Eni Faleomavaega

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1382) expressing sympathy to the families of those killed by North Korea in the sinking of the Republic of Korea Ship Cheonan, and solidarity with the Republic of Korea in the aftermath of this tragic incident.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I do want to compliment my good friend from California for his most eloquent statement, most insightful. And I could not agree better with the gentleman's suggestion that we should take this matter directly to the Security Council of the United Nations with such evidence to show--not to embarrass anybody, but to bear the facts out that, I think, this is an act--it's an act of war, Madam Speaker. There's no other way that you can look at this. And I want to commend my good friend from California for making this suggestion. It should be brought before the Security Council. There should be full deliberations, and let the nations of the world see and witness for themselves what this conduct has become. The killing of 46 sailors, just unbelievable.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I gladly yield to my good friend from California.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I just want to note also that over the years it has been my privilege in dealing and working with the good people and the leaders of South Korea, and I, for one, over the years have always said that the principles underlying the Sunshine Policy, as it was enunciated and tried, I believe, thankfully, by the late President Kim Dae Jung in his efforts to see about bettering relationships between North and South Korea. I know that there were flaws and shortcomings of the Sunshine Policy. And it's to the point now, how much further do we need to show our friendship and goodwill to the people and to the leaders of North Korea? This act of conduct on the part of North Korea is, no question, without excuse. I gladly thank my good friend from California for his statement. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, on March 26, 2010, a South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, was on a routine mission in waters off the west coast of South Korea. At 9:22 p.m., an explosion ripped through the Cheonan's hull. The ship tilted 90 degrees to starboard and it sank. Of the 104 members of the crew on board, 46 sailors died that evening. Madam Speaker, our hearts go out for the 46 brave Korean soldiers who lost their lives in this tragedy. Again, we express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and loved ones of these 46 brave sailors, and may their families be comforted with the fact that my colleagues here in this Chamber share their pain and sorrow. And we remember well what the Lord said in his Sermon on the Mount: ``Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.'' Madam Speaker, despite the immediate suspicion that North Korea was responsible for the attack and the shocking loss of life, the Republic of South Korea reacted calmly and deliberately. As the country mourned its dead, the government formed a Joint Civilian-Military Investigation Group to assess the cause of the explosion. The 74-member team, which included 24 experts from the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Australia, spent several weeks examining the evidence as objectively and scientifically as possible. On May 20, 2010, Madam Speaker, the group released its final report, concluding unanimously that ``the Cheonan was attacked and sunk by a torpedo that was launched from a small North Korean submarine.'' On the day of the report's release, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Howard Berman; and the committee's ranking member, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, Congressman Gary Ackerman; and the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, Congressman Don Manzullo; and I introduced House Resolution 1382, the legislation which is now before us. We did so to demonstrate America's strong solidarity with the Republic of Korea and to call for an appropriate and coordinated international response to North Korea's unprovoked and deadly attack. We also sought to express our condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed, to reaffirm our enduring commitment to the U.S.- Republic of Korea alliance, and to the security of all good people of the Republic of Korea. In addition, Madam Speaker, our resolution calls for an apology from North Korea for its actions and a commitment by Pyongyang never to violate the Korean War Armistice Agreement again. It urges the international community to fully implement all United Nations Security Council resolutions pertaining to security on the Korean Peninsula, including Resolutions 1695, 1718, and 1874. Finally, the resolution calls for the United States, in coordination with its allies and partners, to take appropriate steps in response to other hostile acts perpetrated by North Korea. The sinking of the Cheonan was one of the worst violations of the Korean war armistice since the end of the Korean war. It took place in the wake of other recent North Korean provocations, such as an attempted sale of weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah late last year. Fortunately, our close friend and strong ally, Thailand, seized the plane containing the arms shipment to the Middle East. Last month, South Korea also arrested two North Korean agents sent to Seoul to assassinate Hwang Jang-yop, the highest ranking North Korean official who defected to South Korea. Today, South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak said in an address to his nation that in responding to the sinking of the Cheonan: ``The overriding goal of the Republic of Korea is not military confrontation. Our goal has always been the attainment of real peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.'' The President went on to say that ``North Korea will pay a price corresponding to its provocative acts.'' That price will include stopping all trade and most investments with North Korea, as well as closing South Korea's sea lanes to North Korean ships. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1382 shares President Lee's goals and his call for a calibrated response to North Korea's provocations. No one wants tensions to escalate to the point where another Korean war breaks out, but North Korea must understand that its actions have consequences, that it cannot violate the armistice, break international law, and kill innocent people with impunity. That is why my colleagues and I introduced the resolution, and why we now call on all Members of this body to join us in supporting it. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1382) expressing sympathy to the families of those killed by North Korea in the sinking of the Republic of Korea Ship Cheonan, and solidarity with the Republic of Korea in the aftermath of this tragic incident.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I do want to compliment my good friend from California for his most eloquent statement, most insightful. And I could not agree better with the gentleman's suggestion that we should take this matter directly to the Security Council of the United Nations with such evidence to show--not to embarrass anybody, but to bear the facts out that, I think, this is an act--it's an act of war, Madam Speaker. There's no other way that you can look at this. And I want to commend my good friend from California for making this suggestion. It should be brought before the Security Council. There should be full deliberations, and let the nations of the world see and witness for themselves what this conduct has become. The killing of 46 sailors, just unbelievable.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I gladly yield to my good friend from California.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I just want to note also that over the years it has been my privilege in dealing and working with the good people and the leaders of South Korea, and I, for one, over the years have always said that the principles underlying the Sunshine Policy, as it was enunciated and tried, I believe, thankfully, by the late President Kim Dae Jung in his efforts to see about bettering relationships between North and South Korea. I know that there were flaws and shortcomings of the Sunshine Policy. And it's to the point now, how much further do we need to show our friendship and goodwill to the people and to the leaders of North Korea? This act of conduct on the part of North Korea is, no question, without excuse. I gladly thank my good friend from California for his statement. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, on March 26, 2010, a South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, was on a routine mission in waters off the west coast of South Korea. At 9:22 p.m., an explosion ripped through the Cheonan's hull. The ship tilted 90 degrees to starboard and it sank. Of the 104 members of the crew on board, 46 sailors died that evening. Madam Speaker, our hearts go out for the 46 brave Korean soldiers who lost their lives in this tragedy. Again, we express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and loved ones of these 46 brave sailors, and may their families be comforted with the fact that my colleagues here in this Chamber share their pain and sorrow. And we remember well what the Lord said in his Sermon on the Mount: ``Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.'' Madam Speaker, despite the immediate suspicion that North Korea was responsible for the attack and the shocking loss of life, the Republic of South Korea reacted calmly and deliberately. As the country mourned its dead, the government formed a Joint Civilian-Military Investigation Group to assess the cause of the explosion. The 74-member team, which included 24 experts from the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Australia, spent several weeks examining the evidence as objectively and scientifically as possible. On May 20, 2010, Madam Speaker, the group released its final report, concluding unanimously that ``the Cheonan was attacked and sunk by a torpedo that was launched from a small North Korean submarine.'' On the day of the report's release, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Howard Berman; and the committee's ranking member, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, Congressman Gary Ackerman; and the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, Congressman Don Manzullo; and I introduced House Resolution 1382, the legislation which is now before us. We did so to demonstrate America's strong solidarity with the Republic of Korea and to call for an appropriate and coordinated international response to North Korea's unprovoked and deadly attack. We also sought to express our condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed, to reaffirm our enduring commitment to the U.S.- Republic of Korea alliance, and to the security of all good people of the Republic of Korea. In addition, Madam Speaker, our resolution calls for an apology from North Korea for its actions and a commitment by Pyongyang never to violate the Korean War Armistice Agreement again. It urges the international community to fully implement all United Nations Security Council resolutions pertaining to security on the Korean Peninsula, including Resolutions 1695, 1718, and 1874. Finally, the resolution calls for the United States, in coordination with its allies and partners, to take appropriate steps in response to other hostile acts perpetrated by North Korea. The sinking of the Cheonan was one of the worst violations of the Korean war armistice since the end of the Korean war. It took place in the wake of other recent North Korean provocations, such as an attempted sale of weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah late last year. Fortunately, our close friend and strong ally, Thailand, seized the plane containing the arms shipment to the Middle East. Last month, South Korea also arrested two North Korean agents sent to Seoul to assassinate Hwang Jang-yop, the highest ranking North Korean official who defected to South Korea. Today, South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak said in an address to his nation that in responding to the sinking of the Cheonan: ``The overriding goal of the Republic of Korea is not military confrontation. Our goal has always been the attainment of real peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.'' The President went on to say that ``North Korea will pay a price corresponding to its provocative acts.'' That price will include stopping all trade and most investments with North Korea, as well as closing South Korea's sea lanes to North Korean ships. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1382 shares President Lee's goals and his call for a calibrated response to North Korea's provocations. No one wants tensions to escalate to the point where another Korean war breaks out, but North Korea must understand that its actions have consequences, that it cannot violate the armistice, break international law, and kill innocent people with impunity. That is why my colleagues and I introduced the resolution, and why we now call on all Members of this body to join us in supporting it. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I just want to again offer my commendation to the gentleman for his tireless service and also for his leadership in moving so very many important issues affecting the needs of our Asian Pacific American community in the course of the numbers of years that you have served as chairman. And I speak, I'm sure, on behalf of our colleagues and members of our Asian Pacific Congressional Caucus in doing such a splendid job. My understanding, I think Monday the President's going to invite us to the White House to honor, this month, all the Asian Pacific Americans. And as you said earlier, President Obama is a Hawaiian. He's a Pacific Islander, the first President who at least knows where the Pacific Ocean is.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have left?

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am very respectful of my dear friend here. Mr. Speaker, I thank my fellow Members of Congress who join us today in honoring Asia Pacific Heritage Month. I especially want to thank the gentleman from California, my colleague, Mr. Honda, for his leadership as chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and in requesting this Special Order to allow members of this institution to pay tribute and to recognize the contributions of the Asian Pacific American community to our Nation. Founded in 1994 by then-Congressmen and my dear friend and former colleague, Congressman Norman Mineta, this caucus has been a strong advocate for the Asian Pacific American community on critical issues such as housing, health care, immigration, civil rights, economic development, and education, just to name a few. And so it is fitting that we are gathered here today to advocate as advocates of our community to acknowledge the wide-ranging contributions that Asian Pacific Americans have made in the history of our great Nation. It's been 18 years now that Congress has given authorization that our Nation pay special tribute in the month of May to the contributions of our Asian Pacific American community. I will try and elaborate on the achievements and successes of Asian Pacific Americans to highlight our rich legacy and diversity but, more importantly, to demonstrate that the greatness of our Nation lies in its diversity and ability to accept people from all over the world as they pledge themselves to become fellow citizens of this great Nation. Americans of Asian Pacific descent, over 16 million of us, make up about 8 or 9 percent of our Nation's population. In recent years, the Asian Pacific American population has more than doubled. There are some predictions that it is now considered the most active and rapidly growing group in our country. Time will not permit me to share with you the names and contributions of many of our prominent Asian Pacific American leaders in the fields of law, business, and finance. Too many to mention. One only needs to read today's newspapers or a magazine to know that Asian Pacific American students both in secondary schools and universities are among the brightest minds our Nation offers to the world. I fully expect these students now and in the future will contribute their talents and their expertise to solve major issues and problems confronting our Nation and the world. Many of our prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs are of Asian Pacific descent. For example, many of the popular brands and icons that we know today were created by the brilliant minds of Asian Pacific Americans. For example, the Bose Corporation, which specializes in audio equipment used by historical venues and facilities such as the Sistine Chapel, the Space Shuttle, and the Olympic Stadium, is headed by Amar Bose, an Indian American. Steve Chen, a Chinese American, and Jawed Karim, a Bangladeshi American, were the co-creators of the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube. Vera Wang, a Chinese American fashion designer and model, established herself as an icon by dressing celebrities and creating one of the most fashionable clothing lines for women in the world today. In the realm of sports, Asian Pacific Americans have come to the forefront. Five Asian Pacific Americans competed for Team USA in the recent Winter Olympics, including short-track skaters J.R. Celski, Apolo Ohno, and Simon Cho, and snowboarder Graham Watanabe. Chinese American Julie Chu, who helped lead the U.S. women's ice hockey team to a silver medal, is the first Asian Pacific American to play for the U.S. Olympic women's ice hockey team. Ms. Chu is also the former team captain at Harvard University, where she became the all-time NCAA leading scorer for women's ice hockey. Before I share the accomplishments of other Asian Pacific Americans in the Olympics, I must first recognize the pioneer of them all, in my humble opinion. It's a native Hawaiian by the name of Duke Kahanamoku, the first Asian Pacific American ever to win Olympic gold for the U.S. in the 1912 games. Duke went on to win two more golds and two more silver medals for the United States. Also considered the ``father of modern surfing,'' Duke was the first person to be inducted to both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame. Other prominent Olympians include Kevin Tan, a Chinese American who was selected as captain of the U.S. men's gymnastics team in the 2008 Summer games; high-diver Greg Louganis, of Samoan descent, who won three gold medals in the 1980s; and a high-diver by the name of Sammy Lee, the first Korean American to win a gold medal for the United States in the 1948 games. Four years after his historic feat, Lee also won his second gold medal at age 32, becoming the oldest person to win a gold medal in diving and the first male diver ever to win back-to- back gold medals. A very, very interesting story about Dr. Sammy Lee. At that time, the U.S. diving team for the Olympics would not even allow Dr. Sammy Lee to practice with them because he was a Korean American. So he had to be somewhat innovative and creative, diving off the cliffs just to try to get himself practice to prepare for the Olympics. Guess what? Despite all the difficulties that he was confronted with, he still won the gold medals for Uncle Sam. I remember years ago when I attended the 1988 Olympics in Korea and I ran into Dr. Sammy Lee, and I asked him why the Samoan American named Greg Louganis was so good in high-diving. He said, Eni, look at his legs. Greg Louganis has Samoan legs. The reason for this is because of the strength that he gets from his legs. It allows him to jump higher than any of the other divers to do more difficult tricks. I said, Oh, that's a very interesting thing to know. I've also mentioned many of our young Asian Pacific Americans in the NFL. Today, in the 2010 NFL draft there were seven young men: four Samoans, one Tongan, and one Hawaiian. Probably even more were selected to seven different teams across the Nation. Sometimes, Mr. Speaker, I usually have to give a lesson in geography when people ask where I'm from--Samoa, not Somalia. But when I mention Troy Polamalu and Junior Seau, they say, Oh, those guys. They're Samoans. They're Asian Pacific Americans. I must also mention that Asian Pacific Americans excelled in the sport of rugby. Many of you may have heard world-renowned New Zealand All Blacks team, whose name, I might add, describes the color of their uniforms and not the skin of the people that play the game. Some of the world's most famous rugby players are of Samoan descent. And the All Blacks team includes Brian Williams, Va'aiga Tuigamala, Tana Umaga, and Michael Jones. Also of note, a history of discrimination. At the time of apartheid, New Zealand having one of the most powerful rugby national teams, when the South African Springbok team found out there may be a Samoan or Maori that was included in the All Blacks team, they refused to play them because they did not want to associate with these Polynesians or Asian Americans that made up the All Blacks team in New Zealand. I must also mention in the sport of sumo, as the gentleman from California had alluded to earlier, yes, Asian Pacific Americans also excel in the sport of sumo. I can only mention that the gentleman that started it was a native Hawaiian named Jesse Kuhaulua, whose wrestling name was Takamiyama. He, in turn, trained a Samoan kid by the name of Saleva'a Atisanoa, whose name later became Konishiki. Of course, Konishiki weighed only 570 pounds after they trained him. And, of course, he was able to bench 600 pounds. And then we have native Hawaiian Akebono, whose name was Chad Rowen. He was about 6'8'' and weighed 500 pounds. Another Samoan Tongan sumo wrestler, also a Yokozuna national champion, by the name of Musashimaru. As I shared this with my colleagues, I just wanted to mention, Mr. Speaker, in terms of the achievements of these Asian Pacific Americans, in the field of martial arts, the late Chinese American kung fu martial artist Bruce Lee captivated movie audiences all over the world by destroying the common stereotype of the passive, quiet Asian Pacific American male. The tradition continues today with Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Mr. Speaker, recently I had the privilege of presenting the Congressional Horizon Award to someone else of interesting making, a gentleman by the name of Dwayne Johnson, commonly known as the Rock. The Rock was featured in movies such as ``The Scorpion King,'' ``Rundown,'' ``Get Smart,'' ``Grid Iron Gang,'' ``Race to Witch Mountain,'' and most recently the comedy fantasy film ``Tooth Fairy.'' The unique thing about Dwayne Johnson is his father is part African American European and Native American, but his mother is pure Samoan. Now, just about every Samoan alive claims to be related to the Rock, including myself. Recently I had the privilege of presenting the Congressional Horizon Award to Dwayne Johnson for his contributions and volunteer work in enriching the lives of children worldwide. Dwayne Johnson has made numerous contributions, especially towards terminally ill children through his Rock Foundation. There are also an unprecedented number of Asian Pacific Americans in top government positions, and I think many already may have been mentioned. For example, President Obama appointed Dr. Steven Chu, a Chinese American to be Secretary of Energy. Secretary Chu's extensive work in physics and molecular biology has earned him many accolades. Most notably, he won a Nobel Prize for his work in physics by developing methods to cool and trap atoms in laser light. I don't know what that means, Mr. Speaker, but it must have been something very important. Dr. Chu's dedication to physics led him to the academic side of research as a teacher of physics and molecular and cellular biology at Stanford University and also U.C. Berkeley University. Concerning global warming, Secretary Chu has been a leading advocate for the research of finding alternative sources of energy, steering away our dependence on fossil fuels. Secretary Chu is the first person ever appointed to a Presidential Cabinet after receiving a Nobel Prize. Also, another member of the President's Cabinet, Secretary of Veteran Affairs, my dear and good friend, former General Eric Shinseki, a Japanese American born in Hawaii, a graduate of West Point and a decorated veteran who fought in two combat tours in Vietnam. General Shinseki, wounded from his last tour in Vietnam, understands from personal experience the plight of veterans and the support those veterans and their families really need. General Shinseki is also the only Japanese American and Asian American to be promoted to the Army's top position as Chief of Staff of the Army. He was the first 4-star general of Asian descent in the history of our U.S. military. I can remember well when General Shinseki was asked how many soldiers would it take to take control of Iraq. Strictly from a purely professional opinion as a soldier, not as a politician, he said something in the order of several hundred thousand soldiers. For that he was vilified and severely criticized by civilian authority, namely, former Secretary Rumsfeld and former Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz in saying this is outrageous and not true. And guess what, Mr. Speaker, everything that General Shinseki said was absolutely true. And what did we do? We operated a war in Iraq on the cheap and that is why we have spent 8 years there, costing many more lives simply because of mismanagement and not taking more serious advice from people who know what it means to be in war. Another Cabinet member of the Obama administration who exemplifies that through hard work the American Dream can come true, is former Governor of the State of Washington, Gary Locke, a Chinese American. Secretary Locke grew up in public housing, put himself through Yale University with loans and scholarships and the money he earned working part-time jobs. After earning his law degree, Locke broke many glass ceilings. In 1993 he became the first Chinese American to be elected to his county as county executive in the State of Washington, city of Seattle. And, of course, he served two terms as Governor of the State of Washington. As a Vietnam veteran, Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not say something to honor and respect the hundreds of thousands of Asian Pacific Americans who served then and now in all branches of the armed services to our Nation. As a former member of the U.S. Army Reserve Unit known today as the 100 Battalion 442nd Combat Infantry Group, I would be remiss if I did not share with you the contributions of the tens of thousands of Japanese American soldiers who volunteered to fight our Nation's enemies in Europe during World War II. As you probably know, after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there was such an outrage and outcry for an all-out war against Japan, and days afterwards President Roosevelt right here in this Chamber and the Congress formally declared war against Japan. But out of this retaliation against Japan, over 100,000 Japanese Americans--men, women and children--were caught in the crossfire. Our national government immediately implemented a policy whereby these Japanese Americans were forced to live in what they called relocation camps, but they were actually concentration camps. Their lands, homes, their properties were confiscated without any due process. My former colleague and former Secretary of Transportation, Norman Mineta, and the late Congressman Bob Matsui from Sacramento spent their early years in these concentration camps. Secretary Mineta shared with us an interesting feature. In the camps they had machine gun nests posted all over the camp. And everyone in the camp was told that the machine guns were necessary to protect them against rioters and others who wanted to harm them. But Secretary Mineta observed if the machine guns were posted to guard and protect us, why is that they are all directed and aimed inside the prison camp compound and not outside. Mr. Speaker, I submit it was a time in our Nation's history when there was so much hatred and bigotry and racism against our Japanese American community. Despite all this, tens of thousands of Japanese American men volunteered to join the Army, thus leaving their wives, their parents, brothers and sisters behind barbed wire fences to go train in order to fight America's enemies in Europe. As a result of such volunteerism, two combat units were organized. The 100th Battalion and the 422nd Infantry Combat Group were created and immediately sent to fight in Europe. History speaks for itself, Mr. Speaker, documenting that none have shed their blood more valiantly for our Nation than the Japanese American soldiers who served in these two combat units while fighting enemy forces in Europe during World War II. The military records of the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Infantry are without equal in suffering, in my humble opinion. These Japanese American units suffered an unprecedented casualty rate of 314 percent and received over 18,000 individual decorations, many awarded posthumously for bravery and courage in the field of battle. For your information, 53 Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded for the bravery of these Japanese soldiers; 560 Silver Stars; 9,486 Purple Hearts; and seven Presidential Unit Citations, and I find it unusual that only one Medal of Honor was awarded at that time. Nonetheless, it is noted that the 442nd Infantry Group emerged as the most decorated combat unit of its size ever in the military history of the United States. President Truman was so moved by the bravery in the field of battle, not only by Japanese Americans but African Americans during World War II, that he issued an executive order to finally desegregate all branches of the armed services. And I am proud to say that Senators Daniel Inouye and the late Senator Spark Matsunaga were members of the original units of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry. I was very, very happy that the House made a change, reinvestigated and as a result of the investigation in 1999, 19 additional Congressional Medals of Honor were given to these Japanese Americans who were members of these combat groups. Senator Inouye was one of the recipients, and I was privileged to witness this historic moment at a ceremony at the White House. Mr. Speaker, looking back on history, I submit to you today that the wholesale and arbitrary abolishment of the constitutional rights of these loyal Japanese Americans should forever serve as a reminder and testament that this must never be allowed to occur again. When this miscarriage of justice unfolded during World War II, Americans of German and Italian ancestry were not similarly jailed en masse. Some declare the incident as an example of outright racism and bigotry in its ugliest form. After visiting the Holocaust museums in both Washington, D.C. and in Jerusalem, I understand, Mr. Speaker, better why the genocide of some 6 million Jews has prompted the cry, ``never again.'' Likewise, I sincerely hope that the mass internments on the basis of race will never darken the history of our great Nation. Bruce Yamashita, a Japanese American from Hawaii, was discharged from his training as an officer in the Marine Corps. Marine Corps superiors taunted Bruce with ethnic slurs and told him: We don't want your kind around; go back to your own country. The situation was made worse when the commandant of the Marine Corps, who appeared on ``60 Minutes,'' said marine officers who are minorities do not shoot, swim or use compasses as well as white officers. Well, the general apologized, but it was too late. After research and investigations, Mr. Yamashita was vindicated and finally commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps. Mr. Speaker, when I envision America, I don't see a melting pot designed to reduce and remove racial differences. No, the America I see is a brilliant rainbow, a rainbow of ethnicities, of cultures, different religions and languages with each person proudly contributing in his own distinctive and unique way for a better America. Asian Pacific Americans wish to find a just and equitable place in our society that would allow them, like all Americans, to grow, to succeed, to achieve, and to contribute to the advancement of this great Nation. I would like to close my remarks by asking all of us here, my colleagues, and the American people: What is America all about? I think it could not have been said better than on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial in the summer of 1963 when an African American minister by the name of Martin Luther King, Jr., poured out his heart and soul to every American who could hear his voice, when he uttered these profound words: ``I have a dream. My dream is that one day my four little children will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.'' That is what I believe America is all about and that is what I firmly believe that the 16 million Asian Pacific Americans that are a part and fabric of our great Nation, that it will make us even a greater country, by looking at the characters of the people and judging them accordingly and not because of race. I sincerely hope my colleagues will remember this month of May has been dedicated. It has been my privilege to visit several installations over the course of the 20 years I have been here, to share with the American people the contributions that Asian Pacific Americans have made to our great Nation. Mr. Speaker, I thank my fellow members of Congress who join us today in honoring Asian Pacific Heritage Month. I also thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Honda, for his leadership as Chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, CAPAC, and in requesting this Special Order to allow Members of this institution to pay tribute to and recognize the contributions of the Asian Pacific American community to our nation. Founded in 1994 by then-Congressman and my dear friend, Norman Mineta, CAPAC has been a strong advocate for the Asian Pacific American community on critical issues such as housing, healthcare, immigration, civil rights, economic development, and education, just to name a few. And so it is fitting that we are gathered here today as advocates for our community to acknowledge the wide-ranging contributions Asian Pacific Americans have made in the history of this great nation. In 1992, Congress passed a joint Congressional Resolution to designate the month of May to give special recognition of the contributions of our Asian-Pacific American community to our nation. Originally, Congress in 1978 designated the first week of May to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants and the completion of the transcontinental railroad that was built by the Chinese laborers. Every year since then, the President would issue an Executive proclamation from the White House to honor this month and direct all federal agencies and military installations throughout the country to conduct special events and ceremonies to honor our Asian- Pacific American communities throughout our country. I will try and elaborate on the achievements and successes of Asian- Pacific Americans to highlight our rich legacy and diversity but, more importantly, to demonstrate that the greatness of our nation lies in its diversity and ability to accept peoples from all over world, as they pledge themselves to become fellow citizens of this great nation. Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent, over 16 million strong, are among the fastest growing demographic groups in the United States today, even though they make up only 9 percent of our nation's population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community is comprised of over 45 distinct ethnicities and over 28 language groups. In recent years, the Asian-Pacific American population has more than doubled and this rapid growth is expected to continue in the years to come--reaching 40.6 million by 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Time will not permit me to share with you the names and contributions of many of our prominent Asian-Pacific American leaders in the fields of law, business, finance, and too many to mention. One only needs to read today's newspaper or a magazine to know that Asian-Pacific American students--both in secondary schools and universities--are among the brightest minds our nation offers to the world. I fully expect that these students--now and in the future--will contribute their talents and expertise to solve major issues and problems confronting our nation and the world. Many of our prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs are of Asian-Pacific descent. In fact, many of the popular brands and icons that we know today were created by the brilliant minds of Asian-Pacific Americans. For example, the Bose Corporation (note: one syllable, pronounced Boze), which specializes in audio equipment used by historical venues and facilities, such as the Sistine Chapel, the Space Shuttle, and the Olympic stadiums, is currently headed by its founder, Amar Bose--an Indian American. Steve Chen, a Chinese American, and Jawed Karim, a Bangladeshi American, were the co-creators of the popular video sharing Web site, ``YouTube.'' Vera Wang, a Chinese American fashion designer and mogul, established herself as an icon by dressing celebrities and creating one of the most fashionable clothing lines for women in the world. In the realm of sports, Asian-Pacific Americans have come to the forefront. Of the five Asian-Pacific Americans who competed with Team USA in the recent Winter Olympics--including short track skaters J.R. Celski, Apolo Ohno, and Simon Cho, and snowboarder Graham Watanabe-- Chinese American Julie Chu, who helped lead the U.S. women's ice hockey team to a silver medal, is the first Asian American to play for the U.S. Olympic women's ice hockey team. Chu is also the former team captain at Harvard where she became the all-time NCAA leading scorer for women's ice hockey. Before I share the accomplishments of other Asian-Pacific Americans of Olympic fame, I must first recognize the pioneer of them all--Native Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, the first Asian-Pacific American ever to win Olympic gold for the U.S. in the 1912 games. Duke went on to win two more gold and two silver medals. Also considered the ``father of modern surfing,'' Duke was the first person to be inducted to both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame. Other prominent Olympians include: Kevin Tan, a Chinese American who was selected as captain of the U.S. men's gymnastics team in the 2008 summer games; high-diver Greg Louganis, of Samoan descent, who won three gold medals in the 1980s; and high-diver Dr. Sammy Lee, the first Asian-American ever to win Olympic gold for the U.S. in the 1948 Games. Four years after his historic feat, Lee won his second gold medal at age 32, becoming the oldest person to win a gold medal in diving, and the first male diver to win back-to-back gold medals. As a Korean-American living before the Civil Rights movement, Sammy had to overcome much discrimination to attain his goals. Even finding a place to practice was a struggle. For example, the Brookside pool in Dr. Lee's town would only allow non-Whites to use the pool once a week. Sammy described that at closing, the pool was emptied, and fresh water was brought in the next day. On other days, he would often practice his diving form by jumping onto a sand pile. After attaining his goals of becoming both an Olympic diver and a medical doctor--which he promised his father--Sammy turned to coaching and not surprisingly, met with great success. He coached one of his most famous students, then sixteen-year old Greg Louganis, to a silver medal in 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. I remember years ago when I attended the 1988 Olympics in Korea and I ran into Dr. Sammy Lee. I asked him why this Samoan-American named Louganis was so good in the art of diving. He said, ``Look at his legs, they are Samoan.'' The reason for this is it gives him the ability to jump higher than any of his Olympic competitors. He could jump higher than anybody. That's what gives him the opportunity to do flips more difficult than any of the others to accomplish. Asian-Pacific Americans are more prevalent in American sports now than ever before. We have Yao Ming, a Chinese basketball player, playing for the Houston Rockets; Daisuke Matsuzaka, a Japanese baseball player, playing for the Boston Red Sox; and Yutaka Fukufuji, the first Japanese to play for the National Hockey League, who played for the Los Angeles Kings. I have to also mention our young Asian-Pacific Americans in the NFL. In the 2010 NFL draft, seven young men--four Samoans, one Tongan and one Hawaiian--were selected by seven different teams across the nation. These young men are ambassadors of goodwill and represent the Asian- Pacific Americans of past and present NFL fame--from pioneers such as Al Lolotai who played for the Washington Redskins in 1945, Charles Ane and Rockne Freitas of Detroit Lions, to the likes of Junior Seau of the New England Patriots and Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I must also mention Polynesians' first love which is rugby. Many of you may have heard of the world-renown New Zealand All Blacks team, whose name--I might add--describes the color of their uniforms and not their skin. Some of our famous Samoan rugby legends of the All Blacks include Bryan Williams, Va'aiga Tuigamala, Tana Umaga, and Michael Jones. Michael Jones, who was noted for his refusal to play on Sundays (including major semifinal matches) due to his strong Christian beliefs, was once asked how a Christian such as himself could be such an uncompromising tackler. In reply, he quoted a scripture from the Bible saying, ``It is better to give than receive.'' Also to note is the history of discrimination that the All Blacks faced in international rugby--most notably, while playing the South Africa Springboks. During a time when the white South African government's apartheid views regarded the black majority as second- class citizens, the South African Rugby Union demanded Maori players be excluded from All Blacks teams. Just recently--in fact, last month-- South African rugby has given its first indication that it is willing to apologize to the Maori for this discriminatory practice which occurred decades ago. Asian-Pacific Americans have also made their name in American rugby teams. I must also mention the successes of a young Samoan-American rugby player by the name of Thretton Palamo, who made his World Cup debut in 2007, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup match, eight days after his 19th birthday. Palamo, a strong advocate for the sport, was additionally named as captain for the USA Sevens team at the 2009 World Games in Taiwan. I must also mention our internationally renown Asian-Pacific Americans who excelled in Japan's most revered and ancient sport-- sumo--including: Takmiyama (Native Hawaiian), Konishiki (Samoan), Akebono (Native Hawaiian), and Musashimaru (Samoan-Tongan). Years ago, an eighteen year old Samoan kid named Saleva'a Atisanoa-- then weighing only 384 poinds and an all-state football player intending to play college football--was walking along Waikiki Beach with his buddies when he caught the attention of the famous Native Hawaiian sumo wrestler and teacher, Jesse Kuhaulua or, as he was known as throughout Japan, Takamiyama. After convincing Salevaa's parents to have their son try sumo wrestling as an optional sport, Takamiyama brought this young man only with a lavalava and a t-shirt on his back, to start a training program so rigorous and demanding that very few foreigners could endure the first six months. Saleva'a told me that during his six to seven hours of training every day--in which he didn't understand the language--his body would take about every form of pain and physical punishment including hours of stretching, pushing, and pulling. If you want to know how conditioned a sumo wrestler has to be in order to be successful in this ancient sport, he must be able to do the splits just like a seasoned ballerina dancer at an opera concert. Salevaa's name was changed to Konishiki and weighing in at only 570 pounds and standing 6 feet tall, he took the entire sumo wrestling world to a different level. His success in winning matches within two years usually would take most sumo wrestlers five years to, achieve. Although he achieved the second highest level in sumo, which was Oyeki, Konishiki became a household name throughout Japan, and was forerunner to two other Polynesian sumo wrestlers who eventually became Yokozuna, or grand champions. Indeed, these two sumo wrestlers scaled even greater heights by attaining the highest status in this ancient Japanese sport. A native Hawaiian, Chad Rowen or Akebono as he is known in Japan became Yokozuna. Of course, he weighed about 500 pounds and stood 6 feet 8 inches tall. The other was Samoan-Tongan American Fiamalu Penitani, also known as Musashimaru who tipped the scale at 550 pounds and stood 6 feet 4 inches. In the field of martial arts, the late Chinese-American kung-fu martial arts expert Bruce Lee captivated the movie audiences all over the world by destroying the common stereotype of the passive, quiet Asian-Pacific American male, and the tradition continues today with Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Now, another sports and movie icon moving his way through the movie industry--and believed to be the heir apparent to Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger--is none other than the former World Wrestling Entertainment champion wrestler, Dwayne Johnson, or commonly known as the Rock. The Rock was featured in movies such as the Scorpion King, Rundown, Get Smart, Grid Iron Gang, Race to Witch Mountain, and most recently the comedy fantasy film Tooth Fairy. The thing unique about Dwayne Johnson is that his father is of African, European, and Native American descent, but his mother is pure Samoan. Now, just about every Samoan alive claims to be related to the Rock, including myself. Recently I had the privilege of presenting the Congressional Horizon Award to Chief Seiuli Dwayne ``The Rock'' Johnson for his contributions and volunteer work in enriching the lives of children worldwide. Dwayne Johnson has made numerous contributions--especially towards terminally- ill children--through The Rock Foundation. There are also an unprecedented number of Asian-Pacific Americans in top government positions, and these leaders were not appointed to their positions because of their race and heritage but because they bring vast knowledge, experience and different viewpoints that their APA backgrounds have contributed to. For example, President Obama appointed Steven Chu, a Chinese American, to be the Secretary of Energy. Secretary Chu's extensive work in physics and molecular biology has earned him accolades and achievements throughout the world--most notably he won a Nobel Prize for his work in physics by developing methods ``to cool and trap atoms with laser light.'' Chu's dedication to physics led him to the academic side of research, as a teacher of physics and molecular and cellular biology at Stanford and UC Berkley. Concerning global warming, Secretary Chu has been a leading advocate for the research of finding alternative sources of energy, and steering away from our dependence on fossil fuels. Secretary Chu is the first person ever appointed to the Cabinet after receiving a Nobel Prize. Our newest Secretary of Veteran Affairs, my good friend General Eric Shinseki, is a Japanese American born in Hawaii, a graduate of West Point, and is a decorated veteran who fought in two combat tours in Vietnam. Secretary Shinseki, wounded from his last tour in Vietnam, understands from personal experience the plight of veterans and the support those veterans and their families need. General Shinseki is also the only Japanese American and Asian American to be promoted to the Army's top position, and was the first four-star general of Asian descent in the history of our U.S. military. As the Army Chief of Staff during the beginning stages of the war in Iraq, Shinseki publicly clashed with Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld over how many troops the U.S. would need to keep in postwar Iraq. Shinseki testified to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that ``something in the order of several hundred thousand soldiers'' would probably be required for postwar Iraq, an estimate far higher than the figure being proposed by Secretary Rumsfeld. As many of you know, Shinseki's counsel was ultimately rejected in strong language by both Rumsfeld and his Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and when the insurgency took hold, his comments and their public rejection were often cited by those who felt the Bush administration deployed too few troops. In his November 2006 testimony before Congress, CENTCOM Commander Gen. John Abizaid stated that General Shinseki had in fact been correct that more troops were needed. Another cabinet member in Obama's Administration, who has exemplified that with hard work the American dream can come true, is former Governor of the State of Washington Gary Locke, a Chinese American. Locke grew up in public housing and put himself through Yale University with loans, scholarships and the money he earned working part-time jobs. After earning his law degree, Locke broke many glass ceilings. In 1993, he became the first Chinese American to be elected his county's County Executive, and in 1996, he became the first Chinese American to be governor of a state, serving the maximum of two terms. Secretary Locke's family history is also an important one to emphasize, as it is one of many hardships that our Asian-Pacific American communities have faced. In an interview, Locke mentioned that his grandfather might have claimed that he was born in the U.S. and that the documents were destroyed. Some of you may know that in 1882 our government institutionalized racial discrimination against Chinese immigrants where they were banned from entering the United States. The Chinese people living in the U.S. at the time were excluded from becoming American citizens. And because of the restrictions of this law, it was nearly impossible for Chinese families to reunite. This Exclusion Act was repealed only 66 years ago. Locke's grandfather could have been one of the few Chinese immigrants who managed to get into the Untied States through ruses of lost documentation, while the immigration of people from all over Europe was unlimited. Another prominent Obama appointee is Harold Koh, a Korean American, who currently serves as Chief Legal Counsel for the Department of State. What's interesting about Koh's background is that his father, a legal scholar and diplomat, was granted asylum in the U.S. after a military coup in Korea. Moving their family to Connecticut, he and Koh's mother soon became the first Asian Americans to teach at Yale University. As a Vietnam veteran, I would be remiss if I do not say something to honor and respect the hundreds of thousands of Asian-Pacific Americans who served then and now in all branches of the armed services of our Nation. As a former member of the U.S. Army's Reserve unit, known today as the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry Combat group, I would be remiss if I did not share with you the contributions of the tens of thousands of Japanese American soldiers who volunteered to fight our Nation's enemies in Europe during World War II. As you probably know, after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there was such an outrage and cry for an all out war against Japan and days afterwards our President and the Congress formally declared war. Out of this retaliation against Japan, over 100,000 Japanese Americans were caught in the crossfire. Our national government immediately implemented a policy whereby these Japanese-Americans were forced to live in what were called relocation camps, but were actually more like prison or concentration camps. Their lands, homes and properties were confiscated by the military without due process of law. My former colleague and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Norman Mineta, and the late Congressman Bob Matsui from Sacramento spent the early years of their lives in these prison camps. Secretary Mineta shared one of the interesting features of these prison camps was the many machine gun nests posted all around. Everyone in the camps was told that these machine guns were necessary to protect them against rioters or others who wanted to harm them. But then-Secretary Mineta observed, ``If these machine guns are posted to guard and protect us, why is it that they are all directed and aimed inside the prison camp compound and not outside?'' It was a time in our Nation's history when there was so much hatred, bigotry and racism against our Japanese American community. Despite all this, the White House accepted the request of tens of thousands of the Japanese Americans to volunteer to join the Army, thus leaving their wives, parents, brothers and sisters behind barbed wire fences. As a result of such volunteerism, two combat units were organized. The 100th Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Combat Group were created and immediately were sent to fight in Europe. In my humble opinion, history speaks for itself in documenting that none have shed their blood more valiantly for our Nation than the Japanese American soldiers who served in these two combat units while fighting enemy forces in Europe during World War II. The military records of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry are without equal in suffering. These Japanese American units suffered an unprecedented casualty rate of 31.4%, and received over 18,000 individual decorations, many awarded posthumously, for bravery and courage in the field of battle. For your information, 53 Distinguished Service Crosses, (the second highest medal given for heroism in combat), 560 Silver Stars (third highest medal), 9,486 Purple Hearts, and 7 Presidential Unit Citations, the Nation's top award for combat units, were awarded to the Japanese American soldiers of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry Group. I find it unusual however, that only one Medal of Honor was awarded at the time. Nonetheless, the 442nd Infantry Group emerged as the most decorated combat unit of its size in the history of the United States Army. President Truman was so moved by their bravery in the field of battle, as well as that of African American soldiers during World War II, that he issued an Executive Order to finally desegregate all branches of the Armed Services. I am proud to say that we must recognize Senator Daniel K. Inouye and the late, highly respected Senator Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii, who distinguished themselves in battle as soldiers with the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry. It was while fighting in Europe that Senator Inouye lost his arm while engaged in his personal battle against two German machine gun posts. For his heroism, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. As a result of a Congressional mandate that was passed in 1999 to review the military records of these two combat units, President Clinton presented 19 Congressional Medals of Honor to the Japanese Americans who were members of these two combat groups. Senator Inouye was one of those recipients of the Medal of Honor and I was privileged to witness this historical moment at a White House ceremony. Just last May, the House unanimously passed H.R. 347, thus granting the Congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. Looking back on history, I submit to you today, that the wholesale and arbitrary abolishment of the constitutional rights of these loyal Japanese Americans should forever serve as a reminder and testament that this must never be allowed to occur again. When this miscarriage of justice unfolded during World War II, Americans of German and Italian ancestry were not similarly jailed en masse. Some declare the incident as an example of outright racism and bigotry in its ugliest form. After visiting the Holocaust museums in both Washington, DC and in Jerusalem, I understand better why the genocide of 6 million Jews has prompted the cry, ``Never Again.'' Likewise, I sincerely hope that mass internments on the basis of race will never again darken the history of our great Nation. To those who say, well, that occurred decades ago, I say we must continue to be vigilant in guarding against such evil today. Not long ago we had the case of Bruce Yamashita, a Japanese American from Hawaii who was discharged from the Marine Corps officer training program in an ugly display of racial discrimination. Marine Corps superiors taunted Yamashita with ethnic slurs and told him, ``We don't want your kind around here. Go back to your own country.'' The situation was made worse by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Carl E. Mundy, who appeared on television's ``Sixty Minutes'' and stated, ``Marine officers who are minorities do not shoot, swim or use compasses as well as white officers.'' After years of perseverance and appeals, Mr. Yamashita was vindicated after proving he was the target of vicious racial harassment during his officer training program. The Secretary of the Navy's investigation into whether minorities were deliberately being discouraged from becoming officers resulted in Bruce Yamashita receiving his commission as a captain in the Marine Corps. When I envision America, I don't see a melting pot designed to reduce and remove racial differences. The America I see is a brilliant rainbow--a rainbow of ethnicities, cultures, religions and languages with each person proudly contributing in their own distinctive and unique way for a better America. Asian-Pacific Americans wish to find a just and equitable place in our society that will allow them--like all Americans--to grow, to succeed, to achieve and to contribute to the advancement of this great Nation. I would like to close my remarks by asking all of us here--what is America all about? I think it could not have been said better than on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in that summer of 1963 when an African American minister by the name of Martin Luther King, Jr. poured out his heart and soul to every American who could hear his voice, when he uttered these profound words, ``I have a dream. My dream is that one day my four little children will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.'' That is what I believe America is all about.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5019, the ``Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010.'' First I want to thank the chief cosponsor Congressman Peter Welch and all cosponsors for their support. I also want to commend Chairman Henry Waxman of the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Chairman Sander Levin of the Committee on Ways and Means; and Chairman Edolphus Towns of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for their leadership on this important issue. Madam Chair, the ``Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010'' continues the road to economic recovery that was set in motion last year when President Obama and the U.S. Congress approved $787 billion in stimulus funding. Between January 1 and March 31 of this year alone 682,779 jobs were funded through recovery funding. Yet, more work remains to be done to sustain recovery and strengthen our economy and the piece of legislation before us today pursues this policy objective. It will provide further assistance to . . . facilitate energy conservation in homes across the Nation; create more jobs in the home construction and remodeling industries; promote domestic energy efficient products and equipments; and offer financing for homeowners to improve energy efficiency in homes. Overall, the economic benefits from this bill will provide more support for the many families across the country. Madam Chair, data shows that American homes account for about 33 percent of the Nation's total electricity usage and an estimated 22 percent of all energy use in the United States. Because of high energy consumption in the country there are substantial economic benefits to be gained from installing energy-efficient improvements in every home across the Nation. A study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University supports this assessment noting that ``energy efficiency is one area where the economic benefits of green remodeling are readily apparent,'' and that ``the introduction of green systems could have a tremendous impact on national consumption.'' The same study also finds that nearly all of the 130 million homes across the country can be retrofitted with energy efficient improvements to realize savings in energy and utility costs. More significantly, retrofit and renovation work provide significant employment opportunities for the capable workers. In essence, H.R. 5019 will create a national rebate program that will allow consumers to purchase and install at affordable costs, energy- efficient equipments and materials in existing homes. It consists of two-tracks, Silver and Gold programs, for long term and short term gains. Under the Silver program, rebates are awarded to contractors and vendors that are installing energy efficiency measures and from there the savings are passed on to the consumers. Rebates will apply to the cost of purchase, assembly and installation of insulation, windows, window film, sealants, doors, heating and cooling replacement systems, and water heaters that meet minimum energy efficiency requirements. Overall, the homeowners may get up to $3000 in rebates. Under the Gold Star program, rebates are available for energy retrofit works that will result in improvements in energy efficiency by at least 20 percent for the entire home. It rewards homeowners who conduct a comprehensive energy audit and implement a full complement of measures to reduce energy use throughout the home. Madam Chair, I am pleased that this rebate program will be available in the U.S. Territories including my district of American Samoa. While much remains to be seen on how this rebate program will be administered and implemented, I am glad nevertheless that the federal government is doing its share to help families in American Samoa and throughout the United States. I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 5019.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution recognizing the United States' longstanding ties with Thailand and our strong wish for a peaceful, democratic resolution to the country's ongoing political problems. In an important development on Monday, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced that he plans to hold new elections on November 14, 2010, based on a plan which calls on all parties to join together in upholding the monarchy, on the government to carry out economic and political reforms, and on the nation to create an independent committee to investigate casualties resulting from the clash of April 10, 2010. Fortunately, the response from most quarters to the Prime Minister's suggestions has been positive. The plan and the elections offer a process that I believe can serve as the basis for an amicable end to the dispute. The resolution I am offering today is meant to encourage that process, to demonstrate America's commitment to Thailand and its people and to convey our sincere hope that Thailand returns to democracy, stability and the rule of law. Thailand is one of United States' closest friends and most dependable allies. Ours is a partnership steeped in history. Indeed, the first treaty we concluded with an Asian nation was with Thailand in 1833, with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Siam and the United States. In 1954, we forged a military alliance, and in 2003 the United States designated Thailand a major non-NATO ally. Thailand contributed troops and support for U.S. military operations in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq. Thailand is also a major trading partner of the United States, a regional leader, a force for stability in Southeast Asia and a country with which we share common values and interests. We have always appreciated Thailand's many international contributions, and we respect and admire its unique culture. Of course, only the Thai people can chart their way toward settlement of the conflict. As a close friend of Thailand, however, the United States should, I believe, offer its support and demonstrate its concern. This resolution does just that, encouraging all sides to address the country's political problems peacefully and democratically, based on the national reconciliation plan offered by the Prime Minister. I might add that I introduced this resolution on ``Chattra Mongkhon.'' It is on this day that the country commemorates the ascension to the throne of His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It is a day when all Thai people pay their respects to His Majesty and wish him a long, healthy and happy life. I can think of no better way for this body to honor His Majesty and the people of Thailand than to voice support for peaceful reconciliation on this important day. I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution and moving it toward speedy adoption.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the Honorable Iwao Matsuda, a Member of the Diet of Japan and visionary leader of the United States-Japan Bilateral Legislative Exchange Program, LEP, and of the United States-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Legislative Exchange Program, TLEP. Matsuda-san will soon be retiring after decades of exemplary public service to his own country and to a more peaceful and prosperous Northeast Asia. The United States-Japan relationship is as important as ever, and Matsuda's contributions to that relationship and to the LEP have been vital and unswerving. His leadership and the sorts of exchanges exemplified by the LEP and TLEP form the foundation for our strong ties. This is an especially important year in United States-Japan relations as it marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States. The treaty forms the bedrock of our bilateral relationship, which in turn plays an indispensable role in ensuring security and prosperity for the United States and Japan, as well as for the broader Asia-Pacific. Both of our countries are guided by a shared respect for democracy and freedom, by the enduring ties we have forged over the last 65 years and by the personal relationships formed through the tireless work of leaders such as Matsuda-san. Matsuda-san's distinguished career began at Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry, MITI, where he served for more than 20 years. This period included a posting in the United States where he did critical work on the expanding bilateral trade relationship. After leaving the civil service, he ran successfully for public office, serving for 10 years in the Lower House of the Diet. During his tenure, when United States-Japan trade frictions were becoming ever more heated, Matsuda-san had the foresight to develop the United States-Japan Legislative Exchange Program, LEP, which brought Members of the Diet and U.S. Congress together semiannually to address key issues in United States-Japan relations. As a long-time participant in the LEP, I can personally attest to its valuable contribution toward improving ties and finding common ground. And today it is as valuable as ever given the new problems confronting the United States-Japan bilateral relationship, including basing issues and other matters. Matsuda-san's exemplary leadership through the LEP has demonstrated that even the most vexing issues can be resolved when viewed in the context of our shared interests, values and goals. In 1998, Matsuda-san was elected to serve in the Upper House of the Diet and held increasingly important government posts, including Senior Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Chairman of the House of Councilors' Research Committee on International Affairs and, ultimately, Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Food Safety and Information Technology in the cabinet of Junichiro Koizumi. During this period, he created the United States-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Legislative Exchange Program, TLEP, a complement to the LEP and an organization that has demonstrably improved ties among the three nations. This year marks the LEP's 22d year and 43d consecutive session and the TLEP's 7th year and 12th consecutive session. All of us in this body are grateful for Matsuda-san's leadership and vision. Even with his retirement, Matsuda-san's legacy will endure. The LEP and TLEP will continue and the bilateral and trilateral relationships will advance so long as we hold to the principles of open discussion, friendship and trust that Matsuda-san has exemplified. We will miss Iwao Matsuda. But I know he will continue to play a critical role in advancing relations among the United States, Japan and South Korea and that we will always be able to count on his friendship and support.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the distinguished service of His Excellency Phiane Philakone, the Ambassador of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) to the United States. Ambassador Philakone will soon be returning to Laos and, for historical purposes, I want to publicly acknowledge the good work he has done on behalf of his country. For more than three years, Ambassador Philakone has honorably carried out his responsibilities as Laos' Ambassador to the United States. During his service, he has worked with the House Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, which I chair, to bring greater attention to the issue of Unexploded Ordnance in Laos. Because of him, I was able to visit Laos on two occasions and gain a firsthand understanding of the catastrophic and lasting effects of U.S. Air Force bombing operations in Laos during the Vietnam War. To this very day, these deadly, unexploded ordnances continue to claim the lives of a people who are not and never were at war with us, and unless we rectify this now, the loss of life will go on and on, tomorrow, the next day, and every day thereafter. I thank Ambassador Philakone for his leadership on this issue. Before Ambassador Philakone accepted his assignment to come to the U.S. in February 2007, he devoted six years as Ambassador of the Lao PDR to the Republic of the Philippines. From 1996-1999, he was the Deputy Governor of the Lao Central Bank. Prior to that position, he served as President of a joint venture commercial bank in the Lao PDR. Ambassador Philakone has held other distinguished banking posts, including Managing Director of a state commercial bank and Director of Administration of the Lao Development Bank. Additionally, from 1976- 1989, he was the Director of Research of the Bank of the Lao PDR. In addition to his extensive practical experience, Ambassador Philakone has academic training in policy and diplomatic matters. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Law and Administration from Institut Royal de Droit et d'Administration in Laos and an advanced degree from Institut International d'Administration Publique (IIAP) in France. He is fluent in English, French, and Thai. Ambassador Philakone and his wife, Mrs. Somchit Philakone, have three children, and I extend to them my highest regards and best wishes.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the ``Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009.'' I want to thank Chairman Bob Filner and my colleagues in the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for their support and for bringing this bill before the House for consideration. I also want to commend the chief cosponsor of this bill and Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, my good friend from the State of Hawaii, Senator Akaka, for continuing to look out for the interest and the needs of those that have served in the armed forces of this great nation. The bill before us today reaffirms our commitment to provide for the needs and to share the sacrifice borne by our veterans. Among other things, it will: provide immediate support for veteran caregivers; improve health care access for women veterans; improve rural health care delivery; and increase access to mental health support for servicemembers and veterans. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that Congress recognizes the needs of the families and those that are taking care of our veterans. Today, more servicemembers are surviving the wounds of war than those injured in previous conflicts. For example, the ratio of wounded per fatality averaged approximately 1.7 in the first two World Wars compared to 3.1 in the Korea and Vietnam wars. This number jumped to 7.1 during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF), mainly due to improved body armor and superior battlefield medicine techniques. As a result of this improvement, there is a growing need to provide continuing care to those injured and wounded from recent conflicts once they reach veterans status. Providing support and resources to caregivers and attendants that take care of our wounded and injured veterans is of a major concern. The bill before us today makes it easier for a veteran to be accompanied by a family member when traveling to and from a treatment facility. In addition to mileage, lodging and subsistence will be provided for, especially for those veterans that want to stay close to their families. A caregiver support program is also created where caregivers of veterans of all eras would receive supportive services such as caregiver training and education, counseling and mental health services, and respite care. More significantly, our veterans would receive better treatment and quality of care. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this important piece of legislation.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in total opposition to all my friends who oppose the legislation on the other side of the aisle, but in full support of this most historical bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the ``Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010.'' Mr. Speaker, we stand today at the threshold of a momentous occasion in the history of this great Nation. It is momentous in the sense that this long-overdue, comprehensive overhaul of our national Healthcare system is desperately needed to address rising medical costs and to extend coverage to our fellow Americans that are often left to fend for themselves. I want to thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her leadership and for bringing this important issue to the Floor for consideration. I also want to express my gratitude to President Obama and the Democratic House and Senate leadership for their willingness to work hand-in-hand with the Congressional Delegates to resolve our concerns and reduce the health disparity facing the Territories. On the House side, I want to particularly thank both Chairman Henry Waxman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and Chairman Charles Rangel of the Committee on Ways and Means for their unwavering support in addressing the concerns put forward by the Congressional Delegates. On the Senate side, I also want to thank Senator Chris Dodd and Senator Charles Schumer for their assistance. Most of all, I wish to recognize my fellow Congressional Delegates, Donna Christensen of the Virgin Islands for her work in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Gregorio Sablan of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas and Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico for their advocacy in the House Committee on Education and Labor, and Madeleine Bordallo of Guam for her leadership as the Chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Healthcare Task Force. Together, we worked relentlessly to bring about change for those we represent. This entire Healthcare overhaul would not have been possible without the support of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and I want to especially recognize the efforts of Congressman Mike Honda, Chairman of CAPAC. While the bill we have before us today is far from ideal and not the perfect solution to all our health care issues, it is imperative and also the constitutional responsibility of the Members of this Chamber to act in the best interest of those who are suffering, particularly in light of the heart-wrenching stories told of people dying, parents worrying and families living in fear because they have no health insurance. Just last year, it was estimated that 625 Americans lost their health insurance every hour. So even though we may not agree on how to make this right, we can agree that to do nothing is not an acceptable course of action. Our fellow Americans deserve our help. The some 4.4 million Americans living in the Territories also deserve to be recognized and this is why I am pleased that this bill acknowledges that we are part of the American family. Although much remains to be desired, this bill is a step towards bringing the Territories to parity with the States. Under Section 1204, the Territories--Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands--will receive an additional $6.3 billion over a 9 year period in federal funding for Medicaid costs. American Samoa will receive $285.5 million in total Medicaid spending for the next 9 years, or an increase of over $180 million. This legislation also provides $1 billion for the Territories to participate in the Health Insurance Exchange program, the centerpiece of this Healthcare Reform Legislation. Each of the Territories will be afforded the option to participate or transfer their allocation to their Medicaid program. If American Samoa chooses not to participate in the Exchange, the Territory will receive an additional $18.75 million for its Medicaid program. With the historic passage of this legislation and the increased federal funding it will provide, I am hopeful that the American Samoa Government and Legislature will do all it can to provide quality and affordable health care for the people of American Samoa. In 2005, the findings of the American Samoa Health Survey estimated that only 25 percent of the population had insurance and, with the rising cost of health care, it is highly likely that the number of insured in American Samoa has declined drastically since that time. But now, with a significant increase in federal funding, ASG has the tools it needs to improve healthcare and health coverage for the residents of the Territory and to meet the challenges which have been exacerbated by the Territory's remote location and the exponential rate of chronic diseases. In light of the current political environment surrounding healthcare reform, President Obama's own testimony in Ohio last week best summarizes the necessity and the very reason why Congress must pass this legislation today. The President said, ``I'm here because of my own mother's story. She died of cancer, and in the last six months of her life, she was on the phone in her hospital room arguing with insurance companies instead of focusing on getting well and spending time with her family.'' Millions of Americans share the same story, and passage of this legislation is critical for the welfare of all Americans. This legislation is not only about saving money and reducing the deficit or addressing the billions wasted in Medicare. Passage of this legislation is about providing for those who cannot provide for themselves. It is about the fundamental right of healthcare for all. As Martin Luther King once said, ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.'' At its best, this bill is a step toward equality and justice for all Americans and, for this reason, I urge my colleagues to support this historic legislation.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I thank the gentleman, the distinguished chairman of our Committee on Foreign Affairs, for allowing me to say a few words concerning the proposed resolution. Madam Speaker, despite my reservations about our strategy in Afghanistan, I do want to say that I have the utmost respect for the gentleman from Ohio for bringing this resolution forward for the purpose of having a public debate among our colleagues. I also want to say that I associate myself with the remarks made earlier by my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) in asking, Why not, why not debate the issue? We should not deprive ourselves of understanding a little more about the situation that we face right now in Afghanistan. Madam Speaker, after 8 long years in that country for the United States and after 30 years for the Afghan people, I remain skeptical that adding 30,000 U.S. troops and that focusing more on local and provincial levels of government will bring lasting stability and success in Afghanistan. I do, of course, want our new strategy to succeed, and I know that our military and civilian personnel on the ground will give it a supreme effort. They represent the very best this country has to offer. Yet Afghanistan's history is replete with the failures of outside powers, or countries, in their attempting to take over or to remake the Afghan people--from Alexander the Great, to Genghis Khan, to the United Kingdom, to the Soviet Union, and now even to us. It is my understanding that by adding 30,000 additional troops to the 68,000 troops that we now have on the ground in Afghanistan, we are adding approximately 100,000 additional troops, with NATO forces, to go after some 27,000 Taliban and a couple of hundred al Qaeda. By the way, I wanted to ask, Was it the Taliban or the al Qaeda people who attacked us on 9/11? I believe it was al Qaeda, and 15 of the 19 terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 were Saudi Arabs. It's interesting to note that. Another thing is that, indeed, most objective observers believe it will take a commitment of years, perhaps even decades, by our troops and that it will take hundreds of billions of dollars by our taxpayers for Afghanistan to overcome its divisions and to develop and to maintain a stable, functional government. When I weigh the likely costs in terms of lives and resources against the potential benefits for U.S. security, I am left wondering whether we are, in fact, on the right track. As I am not a genius when it comes to military strategy, here is something that I am trying to figure out: the Taliban are Pashtuns, and 12 million Pashtuns live in Afghanistan. They make up almost 50 percent of Afghanistan's population. President Karzai is even a Pashtun. There are an additional 27 million Pashtuns who live on the other side of the border, right on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.