Steve Israel

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Well, I thank the gentleman for his personal commitment and participation in this project.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the generosity displayed by one of my constituents, first-grader Clayton MacKay. His act of donating prize money to an Ecuadoran shelter was reported on Friday, June 12, 2009 in my hometown newspaper, Newsday. I am proud of the example he set and would ask that this article be submitted into the Congressional Record. [From Newsday, June 12, 2009] First Grader Making a Difference Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School first grader Clayton MacKay wanted to help people, so he decided to make a difference in the lives of others by donating $20 in prize money he won at a recent Easter celebration to Blanca House, a shelter located in Ecuador. The Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School administration and staff recognized Clayton for his thoughtful donation during a monthly school assembly. Teacher Cecilia Doolittle explained that she has been talking to the students about the school's participation in a program to ship children's books and medical supplies to this philanthropic organization. ``He asked me if he should donate some of his money to Blanca House, but after our conversation he decided to donate all of his prize money to this organization,'' Ms. Doolittle commented. ``We are really proud of Clayton.''

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1913, the Matthew Shepard Act. Many of my colleagues have already spoken informatively about the bill's provisions, how it will focus on enhancing resources at the local and state level for combating hate crimes, and how it will enable local and state officials to prosecute people who commit hate crimes. These are all important reasons to vote for this bill. I want to tell you the story of a hate crime that happened in my community. Marcelo Lucero lived in Patchogue, NY and was walking home one evening when a car load of teenage boys surrounded, beat and murdered him. He was walking home, and they were out looking for someone who looked Hispanic. One of the defendants later told the police, ``I don't go out and do this very often, maybe once a week.'' Now, what happened to Marcelo Lucero is wrong when it happens to any person. But what makes a hate crime so disturbing is that it's not simply aimed at the victim. An entire community gets the message--you are not welcome here. And, what makes the story of his attackers so disturbing is the casualness of their attitude. It reflects a comfortableness that is unacceptable in any community. That is why I'm supporting this bill and why I urge my colleagues to support this bill: it sends a message back to those who would commit a hate crime. And that message is that hate is not welcome in my community. I would like to thank Chairman Coyers for the time to speak and his leadership on this important issue.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Lt. Detective Giuseppe Petrosino on the 100th anniversary of his death. Lt. Detective Petrosino was a pioneer in the fight against organized crime, and was the first New York City Police officer to be killed on foreign soil. An emigrant from Padula, Italy, Petrosino joined the New York City Police Department on October 18, 1883. His relentless pursuit of gangsters and the mafia garnered him the reputation of ``the Detective in the Derby.'' Petrosino was the architect of many programs designed to combat organized crime. These programs, including the Bomb Squad, the Canine Squad, and the Undercover Squad, are all techniques that are still used today. In 1895, Theodore Roosevelt, who at the time was the police commissioner of New York City, promoted Petrosino to Detective Sergeant in charge of the department's Homicide Division. He became the first Italian-American to lead this division. In 1908, he was promoted to Lieutenant and headed the Italian Squad, which was an elite corps of Italian-American detectives organized to deal with gangster criminal activities. Lt. Detective Petrosino's service with the Italian Squad was exemplary. In one instance, Petrosino countered a blackmail attempt on the life of the famous Italian tenor, Enrico Caruso. In another instance, Petrosino infiltrated the Italian based anarchist organization that assassinated King Umberto I of Italy. During this mission, he discovered evidence that the organization intended to assassinate President William McKinley during his trip to Buffalo. Petrosino's warning to the Secret Service went unheeded, and President McKinley was tragically assassinated. Lt. Detective Petrosino's service led him to Italy on a top secret mission. Petrosino's commendable career came to a tragic end, when he was murdered while waiting for who he thought was an informant. The day of his burial in New York City was declared a holiday to allow citizens to pay their respects. The Manhattan funeral was attended by 250,000 people, a true testament to the honorable service Petrosino paid his community. On this anniversary of his passing, I remember and applaud the dedication with which Lt. Detective Petrosino protected the citizens of New York. I am proud to honor him today.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the glorious contributions of Greek civilization to the world, and to congratulate the people of Greece on the 188th anniversary of their independence. I can speak no more simply than Edith Hamilton who wrote in her classic 1930 study of Greek civilization that ``the Greeks came into being and the world, as we know it, began.'' I stand here as the Member of an institution whose very existence is owed to the Greek imagination and beneath a dome supported by columns of Greek inspiration. The principles of democratic governance, the ones which our Founders drew upon heavily to establish this republic, were first expounded upon in ancient Greece, and it is to that first age of reason that all democratic civilizations owe a debt of gratitude. But it was not only the political philosophy of Greek civilization that left its mark on the world. One cannot walk the streets of this city without noticing its obvious tribute to the architecture of our democratic forebears. Stone columns line our most important buildings and stand guard our most cherished documents. In addition to the philosophical and physical structures we honor in our own time from Greece, we also pay tribute on this day to its legacy in the arts and sports. The epic of Homer, the poetry of Pericles, Pindar and Aeschylus, the comedy of Aristophanes, the history of Herodotus, the Olympics and the marathon--any simple recitation will be incomplete and not wholly do justice to the accomplishments of centuries. But, let it be said that time has shown the greats of their time to be the greats of all time. Our more recent histories our bound together as well. Just as our independence was a tribute to the ideas of ancient Greece, so too was Greek independence inspired by the American Revolution. Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis, founder of the modern Greek state said to the citizens of the United States in 1821 that ``it is in your land that liberty has fixed her abode and . . . in imitating you, we shall imitate our ancestors and be thought worthy of them if we succeed in resembling you.'' Since that kind and graceful message so long ago, the relationship between the United States and Greece--allies in times of both peace and conflict--grows stronger. Generations of Greek-Americans have maintained their traditions here, just as other civilizations for centuries have passed on the guiding lights of Ancient Greece. I am proud to join the Greek-Americans of New York's Second District in celebrating the 188th anniversary of their independence day.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning on behalf of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Caucus. There has been a lot of talk and controversy on the floor about bonuses for America's executives. Let me tell you who I believe really deserve bonuses. It's the energy entrepreneurs who are working every single day to develop the new technologies that will end our dependence on foreign oil. It's the people on Long Island who are working on LED lighting and biofuels; the people at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, who are working on battery storage; the people at General Motors who are working on plug-in hybrids; the people at Brookhaven National Labs who are working on nanotech; the venture capitalists and the investors and the engineers and the researchers and the developers who are bringing new technologies to market which will reduce our dependence on foreign oil once and for all, which will create a new generation of jobs, which will expand our economy, and which will reduce energy costs. Those are the people who are creating a new future for America's economy, and those are the people who we should be rewarding with bonuses and our appreciation.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank the distinguished chairman for giving me the honor of cosponsoring this legislation with him. Mr. Speaker, we have just seen the difference between rhetoric and action. We can finger point. We can lay blame. We can talk about the past. We just want to recover the taxpayers' money for them. We want to recover the money, and others want a resolution of inquiry. Mr. Speaker, this vote is the difference between solving the problem or continuing the problem. We're going to cast this vote and go home to our districts, and the American people are going to say to each of us, did you get my money back or did you continue your posturing? Did you get my money back or did you continue in politics? Did you vote to recover my money or did you vote to allow them to get away with my money? That's what this is about, Mr. Speaker. The American people have had it with the posturing and the partisanship and the politics. They want their money back. And the only way to get their money back, Mr. Speaker, the only way to get it back is to tax it back. Let me say one other thing, Mr. Speaker. I have heard from some of my friends in New York who said this is unfair. It's unfair because I thought I'd get my bonus. Mr. Speaker, they're going to have to tighten their belts just like the rest of America.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, Today I honor the service and memory of Sgt. Michael Esposito, of Brentwood New York. On March 18th, 2004 Sgt. Esposito led his unit into a hostile compound, hoping to neutralize the threat from within. Working to secure the facility, Sgt. Esposito cleared three rooms, exposing himself to incredible danger by leading from the front of his team. Despite the presence of hostile fire, Michael approached a previously unidentified area, remaining ahead of his men. Sadly, the enemy engaged as he advanced, inflicting a mortal wound on Michael, and a grievous injury on all who knew him. Sgt. Esposito's team--inspired by his courage and leadership-- achieved their objective in the wake of tragedy. Assuming the lead position, as he so often did, Michael displayed the heroism that remains an inspiration to his fellow platoon members. On that day, and always, Michael displayed a willingness to put the welfare of others before his own. Through selfless acts of leadership, he provided an example to which all of us should aspire. For Michael's bravery, sacrifice, and service, I am deeply thankful. For his enduring commitment to defending our safety and ideals, we are all deeply indebted. On this, the five-year anniversary of Michael's tragic passing, the words of a brother in arms speak volumes about his character. His platoon leader, 1st Lieutenant James Howell, said of Sgt. Esposito ``[he] was one of the most selfless leaders I have ever known . . . The platoon, and especially all of his men, took his loss hard. It is impossible to forget a leader like Michael Esposito.'' A soldier, a friend, and a man of immense integrity, Michael will always retain a firm grasp on our memories. Today, our nation remembers the tragic loss of a cherished citizen, fallen hero, beloved brother, and adored son. Dedicated in his commitment to country and lasting in his impact on those blessed to have called him friend, Michael is and will forever be, sorely missed.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Thank you. I would like to thank my friend and dear colleague, Mr. Ackerman, for the time. I actually rise to demand equal time, Mr. McNulty. The gentlewoman from New York talked about having Chinese food for dinner from time to time. The gentlemen from New York--Mr. Ackerman, Mike McNulty and I-- have shared some Italian food also at various Italian restaurants in Washington, D.C., and I think that they deserve as much time as Chinese food. Mr. Speaker, it is a rule, a practice, a custom, and a tradition of this Chamber that we refer to each other as the ``gentleman'' or as the ``gentlewoman.'' No Member of this body more deserves the title of ``gentleman'' than the gentleman from New York, Mike McNulty. He is a gentleman in every true sense of the word. Mike and Gary Ackerman and I often sit together on the floor of this Chamber during votes. Sitting with Mike is like sitting on an island of civility and of decency in turbulent and shark-infested waters. That's not to say that Mike doesn't fight for his principles. He fights for his principles but not by shoving people out of the way and not with sharp elbows but with a quiet and respected determination. He has been doing that for 20 years. Now, some Members of this body, having been here for 20 years, might grow jaded. They may begin to take it for granted. They may start to forget just what a glorious place this is but not Mike. He was recently quoted in the Congressional Quarterly as saying, ``Especially at night when the Capitol is lit up, I still pinch myself. It is an honor to serve here.'' Nothing makes Mike McNulty prouder than serving here in this Capitol except for maybe one thing, and that is his family. I've had the privilege of meeting members of his family here in Washington and when I visited Albany. When he introduces them to any of his colleagues, I can't think of anybody prouder than Mike McNulty. With always a gentle smile, with always a glint in his eye, his constituents have had a remarkable treasure representing them in Washington. I know they will miss him in Washington, but they gain him and his leadership at home. Mr. Speaker, one of my favorite poets in the world is Rudyard Kipling, and one of my favorite poems of Kipling's is ``If.'' In that poem, he writes: ``If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you . . . '' and then he goes on, ``If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch, if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; if all men count with you but none too much, if you can fill the unforgiving minute with 60-seconds' worth of distance run, yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, and-- which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!'' We all know that Mike McNulty is a great man, but more than that, Mr. Speaker, he is a gentleman who still pinches himself even late at night, under a gloriously lit dome, that has been made better and brighter for his presence here and for the work he will continue to do for our country. I yield back my time.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank my good friend and colleague and neighbor, Mr. Ackerman. Madam Speaker, 7 years ago, they say, changed everything. There were more funerals than we thought were imaginable, more tears, more despair, more a sense of loss. But there were also more flags in this country than ever, more pride and more unity. I remember how the people of my congressional district responded. I remember the vigil at Heckscher Park in Huntington, the elementary students at the Idle Hour School in Oakdale planting a garden, the thousands of people who converged on Cow Harbor Park in Northport, the candlelight vigils in Commack including one that will be held this evening. I remember attending a recovery workers conference several months after the attacks on 9/11 and speaking to a gentleman who in very painful breaths and labored breathing said to me, ``Congressman, I'm not sure I am going to survive what I did. Will you take care of my family?'' I remember the Viggianos and the Downeys and the Murphys and over a hundred other families who lost somebody on that day. It is important to remember these things, but it's also important to act. They need not only our commemoration, they need our health care. They need our continued moral support. They need our continued support in every sense of the word. We remember these things, and we also remember those who did us great harm that day. Those who continue to live in caves in Pakistan and Afghanistan. We will not forget them either, and we support the courage and the bravery of those in the military who continue to pursue them. Madam Speaker, I would make one other point, and that is this: Earlier today we assembled as Republicans and Democrats on the steps of the Capitol and sang ``God Bless America.'' We did the same thing on 9/ 11 hours after the attack. I hope that we will remember the unity that we displayed on that dreadful day and the unity that we displayed several hours ago and continue to work together to move our country forward, not just in the memory of those who perished and those who suffered on 9/11, but to make this country a better place for them. God bless them. God bless America.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the contribution of the International Model A Ford to the history of U.S. transportation. This is a significant week for Model A owners across the country. I rise to specifically applaud the Model A Ford Club of Long Island, New York as they celebrate Model A Ford Day on Saturday, July 26th in my Congressional District. This year's annual remembrance is momentous for owners as it falls on the 80th anniversary of the introduction of the first 1928 Model A Ford. This weekend's celebration of their car's 80th birthday will include thousands of Model A Ford enthusiasts, restorers and preservers taking these vehicles out on American roadways nationwide and events with other Model A enthusiasts. Notably, there were only 5 million Model A Fords produced between 1928 and 1931. I am pleased to say that the dedication of Model A Ford owners has enabled 250,000 of these historic vehicles to be preserved. Remarkably, most of these vehicles are driven regularly to the enjoyment of many as I have seen in my Congressional District. The Model A Ford was a trailblazer of its time. It was the first Ford to use the standard set of driver controls, with conventional clutch and brake pedals, throttle and gearshift. The Model A's fuel tank was located in the cowl and had an optic fuel gauge and the fuel was distributed to the carburetor by gravity. Also, the Model A was the first car to have safety glass in the windshield. Again, thank you to Model A Ford owners for preserving a flagship American automobile and to the Model A Ford Club of Long Island for keeping this historic tradition active on Long Island.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Federal Drug Agents Foundation and its work to support and recognize federal agents, task force members and their families. The Federal Drug Agents Foundation is a Long Island-based, not-for- profit organization that provides many services to the men and women who risk their lives to make this country safer and drug-free. The organization also provides these services to the family members of these men and women, as well. The Foundation serves as an anchor of support for the American law enforcement community. It provides bereavement support and financial assistance for families of agents and task force members who die in the line of duty, including individual grants. The Foundation also provides support to agents and task force members who become injured in the line of duty. When agents and task force members experience grave financial loss or severe trauma or encounter situations for which there is no other source of assistance available, the Foundation steps in to provide relief. This support is essential for those agents who put their lives on the line to keep Long Island safe. The Foundation has also established a scholarship fund for agents and task force members who wish to pursue degrees in criminal justice, political science, law and related areas. This helps ensure our law enforcement community can benefit from the knowledge and experience of these hard-working, dedicated men and women. Funds like this make it possible to encourage future generations of committed agents in the criminal justice sector. The Federal Drug Agents Foundation also makes charitable grants to Federal, State and local law enforcement related agencies. Among the organizations supported by the Foundation are the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ATF, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, and various State and local law enforcement agencies and support groups. I am honored to recognize the generosity and compassion of the Federal Drug Agents Foundation for the services it provides on Long Island. I applaud the Federal Drug Agents Foundation for their steadfast support and dedication.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I have finally figured it out. I have finally figured out why this administration and many of its Republican allies refuse to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and all they want to do is drill, drill, drill, drill. I've figured it out. Every time oil has been released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the price of oil has fallen, each and every time. This administration has refused our demands that it do the same now, when we are in an emergency and has said, I would rather drill. But its own Department of Energy analysis said, and I quote, ``Drilling would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030.'' I figured it out. In 8 years, this administration has enabled oil company profits to go from $39 billion to $116 billion. Think about what those profits will go to in the next 22 years. That is what this is about. This administration wants to give oil companies more time to reap larger profits, and refuse to give the American people the price relief they need by releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and reducing the price of gas now.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, here is today's energy Facts versus Fiction, Volume II. According to Gal Luft of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, at $137 per barrel of oil, OPEC could potentially buy the Bank of America within 5 weeks of production revenues; Apple Computer within 12 days; General Motors within 5 days, and it would take 2.5 years for OPEC to buy a 20 percent blocking vote in every S&P 500 company. Fact: The administration's budget slashes $467 million from energy efficiency and renewable energy accounts. The House Appropriations Committee added $1.2 billion. It is a much better investment, Madam Speaker, to add $1.2 billion than to give away the Bank of America, Apple Computer and General Motors to the Saudis. We need an energy policy that invests in American ingenuity, not Saudi Arabia oil profits.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate a sad occasion in my district: Suffolk Life Newspaper will publish its last edition this week. David Willmott published the first edition of what would become Suffolk Life on August 17, 1961. His paper, which started out serving a small community in Suffolk County, eventually became the largest weekly paper east of the Mississippi. For more than 40 years, Dave Willmott covered the local issues that didn't receive attention elsewhere. He had a style all his own--with political views that I often disagreed with. But he took on the issues others wouldn't touch and he and his staff took great pride in the service they provided to our community with the newspaper. They held those of us who serve in public office to a high standard with rigorous questionnaires and biting weekly columns. Suffolk Life will shut its doors, but the impact of Dave Willmott's enterprise will live on long after the paper is gone. Madam Speaker, Suffolk Life will be missed but not forgotten. I'm proud to honor this Long Island institution on the House floor.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank my friend from West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, if I were a football coach and I had been calling a play for 7 years and I actually lost yardage, I'd change the play. Our friends on the other side, Mr. Speaker, they don't want to change the play. They want to keep the same plays that have been losing yards and money for the American people for the past 7 years. In the spring of 2001, Vice President Cheney had this meeting with the oil and gas industry to create a new energy policy for America. Then, the cost of a barrel of oil was $23. Now the cost of a barrel of oil is $139. The policy did not work. Then, the average price of gasoline was $1.46 a gallon. Today, the average price of a gallon of gasoline on Long Island is $4.31 a gallon. It tripled. The policy didn't work. In all that time, oil and gas companies could have drilled on the properties which they have leases to. They didn't do it.

Mr. ISRAEL. I will not yield. I only have a little bit of time. They did not do it. Now what we're saying is we have got to try something new because what was tried before, didn't work. We need a change in policy. So what we are saying to the oil companies is use it or lose it. Drill what you have the right to drill, explore where you have the right to explore, and if you're not willing to do that, we will find somebody who can. It's time to put the sound bites aside and give real relief to the American people. The fact of the matter is that the policies that have been tried, have failed. I am not saying that anybody has committed wrongdoing, I am just saying that they have pursued the wrong policies. The right policy is to put the American people's pocketbooks ahead of the oil company profits. Use it or lose it. That's what we are doing today.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, this morning I inaugurate energy facts versus energy fiction. Today's fact: In the spring of 2001, Vice President Cheney met with oil industry executives to develop a national energy policy. Then, before their policy was enacted the average price of a barrel of oil was about $23. This morning, the price of a barrel of oil is almost $138. The policy did not work. Then, before their policy was enacted, the average price of a gallon of gas was about $1.46. This morning, at the Commack Mobil station in my district, the price of a gallon of regular gas is almost $4.29, almost tripled. The policy did not work. I am not saying that anybody is committing wrongdoing. I am just saying that people have pursued policies that have not worked. Today we will try again to get to the President's desk Congressman Bart Stupak's anti-price gouging bill. Today we present another solution, a different idea, a better way to bring down gas prices. I urge my colleagues to support it on a bipartisan basis, I urge the other body to support it, get it to the President's desk, and let's start protecting pocketbooks rather than oil company profits.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is very simple. Essentially, it suggests a small step DOD can take to make itself more energy efficient. The amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study reviewing DOD's policies concerning the sale and disposal of used motor vehicle lubricating oil. The report will include an evaluation of the feasibility of implementing policies to require closed loop recycling of used oil as a means of reducing total indirect energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. And to the extent that the report finds that closed loop recycling can reduce total indirect energy usage and decrease greenhouse gas emissions without significant increase in overall cost to DOD, it asks the Secretary to implement closed loop recycling of used oil when feasible. Re-refining, or recycling, allows used oil that would otherwise be burned or dumped to be refined again and used for its originally intended purpose, just as when it was virgin oil. According to the American Petroleum Institute, re-refining used lubricating oil takes from 50 to 85 percent less energy than refining crude oil. Re-refined oil meets industry standards for use in vehicles. And according to a July 2006 report by the Department of Energy, ``transforming all used oil that is currently combusted into lube oil products could save 63 million gallons of fuel oil equivalent per year.'' Through closed loop recycling, DOD would buy re-refined oil for use in its vehicles, sell their used oil back to re-refiners to be recycled, and then continue the cycle. I should also note that nothing in this amendment changes or affects the Solid Waste Disposal Act or any other Federal or State environmental law, or the obligation of any person to comply with that law. This amendment is a win-win. By recycling used motor oil, DOD decreases its reliance on our adversaries to keep its vehicles running. DOD conserves energy by extending the life of a nonrenewable resource. And greenhouse gas emissions are decreased. DOD already uses some re-refined oil and it even has a closed loop re-refined oil program. Expanding these programs is one small way the military can reduce its overall reliance on foreign oil. As the largest single consumer of energy in the United States, it is a step that I believe DOD should consider taking.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, I would just point out to my good friend from Virginia that these translators did risk their lives to help our troops in Iraq. If they stayed in Iraq, they would in all likelihood be killed. The reason they come here is to escape assassination. With that, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the distinguished chairman of the committee.

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, this amendment solves a critical deficiency in our warfighting and our peacekeeping capabilities by strengthening the Arab language capabilities in the Department of Defense and Department of State. There are literally hundreds of Iraqis in the United States who supported our military units as translators in Iraq. They risked their lives, they risked their families' lives. They went on patrol in very dangerous areas, told our servicemembers what the enemy was saying, what was being said. Then they came here to escape persecution, and when they got here, they wanted to continue providing those critical linguistic abilities and they were told there was no place for them to work. Many of them today are working in Safeways and working in Home Depots and working in restaurants, instead of providing the linguistic capabilities that we desperately need in the military theater. Study after study after study, including the Quadrennial Defense Review, points to the critical deficiency we have in understanding the cultures and languages that we are fighting in. Our Nation now has hundreds of people who grew up in those cultures, speak those languages, pass background checks, risk their lives, and what do we do, even though we need their skills? We let them bag groceries at a Safeway. It doesn't make any sense. This amendment would help solve that problem by instructing DOD and the Department of State to create a temporary program that would offer employment as translators, interpreters, or culture awareness instructors in Iraq, who meet certain rigid criteria. One, they must be here legally. Two, they must have worked for at least the last 12 months as translators in Iraq since 2003 for our troops or for another U.S. Government agency. This amendment is endorsed by the Episcopal Church, Veterans for Common Sense, the International Rescue Committee, Church World Service, which works very hard on it, and many additional groups. I would like to read into the Record, Mr. Chairman, a statement by Major Andrew Morton, U.S. Army Active Service, a former Director of Strategic Communications for Multinational Forces in Iraq, where he says, ``Representative's Israel's proposed amendment is a critically needed program to assist these many Iraqis who have put themselves and their families in harm's way to assist our joint operations in Iraq.'' This is a very important amendment in helping those who were protecting us, and I urge its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank the gentleman. I would assure him that this in no way mandates a program. It asks the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to create one, but it is totally at their discretion and provides ultimate flexibility for them. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, I would like to rise in support of language I included in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act. I have consistently fought for boating safety for the last three years in memory of my constituent Brianna Lieneck who died in August of 2005. Her parents came to me after losing their daughter. They have made it their mission to fight for boating safety and to make the water safer for others. Their daughter Brianna an 11-year-old girl from my district who was tragically taken from us three years ago during a boating accident on the Great South Bay. The accident occurred on August 17, 2005 when a boat collided with their own. The operator of the other boat was reckless and there was poor visibility from the lack of lighting on the water that late at night. While we can't bring back Brianna I have made it a priority to fight or mandatory boater education. And I want to commend Brianna's parents for taking this horrible tragedy and using it to fuel such a worthy cause. This year the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act will include language mandating that the Coast Guard find the best and most feasible ways to establish mandatory boater education for all states and report back to Congress within 6 months. This is an important first step in boating safety because education directly translates to safer waters. The Coast Guard estimates that 70 percent of reported fatalities occur when a boat operator has not received boating safety instruction. So many careless accidents can be avoided by taking one simple course and being more informed on the water. Boating accidents claimed 710 lives in 2006 and caused 3,474 injuries. Of that, 14 deaths and 100 injuries occurred in New York State in 2006. There were a total of 152 boating accidents in the state of New York. There has been no significant decrease in the number of boating deaths since 1996 and the number increased between 2003 and 2006. This is unacceptable. If one simple course will decrease the number of deaths and injuries on the water, it is so important that we do everything in our power to require mandatory boater education. You must take a driving test before you are able to operate a car. You should, at the very least, be required to take an education course to operate a boat. And we owe it to the memory of Brianna and other victims in the Nation to do all we can to prevent future fatalities on the water. I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica for allowing this language to be included in the bill.