Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I am glad my friend yields. You do agree that the rules that you wrote are the rules that are being adopted in this section that we are talking about?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Well, you helped make those rules, my good friend. Perhaps you didn't utilize the fact that you did as a draft. But in either event, I take it that I have made my point and you have made yours. Frankly, Mr. Speaker, many of the changes to House rules that our Republican colleagues did make in 1995 and subsequently, in my opinion, were good ones and some of them we have kept. Proxy voting in committees was eliminated. That was an excellent reform. We have kept it. It is in our rules package. You gave the Speaker emergency power to recess the House and convene in another place in case of a terrorist incident. That was a good reform, and it is in the package that we have offered. You prohibited public works projects being named for serving Members of Congress. That always kind of bothered me, and I am glad that you got rid of it, and it was a good reform and it is in our package. So, Mr. Speaker, title I, I think, is pretty straightforward. I think we should all be able to agree on it, and the distinguished ranking member of the Rules Committee has indicated he agrees. They are the Republican rules of last Congress that today's majority agrees with, draft or no draft. We will get to the changes later. But title I are the rules that today's minority wrote 2 years ago. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Now that you have.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Of course I will yield to my friend.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, House rules allowing for cosponsors have yet to be adopted. Therefore, I would submit this list of cosponsors for House Resolution 6 for the Record. Pursuant to clause 7 of Rule XII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the following sponsors are hereby added to H. Res. 6. Louise Slaughter, David Obey, John Spratt, Zach Space, Chris Carney, Baron Hill, Heath Shuler, Steny Hoyer, James Clyburn, Rahm Emanuel, John Larson, Xavier Becerra, Chris Van Hollen, Rosa DeLauro, George Miller, Jim McGovern, Alcee Hastings, Doris Matsui, Kathy Castor, Betty Sutton, Peter Welch. Gary Ackerman, Tom Allen, Jason Altmire, Rob Andrews, Michael Arcuri, Joe Baca, Brian Baird, Tammy Baldwin, Melissa Bean, Shelley Berkley, Howard Berman, Marion Berry, Tim Bishop, Earl Blumenauer, Madeleine Bordallo, Leonard Boswell, Nancy Boyda, Robert Brady, Bruce Braley. G.K. Butterfield, Lois Capps, Mike Capuano, Dennis Cardoza, Russ Carnahan, Ben Chandler, Donna Christensen, Yvette Clarke, Emanuel Cleaver, Steve Cohen, John Conyers, Jim Cooper, Joe Courtney, Joe Crowley, Henry Cuellar, Elijah Cummings, Susan Davis, Danny Davis, Artur Davis, Lincoln Davis. Peter DeFazio, Diana DeGette, Bill Delahunt, Norm Dicks, John Dingell, Lloyd Doggett, Joe Donnelly, Mike Doyle, Keith Ellison, Brad Ellsworth, Anna Eshoo, Bob Etheridge, Eni Faleomavaega, Sam Farr, Chaka Fattah, Bob Filner, Barney Frank, Gabby Giffords, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bart Gordon. Al Green, Gene Green, Raul Grijalva, John Hall, Phil Hare, Jane Harman, Stephanie Herseth, Brian Higgins, Maurice Hinchey, Mazie Hirono, Paul Hodes, Tim Holden, Michael Honda, Darlene Hooley, Jay Inslee, Steve Israel, Jesse Jackson, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Hank Johnson. Steve Kagen, Marcy Kaptur, Patrick Kennedy, Dale Kildee, Ron Kind, Ron Klein, Dennis Kucinich, Nick Lampson, Jim Langevin, Tom Lantos, Richard Larsen, Barbara Lee, Sander Levin, John Lewis, Dan Lipinski, Dave Loebsack, Zoe Lofgren, Stephen Lynch, Tim Mahoney, Carolyn Maloney. Ed Markey, Carolyn McCarthy, Betty McCollum, Jim McDermott, Mike McIntyre, Jerry McNerney, Mike McNulty, Martin Meehan, Kendrick Meek, Michael Michaud, Juanita Millender-McDonald, Harry Mitchell, Dennis Moore, Jim Moran, Chris Murphy, Patrick Murphy, Jerry Nadler, Grace Napolitano, Eleanor Holmes Norton, James Oberstar. John Olver, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Ed Pastor, Donald Payne, Ed Perlmutter, Collin Peterson, Earl Pomeroy, David Price, Nick Rahall, Charlie Rangel, Silvestre Reyes, Ciro Rodriguez, Mike Ross, Steve Rothman, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Dutch Ruppersberger, Bobby Rush, Tim Ryan, John Salazar. Linda Sanchez, John Sarbanes, Jan Schakowsky, Adam Schiff, Allyson Schwartz, David Scott, Jose Serrano, Joe Sestak, Carol Shea- Porter, Brad Sherman, Albio Sires, Ike Skelton, Adam Smith, Vic Snyder, Hilda Solis, Pete Stark, Ellen Tauscher, Bennie Thompson, Mike Thompson, John Tierney. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Mark Udall, Tom Udall, Nydia Velazquez, Tim Walz, Debbie Wasserman Shultz, Maxine Waters, Diane Watson, Henry Waxman, Anthony Weiner, Robert Wexler, Charlie Wilson, Lynn Woolsey, David Wu, Al Wynn, John Yarmuth, Rush Holt, Bobby Scott. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I enjoyed listening to my colleague and good friend, and he is my good friend, former chairman of the Rules Committee, speak about closed rules. Since he is the master of closed rules, I know he knows of what he speaks. Title I of our rules package is, or at least should be, the least controversial part, as the ranking member has said, of what we are going to discuss over the next few hours. Title I is very simply the rules of the 109th Congress. We are taking the Republican rules from the last Congress and using this as our base. The changes we will make to improve on the previous Congress's rules will come later and will be discussed by the members of the Rules Committee. This section of the House rules package makes it clearer that the former chairperson of the Rules Committee, my friend from California, was being just a bit disingenuous when he said the other day that, and I quote him, we have not received even a draft, unquote, of the Democrats' rules. Of course he had, Mr. Speaker. They were the rules of the House that he helped draft as Chair of the Rules Committee 2 years ago. All we have done is taken the old House rules and improved them to make the House a more ethical, more democratic, more open institution.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today deeply concerned about the consistent delay of the commission members of the International Tracing Service (ITS) to permit Holocaust survivors and their families access to the millions of Holocaust records located at Bad Arolsen, Germany. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the nations who have yet to approve the recently agreed upon amendments to the Bonn Accords regarding these archives to give this issue the utmost elevated attention and to be made a top priority in their respective Parliaments. The ITS Commission, comprised of the United States, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom, currently possesses nearly 50 million records documenting Holocaust victims and survivors experiences pre-World War II and during the Holocaust. The records are used to substantiate benefit claims by Holocaust survivors and their heirs and operate under the 1955 agreements, the Bonn Accords. For the past decade, Holocaust researchers and most survivors have sought and failed to access the Bad Arolsen archive, because the ITS Commission believed it would violate the privacy of the survivors and their families. Following years of delay, in May 2006, the Commission adopted amendments to the Bonn Accords permitting each Commission member to make the archives public and to receive a digitized copy of the Bad Arolsen archive, which they would be able to make available to researchers under their own country's respective privacy laws. Unfortunately, 9 out of the 11 ITS Commission member nations have yet to ratify the amendments. With the express acknowledgement of the variance in each country's internal procedures, and the utmost respect for the letter of international law, I strongly encourage parliamentarians from other members of the ITS Commission to ratify the ITS amendments promptly so that the Bad Arolsen archives can be opened at the earliest possible date. This ongoing delay is a further example of how the Holocaust survivors, who have been part of such unimaginable, horrendous genocide, and the greatest crime against humanity, are perpetually forced to endure severe obstacles and difficulties. Now, the few Holocaust survivors who are here with us today remain tormented by the unknown. In the Holocaust's aftermath, there have been far too many demonstrations of survivors and heirs of Holocaust victims who have been refused their moral and legal right to information, restitution of assets, or compensation for slave labor from the entities that profited during the Holocaust. As the few remaining survivors pass away, many still pass away deprived of information concerning their loved ones and the assets that were rightfully theirs. Let us not continue to waste the precious time left for the remaining survivors. After all of the horrific acts to which they have been subjected, they are completely justified in uncovering the truth about their families and their loved ones without hassle or delay. This issue is of particular importance to me, given the fact that South Florida is home to the second largest concentration of Holocaust survivors in the United States, and the third largest in the world outside of Israel. Furthermore, as the President Emeritus of the Organization for Security and Cooperation Parliamentary Assembly in Europe (OSCE), I am committed to the issue of fair and just treatment of Holocaust survivors, and remain dedicated to the prevention of all bigotry, especially anti-Semitism. Let us not forget that anti-Semitism has not diminished; if anything we have seen a resurgence in recent years. The threat or occurrence of anti-Semitism is still very real to many Jews in the United States and across the world. Only last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad held the second Holocaust denial conference in one year in Tehran; the latest in a series of abominable threatening and anti-Semitic, Holocaust denial statements and actions he has taken since he rose to power. While extremist radicals may continue to spew such hatred and intolerance, I find it embarrassing that others who know better can turn their backs on the remaining Holocaust survivors or on the memory of those who perished in such a tragedy. I can think of no better way to commemorate the 6 million murdered in the Holocaust, than for each and every international community member to seriously commit to monitor and combat anti-Semitic acts and promote Holocaust remembrance and education. While tolerance takes time to teach, it is not too late for international member nations of the ITS Commission to assist the remaining Holocaust survivors and grant them direct access to the Bad Arolsen archives as soon as possible. Mr. Speaker, we should never forget the horrific crimes of murder and destruction committed by the Nazis; and we must commit ourselves to ensuring that future generations shall never be forced to endure the suffering, humiliation, and ultimate death experienced by the victims of the Holocaust. Holocaust Survivors' Foundation--USA, Miami, FL, December 18, 2006. Congressman Alcee Hastings, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Hastings: We are Holocaust survivors, and elected leaders of grass roots survivor organizations with thousands of members in 15 states. As individual claimants and class members, we have witnessed the failed enterprise known as ``Holocaust asset restitution'' as it has proceeded over the last decade, in litigation over and negotiations over thefts and human exploitation by European manufacturers, banks, insurance companies, railroads, and governments. Sunday's important story in the Associated Press about the monumental documentation of Nazi crimes at the Bad Arolsen archive highlights the absurdity of the process survivors have been forced to endure over this past decade. One would have thought that Holocaust survivors, at the end of our lives, would have been treated with the utmost respect and dignity. In reality, however, much of what has passed for ``restitution'' has been the opposite of what we would have expected, with catastrophic results. Instead, the process has been driven by institutional and organizational imperatives, instead of by the rights, interests, and priorities of the survivors. Too often; these forays have yielded incomplete information disclosure and absurdly low financial compensation. Instead of being principals, we the survivors have been treated as pawns. Instead of receiving dignity and respect, we have received lip service and been patronized by organizations, judges, executive branch officials, and members of Congress. Another hallmark of restitution, up until now, has been the imperative to give European business and governmental miscreants ``legal peace'' while calling for arbitrarily set financial settlements to be doled out by institutions that are self-interested or worse in their motives and practices. For example, when the institutions and lawyers we didn't selected ``settled'' with German industry, they agreed to limit insurance claims against German industry to a ridiculously low, arbitrary sum, without ever conducting an audit of the amount of insurance theft by German insurers and reinsurers. Now, it has been reported that class action lawyers want to forgive Italian insurance giant Generali without ever requiring full disclosure and disgorgement, despite recent evidence that the company stole billions and used the same punch card technology to manage its business used by the Nazis in the Final Solution. The media and Congress have ignored the fact that in almost every instance, survivors have been denied access to the necessary information required to mount full and effective disgorgement of the ill-gotten gains of the European plunderers. They have ignored the rush to judgment by representatives we didn't select to close the books on restitution. Now, with 16 miles of previously suppressed documents from the Nazi period being made public, isn't it time to halt the rush to judgment, the rush for ``closure,'' and require the full, transparent accounting that we survivors are morally and legally entitled to move forward without any further impediments? We call on all institutions of good faith, in government, in the media, and in the institutional world, to support us in our morally justified demand for transparence and justice. Israel Arbeiter, Boston, MA. Nesse Godin, Washington, DC. David Mermelstein, Miami, FL. Alex Moskovic, Palm Beach, FL. Leo Rechter, Flushing, NY. David Schaecter, Miami, FL. Henry and Anita Schuster, Las Vegas, NV. Fred Taucher, Seattle, WA. Lea Weems, Houston, TX. Esther Widman, Brooklyn, NY. Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Miami, FL, December 11, 2006. Hon. Alcee Hastings, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Hastings: On November 25, Arthur Max, Chief of the Amsterdam Bureau of the Associated Press, published an astonishing report about the massive and previously closed collection of information from the Nazi death camps under the jurisdiction of the International Red Cross and now located at Bad Arolsen, Germany. The scope of the records reported by Mr. Max is breathtaking, as are the moral and policy implications of the revelation. South Florida is the home to the second largest concentration of Holocaust survivors in the United States, and the third largest in the world outside of Israel. According to Mr. Max's report, survivors and their families have been unjustly denied access to many of the records at Bad Arolsen regarding their own experiences in the camps, or those of their family members. We are mandated by history and morality to remember that this greatest crime against humanity was in fact millions of crimes against millions of human beings, all of whom have the absolute right to receive all of the unvarnished truth about their fate and the fate of their loved ones they wish to learn about today. We are also painfully aware that far too many examples exist of survivors and heirs of Holocaust victims who have attempted to obtain morally and legally justified restitution of assets, or compensation for horrific slave labor from the entities that profited from the Holocaust, only to be met with rejections, and then, as added insult, to be denied access to the available sources of information they are told justify these rejections. In addition, there is now abundant evidence that tens of thousands of destitute survivors live in our midst, in the United States and Canada, in Israel, in the Former Soviet Union, in Europe and Australia, and in Latin America, and that government, and community--and restitution-based resources are inadequate to meet their basic human needs. In the United States alone, there are over 45,000 Holocaust survivors living near or below the federal poverty level, and who cannot afford adequate nutrition, housing, home care, medications, or simple and necessary devices such as dentures, eyeglasses, or hearing aids. This is unthinkable in the year 2006, but it is true. As the following chart attests, these numbers are staggering, and widespread around the world. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Survivors living Survivor below or population near poverty line ------------------------------------------------------------------------ United States................................. 175,000 87,500 Israel........................................ 393,000 137,300 Former Soviet Union........................... 146,000 126,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sources: Sheskin, Estimates of the Number of Nazi Victims and Their Economic Status, January 2004; Brodsky and DellaPergola, Health Problems and Socioeconomic Neediness Among Jewish Shoah Survivors in Israel, April 2005; American Joint Distribution Committee, Presentation on the Condition and Needs of Jewish Nazi Victims in the Former Soviet Union. January 2004. We would hope that a thorough accounting of the real thefts suffered by the families of the Holocaust would not only allow for proper and overdue restitution to individuals, but would be a step toward creating sufficient financial resources to provide a dignified level of human existence for every survivor in the world who needs or requests relief. As leaders of our general and Jewish communities, locally and nationally and even internationally, the Federation Board believes that our generation owes the survivors the dignity of justice in their final years. In light of these compelling facts, we call upon Congress to take all steps necessary to guarantee immediate access to the Bad Arolsen archive by a qualified group of researchers in order to create a comprehensive and accessible database of information for all affected families without any further delay. As a starting point, we urge you to bring together the responsible U.S. and Red Cross officials to determine the scope of the task and identify the personnel and resources to make this information accessible as soon as humanly possible, beginning immediately. If necessary, we are asking that Congress enact legislation, with funding if necessary, for the immediate completion of these tasks. In addition, we ask the United States Congress to explore and encourage any and all methods, including on an emergency basis, legislation, to provide all survivors and heirs a full opportunity to access the Bad Arolsen materials and to utilize said materials in support of their claims without regard to any previous denials or deadlines. We look forward to working with you to complete this historically and morally necessary task with the utmost speed. You will find enclosed two relevant articles pertaining to this letter. Please contact either one of us if you have any questions or concerns or wish to discuss in more detail. Sincerely, Saby Behar, President. Jacob Solomon, Executive Vice President.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, how much time remains on each side?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of The U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act. As Chairman Henry Hyde said earlier in the year in the House Rules Committee, this is the single most important piece of legislation that has come through the International Relations Committee this year and we must do everything in our power to pass it today. India, the world's largest democracy, and the United States, the world's oldest democracy, must come together and strengthen their friendship. After centuries of an unsteady relationship, there has been a dramatic improvement starting with the Clinton Administration and continuing today. This bill tells India that we believe in them, and that we want to support them just like they have consistently supported us. The Civilian Nuclear Initiative will deepen the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership. The initiative reflects U.S. trust in India as a global tactical partner and indicates our admiration for India's democratic traditions, her commitment to tolerance and her commitment to freedom. I, as well as many of our colleagues, have had the great pleasure of traveling to the country of India on several different occasions. Any person who goes to India recognizes the crucial necessity of clean. This legislation will provide production of clean energy and can potentially reduce further pollution on the environment through decreasing the dependency on fossil fuels. Civil nuclear cooperation is vital to the development of a clean and safe environment for our Indian friends. As our distinguished colleague and incoming Chairman Tom Lantos said in July and no doubt will repeat shortly, India is a nuclear nonproliferator. India has pledged to identify and separate her civil and military nuclear facilities and programs and place the civil portions under IAEA safeguards. India, America's strongest ally in the Southeast Asia region, is on the verge of an energy crisis. India is the sixth largest energy consumer in the world, but in order to maintain their strong economic growth, India's energy consumption will need to increase substantially. The facts are astounding, and civilian nuclear cooperation is the only way India's energy can remain secure. I urge my colleagues to vote for the rule and the underlying bill. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield 8\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), who has been a leader in this area for some time here in the Congress

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu). (Mr. WU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me first thank the distinguished Chair of the House Rules Committee, my very good friend, Mr. Dreier, for yielding me the time. As a point of personal privilege, Madam Speaker, let me take a moment to commend Chairman Dreier for his able stewardship of the Rules Committee over these past several years. I consider David to have been, on balance, a very good chairman. He certainly is an institutionalist and someone who clearly understands the role of the United States and the United States Congress in the world today. He was given the challenge of running the Rules Committee at a particularly difficult juncture in congressional history. David, it has been a pleasure to work with you, to travel with you, and to learn from you. I look forward to our continued work together, albeit with slightly different roles in the future. Madam Speaker, as Chairman Dreier has already pointed out, this is a comprehensive and massive trade bill that is being brought to the House floor today. It was introduced in the House within the past few hours, and we are asked to vote on it shortly. I seriously doubt that most Members have read this bill. Okay, maybe Chairman Thomas and Mr. Rangel. Others? Not really, not a chance. In some respects, this was a troubling pattern in the Congress, which I hope will end tomorrow. As I have said multiple times this year, it is my great hope that this type of legislating will end at the close of this year. Now, within this massive bill are provisions that are both positive and negative. If this bill was split into four or six separate bills, I suspect I would find myself voting against three or five of the individual pieces of legislation. But I don't have that opportunity because, once again, the outgoing leadership has closed down the process in the hopes of squelching democracy here in the people's House. Despite my serious misgivings about several portions of this bill, I may wind up supporting it for the sections that deal with our Caribbean neighbor to the immediate south. The major focus of this bill, as it relates to the people of south Florida and of the 23rd Congressional District, which I am privileged to represent, is the investment it makes in Haiti. The truth is, Madam Speaker, this Congress and this administration and the previous administration has had a dismal record as it relates to helping one of the most beleaguered nations in our hemisphere. This bill takes a step, albeit a small step, in helping our brothers and sisters in Haiti begin to take control of their economy, take control of their livelihoods and, hopefully, their circumstances. It is not a panacea, far from it. But it is, in my view, a step in the right direction. One of the key provisions of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encouragement, as it is referred to as the HOPE Act, will be that it provides new duty free, quota-free access to the U.S. market for apparel made in Haiti. This has a two-fold benefit. One, it should, over time, allow businesses in Haiti to flourish and build a stable economy and lead to a more stable democracy; and, two, it will also help to lessen the massive trade imbalance we currently owe to China. Madam Speaker, as the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, my good friend, Charlie Rangel, has recently said Haiti and its fledgling democracy stand at critical crossroads. This is a key moment in the relationship between the United States and Haiti. In order to capitalize on this moment, Haiti needs to be able to create sustained economic opportunity for its citizens. The provisions of this section of the bill can and likely will go a long way to fulfilling the U.S. part of this commitment. As I said, Madam Speaker, this is not a perfect bill, and it certainly is not a perfect process. But this is what we have to work with today, and I may support this bill, warts and all, because of what it may do for the future of Haiti and its citizens who are desperately in need of support from the United States and other donor countries. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to my friend, the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend Tom Lantos, who has been stalwart in fighting not only anti-Semitism but bigotry throughout this world. I would like to start by saying that I am very grateful for the bipartisan cooperation of many House leaders to ensure that this important legislation was so promptly brought to the House floor. In particular, I would like to thank my good friends and colleagues, the majority leader, John Boehner; Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi; of course, as I have mentioned, my extremely good friend and mentor, the incoming chair of the House International Relations Committee, the distinguished gentleman from California, Tom Lantos; the current chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia; and my fellow Floridian and very, very good friend and colleague and classmate and ally in a number of mutual efforts on behalf of our respective constituencies; and the ranking Democratic member, Gary Ackerman from New York. I sincerely appreciate the assistance of all of these colleagues in allowing me to introduce this legislation and bring it to the floor for a vote on the second-to-last day of the legislative year and, importantly, prior to the occurrence of this nasty conference. The haste with which this bill was brought to the floor and its bipartisan support is a clear testament to the importance this congressional body places on public condemnation of anti-Semitism worldwide and the desire of congressional leaders to rid the globe of the scourge of anti-Semitism. The commitment of Iranian President Ahmadinejad and other Iranian leaders to hold a Holocaust denial conference on December 11 of this month is unabashed, reprehensible anti-Semitism at its worst. I learned about this 2 weeks ago at a conference in Malta. And to the man and woman that were there, everyone condemned this action. More than 70 years ago, a different leader from a different nation rose to power based on his open hatred of a particular group of people. He started by forcing Jews to identify themselves with the Star of David on their clothing and enacting restrictive laws for Jewish shopkeepers. He ended his crusade, ``the final solution,'' with the mass murder of 6 million or more Jews in extermination camps. I would recommend to Mr. Ahmadinejad that he do as some of us have done in the past, not even requiring of him that he meet in this Congress our only Holocaust survivor, who in fact suffered immeasurably, as did his family and friends and colleagues, at the hands of this kind of hatred. I would recommend to him that he do as I did: visit Auschwitz and Treblinka, and perhaps it would be there that he may come to learn of the horrors that so many people were confronted with. If ``never again'' means anything to us now, then we cannot ignore this latest egregious act of anti-Semitism. The world will not turn its back to President Ahmadinejad and Iranian leaders' anti-Semitic, anti- Israel, and anti-U.S. public acts and statements. The same country that spews such hatred towards Jews is also on a determined path towards nuclear weapon possession. But that is a whole different conflict that needs to be discussed on a whole different day. For today I want to just end and focus on the topic of anti-Semitism. Let Iran's second Holocaust denial conference serve as a wake-up call for the entire international community about the endurance of anti- Semitism in this world. As the president emeritus of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, the world's largest regional security organization, and someone who has traveled extensively across this globe, I am acutely aware of the prevalence of anti-Semitism not only in Iran but worldwide. Combating anti-Semitism fits into my world view of the importance of fighting all types of bigotry. I have dedicated my entire professional life toward eradicating hate spewed by racists, anti-Semites, xenophobes and homophobes. I greatly appreciate the fact that my colleagues recognize the importance of a unified international condemnation of Iran's commitment to hold another Holocaust denial conference. We have a shared responsibility to promote awareness of injustice and preach tolerance education if we ever are to succeed in combating this widespread epidemic of hate. I certainly am deeply appreciative that Mr. Lantos and Ms. Ros- Lehtinen saw fit to permit this matter to be brought to the body.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes. Mr. Speaker, as has already been pointed out, today, at least tonight, we consider the conference report for the major security legislation for this year. I voted for this bill in May, and I likely will vote for this conference report. I point out, however, that this bill could have and should have been much better. If the majority really cared about safety and security and if they cared more than they do about naked partisanship and political advantage, this would be a bill that we could all be proud to pass. For example, Mr. Speaker, when the bill was considered this spring and again now, we were prohibited from considering a Democratic amendment offered by Representatives Nadler, Oberstar, Markey, and others which requires that every shipping container be scanned and sealed before being loaded onto a ship destined for the United States. The scary fact remains that less than 5 percent of all containers coming into the United States through our ports are scanned. Mr. Speaker, as someone who represents a district which depends greatly upon three major international ports for economic activity, I took considerable umbrage with the majority's not allowing this amendment to be considered. I take issue with your conscious decision to block the House from considering proposals which would have, without a doubt, made my constituents and the American people safer. Moreover, the rule this past spring prohibited the ranking Democratic member of the Homeland Security Committee, an expert in this field, Bennie Thompson, from making constructive changes to the bill. Ranking Member Thompson's changes address the fact that we cannot continue asking Customs officials to do more with less. His amendment authorized funding for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to hire 1,600 more officers at seaports. Mr. Speaker, as I previously mentioned, I am proud to represent a region in our country which is home to some of our largest international seaports. Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, and the Port of Miami, each within or just minutes from the district I am privileged to represent, have led the way in security improvements in America. The three, Port Everglades in particular, have all enjoyed national and international best practices recognition. So when I come to the floor today and consider the underlying legislation, I have to ask does this legislation get our ports to where they need to be regarding security. The answer is it gets us closer, but we can and must do better. Mr. Speaker, we had an opportunity in May to do something about a real problem which we all know exists at America's seaports. We will accomplish some with the passage of this bill, but we must return to this topic when the new Congress convenes next January after a new direction. We can do better and we will do better for the American people. When we come next year, Democrats will give our Customs and Border Patrol officers the necessary tools and directives to do everything that they can possibly do to stop attacks from happening here in the United States. Until this time we have this bill, which is a first step, and that is all it is, a first step. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, when the House passed this bill in May, it passed by a wide bipartisan margin and focused exclusively on port security issues. When the Senate took up this bill, however, it broadened the scope of this legislation to address the gaping security holes in our country's rail, subway, bus and trucking system. Secretary Chertoff and the House Republicans called these new sections ``goulash.'' I think they are good policy, and I think they should be part of the bill we send to the President today. If we can stick unrelated gambling legislation into this conference report, Mr. Speaker, why cannot we include legislation that will improve our mass transit and rail security? Mr. Speaker, the 9/11 Commission noted in its final report that our surface transportation systems such as railroads and mass transit remain hard to protect because they are so accessible and extensive. We all know that Congress has not done enough to address this problem. So let's take this final opportunity to make some progress by including the Senate language. Mr. Speaker, I want to stress that a ``no'' vote on the previous question will not stop consideration of the port security conference report, but a ``no'' vote will allow the House to include in the conference report the critical Senate provisions that were contained in yesterday's motion to instruct that passed this House by a bipartisan and overwhelming vote. Again, vote ``no'' on the previous question. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I heard that the conference was a farce. My colleague from Texas said we are headed in a new direction. People don't need no new direction. What people need is an absolute destination. And the fact of the matter is there were people who could have made this bill better and we are shut out of the process the same as we have been all the way down the line. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to my very good friend, the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I will be asking Members to vote ``no'' on the previous question. If the previous question is defeated, I will offer an amendment to the rule that instructs the enrolling Clerk to modify the conference report and add important provisions from the Senate version of this bill. These provisions are virtually identical to those in the motion to instruct that the House overwhelmingly adopted just 24 hours ago by a vote of 281-140. Any Member who supported that motion last night should support my amendment today. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the amendment be printed in the Record immediately before the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. 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. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am so glad my colleagues on the other sIde of aisle feel that they can look the American people in the eye and say ``we have done enough for you this session in Congress, we have earned a vacation. It is high time for us to adjourn.'' Now, Mr. Speaker, let me translate what the Republicans are actually saying: ``We choose rather to go on vacation then to attend to the needs of the American people.'' It seems the Grand Old Party's leadership had a grand old time this year, deciding to recess after having spent the fewest number of days in session in our lifetime. Pitifully, in comparison to the typical American worker who spends approximately 247 days a year laboring, Congressional members will have worked less than 100. Mr. Speaker this is not simply a ``do nothing Congress'' as so many of my colleagues have said before me. This is just as much a ``do nothing right Congress.'' And the American people understand this reality all too well. Remarkably, a recent CBS News/New York Times poll found 75 percent of voters can't name one thing Congress has accomplished this session. Well my friends, I can't really either. Republican priorities rolled out this session were strictly those that helped them advance politically. They chose to fritter away scarce time debating frivolous proposed constitutional amendments banning flag burning and gay marriage instead of real issues Americans at home are concerned with. As we end this session, Republican leadership has only passed 2 of the 11 required spending bills--quite a feat when you consider that both chambers of Congress are of the same party. If this Congress were a school, students here would certainly receive an ``F.'' The list of their failures reads like a laundry list almost too long for me to recount right now: In a gross display of negligence, Congress has failed to enact an annual budget this year. Even though for nearly a decade the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant, Congress this year has again failed to negotiate a pay raise for working class Americans. And Congress also failed to negotiate deals on vital tax breaks for college tuition costs or research and development tax credits for businesses. In response to the profusion of the Republican culture of corruption this year, Republicans have decided to do . . . zilch. Add Congressional failure to enact lobbying reform this year to the list. Congress has failed to achieve health insurance reform and failed to finalize nuclear negotiations with India. In response to sky high gas prices, increased signs of global warming and even President Bush's admission that America is far too reliant on foreign oil, Congress has failed to produce a real energy plan this session. Congress packs its bags to go, refusing to mandate higher levels of fuel efficiency standards or propose incentives for consumers or product makers to utilize alternative energy sources. Congress leaves while nearly 12 million undocumented workers are hiding in the shadows of our society. After all the hype and rhetoric of passing an immigration bill, no true immigration reform has been realized this Congress. Is the list of things left undone too lengthy, too repetitive, and too tiresome? Am I boring this Congress? There are still many more demonstrations of what little progress this Congress has made. And what little has been done has been done badly! Important bills are being rushed through to secure a Republican majority in the next Congress. The latest example being the tyrannical anti-terror law, allowing Congress to reinterpret international law to authorize torture. A law that despite its name, nonetheless makes our troops less safe, leaves our Nation unprotected, and successfully damages our international credibility. Of all the bills that have actually passed this Congress, how many of them have actually improved the lives of Americans? What do have to show our constituents back home in our districts? An unstable economy, ridiculously high health care costs and gas prices, a loss in life abroad and a loss of our basic freedoms here at home. More than 5 years after 9/11, numerous reports have shown that the war on Iraq is hurting our Nation in the war against terrorism. Our borders still remain exposed and our first responders still lack adequate resources to respond to either another 9/11 or another Katrina. While we spend approximately $2 billion a week on defense, Osama bin Laden is still alive and well, and Al Qaeda is resurging in Afghanistan stronger than ever before. Iraq is engulfed in sectarian violence and civil war and has become the breeding ground for a new generation of terrorists. The war in Iraq has stretched our resources and troops thin, leaving us exposed to potential global terrorists and nuclear threats from nations such as Iran and North Korea. Americans, I insist that you ask this question to yourself before you go to the ballot box this November: What has the Republican Congress done for me these last 2 years? If you can not think of a single thing, you are not alone. Please think of a new Congress that would attend to your priorities here and overseas before you select your next elected official.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished public service of Mr. Neely Moody, who until recently, served as Inspector General of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Throughout his 43 years as a public servant, Mr. Moody has distinguished himself as a dedicated leader, one who faced challenges with determination, persistence and balance. This was true early in his 20-year U.S. Air Force career, and remained true throughout his 23-year DIA career. From the time of his March 2003 appointment as DIA Inspector General until his retirement, Mr. Moody capably led the Office of the Inspector General in promoting the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of DIA and defense intelligence programs and operations. Prior to his appointment as DIA Inspector General, Mr. Moody served as the Chief, Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, where he effectively led the effort to develop and implement DIA employment opportunity, and diversity management policy and procedures. During his tenure as Chief, Personnel Security Division, DIA, he effectively managed the agency's personnel security program and promulgated Director of Central Intelligence personnel security policies within the Department of Defense. During his military career, Mr. Moody served in diverse career specialties of security, counterintelligence, law enforcement, munitions maintenance, aircraft maintenance, and special investigations. He distinguished himself throughout his active duty career, including in his final assignment as a Chief in the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Mr. Moody's service to our nation has been recognized for his service and achievements in a host of ways. He is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service, the DIA Director's Award for Exceptional Civilian Service, the Director of Central Intelligence's Meritorious Unit Award and the NAACP Award of Recognition for EO, Affirmative Action, and Public Service. His military service recognition includes the USAF Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Achievement Medal. Mr. Moody is widely respected as leader, mentor and confidant. He has made a difference to countless individuals in the Intelligence Community and military. Moreover, he is admired for his commitment to continuing to make a difference in the lives of others in his retirement endeavors. Mr. Moody's lifelong dedication and selfless service to our nation are an inspiration to all. I am proud to honor him on this day which also marks the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007.

Ms. HASTINGS of Florida

Ms. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.