supply route to Afghanistan, by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. Azerbaijan has emerged as a key player for enhancing global energy security, at a particularly critical time in light of ongoing events in Ukraine. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi- Erzerum gas pipeline are the main arteries delivering Caspian Sea energy resources to global markets, and completion of the Southern Gas Corridor--which will run from the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, and Albania into Italy--will increase the energy security of key American allies by increasing the amount of natural gas from the Caspian Sea to European markets. Notably, Azerbaijan also provides roughly 40% of Israel's oil consumption. What may be more surprising to some is that Azerbaijan--a predominantly Muslim country--enjoys friendly ties with Israel beyond oil sales. Jews have resided in Azerbaijan for 2,500 years without persecution and today, the Jewish community in Azerbaijan numbers as high as 35,000. Azerbaijan is also home to Christian communities and has been praised for its religious tolerance by the European Parliament. As a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I congratulate the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of Republic Day. I hope the United States and Azerbaijan will continue to work together to advance a partnership that benefits both of our nations.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. It has been culturally accepted not in your area, but in some cultures it has. And in the African American community, you are eight times more likely to be arrested and sent to jail because of the color of your skin. It has a disparate impact on minorities. It always has. If you go back to the genesis of the laws in the thirties, it was made illegal because of discrimination against Hispanics. And in the seventies, Nixon spoke out, as did Haldeman and Ehrlichman, and they said this is something we can't talk about, African Americans in the inner city, but we can take their drug of choice and make it illegal. I yield back the balance of my time.