Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. At this time, I am very pleased to yield to my colleague, with whom I've served 7 years on the Select Committee on Intelligence. She was the ranking member and is now the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Before yielding to Ms. Harman, who has gone down this road for well over a year to get us to this point, I would like to say to my friend from Texas that perhaps it would be helpful if he would ask the minority members of the Intelligence Committee about the bill. Secondly, the measure that we are dealing with is a rule providing for suspension, not consideration. That said, I yield 3 minutes to my friend from California (Ms. Harman).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield the gentlelady an additional minute to respond.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I'm glad you do understand it. I would ask the gentleman from Texas to ask his Republican colleagues on the Intelligence Committee why they didn't share the bill with the Rules Committee Republicans. We cannot control what you do or do not do. And under the circumstances, Ms. Harman just made it very clear to you that the goalposts keep moving. You try to act as if you don't know that for a year and a half that this has been going on here in this intelligence community, working with this administration, trying to take care of this matter. Now understand this. First, you said on that side that Congress needed to clarify that the government shouldn't need a warrant to collect foreign-to-foreign communications. There was never any disagreement about that, and stop saying it to the American public. Then they said they wanted broader authority to conduct electronic surveillance of terrorist communications. We agreed to that. Then they said they wanted immunity for the telecommunications carriers. We agreed to give them prospective immunity and consider retrospective immunity when we get back. Last night, not yesterday, not midnight to noon, and some people have gotten caught in the dark, last night, the congressional leadership was willing to make further changes for Director McConnell. He said that with those changes he would support the bill because it would, in his word, ``significantly'' enhance America's security. But after this agreement was reached, congressional Republicans insisted on a much broader bill giving the Attorney General, not the Court, the discretion to make decisions about surveillance involving Americans. Clearly, in my judgment, as I said previously, you're not negotiating in good faith. I remind you once again that this rule is to make in order a suspension day. You will have all the time you need to do all the reading you need to do. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 600 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, additionally, I ask unanimous consent that our colleagues be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 600.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 600 authorizes the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules at any time through the legislative day of Friday, August 3, 2007, on the following measures: First, H.R. 3087, a bill to require the President, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other military leaders, to develop and transmit to Congress a comprehensive strategy for redeployment of United States Armed Forces in Iraq; and, second, a bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain electronic surveillance. Mr. Speaker, it is particularly important at this juncture in my remarks that I make it very clear that we have heard a lot of talk from the other side of the aisle about the need to reform FISA. The Director of National Intelligence has identified a specific intelligence collection gap and spoken of ``a backlog for things requiring a warrant,'' and I quote him. He claims that this is hindering our efforts to prevent terrorist attacks. Congress, Mr. Speaker, takes its responsibilities to protect the Nation seriously. None of us on either side of the aisle want to leave our intelligence professionals short. The Intelligence Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the leadership have been working around the clock to come up with a solution that addresses this particular problem. However, again and again, the administration has overplayed their hand. Each time we get close to an agreement, they ask for more, and I might add the negotiations on this have been going on for over a year. First they said Congress needed to clarify that the government shouldn't need a warrant to collect foreign communications. There was never ever any disagreement about that. Then they said they wanted broader authority to conduct electronic surveillance of terrorist communications. We agreed to that. Then they said they wanted immunity for the telecommunications carriers. We agreed to give them prospective immunity and would consider retrospective immunity when we get back. But we insist on a couple of things. We want to preserve the role of the FISA Court as an independent check on the government to prevent them from infringing on the rights of Americans, and we insist that this legislation have a sunset. In this rushed environment before recess, we should not make permanent changes to FISA. Last night, the congressional leadership was willing to make further changes for Director McConnell. He said with those changes he would support the bill because it would ``significantly enhance America's security.'' And I am quoting him again. But after this agreement was reached, congressional Republicans insisted on a much broader, permanent bill, giving the Attorney General, this Attorney General, not the Court, the discretion to make decisions about surveillance involving Americans. Clearly, in my judgment, they are not negotiating in good faith. If they reject this bill, the other side is saying, in the face of a resurgent al Qaeda, they don't want to plug the collection gap identified by the Director of National Intelligence immediately. They are rejecting ``significantly enhancing America's security.'' Now, if the other side insists on manufacturing obstructionist delays and rejecting agreements that will enhance our security, we can stay here all August and September and December until we get this done. The security of this Nation deserves no less. This rule is necessary, Mr. Speaker, because under clause 1(a), rule XV, the Speaker may entertain motions to suspend the rules only on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of each week. In order for suspensions to be considered on other days, as my colleagues well know, the Rules Committee must authorize consideration of these motions. This is not an unusual procedure, as some on the other side may suggest. In fact, in the 109th Congress, alone, my friends on the other side of the aisle reported at least six rules that provided for additional suspension days. This rule limits the suspension of rules to only these two bills and will help us move important legislation before we leave for the August recess. Time is, indeed, of the essence. Not because many in this body wish to go home this weekend but, rather, because of the gravity of these situations both here at home and abroad. I hope that my colleagues will join me in support of this rule and the underlying piece of legislation. I do wish to put my colleagues on notice that, following the conclusion of debate on this rule, I intend to offer an amendment to the rule. My amendment will permit the House to consider emergency legislation today appropriating $250 million to begin the reconstruction of the I-35 bridge, which collapsed this week in Minnesota. We have properly given our condolences and continue those to those who have lost loved ones and those who are awaiting word regarding those who are still missing and those who have been injured. All of us grieve with all of them. Without this amendment and this rule, this legislation will not be permitted to proceed; and these emergency funds would be delayed. Realize a vote against this rule and my amendment to the rule will be a vote against providing this emergency assistance to the people of Minnesota, specifically Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield 30 seconds to Ms. Harman.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. The gentleman says he has a copy of the bill in his hand. I would remind the distinguished ranking member of the Rules Committee, who is my good friend, that this rule is to make in order a suspension day.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in 1994, a terrorist bomb destroyed the headquarters of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association, known by its Spanish acronym, AMIA, killing 85 people and wounding 200. To this day, the attack on the AMIA remains the deadliest anti-Semitic incident since World War II, and as of yet, the perpetrators of this act have not been brought to justice. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 188, which not only condemns this heinous attack, but also applauds the Government of Argentina for speeding the pace of this investigation and calls on other responsible nations to support Argentina in its efforts to finally bring this case to a close. Substantial evidence attributes the attack on July 18, 1994, to the terrorist group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon and sponsored by Iran. Evidence indicates that the tri-border region where Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil meet was used to channel resources for the purpose of carrying out the AMIA attack by terrorists linked with Iran. Regrettably, the scheming of international terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah and al-Qaeda, are not confined to the tri-border region. In fact, much of the Western Hemisphere is ideal for international terrorist groups to establish bases due to the ill equipped and poorly trained security agencies across the region. Almost daily, we hear reports of terrorist threats from organizations including Hezbollah and al-Qaeda. It is more important than ever to vigorously pursue and prosecute these criminals at every given opportunity. Unfortunately, while the AMIA case has been officially under investigation for over 13 years, the responsible parties have not yet been apprehended. Massive judicial and investigative irregularities, destruction of evidence, and cover-ups have already distorted the long-delayed trial. Make no mistake about it, failure to duly punish the culprits of the AMIA attack serves to reward terrorists and help spread terrorism. I strongly applaud the recent efforts by the Government of Argentina to fulfill its international obligations and its promise to the Argentine people by aggressively pursuing the local and international connections to this act of terrorism, wherever they may lead, and to properly punish all those who are involved. However, if the last few years have taught us anything, it is that no nation can effectively combat terrorism on its own. While it is up to the Argentine government to conduct a thorough investigation, it is also the responsibility of the international community to cooperate fully in this effort. Argentina owes it to itself, its people, and the human family to conduct an intense, fearless, and comprehensive investigation that will lead to the identification and prosecution of the principal criminals. We in the international community owe it to Argentina to cooperate with its efforts to bring this dark chapter of its history to a close. H. Con. Res. 188 is not only a much needed reminder of this tragic event, but it is also a reminder of the truly international scope of the war on terror.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I will yield to the distinguished Chair of the Intelligence Committee in just a moment. But I would like to respond to my good friend from Michigan, and he is my good friend, and he was correct in asserting that he, Ms. Harman, myself, all of the members of the Intelligence Committee that are here, have worked actively for more than a year on this. What he was incorrect about was whether or not there were ongoing negotiations. I would urge him to know that with staff, the distinguished Chair of the Intelligence Committee and many other Members, and Ms. Harman from her Chair on Homeland Security, and countless others in the minority as well, have worked day and night with the administration to produce a bipartisan, bicameral proposal. Mr. Rogers just said last night no other negotiations were going on. Last night the DNI asked us to make three changes, three, to our proposal. We made all three changes. They are in this bill. But the administration still rejected our proposal, and they gave us a moving target. We gave the administration what it told us it needed to protect America. They still said no. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), the distinguished chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I object.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker. Is it not true, Mr. Speaker, that there are computer terminals on the majority side, the minority side and at the Speaker's desk; and, further, Mr. Speaker, is it not true that the Clerk of the House has the responsibility, when there are engineering problems, to fix the engineering problems?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I object. The gentleman is not stating a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I would remind everyone here that this rule is to make in order a suspension day. This particular measure is not about FISA. Madam Speaker, I'm very pleased to yield to a woman that I've worked with on the Intelligence Committee when she was the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee and that I worked on that committee with for 6 years. In this body is the distinguished chairman of the Intelligence Committee; in addition, another of my colleagues, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Turner, Mr. Holt. All of us serve on that same committee that Mrs. Wilson serves on, and I rather suspect that she knows that we know that there is no prohibition that she has suggested here. I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), the former ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee and the now-Chair of the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment of the Homeland Security Committee.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. You know, for over a year now the Intelligence Committee and Members of this body have been in negotiations with the administration regarding FISA. When I hear my colleague talk about it, I know that, in the realm of the American public, she's persuasive enough to make it appear that there's something that's happening that is dreadful and America's about to be attacked because we don't have sufficient information that we are receiving from those persons who would do us harm overseas. The simple fact of the matter is that Jane Harman, the former Chair of this committee, and Bud Cramer have been actively involved. It is not as if nothing has been going on with reference to FISA. I don't have that same fear. I serve on the same committee that she does. I have every reason to believe that the negotiations are not causing this country to not receive the information that is necessary; and if anyone would argue that this Nation's FISA program is not under courts at this particular time and that the issue is that the administration wishes to move it from under the courts, then I would have them to know that there needs to be greater discussion. One of the things that has happened is some of the stuff we can't talk about is being nuanced, and I rather think that that is not the way to go about trying to change a law. Yes, it's important that we receive the information about those who are going to do us harm, if they can. And, yes, it's important that we be able to intercept their foreign-to-foreign communications. But to give the general impression that there is this necessity that it be done yesterday is not what the reality is.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank my good friend from Ohio for yielding. If it is that we must say that my friend from New Mexico, Mr. Speaker, is to receive credit for a discussion of FISA, it should also attend the facts that for over a year the Intelligence Committees of this Congress have been in negotiations with the administration regarding matters having to do with FISA. Just so we assure everybody that the matter of FISA is on the agenda, it will be taken up before we leave. And I can only say that there are many of us in this body who do not feel that it is inappropriate to establish an appropriate entity for oversight, no matter where information may be coming from. The thing that I wish to dispel is that there is no reason for us to be fearful of us not having information that is needed. It is true that the Director of National Intelligence has said that there are matters that we may be missing. But there may be matters that we may be missing even if we fix FISA if we hurry to judgment and not do it correctly. So civil liberties are important to Americans. Civil liberties are paramount when it comes to our consideration of gathering information. We don't want to troll and catch some American citizens and have their information poorly used. Now, I don't know about anybody else, but there is one provision that considers giving the Attorney General this power and not courts. If it was this Attorney General, then I'm awfully glad that we're in the present posture that we're in, because I would not want this Attorney General making those decisions.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, otherwise known as the Helsinki Commission, I rise to introduce a resolution which expresses the concern of this body regarding the Russian Federation's suspension of implementation of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE). Russia's declared suspension of the CFE on last July 14 is troubling to the countries that are parties to the treaty because it may lead to instability in the security situation in Europe. NATO and the former Warsaw Pact countries ratified the CFE in 1990, under the auspices of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, predecessor of the current Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The CFE has played a major role in European security in the post-Cold War era. The treaty set broad limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe and mandated the destruction of excess weaponry. Under its provisions, over 60,000 pieces of combat material have been destroyed or removed from the arsenals of signatory states, under a rigorous, but mutually acceptable, transparency regime. In sum, it established parity, transparency, and stability among the conventional military forces and equipment in Europe. The CFE was amended in 1999 to account for the dissolution of the former Soviet Union and the reality that several Warsaw Pact countries had become NATO members. However, NATO members have not yet ratified the amended treaty because Russia has failed to fulfill related commitments to withdraw its troops and weaponry from the territories of Moldova and Georgia, where they I are stationed against the wishes of those governments. Among other reasons, Russia justified its suspension of the CFE on the basis that the U.S. plans to construct missile defence facilities in Eastern Europe, NATO member states refuse to ratify the 1999 CFE ``Adaptation Agreement,'' and what Moscow sees as further encroachment by NATO toward Russia's border. Madam Speaker, this resolution is not intended to discount Russia's concerns in the area of national security. However, Russia's actions over the past few months, combined with this latest on the CFE, prompts the question: How much of Russia's decision to suspend the CFE was based on genuine security concerns, and how much of the decision was designed to project President Putin and his United Party as ``tough on the West'' in the face of upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections? We believe that Russia's proposed ``moratorium'' on CFE compliance is a regrettable step that may needlessly increase tensions in Europe. I am introducing this ``sense of the House'' resolution urging the Government of the Russian Federation to reconsider its intention to suspend CFE implementation and to engage in dialogue with the other CFE signatory states to resolve outstanding problems and establish a foundation for the eventual implementation of the above-mentioned Adaptation Agreement to the CFE Treaty of 1999. In other words, we urge Russia to reconsider its decision and behave more responsibly. I urge my colleagues to support this timely resolution as a demonstration of this body's concern for European security.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I hereby submit, for the Record, the text of my report to you on the activities of the U.S. Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, held in early July in Kyiv, Ukraine. I had the honor to chair the U.S. Delegation, which included Senator Ben Cardin as the deputy head of delegation, as well as our Majority Leader, Mr. Steny Hoyer. Other participants on the U.S. Delegation were Representatives Chris Smith, Marcy Kaptur, Louise McIntosh Slaughter, Michael McNulty, Robert Aderholt, Mike McIntyre, Hilda L. Solis, G.K. Butterfield, Doris Matsui and Gwen S. Moore. As the report details, the delegation was active at the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which is an inter- parliamentary body consisting of 56 participating States from North America, Europe, the Caucuses and Central Asia, as well as numerous partner states from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Like the OSCE as a whole, its mandate embraces the comprehensive definition of international security to include not only the traditional military political-military issues but also human rights, economic cooperation and environmental protection. In submitting this report, I want to stress the value of American engagement in world affairs, particularly by Members of Congress. In Kyiv, we engaged in a dialogue on issues of concern not only to us, but to our counterparts from other countries. Having served as the President of the OSCE PA, I remain active as President Emeritus as well as a Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs. Senator Cardin serves as a Vice President. In Kyiv, our colleague Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chair of the ``Third'' Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. Members of the U.S. delegation introduced resolutions, suggested amendments and participated in the voting which led to the adoption of a declaration. The text of the declaration can be found on the Assembly's Website, www.oscepa.org. Our activity was not confined to the meeting halls. We also met President Yushchenko and other Ukrainian officials, in recognition of the importance of Ukraine. We laid wreaths at Babyn Yar and at the Ukrainian Famine memorial. We traveled to Chernobyl, the site of the nuclear accident in 1986. These activities, I would argue, advance our country's national interest. The U.S. Delegation represented the wonderful diversity of the United States population. It also highlighted a diversity of opinion on numerous issues. It nevertheless revealed a common hope to make the world a better place, not just for Americans but for all humanity. The delegation helped to counter the negative image many have about our country. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Washington, DC, July 25, 2007. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Madam Speaker: I write to thank you for designating me to head the U.S. Delegation to the Sixteenth Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), and to report to you on the work of our bipartisan delegation. The delegation participated fully in the activity of the Standing Committee and the plenary sessions as well as in the Assembly's three committees. Joining me as Delegation leaders were Commission Co- Chairman Senator Benjamin L. Cardin and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer. Other Helsinki Commissioners who also participated include the Ranking Member, Rep. Christopher H. Smith, and Representatives Louise McIntosh Slaughter, Robert B. Aderholt, Mike McIntyre, Hilda L. Solis and G.K. Butterfield. They were joined by Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Michael R. McNulty, Doris Matsui and Gwen S. Moore. This year's Assembly, hosted by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's Parliament, in Kyiv, July 5-9, brought together 234 parliamentarians from 50 OSCE States, representatives from several Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation, as well as delegates representing Afghanistan, a Partner for Cooperation. Five delegations were headed by parliamentary leaders. The U.S. delegation, with 13 Members, was the largest in Kyiv. The designated theme for this year's Annual Session was ``Implementation of OSCE Commitments.'' Assembly President Goran Lennmarker (Sweden) opened the Inaugural Plenary Session which included an address by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, who took the opportunity to discuss Ukraine's commitment to democratic development and challenges. President Yushchenko urged delegates to recognize, in their respective parliaments, the genocidal nature of the Ukraine Famine, the Holodomor. OSCE Chairman-in-Office Miguel Angel Moratinos, the Foreign Minister of Spain, also addressed the plenary before taking questions from the parliamentarians. At the Standing Committee, the leadership body of the Assembly composed of the Heads of Delegations representing the 56 OSCE participating States, I presented a summary of my activities as Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs, including my visits in June to Israel and Jordan. During the Kyiv meeting, I convened a special meeting on the Mediterranean Dimension of the OSCE, attended by approximately 100 parliamentarians from Algeria, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan as well as many of the OSCE participating States. The Standing Committee also heard reports from other Assembly Special Representatives. The OSCE PA Treasurer, Senator Jerry Grafstein (Canada), reported that the Assembly was operating well within its overall budget guidelines and that KPMG, the Assembly's external auditors, again had delivered a positive assessment of the Assembly's financial management. The Standing Committee unanimously approved the Treasurer's proposed budget for fiscal year 2007/2008, including an increase of 4.18% over last year's expenditures. OSCE PA Secretary General R. Spencer Oliver reported on the International Secretariat's activities. Members of the U.S. Delegation actively participated in the work of the Assembly's three General Committees: Political Affairs and Security; Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment; and Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. Each committee considered its own resolution as well as nine of the 10 supplementary items registered before the session. One supplementary item was debated in plenary. Senator Cardin introduced a supplemental item on ``Combating Anti-Semitism, Racism, Xenophobia and other forms of Intolerance against Muslims and Roma,'' and seven other U.S. delegates introduced a total of 25 amendments to either a committee resolution or to a supplementary item. All were adopted. The U.S. Delegation also was instrumental in garnering necessary support for supplementary items and amendments proposed by our friends and allies among the participating States. The supplementary items considered and debated in Kyiv, other than Senator Cardin's, included ``The Role and the Status of the Parliamentary Assembly within the OSCE''; ``The Illicit Air Transport of Small Arms and Light Weapons and their Ammunition''; ``Environmental Security Strategy''; ``Conflict Settlement in the OSCE area''; Strengthening OSCE Engagement with Human Rights Defenders and National Human Rights Institutions''; ``The Ban on Cluster Bombs''; ``Liberalization of Trans-Atlantic Trade''; ``Women in Peace and Security''; and, ``Strengthening of Counteraction of Trafficking Persons in the OSCE Member States.'' Attached is a copy of the Kyiv Declaration adopted by participants at the Assembly's closing plenary, which includes the input of the U.S. Delegation. Following her appearance before the Helsinki Commission in Washington on June 21 during our hearing on ``Guantanamo: Implications for U.S. Human Rights Leadership,'' Belgian Senate President Anne-Marie Lizin, the OSCE PA Special Representative on Guantanamo, presented her third report on the status of the camp to a general Plenary Session of the Assembly. This report followed her second visit to the detention facility at Guantanamo on June 20, 2007 and gave the Assembly a balanced presentation which concluded that the facility should be closed. The OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, Tone Tingsgard (Sweden), hosted an informal working breakfast to discuss gender issues where she presented her plan for future actions addressing gender issues within the OSCE PA. Members of the U.S. Delegation participated in the discussion at this meeting. During the course of the Kyiv meeting members of the U.S. Delegation held a series of formal as well as informal bilateral meetings, including talks with parliamentarians from the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, parliamentary delegations from the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation, including Israel, and Afghanistan. The U.S. Delegation hosted a reception for parliamentary delegations from Canada and the United Kingdom. On the final day of the Kyiv meeting, the Assembly re- elected Goran Lennmarker (Sweden) as President. Mr. Hans Raidel (Germany) was elected Treasurer. Four Vice Presidents were elected in Kyiv: Anne-Marie Lizin (Belgium), Jerry Grafstein (Canada), Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland), and Panos Kammenos (Greece). Rep. Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chair of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, which is responsible for addressing humanitarian and human rights-related threats to security and serves as a forum for examining the potential for cooperation within these areas. She joins Senator Cardin, whose term as Vice President extends until 2009, and me as OSCE PA President Emeritus, in ensuring active U.S. engagement in the Assembly's proceedings for the coming year. While the Delegation's work focused heavily on OSCE PA matters, the venue presented an opportunity to advance U.S. relations with our Ukrainian hosts. While in Kyiv, the U.S. Delegation met with Ukrainian President Yushchenko for lengthy talks on bilateral issues, his country's aspirations for further Euro-Atlantic integration, energy security, international support for Chornobyl containment, and challenges to Ukraine's sovereignty and democratic development. The President discussed the political situation in Ukraine and the development of the May 27 agreement that provides for pre-term parliamentary elections scheduled for September 30, 2007. The Delegation also visited and held wreath-laying ceremonies at two significant sites in the Ukrainian capital: the Babyn Yar Memorial, commemorating the more than 100,000 Ukrainians killed there during World War II--including 33,000 Jews from Kyiv that were shot in a two-day period in September 1941; and the Famine Genocide Memorial (1932-33) dedicated to the memory of the millions of Ukrainians starved to death by Stalin's Soviet regime in the largest man-made famine of the 20th century. The delegation traveled to the Chernobyl exclusion zone and visited the site where on April 26, 1986, the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, resulting in the world's worst nuclear accident. While in the zone, the delegation visited the abandoned city of Prypiat, the once bustling residence of 50,000 located a short distance from the nuclear plant. Members toured the Chernobyl facilities and discussed ongoing economic and environmental challenges with local experts and international efforts to find a durable solution to the containment of large quantities of radioactive materials still located at the plant. I hope this summary of the Delegation's activity is useful to you, and let me again thank you for making this trip possible. The Seventeenth Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will be held early next July in Astana, Kazakhstan, and I hope we can count on your support once again in ensuring that U.S. interests abroad are advanced through active participation in the OSCE PA. Sincerely, Alcee L. Hastings, Chairman.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave I also ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 567 provides for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 1, to provide for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and its consideration. This is a typical rule for a conference report and was reported out by the Rules Committee by a bipartisan voice vote. Mr. Speaker, when Americans decided last November that they were tired of the way business was being done in Washington, they elected Democrats to the majority. We promised them that we would implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission, and today we are fulfilling that promise in bipartisan fashion. We are showing that compromise can, indeed, yield good policy. Democrats have shown with this bill that that compromise can indeed be positive for America. There were many who did not want to see Democrats succeed in completing work on this bill. They preferred political posturing over protecting the American public. For them, inaction is an acceptable solution, and obstructionism their plan to get back into the majority. The American people should take great comfort in knowing that we will not allow them to succeed. I commend my good friends, the distinguished chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson, and the ranking member for their tireless work on this conference report. It was not an easy job, but their diligence and commitment to protecting America persevered. This product takes significant steps to further protect the American people. Democrats are leading in delivery while fixing the shortcomings in our homeland security network highlighted by the 9/11 Commission. First, this conference report places a priority on providing homeland security grants based on risk and not political preference. This is especially important to my constituents, as south Florida has seen its recent homeland security grant allocations decreased as political consideration has increased in the process. When it comes to first responders, the conference report includes $1.6 billion for a first responder interoperability grant program. The report also invests in rail, transit and bus security, authorizing more than $4 billion for these crucial grants. Further, this report requires the screening on all passenger air cargo within 3 years. This is, without doubt, the furthest that Congress has ever gone to ensure that the flying public is safe and protected. Within the next 5 years, the conference report requires the screening of all container ships as they leave foreign shores and head to the U.S. This, too, was another of the 9/11 recommendations. If America is going to be safe, Mr. Speaker, then Congress must do everything in its power to ensure that cargo coming into our ports has been screened and checked. As someone who represents a district which is within just miles of three major international seaports, I'm pleased that the committee included this provision in the bill. The safety and security of south Florida literally depends on it. I'm also pleased that the Homeland Security Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, of which I'm a proud member, were able to reach an agreement regarding the public disclosure of total spending in the intelligence community. This was another key recommendation from the 9/ 11 Commission, and Democrats are again keeping their promise to turn those recommendations into law. It is a new day in the House of Representatives. With honesty and transparency as our guiding principles, Democrats are working to strengthen and restore faith in our intelligence community. Even more, we are sending the message to the American people that this Congress will no longer allow the intelligence community to operate without proper oversight. This conference report is another installment of how Democrats are working to protect the American people and hold the Bush administration accountable for its failures and shortcomings. This is a good conference report and a good rule. I urge my colleagues to support both. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very privileged to yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Homeland Security Committee of this House, my good friend from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).