Jane Harman

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. I thank the esteemed Chairman Skelton, my dear friend, for yielding. Mr. Chairman, over eight terms in Congress I have served on every security committee, including three terms on the Armed Services Committee whose bill I am once again proud to support. As a rookie Member of Congress in 1993, I sat in the most junior chair on the HASC, just a few feet away from the witness table. Then- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Colin Powell, testified in favor of the Clinton administration's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. I drew a deep breath and told the general that I thought Don't Ask, Don't Tell was unconstitutional. I opposed it then, and I oppose it now. No good has ever come of that policy. And I applaud the personal courage of current Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen who told Congress, ``No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.'' The en bloc amendment which we are now debating includes language I coauthored with Rules Committee Chair Slaughter to give victims of military sexual trauma the ability to seek a base transfer. MST is an epidemic which subjects a growing number of servicemembers to serious assault and rape. It is horrifying that women in our military are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq or Afghanistan. MST must end, and this bill makes a very good start. Let me make some general comments about our national security. We can't wish away the threats facing our Nation. We, like generations of Americans before us, must rise to meet them. We must be realistic about our vulnerabilities, about the capabilities of our adversaries, and of our allies to help us. We must be wise enough to recognize that we will not prevail through military might alone. Our military, diplomatic, and development efforts are tools to an end--security, and eventually peace. These are dangerous times, and they require a tough response. We have the strategy in this bill, we have the strength in men and women who serve courageously in our military and intelligence services, and we have our values. We will not fail. Support this bill. Support the Murphy amendment. Support the en bloc amendment.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, my district makes most of our Nation's intelligence satellites. I have served on our key security committees, and I devote enormous attention to helping develop legal and operational strategies to keep our country safe. The Obama administration understands that security and liberty are not a zero-sum game. We will either get more of both or less. We must capture or kill high-value targets, which this administration is doing in far greater numbers than did the Bush administration. But we must also live our values. Most important among them is the principle that the rule of law applies to all. Tomorrow, my Subcommittee on Intelligence and Terrorism and Risk Assessment will hold a hearing to examine how the Internet is used by terrorists to train, recruit, and plan attacks inside the country and what the U.S. Government should do about it. It is the third in a series of hearings on violent extremism. The Internet is a forum for free speech and global commerce, but the dark underside of that is it can also be a forum for violence and global terror. As difficult and controversial as this subject is, we need to find the right ways to intercept those who would do us harm. Developing a strategy around the Internet has to be part of that equation, and so does protecting security and liberty.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, three years ago, Congressman Upton and I introduced legislation--which became law in 2007 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act--that will revolutionize the way Americans light their homes. Our legislation banned the famously inefficient 100-watt incandescent light bulb by 2012, will phase out remaining inefficient light bulbs by 2014, and requires that light bulbs be at least three times as efficient as today's 100-watt incandescent bulb by 2020. That bill was the product of bipartisan and bicameral efforts to forge a consensus between industry and environmental groups. The result was not only broadly accepted, it was groundbreaking. The Alliance to Save Energy estimates that the provisions will eventually save $18 billion in energy costs every year, and prevent the emission of 100 million tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2030. That's the equivalent of taking 20 million cars off the road. If we are serious about getting our arms around both climate change and reducing our dependence on oil, we now have to address outdoor lighting. It is the other side of the coin. Lighting consumes 22 percent of all electricity generated in the U.S. Outdoor lighting for streets, parking lots and area lighting consumes about 20 percent of that total. Up to 25 percent of household electricity goes to light outdoor spaces, according to the California Energy Commission. H.R. 5201, the bipartisan bill we are introducing today, is identical to legislation introduced by Senators Bingaman and Murkowski. It reflects a compromise with industry and the environmental community. And it builds on the provision we added to the American Clean Energy and Security Act reported by the House Energy and Commerce Committee last May. The legislation imposes standards for outdoor lights in three tiers. The first tier takes effect three years after the bill becomes law, the second in 2016 and the third in 2021. By 2030 the new efficient outdoor lights are expected to save the equivalent power output of three to six nuclear plants or 6 to 10 large coal fired plants every year. It will also save us money. As the Grandma of the Blue Dogs, that's important to me. And given skyrocketing deficits and the ongoing recession, it ought to be important to this Congress. Annual savings will be in the range of $2.8 billion to $5.1 billion by 2030. By 2030 carbon emissions will also be reduced in a major way--from 4.48 to 7.95 metric tons annually, the equivalent of taking approximately 3 to 5.4 million cars off the road The bill also protects the efforts of early innovators like California, which has already passed an aggressive outdoor lighting standard. And this bill is consensus legislation at its best. It shows what we can do when Democrats and Republicans and manufacturers and environmentalists work toward the same goal. I urge its prompt enactment.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and commend her leadership. As a former member of the Science Committee myself, I think this is a very important resolution which highlights an issue that directly impacts not just national security but employment in my district and many others. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are the backbone of California's 36th District economy. We are the home to the Los Angeles Air Force Base Space and Missile Systems Center and to large facilities of all of the major aerospace firms, as well as critically important innovative second and third tier suppliers. As I am fond of saying, my district is the aerospace center of the universe. L.A. County's unemployment rate is over 13 percent, but the 36th Congressional District's unemployment is half that, almost entirely because of science and technology jobs, especially in the aerospace industry. But the industry faces a coming ``gray wave.'' Some 60 percent of aerospace workers are over age 50, and almost 26 percent are already eligible for retirement. Not enough young scientists and engineers are coming out of college to fill their ranks. Mr. Speaker, we can't build rockets without rocket scientists, and other countries know that. The United States graduates about 70,000 engineers annually, a meager 15 percent. China graduates over half a million engineers every year. We not only need the next generation of spacecraft to reach Mars and beyond; we need the next generation of space engineers to get us there. And if we are to maintain space dominance when others, especially China, challenge us, we need more engineers. While we are struggling to educate enough engineers to assume the torch from those retiring, we are also losing many of them to the sexy new world of Internet technology. Building rockets is losing luster to Facebook, eBay, Google and other IT firms. If we want to continue to be the world's leader in space, we have to get our young people dreaming bigger, literally dreaming out of this world. We need to inspire our young people the same way President Kennedy did 50 years ago when he committed the United States to winning the space race. STEM education is the key, Mr. Speaker. I urge our colleagues to support this worthy resolution.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. I thank my California colleague for yielding to me, and I commend him for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, in the course of my service on virtually all of the security-related committees in this House, I have visited some of the most dangerous and austere places on the planet--rugged, remote areas that provide sanctuary to the most ruthless and cunning terrorists. As a result, I am often asked to name those countries which I think pose the greatest threat to the security of our country and to the world. Iraq? Pakistan? Afghanistan? Yemen? My answer every time is: Iran, Iran, Iran. Given the zeal with which it promotes and supports instability in the Middle East, given its myopic obsession with the destruction of Israel, its arming of and financial assistance to Hezbollah and Hamas, and its implacable, duplicitous march towards a nuclear weapons capability, in my view, no other country comes close. The question that confronts us is how to cause Iran's government to abandon interest in a nuclear weapons program. Most agree--certainly, I do--that a multilateral approach is most likely to succeed. Our efforts with the EU, led by the indomitable Stuart Levey, have been effective, but they haven't yet changed Iran's course. Our country must continue its leadership role. Our efforts at diplomacy and at unilateral sanctions must drive stronger multilateral diplomacy and sanctions. That is why Congress must move to conference on Iran sanctions legislation and why it must enact by an overwhelming bipartisan vote the strongest package. That package should include divestments, and it should expand sanctions on individuals, institutions, as well as on nongovernmental entities, and it must cripple Iran's ability to import refined petroleum products. Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. Our problem is not with the Iranian people but with its government's reckless policies. Iran with nuclear weapons not only poses an existential threat to Israel; it poses an existential threat to us and to countries everywhere which espouse Democratic values.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chair, estuaries, the coastal wetlands where fresh and salt water meet, are both a vital filter for urban runoff that would otherwise flow out of the river and into the ocean, and a cradle for marine and wildlife. We are not able to create new estuaries. We either restore and protect them, or we lose them. They are a foundation of our economy. The tourism industry needs estuaries to keep the sea clean and healthy. The fishing industry relies on them to replenish the oceans. Estuaries provide the habitat for 75 percent of the U.S. commercial fish catch and as much as 90 percent of the recreational fish catch, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Research Council. Estuaries are critically important to human life. They filter our groundwater, and are a buffer from flooding. The phytoplankton nursed in estuaries remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen in its place. In fact, phytoplankton in estuaries and oceans produce about half the world's oxygen. So it is imperative that the House passes H.R. 4715, the Clean Estuaries Act of 2010. The bill protects and supports 28 estuaries with grants, including the Santa Monica Bay and the Ballona Wetlands in my district. Dozens of local groups fought for decades to acquire for the public's benefits 600 acres of Ballona Wetlands. They succeeded in 2003. Since then, the habitat has attracted more than 200 species of birds, some of which are now returning to nest after more than a 70-year absence. Ballona is home to many rare species, including the Belding's Savannah Sparrow and the recently discovered Orcutt's yellow pincushion. Citizens have similarly banded together to protect the Santa Monica Bay. Backed by the Clean Water Act--part of which this bill reauthorizes--my dear friend Dorothy Green worked with other citizens out of her living rooms for years to force the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment plant to update its filtering system. Since then, the plant has cut its waste by 95 percent, literally bringing life back to parts of Santa Monica Bay that were once declared dead zones. The stimulus bill in 2009 funded several innovative storm drain projects in the South Bay and a series of low impact development rain gardens along Ballona Creek, all of which help prevent polluted storm water runoff from entering Santa Monica Bay. The communities of Santa Monica Bay have been more than worthy partners for Washington. This bill will help to make sure the federal government lives up to its end of the deal. It will require that federal agencies participate in the management planning process for the estuaries that receive the grants, incorporate local priorities into their actions and increase coordination between the many federal agencies that either work in or impact estuaries. But the bill also looks forward. Estuary management programs will be required to identify their estuary's vulnerability to climate change and prepare adaptation responses, and will work to educate the public on estuary health issues. Over my eight terms in Congress I have worked to obtain federal grants and strongly supported efforts to preserve the Ballona wetlands and Santa Monica Bay. I again stand in support of those areas, vital both to our environmental and our economic health.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, in a few hours, the House leadership will finally introduce a rescission package on health care which will reduce our deficit over the next two decades to lower numbers than would either the House-passed or Senate-passed health bills. As a Blue Dog, I commend this. But I stand here this morning specifically to say that information just released by the Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve, shows a very favorable impact on my district from the bill, which I intend to support. I have received thousands of calls and emails from constituents. I will post this information on my Web site immediately after speaking this morning. But in a nutshell, the bill improves coverage for 427,000 of my constituents who already have health care. It gives tax credits and other assistance to up to 137,000 families and 15,100 small businesses. It improves Medicare coverage for 81,000 constituents by helping to close the doughnut hole. It extends coverage to 67,500 uninsured, guarantees coverage for people with preexisting conditions, and permits kids under 26 to stay on their parents' policies. I ask my colleagues to support the bill.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of my friend Jon Jones, the Vice President of Raytheon Company and President of Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS)--and to celebrate his life. Jon was a single father with sole custody of his two beloved daughters. He was a proud family man and was pleased to see them grow successfully into adulthood--Alexis, a nurse practitioner who does research at USC, and Ashley, a student at the University of Arizona. He was looking forward to Alexis' wedding in May. Jon led a life devoted to others. In addition to supporting numerous veterans' charities and causes, Jon is remembered for his authenticity, his even temper, and the kindness with which he treated others. He was a proud native of California and a true Bruins fan serving on the Dean's Advisory Council at UCLA School of Engineering, where he was scheduled to give the commencement address in May. He was Raytheon Executive Diversity Champion and throughout his career served as a model for inclusion and embracing diverse viewpoints to solve some of our nation's most difficult technology challenges. He pioneered the development of the Sidewinder missile and the Tomahawk cruise missile, both of which have provided critical capabilities to our nation's military. Jon served as Vice President and Deputy General Manager of Space and Airborne Systems before becoming its president in 2005. He demonstrated for his 12,400 employees the professionalism and self-confidence that allows them to serve their country so well. He demanded excellence and got it, turning a troubled Raytheon contract around after some major challenges. Jon was an admired innovator. He won the Malcolm R. Currie Innovation award in 1996. He was named the State of Arizona's Innovator of the Year in 1997, and he received Raytheon's corporate Excellence in Technology Award for advancements in infrared guided missiles in 2001. He was an advocate for the warfighter, a patriot, and a successful businessman and innovator, but most importantly, a devoted and wonderful father. My colleagues and I who knew and worked closely with him mourn his passing.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Aerospace Corporation's 50th anniversary. Fifty years ago the United States Congress had the foresight to create the Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development center. The Aerospace Corporation doesn't make the things that orbit in space. It makes the things that orbit in space work properly, and helps get them there safely. The Aerospace Corporation has been involved in every Defense Department space program since 1960. From blueprint to launch and system architecture, the Aerospace Corporation is the Pentagon's technical conscience, its independent math checker. The Aerospace Corporation has played a key role in developing and maintaining the space systems Americans and people around the world now take for granted, like GPS and weather satellites. And it makes sure the launches of those satellites are safe and successful. Fifty years after its creation, we need The Aerospace Corporation more than ever. The United States is at a crossroads in space. China launched a shot across our bow in 2007 when it destroyed a satellite in low-Earth orbit. That sent me a very clear message. While the United States may still enjoy superiority in space, we're no longer the only player. We must protect our space assets, and build a constellation of robust, redundant, low-cost communication, navigation and reconnaissance satellites that can withstand an attack or a catastrophic accident. If we don't start now we are going to be too late. We not only need a new generation of spacecraft, we need a new generation of space engineers. Our space workforce is aging. Some 60% of aerospace workers are over age 50, and almost 26% are eligible for retirement this year. Not enough young scientists and engineers are signing up to take their place. While the United States graduates 70,000 engineers, a meager 15 percent of our college graduates every year, China graduates more than half a million. China has decided the most important asset to a space program and its future as a super power is human capital--the scientists, engineers, and technicians that design and build satellites, rockets, and space vehicles. And while we struggle to educate enough engineers to keep up internationally, we're losing many of them to the sexy new world of Internet technology. It used to be that being a rocket scientist was synonymous with genius. Now it seems that mantle has slipped onto the shoulders of those who invented Facebook, eBay and Google. If we want to continue to be the world's leader in space, we have to get our young people to dream again--dreaming out of this world, literally. We need to inspire our young people the same way President Kennedy did nearly 50 years ago when he committed the United States to winning the space race. I've lived through a half century of U.S. space superiority. Only with sustained focus and leadership will my kids and grandchildren enjoy another half century of U.S. dominance. At this milestone, let us chart a path to that century.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, our colleague, Mr. Kucinich, should be commended for causing us to debate this issue on the House floor. This is a good and thoughtful debate, and I applaud especially the passionate statement of Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island. Madam Speaker, the war in Afghanistan has continued for 9 years, and the Obama administration continues to rely on the almost decade-old authorization to use military force which Congress passed, as we have heard, by an overwhelming vote a few days after 9/11/2001. Most who voted for it, including me, thought it was limited in time and place, but it became the basis for many actions taken by the Bush administration. In my view, the AUMF has been overused and abused as the basis for policy. It is time for us to consider whether it should sunset, and I believe that it should. But the resolution before us is not, in my view, the right place to address that issue. After years of giving Afghanistan short shrift, tolerating rampant government corruption, and standing by as the Taliban reestablished itself, we now have a better strategy. That strategy, developed by President Obama late last year, includes a promised drawdown of our troops beginning in July 2011--or possibly sooner, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who visited there earlier this week. Let me be clear, I do not support the surge of an additional 30,000 additional American troops in Afghanistan. I do support multinational, NATO-led efforts to clear, hold, build, and transfer to a noncorrupt Afghan Government control over parts of that country which are or could become training grounds for terrorists intent on attacking the United States. The good news is that Pakistan is making greater effort to crack down on Taliban and al Qaeda terror groups on its soil, and those efforts are yielding results which should help stabilize Afghanistan.

Ms. HARMAN. Like Mr. Kucinich, I want the U.S. military out of Afghanistan at the earliest reasonable date, but accelerating the Obama administration's carefully calibrated timetable could take grievous risks with our national security. I share Mr. Kucinich's sentiment, but not his schedule.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me and hope that what I am about to discuss is supported by the current ranking member. I rise in strong support of the manager's amendment, which includes two provisions which I authored and which address problems continuing to impede our efforts to keep our country safe. First, it requires the Inspector General of the intelligence community to report to Congress in 180 days on overclassification of intelligence. Stamping documents ``secret'' or ``top secret'' for the wrong reasons interferes with accurate, actionable, and timely information sharing within the Federal Government and with State and local law enforcement. Protecting sources and methods is the right reason to classify information, but protecting turf or personal embarrassment is not. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says she hesitates to share information with the Federal Government for fear it will be immediately classified and rendered useless because she can't tell her officers in the field what to look for when on patrol. A variety of civil liberties and good government groups support our amendment, and I am glad it's in the manager's amendment. Second, Madam Chair, the manager's amendment requires the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to assess intelligence on harmful radiological materials, including highly disbursable substances like Cesium-137. It's not possible in this open setting to describe the threat posed by unsecured radiological materials, but a range of experts, including the Defense Science Board, have warned about the danger posed by medical equipment that uses this material. These machines are in hospitals across the country, in every major town and city. They are not tamper-proof. The Departments of Energy and Homeland Security are adding short-term hardening measures to these machines, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is investigating alternatives. They need more support. My thanks to the Rules Committee and to Chairman Reyes for including my provisions in the manager's amendment. I am very pleased that after 4 long years we will probably pass an intelligence authorization bill today. I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Ms. HARMAN. I thank the chairman for yielding, and surely hope that we will accept his amendment. I recall during my years as ranking member on the committee when we were, in quotes, ``briefed'' on this incident. I am very disappointed about the way it was handled. I personally think the gentleman from Michigan is correct, and I applaud what he is doing. As we debate this bill, we must thank again the thousands of patriotic and courageous women and men who are serving in our intelligence community around the world. As I so often say, a grateful Nation salutes them for their efforts to keep us safe. Our Nation also remembers and honors those who lost their lives, most recently at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan. Madam Chair, in addition to this excellent amendment, I applaud the underlying bill's provisions to reform the way Congress is notified of sensitive covert programs, briefings that for too long were limited to the so-called ``Gang of Eight.'' During my years as ranking member, it was clear that effective oversight required providing the entire committee with information previously limited to its leadership. And so this bill rightly provides for full committee notice of Gang of Eight briefings, a contemporaneous record of those briefings, something we sorely lacked, and it entitles the full committee to receive the same briefings as the Gang of Eight within 180 days. These changes go a long way toward correcting the frustration felt on both sides of the aisle during my tenure on the committee. We should not have been put in the position of on the one hand upholding our oath of secrecy, while on the other hand being starved for information to conduct necessary oversight. Just last week, pursuant to a FOIA request, memoranda describing some of our briefings were declassified. The documents, which are available to the public, show repeated pushback from Intelligence Committee members, surely including me, about the failure to brief us or to provide documents or other timely information. Madam Chair, last time I checked, Congress was an independent branch of government. We must assert our prerogative to monitor and rectify problems that surface in the programs we oversee. In the intelligence world, some of these problems affect our core values as well as our Constitution. Security and liberty are not a zero sum game. It is our sworn duty to protect both. The language in the underlying bill and this amendment offered by Mr. Hoekstra go a long way to rectify long- existing problems. I urge support for the bill and support for this amendment.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. I thank Mr. Conyers for yielding and commend him for his leadership of the Judiciary Committee. He has authored many bills which I am proud to cosponsor, one of which includes amendments to these three expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act. I rise today because I think we are missing an opportunity. There are good ideas in this House about how to curb the abuses with national security letters, how to clarify that roving wiretaps are limited to a single identifiable target, and how to eliminate the lone wolf provision which has never been used and for which existing title III authority can suffice. Those ideas have been the subject of hearings in the Judiciary Committee, but they're not being debated on this floor. Instead, we hear that the only way to protect America is to extend the PATRIOT Act as is for another year. We could have extended it for a shorter period and fully debated how to amend the PATRIOT Act on this floor. I think this is a real missed opportunity. As one who was here when we first passed The PATRIOT Act, I recognize that my approach has been controversial. I am one of very few Members who opposed initially rolling back the so-called library provision, which I agree was an overreach in the initial PATRIOT Act. But I opposed rolling it back because the amendment as initially drafted included eliminating access to Internet sites at libraries. And as one who studies the terrorism threat carefully, I know that terrorists use the Internet frequently as a way to communicate. So when the library provision was finally drafted to exclude Internet sites, I proudly voted for it. The PATRIOT Act is a valuable tool. Those who have spoken on the other side are right, we need it. But we have enough knowledge in this House to tweak it to be much more fair to innocent Americans who have inadvertently been caught up in its web. Let me also mention that under the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, we required that the White House establish a privacy and civil liberties commission to oversee the development and implementation of laws with respect to terrorism. That commission was never fully established in the last administration, and this administration has yet to name a chairman and a vice chairman. I urge the President again to fully implement the provisions of the 2004 Intelligence Reform Act. Standing up that commission would send a message that we can protect our security, but we can also protect our liberty. This is not a zero-sum game. And let me finally address something we will hear as we close debate on the Intelligence authorization bill, and that is a view by some that we should bar trials or terrorist suspects in Article III courts. The prior administration tried virtually everyone charged with terrorism-related crimes in Federal court. Most of those people were convicted and are now incarcerated. There was a 90 percent conviction rate over hundreds of trials since 9/11. In contrast, military commissions convicted three people, two of whom are no longer serving. So if you just look at the conviction rate, we are safer if we use article III courts. In a letter from Secretary Gates and Attorney General Holder dated today to the leadership, they express their opposition to any legislation or amendments that would restrict the ability of the executive branch to effectively prosecute alleged terrorists in Federal courts or reformed military commissions in the United States. Their point, and my point, is we can have reformed military commissions-- and I know that the President and many here are considering reforms which I may support--but we also must permit robust use of our Federal courts. I think it's disingenuous to claim that after 300 people have been sent to jail for long sentences, we can't safely try terrorists in U.S. courts under Federal law. I agree with Secretary of Defense Gates and Attorney General Holder that such an amendment would make us less safe by removing a critical tool from the Nation's arsenal, and that's the use of our Federal justice system. In conclusion, we must live our values. When we fail to do that, we offer a huge recruiting tool to those who would attack us. If we live our values by carefully amending expiring PATRIOT Act provisions, by standing up a privacy and civil liberties board and by saying that Federal Courts can try many of those we apprehend for terrorism-related crimes, we have the best chance of winning in this era of terror. Madam Speaker, I take a backseat to no one in the effort to defeat the terror threat against us. I take the threat very seriously. I read proposed legislation carefully. Today, we could have, as Mr. Nadler suggested, passed a short-term extension and then had a robust public debate about amendments to expiring PATRIOT Act provisions. This is a missed opportunity and I oppose the extension.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, Jack Murtha was a paradox: a big man with an impressive war record who never wavered from his commitment to the wounded, the disadvantaged, and always challenged those who, in his strong opinion, underestimated the economic and human costs of war. He was a politician who constantly spoke his mind, and never worried about ruffling feathers. That's rare in today's Washington. Jack reached out to his colleagues--not just those who sat near him in the ``Pennsylvania corner'' on the House floor, but to others whom he respected. The people of California's 36th District and I are lucky to have been one of those he looked out for. I remember his visit about a decade ago to the Los Angeles Air Force Base Space and Missile Systems Center, located in my Congressional district. Of course he cared about SMC's mission of development and acquisition of our nation's defense satellites, he also wanted to know about the people of SMC. He met with the generals and staff about how things were going, and whether funding was on track, but he also took the time to speak at a ``town hall'' style meeting with the workforce where he thanked them for their service and to check on their well-being. They will miss him. So will I. I hope Joyce and his family are comforted by how big the big man's impact was.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. I thank Chairman Reyes for yielding to me and for the nice things that he says not only about me but surely about the women and men who serve our intelligence community around the world. And I thank him for authoring this resolution. Madam Speaker, every single time I enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, the first thing I do is to look at the wall of stars displayed in the lobby, each star, as we just heard, signifying a loss somewhere in the world of an agency employee. Some of those stars have no names attached, underscoring the sensitivity and singular importance of the missions undertaken by CIA women and men. On my most recent visit to Langley, in late December, I asked my host if any new stars had been added to the wall. Yes, he said, simply. Sadly, the next time I or anyone else enters CIA headquarters, seven more stars will be on that wall, stars honoring patriots I probably met on one of my many trips that I made as ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, and more recently as chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence. On those trips I always meet with our intelligence officers to hear firsthand about their work and to thank them for their service and sacrifice. When a suicide bomber took those seven lives at Forward Operating Base Chapman, Americans got a rare glimpse of the dangerous reality that our intelligence community faces on a daily basis. There is no question, Madam Speaker, that their work has saved and will continue to save American lives. So on behalf of a grateful Nation, our profound gratitude goes to the families of Harold Brown, Elizabeth Hanson, Dane Paresi, Scott Roberson, and Jeremy Wise, and to those of two others whose names are not disclosed. We also salute those who were wounded in the attack and their families. Madam Speaker, accurate, actionable, and timely intelligence is America's first line of defense, the so-called tip of the spear. These intelligence professionals died in an effort to penetrate the top leadership of al Qaeda. I believe that the best way to honor them is by supporting their colleagues, who continue to put their lives on the line in the service of the American people and defense of our Nation. Let us do so this afternoon by supporting this bipartisan resolution.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, the post- 9/11 world has posed many challenges--especially to the old way of doing business. Someone who stepped up and used his military training and experience to transform airport security was David Stone. David died unexpectedly earlier last month, at age 57, and I rise to commemorate my friend and his exceptional career. Admiral Stone was selected as the first federal security director at LAX--the top terror target on the West Coast--shortly after 9/11. He proved more than equal to the task. Working under immense pressure and close public scrutiny, Stone established strict new federal airport security standards, secured nearly $1 billion in federal funding for security upgrades and positioned LAX to become a test site for new security technologies that are now used around the world. The Bush administration noticed and Stone was asked to apply his talents at the national level. As the Nation's third TSA administrator, he was charged with overseeing security at not just one airport--but all of them, in addition to ports, railroads, and pipelines. In just 2 years, he shaped the role of the TSA for years to come. When Stone left the TSA it marked a culmination of more than three decades of national service. He was a decorated soldier, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who rose to rank of Rear Admiral. During his 28- year military career he commanded warships, vessel fleets, NATO naval forces, and an aircraft carrier battle group. For his valor he received three Legions of Merit, five Meritorious Service medals, and three Navy Commendation medals. A lovely memory is how David spoke to high school seniors in my district who were applying to the military academies. He was so excited about them--and recalled his own journey decades earlier. David Stone also shared this excitement and talent with a grateful nation. He is fondly remembered.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Let me first commend Mrs. Capps, who, as a registered nurse, has brought so much understanding and depth to our ongoing negotiations on health care in the Energy and Commerce Committee. Second, let me commend a good friend and frequent partner, Mr. Royce, whose focus on this issue and personal compassion on behalf of his friend, Abby, and enormously caring staff, have brought this issue to my attention. It resonates in my California congressional district, where there is an incredible community of activists who are committed to increasing awareness and supporting research on Prader-Willi syndrome. Two of those activists, Tom and Renay Compere, are parents of a child with PWS. They have brought other Prader-Willi families together with groups of students, teachers, and other members of the community to spread awareness and raise funds to combat this devastating disease. Tom Compere says, ``The thing that has kept us going over the years has been the optimism that a cure for PWS will be found and that our son will have a normal life. What a concept. A normal life was something, until recently, that I took for granted.'' That's the goal of this resolution. By increasing awareness and promoting research at the national level, we can give the Compere family and thousands of families like them a chance to lead a normal life. Two years ago, Mr. Speaker, I attended the annual walkathon for Prader-Willi research in Mar Vista, a wonderful community in my district. The warmth and excitement of the children I met there was touching, especially in the face of the challenges they face on a daily basis. Prader-Willi patients suffer, as you have heard, from cognitive disabilities, poor muscle tone, and constant feelings of hunger. They often look different from other children, which makes it difficult to fit in or be accepted as a normal kid. Some cutting-edge treatments, like the ones Abby received, can improve the physical development of children with Prader-Willi so they can fit in, but this is contingent on early diagnosis and treatment, and that often doesn't happen. By passing H. Res. 55 and raising the profile of this disease, this House can give these children better odds at doing something most of us take for granted: Living a normal life. I urge passage of the resolution and again commend my friends from California for their role.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a man of many abilities and talents, whose contributions to the City of Hermosa Beach enriched his community and contributed to the economic health of the region for the past 16 years. A South Bay resident since childhood, my good friend and City Councilman J.R. Reviczky enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve after graduating from Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California, also in my Congressional District. Following an honorable discharge from the Naval Reserve, he embarked on a career as an electrician. During his 37-year career, he worked his way up the ranks from apprentice to his current role as Training Director for one of the largest electrical contractors in the United States. J.R. was first elected to the Hermosa Beach City Council in 1993, and has served four distinguished terms as Mayor. His lasting mark can be seen throughout the community. As a member of the Open Space People's Action Committee, he was instrumental in the development of Hermosa Beach's many acres of beautiful parks and recreation facilities, including the conversion of railways into a community treasure known as the Greenbelt. He was also one of the co-founders of the Beach Cities Holiday Toy Drive which, for the past 15 years, has collected and distributed thousands of toys to needy children throughout the 36th Congressional District and beyond. I have personally benefited from J.R.'s counsel and encyclopedic knowledge of local issues and history. On behalf of a grateful community, I thank Councilman J.R. Reviczky for his dedicated service to the people of Hermosa Beach and wish him continued success as he and his wife, Nancy, begin the next chapter of their life.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, because it eliminates cost sharing and makes access to health care more affordable, as a mother of four and a grandmother of three, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in support of the Democratic bill.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, It is going to be very difficult for me to vote for a health care bill that contains the Stupak amendment on abortion. Far from codifying the Hyde language, which has been included in House appropriations bills since 1976, the Stupak amendment would essentially make it impossible for most women to use their own funds to purchase insurance to pay for abortions. This is not chipping away at a woman's right to choose, this is an outright assault on my constitutional rights--and it is wrong. I respect the right of any woman or man to oppose abortion. But, in return, I expect those who are anti-choice to respect my views. My views are that abortion should be safe and rare--but that a woman's constitutional right to privacy as articulated in Roe v. Wade is inviolable. I am old enough to remember the days of back alley abortions. Some women I know had them. I cannot bear the idea that the 111th Congress would restore that horror. The Stupak amendment is insulting and destructive. Its passage would pair us with the government of Afghanistan in sending women's rights back to the Stone Age. I intend to vote for this bill, but if it contains the Stupak amendment when it emerges from Conference Committee, my conscience demands that I reconsider my support.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, every community across America has its local icons--women and men whose dedication and commitment to service improve our quality of life and strengthen the bonds between us-- regardless of party affiliation. Bob Beverly, who recently passed away, was such a man. He was also a friend and a veteran legislator in the South Bay, the region of Los Angeles which I represent. Before Bob made his way to Los Angeles, he served in the Marine Corps during World War II. Following the war, Bob moved to Manhattan Beach where he became Mayor and served for three terms. But more than half of Bob's time in public service--in fact almost a quarter of his life--was spent representing the South Bay as its longest-serving state legislator. Many people know Bob Beverly for his service as Minority Leader in the State Senate during Ronald Reagan's tenure as Governor. In that role, he left a profound and permanent impact on countless lives throughout the South Bay. Bob was an enormously popular, responsive and effective leader. His career overlapped with legendary Los Angeles Congressman Alphonzo Bell, who pursued a similar style of bipartisan leadership. Such comity--and a willingness to reach across the aisle--has become all too rare in Washington. But I continue to believe it is a critical element when confronting our toughest problems. I am proud to have worked early in my Congressional career with Bob on issues of importance to the South Bay. His humility and quiet commitment to issues affecting his constituents will be missed--and not forgotten.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Thank you, Mr. Pallone, for yielding time to me to speak on this bill and on the bill that was just considered. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a member of the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee. I regret the fact that it has taken us so many months to get to a place where we are almost ready to consider comprehensive health care reform. I strongly support it, especially with a robust public option. Yet this is a good day because, today we will pass a more limited bill that identified a huge problem, metastatic breast cancer. I have been fortunate not to have cancer, but there are many cancer survivors in this body, some of whom have survived breast cancer. I am the sister of Dr. David Lakes, who is an oncologist in Northern California and who was voted Healer of the Year in Marin County for the work he has done with those who suffer from metastatic breast cancer. I am very proud of him. I am very proud of the sponsors of this legislation, who understand how critical it is not just to focus on the fact of this disease, but, as Ms. DeLauro said a few minutes ago, on how to make it a chronic disease and not a killer. So I strongly support this legislation. As the author of Legislation to extend the PSIC Grant Program, the Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program, which was debated just moments ago, I urge us to continue the program which provides $1 billion in grants to State and local governments for interoperable communications systems, which, obviously, will be needed in the event of the next terrorist attack or natural disaster. Eight years after 9/11, we have not fixed one of the two major problems on that day. One problem was that we failed to connect the dots. The other was that we could not communicate in realtime among our first responders to the catastrophe both in New York and in Washington. Nationally, we still lack an interoperable communications network. That will require more work by Congress and the FCC to build out the now vacant 700 megahertz analog spectrum so that, nationally, all of our first preventers, or responders, can communicate. In the meantime, it is significant that our communities will be able to access additional Federal funds because of the action recommended moments ago to pass S. 1694 which is identical to H.R. 3633--an action that means the bill will become law.

Ms. HARMAN. Let me finally say that the PSIC extension legislation is supported by the major city police chiefs, the National Governors Association, the National Emergency Management Association, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the Telecommunications Industry Association, mayors in Los Angeles, New York and Houston, the Los Angeles County Sheriff--Lee Baca--and many others because they know that having interoperable communications in our cities and regions is critical. Just as metastatic breast cancer is an emergency that we must deal with, so is the lack of a truly national interoperable communications capability. We took a big step this morning. I hope we will take a bigger step later this year. I thank Chairman Pallone for the work that he does on the Health Subcommittee. I am proud to be a member.

Ms. HARMAN

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the achievements of South Bay Family Health Care on the 40th Anniversary of its founding. Since 1969, SBFHC has provided health care to underserved residents in the South Bay region of my Congressional District, growing from a single-site family planning clinic serving 1,600 patients per year, to a system of four comprehensive health clinics serving more than 16,000 patients per year. Today, it is one of Los Angeles County's leading community health clinics and largest safety net providers to the uninsured and underinsured. SBFHC has evolved and adapted to meet changing community needs. In the mid-1980s, in response to the emerging HIV/AIDS crisis, it opened the first and only HIV/AIDS center in the South Bay. In 2002, it changed its model from a free clinic to a Federally Qualified Health Center with a sliding pay scale, making the clinic eligible for federal funding to expand its services and the number of people served. Today, with a budget of $9 million, SBFHC provides 70,000 visits per year. Its services cover a broad spectrum, covering preventative care, chronic disease management, prenatal and pediatric medicine, dental care, and social services including mental health and domestic violence prevention. In an effort to bring service to patients, SBFHC sponsors a ``Healthy Kids Express'' mobile care center that provides immunizations and care for sick children at local school districts, community events and health fairs. SBFHC also does fantastic work for minorities: 65 percent of their patients are Latino and 16 percent are African-American. I also want to recognize the CEO of SBFHC, Jann Hamilton Lee, for her leadership and guidance to me as a member of my Medicine Cabinet--a bipartisan group of healthcare experts from my district who advise me on health policy. My congratulations to Jann and everyone else who has proudly served the South Bay Family Health Center for 40 years of service. The residents of the South Bay--and your representative in Congress--are grateful.