Anna Eshoo

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John N. Hunter, a 2011 recipient of the St. Madeleine Sophie Award. The Award is given by the Sacred Heart School Community in Atherton, California, to individuals who have made sustained and significant contributions to the schools and embody the goals and criteria of a Sacred Heart education. John Hunter's commitment to the mission of Sacred Heart education spans decades, is an inspiration to everyone, and has earned him the coveted St. Madeleine Sophie Award. John N. Hunter is a 1951 graduate of Stanford University and served his country as a member of the United States Army. He is a successful entrepreneur and has made significant contributions in the fields of education and community development. John N. Hunter joined the Sacred Heart Schools Board of Trustees in 1978. This was a time of transition for the schools. John helped craft the first strategic plan and was a leader of the schools' first capital campaign. He has served on the board of the Religious of the Sacred Heart's Oakwood Retirement Community, and played a key role in expanding the facility and building a chapel. John has been married to the former Josephine Kegley since 1959, and they are the proud parents of five children: Julene, Wendi, Elizabeth, John and Mary, all of whom attended Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating John N. Hunter as he receives the St. Madeleine Sophie Award and salute him for his tireless work, his humility, his wonderful sense of humor, and his lasting commitment to the extraordinary education of the Religious of the Sacred Heart and their schools in Atherton, California, where generations of children have been shaped, strengthening our community and our country.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Peter Walker, a 2011 recipient of the St. Madeleine Sophie Award. The Award is given by the Sacred Heart School Community in Atherton, California, to individuals who have made sustained and significant contributions to the Schools and embody the Goals and Criteria of a Sacred Heart education. Peter Walker's commitment to the mission of Sacred Heart education is an inspiration to everyone, and has earned him the prestigious St. Madeleine Sophie Award. Peter Walker was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and English Literature from Boston College, a Masters in Education in Counseling Psychology, also from Boston College, and a Master of Divinity from Weston School of Theology. Peter has been at Sacred Heart since 1993, and prior to that was a campus minister at Stanford University. As a teacher and Head of the Religious Studies Department at Sacred Heart, Peter Walker is devoted to his students and fellow faculty members, as well as being dedicated to their spiritual growth and meeting their needs every day. Peter enjoys the arts, reading, golf and travelling. Paris is a favorite destination of Peter and Megan Walker and they return there whenever possible. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Peter Walker as he receives the St. Madeleine Sophie Award and to salute him for his tireless work on behalf of the Sacred Heart Schools community.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Malin Kenneth Oshman, a visionary, a leader, a builder of businesses, a family man, and a most generous contributor to our community. A man of his brilliance and accomplishment is a rarity, and his family's great loss is also a great loss for our nation. Ken is reported to have said, ``The interesting thing is that there are so few important decisions. You don't have to go in the `right' direction. You don't have to enter the `right' business. What you have to do is have made a decision as to what you're going to do and then you just have to figure out how to succeed at it.'' Ken succeeded at many things, including earning B.S. and B.S.E.E degrees from Rice University, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University, while working at Sylvania. He was a founder of ROLM Corporation, and was CEO, President and Executive Chairman of Echelon until he stepped down for health reasons. He served on many corporate boards and was a mentor to countless Silicon Valley leaders and an advisor to President Reagan. Ken's final corporate creation was Echelon, a company that is working to transform the electricity grid into a smart, communicating energy control network. At the company's 20th anniversary event, Ken spoke about the company's future opportunities and his hopes for it. His words demonstrate Ken's concern not just for his company, but for all of us. ``Today, the demand for energy has made it obvious that efficiency is the best, most accessible, and lowest cost alternative fuel in existence, and we believe Echelon is at the forefront in delivering the technology to make the world a more energy efficient, cleaner, and better place.'' Ken's creations were not limited to high-tech businesses. Ken and his beloved wife Barbara donated $10 million to help create the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, a building many times larger than the 2,000 square foot building in Texas where Jewish families gathered when he was a boy. The Oshman Family JCC, which opened two years ago, has already provided thousands of people with living space, healthy recreation, intergenerational activities, child care and more. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest sympathies to the Oshman family . . . his childhood sweetheart and wife of 49 years, Barbara; his two sons, Peter and David, and their wives, Stephanie and Joanna; four grandchildren; and his brother and sister- in-law, Rick and Tania Oshman of Texas. His loss will be felt deeply by his family, by the Silicon Valley he helped to found, and to all those who had the privilege of knowing him. He was a great and good man, and his life's work, in all of its diverse dimensions, will live long after him. I have always considered it a great privilege to know Ken Oshman, to represent him and to call him my friend. He made his community better and our country stronger.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary couple, Ann and Dick Marshall, as they celebrate a great milestone in their lives on September 9, 2011--fifty years of marriage. They are the proud and devoted parents of Katie, Richard and Kristin; the loving grandparents of eight grandchildren--Annie, Gabriel and Lochan Flaherty; Seph, Tonnan and Raffi Marshall-Burgardt; and Owen and Fiona Marshall-Young. They are also the terrific mother and father-in- law to John Flaherty, Madeline Marshall and Paul Young. Ann Dillon and Dick Marshall met at St. David's School in New York as they were each pursing their careers in education. They were married in 1961, at St. Augustine Church in Larchmont, New York, and went on to build a storied life, filled to the brim with children, grandchildren, educational pursuits, a love for learning and the betterment of humankind, nourished by the deep faith they share. Ann and Dick made their home in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where Dick taught Russian and Russian literature at the University of Toronto, and Ann taught ESL to generations of immigrants. One of their great loves is their farm--Valley Haven--where Dick, the gardener extraordinaire, raises hundreds of varieties of daffodils, taps his own maple syrup, raises turkeys, and makes his own wine. Ann and Dick are avid readers, travelers and adventurers. Dick cooks marvelous meals and Ann lights all the candles, and together they light up everyone's life and the world around them. The Marshalls are devoted parishioners of Holy Rosary Church, and it is there, with their entire family, that they will celebrate 50 years of marriage at Mass. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Ann and Dick Marshall on their 50th wedding anniversary, and pay tribute to them for the integrity of their lives together--for their extraordinary work as parents, grandparents and educators, and for being a source of joy and inspiration to me and countless others for so many years.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of The Honorable Ron Swegles, a highly distinguished constituent, former Mayor and Vice Mayor, a dedicated City Councilman, a cherished friend and a beloved member of his community of Sunnyvale, California. Ron Swegles passed into eternal life on July 20, 2011, at the age of 67. He blessed us all with his presence and his devotion to the people of Sunnyvale. He was a committed family man and is survived by his wife Gail, his five children, nine grandchildren and one great- granddaughter. Ron Swegles graduated from Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne, Michigan, and shortly thereafter, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving from 1962 to 1966. After his military service, Ron attended Cleary University. In 1984, he moved his family to the Bay Area and made the Peninsula his new home. Ron was a friend to everyone. He was well known in the community for always wanting to help others. He was a mentor to many Bay Area residents, which led him to seek local office. He was first elected to the Sunnyvale City Council in 2003 and he served as the City's Vice Mayor from 2004 to 2005, and as its Mayor from 2005 to 2006. Ron was a member of the City's Planning Commission, the Downtown Planning Committee, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Senior Advisory Committee. He was a graduate of both Leadership Sunnyvale and the Sunnyvale Public Safety Community Academy, and he served as a board member for the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce. Ron prized the value of civic service, dedicating his time to every aspect of local government. He was a member of the Military Affairs Council since 2004; the Moffett Restoration Advisory Board from 2004 to 2007; the Santa Clara Valley Water District Water Commission since 2008; the California Housing and Community Development Commission; and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Policy Advisory Committee. He was also a member of the Onizuka Local Redevelopment Authority and Citizens Advisory Committee for Base Closure, working toward a reuse plan that would convert the closing of Onizuka Air Force Station to an area that would continue to benefit Sunnyvale and the surrounding communities. Ron was honored for his service on numerous occasions, including being named Sunnyvale Rotarian of the Year in 2003 by the Sunnyvale Rotary Club. One of Ron's greatest joys was when he was serving as a Director of Leisure Ministries at Los Altos United Methodist Church. Apart from his community service, Ron's professional career with Brandenburg Staedler & Moore spanned more than 21 years as their Community Advisor. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring the extraordinary fife and accomplishments of Ron Swegles and extend our sympathy to his family and friends whom he loved so much. His decades of contributions to his community and his country stand as lasting legacies of a life lived well. How privileged I am to have known this wonderful man and to have had him as a colleague and a friend. Those of us who knew him will miss him deeply, and his life stands as a testament to what it means to be a community leader and a true patriot.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today with a coat of many colors. It is a little unusual to do this, but I'm very proud of it. And I think everyone will recognize this because this is the traditional white coat that doctors wear. It was given to me by the passionate residents at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in my district. All of its pockets hold notes, and the notes were signed by the doctors and the nurses, all in support of a remarkable program in our country that has trained thousands of pediatricians and pediatric specialists over the last 12 years, the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Program. It was first created in 1999 because there was a shortage of pediatricians in our country and subspecialists. And this program today has been wildly successful, increasing the number of pediatricians by 35 percent. Congress needs to approve this and keep in place those that take such good care of our children.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. I thank Mr. Berman, our distinguished ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for not only yielding me this time but for his conscience, because that indeed is what this is about, and his unflagging leadership on so many issues. Your endorsement and strong support of this bill I think bolsters it enormously, and says to the entire House that a person that is steeped in the background of the issues of the entire world is for this. I want to pay tribute to Mr. Wolf for his incredible advocacy on this issue relative to religious minorities for so long. It is an honor to have worked with you to bring this to a realization of not only legislation but to bring it to the floor. I salute you. You are a gentleman; and you, too, are a man of great conscience. Mr. Speaker, I think today we are here on something that really distinguishes the United States of America. From the founding of our Nation, religious freedom has been a pillar of our democracy, and it remains one of the most critical exports of our great Nation. I think having said that really establishes the foundation of why we are here in strong support of H.R. 440. This bill, as my colleagues have said, will create a special envoy to promote religious freedom of religious minorities in the Near East and South Asia. The legislation responds to the very urgent needs of Christians and other religious minorities who are under siege. When I say that, I underscore it. They are under siege in the Middle East. Again, I commend everyone, especially Mr. Wolf, who has been part of this effort. And as a cochair of the Religious Minorities Caucus and all of the members of it, I thank them as well. In January of this year, Representative Wolf chaired a hearing to review the violence and the hardships faced by Middle Eastern religious minorities. I was privileged to testify that day about the plight of many people, but most especially the Assyrians. I am of both Assyrian and Armenian descent, and the language Mr. Wolf spoke of, Aramaic, I speak fluently and understand very well. It is the language, as he said, that Jesus spoke. These are the world's oldest Christians, and they are quickly disappearing from Iraq. During this hearing, we also learned of Egypt's Coptic Christian population and the renewed threats they face and unacceptable violence in that uncertain political situation.

Ms. ESHOO. At the conclusion of the hearing, we agreed to press forward with this legislation to create a special envoy at the State Department, someone at the ambassador level to elevate this issue for the attention it deserves. We need a high-level official dedicated to religious freedom in the region, committed to addressing the concerns of the minority communities. I am very, very pleased that this legislation has attracted very solid bipartisan support. We have 78 cosponsors, an even split between Republicans and Democrats, all calling for the State Department to elevate religious freedom in the Middle East as a diplomatic priority. There is a history for this. Senator John Danforth served our Nation as special envoy to Sudan, and Senator George Mitchell as special envoy to Northern Ireland, so there is precedent for this. I want to speak of a meeting I had in my office last week. Three Dominican nuns, sisters who traveled from Iraq, and they once again relayed their story of what is happening to them. They have been dispersed across Iraq. They teach everyone regardless of their background, Muslims, Christians, no matter what the background is. And in their hospitals, they care for whomever is sick and wounded. And yet their convents have been burned, the statute of the Blessed Mother's hands chopped off and placed at their door. So these threats are very real. They are very real. That is just one example of it. So this history of violence must and should be dealt with. As I said, our great Nation, our great Nation treasures its religious freedoms, and it is part of the core of our democracy. So that's why I urge all of my colleagues to join us, not just me but all of us, in supporting this important legislation. The message that will go forward from this Chamber, with all of the other issues that are swirling around us, is that we stand with great dignity for one of the great principles of our great Nation.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Chair, to respond to my friend and colleague, Mr. Terry, with all due respect, I didn't come to the floor today with a tactic. I offered this, I raised this in the committee. We had a very good discussion about it there. It's my understanding that an EIS is being conducted, but an EIS on the entire pipeline is very different than what I am raising. And the head of the agency, of PHMSA, when she appeared before the committee, understanding that there had not been an examination in particular about the tar sands crude oil and bitumen, said that her agency would be pleased to undertake that study. So I'm here today, obviously, to offer this amendment. I think it is based on good common sense that we examine this before we go ahead with it. I raised something that is very real and that is just a handful of miles from where I live, even though it is outside my congressional district, where lives were lost--eight people were killed, dozens were injured, and 55 homes destroyed. So this is not a tactic. This is not to delay. This is to get this right before the permit is issued. I think the agency can do this on an expedited basis. I'm not seeking to delay and blow up anything. I'm here relative to public health and public safety. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Chair, pipeline safety is not a subject that we can afford to take lightly. On September 10, 2010, last year, a natural gas explosion in San Bruno, California, just north of my congressional district in Congresswoman Speier's district, killed eight people, injured dozens of others, and destroyed 55 homes. This was from a natural gas explosion. Since 1938, Congress has attempted to promote natural gas pipeline safety, but the horrific explosions, like the one in San Bruno, California, continue to occur every year someplace in our country. It is a dangerous business under the best of circumstances. To move forward with the tar sands pipeline, which we have little experience regulating, without a solid understanding of the safety issues is an enormous and, I think, dangerous mistake. We have heard strong, well-informed concerns that pipelines carrying tar sands and the chemical bitumen may pose greater safety risks than even those pipelines carrying conventional or synthetic crude. On June 16 of this year, during an Energy and Power Subcommittee hearing on pipeline safety, Cynthia Quarterman, administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, known as PHMSA, testified that this agency, specifically tasked with researching and administering pipeline safety, has not analyzed the risks of these new pipelines. But Ms. Quarterman replied, when asked, that the agency would be pleased to make such a review. I think the American people would be safer if they did. My amendment would require PHMSA to complete a comprehensive review of the properties and characteristics of bitumen and the hazardous liquid pipeline regulations before a final Presidential permit is issued. I think this study is very, very important for the safety of all Americans, and it will determine whether current regulations are sufficient to regulate pipelines used for the transportation of tar sands crude oil. This approach I think makes sense because it is far less costly to build pipelines correctly than to try to fix or replace a line that is already built. The explosion that occurred in San Bruno, California, and the recent oil spills that have occurred, particularly the spills from TransCanada's Keystone pipeline, which leaked 21,000 gallons of crude in North Dakota--I want to repeat that--leaked 21,000 gallons of crude in North Dakota, is a warning to all of us that we need to get this right. So let's protect lives, money, property, and take the proper precautions now. For these reasons, I urge all of my colleagues to support my amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I was not present during the rollcall votes number 630-631, on June 25, 2011. I would have voted: On rollcall vote No. 630 I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall vote No. 631 would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Audrey Rust, a highly distinguished constituent, a nationally recognized leader of land preservation and a cherished friend on her 24 years as President, CEO and Executive Director of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST). Under her exceptional leadership since 1987, Ms. Rust has led POST, the Palo Alto, California based nonprofit land trust and has worked successfully in partnership with public agencies and private landowners to bring permanent protection to thousands of acres of open space lands in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Recognized across the country as a conservation innovator and champion, she has helped protect local landscapes that are now part of the National Park System, the National Wildlife Refuge System, the California State Parks, as well as county and city parks, regional open space preserves and private farmlands. Before coming to POST, Ms. Rust worked with the Sierra Club, Yale University and Stanford University. She has served on the boards of numerous local, State and national organizations, primarily in the conservation and housing arena. She has received the Times Mirror- Chevron National Conservationist of the Year Award; the League of California Voters Environmental Leadership Award; the Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal; the Garden Club of America's top environmental honor; and the Jacqueline Kennedy Award from JFK University for her achievements in land conservation. Ms. Rust is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs. I've been privileged to know and work with Audrey Rust for many years. She has been a friend, a mentor, and an inspiration to me and to thousands more. Audrey is one of the great environmental heroes of our Nation. Her determination and focus have shaped an extraordinary legacy and our entire Nation is grateful to her for leading the way in saving and preserving the world-class beauty and natural integrity of the Peninsula, South Bay and Coastside of California for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, I'm very proud to have my Bay Area colleagues--Leader Nancy Pelosi; Representative Sam Farr; Representative Mike Honda; Representative Zoe Lofgren; Representative Jerry McNerney, and Representative Jackie Speier join me in honoring Audrey Rust. I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring and thanking Audrey Rust for her unparalleled record of leadership and wish her a joyful retirement. Audrey Rust is indeed a national treasure and it is a privilege to represent her and call her my friend.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was not present during the rollcall vote numbers 601 and 602, on July 18, 2011. I would like the record to reflect how I would have voted: On rollcall vote No. 601 I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall vote No. 602 I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2354, the Fiscal Year 2011 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. The bill slashes funding for clean energy efficiency and research programs. It also makes steep cuts to flood control and environmental cleanup programs. In short, the legislation fails to protect our communities and it jeopardizes American innovation and job creation. The last place to cut is in the area of investments in clean energy technologies. In my Silicon Valley District, innovation is the coin of the realm. I've seen dozens of burgeoning companies who are at the cutting edge of clean energy technology. Our nation has the capacity to lead the world in clean energy technology, and there are domestic industries poised for economic explosion if we help, not hurt them. According to the Brookings Institution, the nation's clean energy economy, defined as goods and services with an environmental benefit, employs about 2.7 million people, more than twice the size of the fossil-fuel industry. Investments today will lay the foundation for our future. I oppose H.R. 2354 and urge my colleagues to do the same because hobbling our future is neither smart fiscally or policy-wise.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. I thank the chairman. I rise once again in strong opposition to Representative Cole's amendment to block transparency and disclosure for taxpayers. That's what this issue is about. It is with continuing curiosity that when I listened to the gentleman, Mr. Cole, present his view, if in fact you believe in disclosure, bring a bill to the floor. The reason that the House has passed what you keep offering is the House is not presented with an opposing view because my amendment is continually blocked and not accepted to be debated on the floor. What this is about is the following: there are businesses large and small that receive billions of taxpayer dollars for services and products in doing business with the Federal Government. In return for this public money, they should have the obligation, which is not burdensome, to simply disclose how they use it. That's all this is. When they spend it in our elections, they know it, the recipients know it, but the taxpayers don't know it. That's one hell of a deal. For those who want to keep it in a dark corner, it's a great deal for them. The American people have spoken clearly. Last year, a CBS/New York Times poll found that 92 percent of the American people support requiring campaigns, independent groups, businesses to disclose how much money they've raised, where it came from, and how it was used. I am going to offer my own amendment again, for the fourth time, to require the disclosure which Representative Cole's amendment forbids. I expect, once again, that the majority is going to block it. It's an unfortunate turnaround, I think, from just a few years ago when Republicans led the fight for disclosure. They were for it before they decided to be against it. Does that tag line ring some bells for you? You were thinking that it would be better than restricting contributions. That was the thinking at the time. But now that the Supreme Court allows unlimited corporate spending, they're against any restrictions whatsoever. We should oppose any amendments that are designed to keep the public less informed rather than more informed about what happens with their tax dollars. That's what this is about. The majority has made a big deal and talked incessantly about spending. What about this spending? Does this not mean something in terms of the Federal Government and the taxpayers? I think with public dollars comes public responsibility. This does not present any constitutional issues, no freedom of speech issues. It is not burdensome. It is simply disclosure. If you want to stand with the uber-lobbyists who are representing lobbyists in support of the gentleman from Oklahoma's amendment, be my guest. I didn't come to Congress to do that. I think that the President's Executive order is sensible, I think it should be put into place, and I think that any legislation brought to this floor to prevent that from happening is really on the wrong side of history. With that, Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I rise for the fourth time this year to call for transparency in our political system. I maintain the view shared by the overwhelming majority of the American people that transparency in the use of our tax dollars is absolutely critical. There are thousands of companies that do business with the Federal Government, receiving billions of public dollars for their services and their products. Our constituents deserve to know whether they spend any of these dollars to influence our elections. My amendment will accomplish this, and I once again urge my colleagues to support it. Now, some say, as we just heard a few moments ago, that this disclosure requirement will politicize the procurement process. It's difficult to maintain that view with a straight face. As I've said before, when a business contracts with the Federal Government and spends money in elections, the process is already politicized. Even in the Citizens United decision legalizing corporate expenditures, eight out of nine justices specifically endorsed prompt disclosure of expenditures. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, ``Disclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way.'' This is not an onerous burden. As Justice Louis Brandeis famously said, ``Sunlight is the best disinfectant.'' I want to share an example from my home State of California that illustrates the importance of disclosure. Last year, in 2010, Proposition 23 was on the ballot. It was an effort to kill the State's tough new global warming rules. The airwaves were flooded with ads, but because California requires disclosure, voters were informed. The oil companies financing the ads had to stand by them each and every time the ad aired, stating that they had paid for them. So voters were informed. They made up their minds. Prop 23 lost by 23 percent in November because voters knew who had paid for the ads and what and whom were behind them. It wasn't just someone skipping through a field, it was going to have an effect on them. It was disclosure. As he has a half-dozen times this year, my colleague, Tom Cole, has offered an amendment to prevent the very disclosure I'm asking us to endorse. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reject it. Preventing transparency puts us all on the wrong side of history every time. Republicans supported disclosure before they were against it, and the record is very clear on that. So I urge those from both the other side of the aisle and my colleagues on this side--I don't believe this is a partisan issue--I believe that disclosure is good for America, it's good for our system. It is not burdensome, it is not anti- constitutional, and it's simple. The voters should know, taxpayers should know. I yield back the balance of my time. Point of Order

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Donald Kennedy, Ph.D., a highly distinguished American and treasured friend on his 80th birthday. Dr. Kennedy was born in New York on August 18, 1931. He earned his A.B. and Ph.D. degrees in biology from Harvard University, but left the East to spend his academic career at Stanford University, a jewel in the crown of the 14th Congressional District. He joined Stanford in 1960 and was named Chair of the Department of Biology in 1964. In 1972, he became the Director of the Program in Human Biology, where he served until 1977. In I977, Don Kennedy was appointed Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration by Health Education and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano. After giving our nation the benefit of his wisdom and considerable talents at the FDA, he returned to Stanford in 1979 and succeeded Richard Lyman as President of the University in 1980. He served with dignity and distinction until his resignation in 1991. He was Editor-in-Chief of Science from 2000 to 2008, and is now the Bing Professor of Environmental Science and President Emeritus of Stanford. I've been privileged to know Don Kennedy for many years. He has been a friend, a mentor, and an inspiration to me and to thousands more. Generations of students have been the beneficiaries of his wise counsel and his scientific knowledge. We've been blessed with his ability to see the `big picture' and to make connections across disciplines. His early attention to the health consequences of environmental degradation was visionary and his commitment to changing policies to benefit the health of our planet is nothing short of extraordinary. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in wishing Don Kennedy, a patriot in the highest sense of the word, a joyful, family and friend-filled 80th birthday. May this milestone be just the beginning of more productive, creative and prolific decades. Don Kennedy is indeed a national treasure and it is a privilege to represent him and his wonderful wife Robin, and call them my friends.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. I have an amendment at the desk, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. ESHOO. I move to strike the last word.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I rise for the third time this year to call for transparency and disclosure in our system and throughout our government. This appropriations bill will spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars next year; and a huge portion of it, a portion that's impossible to quantify, will go to contractors. Some are small, others rank among the world's largest companies. As we meet today, the workforce of contractors in Afghanistan is the same size as the workforce of the uniformed personnel there; and since 2005, we've spent approximately $12 billion on contractors in Afghanistan. Today, there are more private contractors than uniformed personnel in Iraq, and we've spent $112 billion on contractors in Iraq since 2005. The Federal Government does business with thousands of contractors who receive billions of dollars in taxpayer money. They should be required to disclose their political spending, and that's what my amendment will accomplish. In 2002 when we voted to pass the historic McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill, most Republicans voted ``no,'' saying we needed disclosure, not soft money restrictions. They said we needed to put spending out in the open and let the voters assess it. Today, when the President proposes requiring contractors to simply disclose their spending, not to limit it, Republicans are up in arms. They say it will politicize the contracting process; but when contractors can spend money in elections, the contracting process is already politicized. My amendment is modest and it's simple: It will bring this information out into the open and let the public decide for themselves. The public deserves to know what happens with their tax money. Mr. Chairman, this is not a revolutionary idea. For the last 17 years, the SEC requires bond dealers to limit their campaign contributions to the officials in the cities that issue bonds. It requires them to disclose their contributions, providing the public with transparency. The rule was challenged and upheld in court, and my amendment really adheres to the same principle. To quote Senator Mitch McConnell from 2003: ``Why would a little disclosure be better than a lot of disclosure?'' I agree with Senator McConnell. With public dollars come public responsibilities. Disclosure would fulfill this responsibility. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time. Point of Order