Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the rule on H.R. 6304, the ``FISA Amendments Act of 2008.'' I am disappointed that I did not have the opportunity to restore my language regarding reverse targeting, which was included in the FISA legislation passed by the House. This body has worked diligently with our colleagues in the Senate to ensure that the civil liberties of American citizens are appropriately addressed. Sadly, this compromise bill, falls short of that aim. I will support no bill that fails to protect American civil liberties, both at home and abroad. The bill contains a general ban on reverse targeting. However, it lacks the strong language that I worked so diligently to include in the original House legislation sent to the Senate. In my view, the RESTORE Act is far superior to this piece of legislation. I wish to take a few moments to discuss the improvement that I offered to the RESTORE Act in the full Judiciary Committee markup, and which was sent over to the Senate for consideration just a few months ago. My amendment, which was added during the markup, made a constructive contribution to the RESTORE Act by laying down a clear, objective criterion for the administration to follow and the FISA court to enforce in preventing reverse targeting. Reverse targeting is the practice where the Government targets foreigners without a warrant while its actual purpose is to collect information on certain U.S. persons. One of the major concerns that libertarians and classical conservatives, as well as progressives and civil liberties organizations, have with this legislation, as they did with its successor, the Protect America Act, is that the temptation of national security agencies to engage in reverse targeting may be difficult to resist in the absence of certain safeguards in the law to prevent it. My amendment attempted to produce such safeguards. My amendment reduced even further any such temptation to resort to reverse targeting by requiring the administration to obtain a regular, individualized FISA warrant whenever the ``real'' target of the surveillance is a person in the United States. The amendment achieved this objective by requiring the administration to obtain a regular FISA warrant whenever a ``significant purpose of an acquisition is to acquire the communications of a specific person reasonably believed to be located in the United States.'' It is far from clear how the operative language ``reasonably designed to ensure that any acquisition authorized . . . is limited to targeting persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States; and prevent the intentional acquisition of any communication as to which the sender and all intended recipients are known at the time of acquisition to be located in the United States.'' Yes. It is true that H.R. 6304, the compromise legislation, attempts to ensure that American civil liberties are protected, but the operative language in the legislation does not provide a paradigm for consistency. This is so because it does not provide an objective criterion. H.R. 6304 does not go as far as the legislation that the House sent over to the Senate a few months ago. H.R. 6304 does not retain the objective standards contained in my amendment. The language used in my amendment, ``significant purpose,'' is a term of art that long has been a staple of FISA jurisprudence and thus is well known and readily applied by agencies, legal practitioners, and the FISA Court. Thus, the Jackson Lee amendment provided a clearer, more objective criterion for the Administration to follow and the FISA court to enforce to prevent the practice of reverse targeting without a warrant, which all of us can agree should not be permitted. A FISA order should be required in those instances where there is a particular, known person in the United States at the other end of the foreign target's call in whom the Government has a significant interest such that a significant purpose of the surveillance has become to acquire that person's communications. This protection has been stripped from H.R. 6304. I fought hard to keep this language in the bill because it is important to me; and it should be very important to members of this body and to all Americans. It is important that we require what should be required in all cases--warrant anytime there is specific, targeted surveillance of a United States citizen. I am unable to support this bill that will overhaul how the Government monitors foreign terrorist suspects. I will not support any legislation that grants legal immunity to telecommunications companies that provide information to Federal investigators without a warrant. Madam Speaker, this administration has the law to protect the American people. When Americans are involved, the Bill of Rights, the fourth amendment, civil liberties must be adhered to. This legislation does not go far enough to ensure that American rights are protected. The original legislation offered by the House Majority gave the Administration everything that it needed, but today, after months of negotiation, if we endorse H.R. 6304, which grants sweeping wiretapping authority to the Government with little court oversight and ensures the cases against the dismissal of all pending telecommunications companies, we are shredding the Constitution. Let me explain my objections to H.R. 6304. It permits the Government to conduct mass, untargeted surveillance of all communications coming into and out of the United States, without any individualized review, and without any finding of wrongdoing. H.R. 6304 permits minimal court oversight. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) only reviews general procedures for targeting and minimizing the use of information that is collected. Under these circumstances, the court may not know, what or where will actually be tapped. Madam Speaker, I have more objections to H.R. 6304 which I will quickly note. H.R. 6304 contains an ``exigent'' circumstances loophole that thwarts the judicial review requirement. The bill permits the Government to start a spying program and wait to go to court for up to seven (7) days every time ``intelligence important to the national security of the U.S. may be lost or not timely acquired.'' The problem with H.R. 6034 is that court applications take time and will delay the collection of information. Therefore, it is possible that there will not be resort to prior judicial review. Under H.R. 6304, the Government is permitted to continue surveillance programs even if the application is denied by the court. The Government has the authority to wiretap through the entire appeals process, and then keep and use whatever it gathers in the meantime. I am also troubled by H.R. 6304's dismissal of all, cases pending against telecommunication companies that facilitated the warrantless wiretapping program over the last 7 years. The test in the bill is not whether the Government certifications were actually legal--only whether they were issued. Because it is public knowledge that they were, all the cases seeking to find out what these companies and the Government did without communications will be dismissed. Under this bill, we will start as a tabula rasa. Telecommunications companies will be prevented from having their day in court and we, the American people, will never have a chance to know what the companies did and what information is collected. I am deeply troubled by this, and frankly, you should be, too. Madam Speaker, let me be clear in my opposition. Nothing in the Act or the amendments to the Act should require the Government to obtain a FISA order for every overseas target on the off chance that they might pick up a call into or from the United States. Rather, what should be required, is a FISA order only where there is a particular, known person in the United States at the other end of the foreign target's calls in whom the Government has a significant interest such that a significant purpose of the surveillance has become to acquire that person's communications. Thus, the way forward to victory in the war on terror is for the United States country to redouble its commitment to the Bill of Rights and the democratic values which every American will risk his or her life to defend. It is only by preserving our attachment to these cherished values that America will remain forever the home of the free, the land of the brave, and the country we love. Madam Speaker, FISA has served the Nation well for nearly 30 years, placing electronic surveillance inside the United States for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes on a sound legal footing, and I am far from persuaded that it needs to be jettisoned. However, I know that FISA as outlined in this bill, H.R. 6304, attempts to curtail the Bill of Rights and the civil liberties of the American people. I continue to insist upon individual warrants, based upon probable cause, when surveillance is directed at people in the United States. The Attorney General must still be required to submit procedures for international surveillance to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for approval, but the FISA Court should not be allowed to issue a ``basket warrant'' without making individual determinations about foreign surveillance. Given the unprecedented amount of information Americans now transmit electronically and the post-9/11 loosening of regulations governing information sharing, the risk of intercepting and disseminating the communications of ordinary Americans is vastly increased, requiring more precise--not looser--standards, closer oversight, new mechanisms for minimization, and limits on retention of inadvertently intercepted communications. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in opposing the rule on H.R. 6304. In my view, this is wrong and unacceptable. Mr. Arcuri. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts, and I thank the minority for their indulgence. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5781, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2008, introduced by my colleague and fellow Women's Caucus member, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York. This legislation provides 4 weeks of paid parental leave for all Federal employees. Employees will also for the first time be allowed to use their accrued sick leave for an additional 8 weeks of paid leave. By combining the 4 weeks of paid parental leave with earned sick leave, many Federal employees will now be able to get paid for the full 12 weeks of parental leave that is their right under the existing Family and Medical Leave Act. However, this legislation is about more than a technical fix to current law. As we celebrated our fathers only last week, we recognized the significance of family of the various roles we all play. Mothers and fathers should be allowed to be there for the birth or adoption of a new child. This legislation reinforces the belief in family. Be it grandmother, grandfather, uncle, aunt, or mom and dad--our families deserve to be supported and valued. In my district of Houston, Texas, there are over 70,000 single parent households run by women and over 22,000 Federal employees in my district. This legislation gives them the time they need to bond with a new child. It has been proven time and time again that the first few weeks post-birth are essential to parent and child bonding. This is true be they natural or adopted children. This legislation should be titled Celebrating and Supporting Our Families Act because that is exactly what it seeks to do. It also provides that support for our employees here on Capitol Hill. This act allows Federal employees to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay available for either the: (1) birth of a child; or (2) placement of a child with the employee for either adoption or foster care. Makes available for any of the 12 weeks of leave an employee is entitled to for such purposes: (1) four administrative weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth or placement involved; and (2) any accumulated annual or sick leave. Authorizes the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to increase the amount of paid parental leave available to up to eight administrative workweeks, based on the consideration of: (1) the benefits provided to the Federal Government of offering paid parental leave, including enhanced recruitment and retention of employees; (2) the cost to the Federal Government of increasing the amount of paid parental leave that is available to employees; (3) trends in the private sector and in State and local governments with respect to offering paid parental leave; and (4) the Federal Government's role as a model employer. Amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow the same substitution for covered congressional employees, Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Library of Congress employees. Defines ``qualified leave'' as leave that: (1) is available by reason of the need to care for the spouse, child, or parent of the employee having a serious health condition or by reason of a serious health condition affecting the employees that renders such employee unable to perform the functions of his or her position; and (2) would otherwise be leave without pay. This act is a tremendous step and makes unequivocally clear, and dispels any belief that this act applies only to women. It does not. Members on both sides of the aisle talk about family values, but one of the most concrete ways we can help families is to give parents more time with their new children, without losing their paycheck. The Federal Government can be a model for other employers. I therefore encourage my colleagues to support this legislation and demonstrate by their actions that they support our families.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the gentlelady from New York. I rise today to thank Chairman Obey and thank the leadership, Speaker Pelosi, for addressing the question that confronts us in the most strategic way possible. But it is important to note that many of us have opposed consistently a war that continues to go on unbridled and misdirected. We thank our soldiers. But it's important to note that now some $600 billion has gone to Iraq. We've lost 4,100 soldiers. Instead of having a military surge, we should have a diplomatic surge. We now give $165 million unrestricted to this White House. But I do rise in support of amendment 2 that provides for the GI Bill that acts as a good Samaritan to those who have been unemployed for 13 extra weeks of unemployment, that provides for elimination of six Medicaid provisions that will help restore partially the health care that Americans need. But I believe we should have had provisions in this particular appropriation that would indicate that the dollars should be used to redeploy our troops, thank them and grant them the success that they have had because they are successful. But we need to bring our troops home. And we need to indicate that the authority for military force has expired. The GI Bill is a ``thank you'' to our soldiers. Let's bring them home safely. And let's provide the investment that it needs. I am grateful that we had the disaster relief for all of those suffering in the Midwest, but that we've not forgotten the Katrina victims and survivors that now are still homeless. It is important, as we move forward, to begin to look at domestic funding. This is a first start. But we need to have legislation that acknowledges the honor of those who have fallen, declare a military success and allow Iraq to invest. And I am grateful for the two amendments that require Iraq to invest in its own domestic development. This is the time to redeploy our troops. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to Amendment #1, and in strong support of Amendment #2 of the bill H.R. 2642, Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes. While I am supportive of the portions that contain provisions beneficial to the American people designed to improve our economy and protect our young men and women, I remain adamantly opposed to this legislation because it continues a disastrous policy of providing unrestricted funding to continue the Bush Administration's war in Iraq. Amendment #1--Iraq War Funding Mr. Speaker, I oppose Amendment #1 because I stand with the American taxpayers, who have paid over $600 billion to finance the misadventure in Iraq. I stand with the 4100 fallen heroes who stand even taller in death because they gave the last full measure of devotion to their country. In May, I was proud to vote against amendment #1 to the previous version of the supplemental spending bill that would have provided funds for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, which included a timetable for the redeployment of U.S. troops. I was extremely pleased that the House did not pass this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I must oppose this legislation as it provides a total of $165.4 billion for the Department of Defense for FY 2008 and FY 2009, funds that are handed over without any strings. This legislation does not withhold funding for the Iraq war, a war that so many of my colleagues in Congress oppose, and which only 32 percent of Americans now support. The bill we are considering today does not require that war funds can only be used for the responsible redeployment of American troop's home from Iraq. Instead, it hands the President nearly $163 billion of virtually unrestricted funding, allowing him to continue a war that the American people do not support. Mr. Speaker, I voted against the 2002 Iraq War Resolution. I am proud of that vote. I have consistently voted against the Administration's practice of submitting a request for war funding through an emergency supplemental rather than the regular appropriations process which would subject the funding request to more rigorous scrutiny and require it to be balanced against other pressing national priorities. I cannot support legislation that provides the President with the resources to prolong his ill-advised war effort unrestrained. As a Member of both the Out of Iraq and the Progressive Caucuses, I am proud to vote for legislation that, like other measures passed by this Congress, begins the process of withdrawing U.S. men and women from Iraq. The congressional authorization providing for the use of military force in Iraq has expired. The 2002 Resolution authorized the President to: (1) Defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and (2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq. Specifically, the resolution called for the disarming of any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, removal of the rogue Iraqi regime, the capture of any al-Qaeda operatives in Iraq, as well as the promotion of democracy in Iraq. All of these objectives have been met. Mr. Speaker, our troops have achieved extraordinary military success in Iraq, toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein in only 21 days, assuring the world that Iraq does not possess weapons of mass destruction, assisting the Iraqis in holding free elections, and setting the nation on a path toward democracy. However, while our troops have achieved the objectives for which they were sent to Iraq, they are now caught in the midst of a sectarian conflict. Unfortunately, there is no military solution to Iraq's ongoing political and sectarian conflicts. This is a war without end. Though President Bush continues to rely on a strategy that seeks to stabilize and reconcile Iraq by force, only the Iraqi government can secure a lasting peace. Thus far, the Iraqi government has demonstrated an inability or an unwillingness to deliver on the political benchmarks that they themselves agreed were essential to achieving national reconciliation, which was the rationale and stated objective of the surge. Amendment #2--Iraq policy provisions Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that Amendment #2 contains two important Iraq policy provisions. This amendment requires that funds spent by the State Department and USAID for Iraqi reconstruction be matched, dollar- for-dollar, by the Iraqi government. In addition, this legislation prohibits military construction funds from being used to establish permanent bases in Iraq. Like many of my colleagues, I am also concerned that the United States has paid and continues to pay a disproportionate amount for Iraq reconstruction, especially when the Iraqi government reportedly has a $25-30 billion budget surplus this year. I am pleased that this legislation calls on the Iraqi government to share equally in the cost of rebuilding the country. To date the United States has appropriated more than $45 billion for Iraq reconstruction. American-funded reconstruction programs have included the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces. Iraq is a resource-rich nation. Though still facing problems including a lack of technology, damage from previous mismanagement, the effects of looting, and water intrusion, Iraqi oil production is currently at around 2 million barrels per day. The price of oil has skyrocketed to over $100 a barrel and Iraqi oil exports are generating an estimated $56.4 billion this year alone, according to the GAO, yet it is U.S. taxpayers who continue to foot the bill for Iraqi reconstruction. The government of Iraq is stashing its money in global banks, including a reported $30 billion in the United States, instead of investing this money in the development of crucial Iraqi infrastructure. I am also extremely concerned about the direction of U.S. policy in Iraq, and the future of U.S. commitments. I am also very worried about the Administration's apparent desire to circumvent congressional approval and oversight in the process of negotiating a long-term agreement with the Iraqi government, as well as the still-open question of the establishment of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq, to which I am strongly opposed. Today's legislation, crucially, continues a prohibition on permanent American military bases in Iraq. Expanded GI Bill Mr. Speaker, Amendment #2 of this legislation provides funding for much needed domestic programs and foreign aid. By extending unemployment benefits, expanding veterans' education benefits, and placing a moratorium on the Bush Administrations' six Medicaid regulations, this legislation gets us closer to where the Economic Stimulus package should have taken us. I am particularly pleased that this legislation expands the educations benefits that veterans receive under the GI, providing $50 billion over the next 10 years for veterans' college funding. This legislation restores the promise of a full, four-year college education, and will entitle veterans who enlisted after the Sept. 11 attacks and served three years or more to what amounts to four years of college education at a state university. By passing these provisions, we are making the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan an integral part of an American economy recovery, much in the same way World War II veterans were incorporated under the original GI bill. I would like to see us go even farther to make an affordable college education a possibility for all those brave men and women who selflessly served our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today's legislation does allow service members to transfer educational benefits to their spouses and dependents. Extension of unemployment In addition, Mr. Speaker, this legislation includes a 13-week extension of jobless benefits for long-term unemployed. The number of Americans looking for work has grown by 800,000 over the last year, and the number of American jobs has declined by 260,000 since the beginning of 2008. The extension of unemployment benefits will provide a crucial safety net to American workers who are feeling the strain of the sagging economy. Emergency funding for the Midwest This legislation also includes $2.65 billion in much-needed aid for the storm-ravaged American Midwest. Violent storms, bringing tornados and flooding, have been blamed for at least 24 deaths since late May. With damage still not fully assessed, what has been called the worst flooding in the Midwest in 15 years has ruined an estimated 5 million acres of farmland. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, 23 levees along the Mississippi have failed this week alone, and 48 more, which protect over 285,000 acres of cropland, are either overflowing or at high flood risk. Today's legislation provides critical resources to respond to these disasters, which are affecting millions of Americans. Medicaid In addition, this legislation also delays most of the destructive Medicaid cuts proposed by this President. The Bush Administration sought to cut services and payments to American families by adding seven different Medicaid regulations to the stimulus. This legislation places a much needed moratorium on six of these regulations, giving back to our seniors, families, and those with disabilities as well as cut payments to safety net providers. Because I believe that fixing our health care system is one of the most important issues we currently face, I recently introduced the ``Medicare Efficiency and Development of Improvement of Care and Services Act of 2008'' (MEDICS Act), which provides a solution to the Medicare reimbursement problem as well as grows beneficiary access. My bill increases the number of primary care physicians. It specifically requires that within one year of enactment, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Association of American Medical Colleges shall submit to Congress an effective plan to increase the number of primary care physicians particularly those practicing in counties, cities, or towns ``underserved'' or with a disproportionate number of Medicare-eligible and/or Medicare recipients. In addition, my legislation forces an examination of the disparities in our health system, particularly those based on race, ethnicity, and gender, and begins the process of eliminating these discrepancies, and making health care an affordable reality for all Americans. Food aid and disaster assistance I am also pleased that this legislation provides increased funding for international affairs. This includes $1.865 billion for food aid and disaster assistance, which is $745 million above the President's request. This sum includes $500 million above the President's request for PL480 Food Assistance and $245 million above his request for development assistance and disaster assistance programs meant to alleviate world hunger. This additional funding comes at a crucial time. As my colleagues are aware, we are facing an international food crisis. According to the International Monetary Fund, IMF, global food prices have increased an average of 43 percent. In fact since March 2007, wheat has increased by 146 percent, soybean has increased by 71 percent, corn by 41 percent, and rice prices have increased by 29 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sadly, approximately 1 billion people--or one-sixth of the world's population--subsist on less than $1 per day. Of this population, 162 million survive on less than $0.50 per day. Overall, increased food prices particularly affect developing countries, and the poorest people within those countries, where populations spend a larger proportional share of income on basic food commodities. It is simply unacceptable in this day and age that so many children are going hungry. We have millions of dollars to bailout Bear Stearns, let's find that same money to help our families and our children. Refugee assistance I am also extremely supportive of the provisions in this legislation that increase funding for refugee assistance. This legislation provides $696 million, a total $475 million above the President's request, to address the ongoing refugee crises in Iraq and elsewhere. This funding comes in the midst of a worldwide surge in the number of refugees, with Iraq and Darfur facing particularly severe crises. Having recently spent time on the ground with refugees living in camps in Darfur and Chad, I am pleased that the figures in this legislation represent the reality of the global refugee situation, and will make important strides toward meeting the needs of the growing number of people displaced by conflict, poverty, disaster, or other extreme circumstances, particularly those in Darfur and in Iraq. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support amendment #2 to this legislation because it contains vital provisions that will directly benefit the American people. I must oppose amendment #1 because I refuse to support the continuation of a disastrous policy of providing unrestricted funding to continue the Bush administration's war in Iraq. It is pure fantasy to imagine that President Bush's military surge has created the necessary safety and security to meet economic, legislative, and security benchmarks. It is time for a new strategy, a new plan that will encourage Iraqis to take charge of their own destiny, seek constructive and sustained regional engagement, and substitute the ill- advised military surge for a thoughtful diplomatic one. It is time to be realistic and pragmatic, to recognize that our troops achieved what they were initially sent in for and that continued U.S. military engagement is not bringing about the desired results.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Mississippi, the chairman of the committee, and I want to thank him and applaud him for this legislation. As has been indicated on the floor, the importance of ensuring the security and the sanctity of the particular identification, the technology, is key. One of the key problems that we have found in homeland security is, of course, the ability to tamper with the security document or the process. This legislation is an important, enhanced effort to ensure that that does not happen. I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this particular issue, and also, I think it's important to note that one of the commitments that homeland security has made is, ``Not on our watch,'' and we have steadfastly looked at all of the elements that need to be improved and enhanced in border security and aviation security to ensure that there are documents that can be, on their face, the kind of document that provides the necessary review and protection for the traveling public and for those who do business in the ports of America. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5982, the Biometric Enhancement Act for Airport-Risk Reduction Act of 2008, introduced by my distinguished colleague from Mississippi, Chairman Thompson. This important legislation requires TSA to provide Congress and airport operators with a breakdown on best practices for utilizing biometrics to better protect airports. In the last few months, the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, has unveiled several new programs and initiatives that are proving to build a ``layered approach'' to security. And while the TSA is responsible for the 450 U.S. airports, and employs approximately 50,000, with the very important mission of keeping the traveling public safe from terrorist threats, it has done very little to strengthen airport security for workers with unescorted access to sterile and secure areas of the airport. At the present time, there are few mechanisms in place to ensure that contracted employees follow due diligence at our airports and access is granted to only those employees who belong on airport grounds at any given time. This legislation addresses these key issues by requiring TSA to provide Congress and airport operators with a breakdown on best practices for utilizing biometrics to better protect airports. Mr. Speaker, only last November, Federal law enforcement raided Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in November 2007 and arrested 23 people for fraudulently securing badges to gain access to sensitive airport locations. According to the charging affidavit, more than 100 temporary workers were found to be in possession of the fraudulent badges and the staffing agency that sponsored these workers told them that they needed identification, but such identification did not have to be legitimate. While today's workers with unescorted access to this critical infrastructure go through background screening, which includes terror watch list checks, to get issued badges, more must be done. While this is a necessary and important check, a job applicant's biometrics are not being captured to check against biographic information provided to establish the individual's identity. The legislation we have before us today is a smart security approach that promotes collaboration between TSA, industry, labor and other key stakeholders to work together to collectively develop and provide airports with a blueprint on how to make biometrics work for them. Mr. Speaker, this legislation requires TSA to study how airports can transition to uniform, standards-based and interoperable biometric identifier systems for airport workers with unescorted access. This bill furthermore requires TSA and the working group to examine existing programs, such as TWIC, and identify approaches on how biometrics can enhance protections for secure and sterile areas of the airport. TSA is also required by this bill to provide Congress and airport operators with a breakdown on best practices for using biometrics to improve airport security. Mr. Speaker, this bill is not about re-inventing the wheel or putting a stop to any good work at TSA on this issue. It is about encouraging public-private partnerships and promoting an open dialogue between TSA, industry, and Congress on how best to secure our airports. I am proud to support this important and timely legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in so doing.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5909, Catching Operational Vulnerabilities by Ensuring Random Testing Act of 2008, introduced by my distinguished colleague from New York, Representative Lowe. This important legislation will further shore up the gaps in our testing and evaluation protocols for transportation security. As we've seen just in the past year, the details of covert tests and evaluations have been disseminated to the screener workforce, thereby ``tipping-off' those we are trying to accurately and responsibly test. The Committee on Homeland Security has been extremely concerned about this issue and I have held hearings in the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, of which I am the chair, in order to examine what exactly has gone wrong. Any efforts to compromise these important testing efforts, whether intentional or on accident, should not be tolerated. Some have claimed that one of these incidents--the April 2006 e-mail from TSA's Office of Security Operations that tipped TSA field staff off to covert tests-- was unintentional, but evidence suggests otherwise. The April 2006 e- mail clearly referenced that individuals who were probing the system were Federal employees and even provided a physical description of one of the employees conducting the tests. This bill is necessary to prohibit individuals from providing advance notice of covert tests to any persons, unless authorized to do so by the Assistant Secretary of the Transportation Security Administration, the Inspector General of the Department, or the Comptroller General of the United States. The COVERT Act of 2008 explicitly prohibits the advance notice or notification to individuals by those employees who are participating in a covert test or evaluation, which will ensure that the integrity of all covert testing efforts--across all modes of transportation--are protected, not just aviation. This legislation puts in place controls to monitor the testing personnel and the testing and evaluation procedures by building in accountability. It establishes the presence of a second team of covert test and evaluation employees with the first team in order to monitor and confirm their actions. Finally, the act requires an impact study to evaluate covert testing and evaluation and how it could be incorporated into other training and testing programs. The study is required to include: Recommendations on the implementation and execution of this section; an assessment on the results of covert testing; a summary of best practices on how to best integrate covert testing into other programs; and recommendations for additional personnel training necessary to fulfill this act. The study and report will also provide an assessment on the test and evaluation results and recommendations for personnel training required to fulfill the act. Mr Speaker, if we choose to ignore these past disclosures, we provide future opportunities to compromise a worthy program intended to educate the workforce and benefit the security of our transportation systems throughout the country. One tip-off of a covert test is one too many. We've already had three that we know of. Let's do our part to stop any future tip-offs. I am proud to support this incredibly important and timely legislation and I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished chairman. A secure mass transit will encourage more Americans to utilize our transit and our transportation system that is a public transit system. That is what those of us on this side of the aisle believe, a green economy, conservation, efficiency. And coming from Texas I would say to my good friend from California, we have happily lived with safe and secure and environmentally safe drilling and we encourage our very strong companies to continue to do so. But, at the same time, the word ``energy'' is a broad term. Green energy, efficiency, conservation. That is what this Congress has to preach to the American public, and safe and secure mass transit, of which all of these legislative initiatives are planning to do. I would ask my colleagues in particular to support the legislation presently under consideration dealing with the mass transit resolution and all the other bills that have been able to come forward out of Homeland Security and under the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1150, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Transportation Security Administration should, in accordance with the congressional mandate provided for in the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, enhance security against terrorist attack and other security threats to our Nation's rail and mass transit lines, introduced by myself. I rise today to offer this Resolution regarding the role of the Transportation Security Administration in securing our Nation's rail and mass transit lines. This Resolution reaffirms the congressional mandate provided for in the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 that the Transportation Security Administration enhance security against terrorist attack and other security threats to our Nation's rail and mass transit lines. I am pleased to have Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, as an original cosponsor of this resolution. Chairman Thompson has been a leader in our efforts to secure against terrorist threats to our Nation's rail and mass transit lines. Madam Speaker, each weekday 11,300,000 passengers depend on our Nation's mass transit lines as a means of transportation. Our Nation's mass transit lines serve as a target for terrorist attack as evidenced by the March 11, 2004, attack on the Madrid, Spain, mass transit system, the July 7, 2005, attack on the London, England, mass transit system, and the July 11, 2006, attack on the Mumbai, India, mass transit system. The Transportation Security Administration has, through the development of its National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program furthered its ability to provide security against terrorist attacks on the Nation's transportation systems by preventing and protecting against explosives threats. It is imperative that our Nation's rail and mass transit lines remain secure from terrorist attack as they are critical to the functioning of our Nation's economy and serve as a means of transportation on a daily basis for millions of hard working Americans. Successful attacks against rail and mass transit targets have been carried out worldwide by terrorist looking to create havoc, economic harm, and kill innocent people. Throughout the world, mass transit systems have long been targets of terrorist attacks. Algerian extremists set off bombs on the subways of Paris in 1995 and 1996; the Irish Republican Army waged a long-running terrorist campaign against the London Underground; Palestinian terrorists have carried out suicide bombings on Israel's buses; Chechnyan terrorists killed 40 people by bombing the Moscow subway in 2004; and, in the first terrorist use of a chemical weapon, a Japanese cult--Aum Shinrykyo--released sarin gas on a Tokyo subway in 1995. Recent events make it clear that the threat continues. On the morning of March 11, 2004, ten explosions occurred at the height of the Madrid rush hour aboard four commuter trains. On July 7, 2005, during the morning peak travel hours, three separate explosions ripped through the London Underground and a fourth explosion occurred on a double-decker bus. These four explosions, the result of coordinated suicide-bombings by British-born Islamic extremists, claimed the lives of 56 people and seriously injured hundreds more. Two weeks later, on July 21, 2005, another group of terrorists unsuccessfully attempted to attack London's mass transit system again. On July 11, 2006 a series of seven bomb blasts against the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and India's financial capital resulted in 207 lost lives and over 700 injured. The recent attacks serve as a harsh reminder of mass transit and rail security vulnerabilities. Both mass transit and rail systems are public and used by millions of people daily. Because of their size, openness, and highly-networked character, there are no obvious checkpoints, like those at airports, to inspect passengers and parcels. Passengers are strangers, promising attackers anonymity and easy escape. And attacks on mass transit--the circulatory systems of urban areas-- can cause widespread fear, severely disrupt economic activity, kill or injure large numbers of people, and alter our way of life. An attack on our freight rail, either the material being transported, such as hazardous materials, or vital commodities, or merely the system itself, could severely impact our national economy. As a result, both mass transit and rail systems are attractive targets. Since September 11, 2001, according to the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, mass transit systems have been the target of more than 145 terrorist attacks. Due to their existence in high-population, high-risk urban areas, mass transit systems are also inevitably affected by any terrorist attack that may occur within that jurisdiction--regardless of whether the transit system was the target of the attack. For example, during September 11, 2001, two of New York City's busiest transit stations were lost and considerable damage occurred to the tunnel structures, endangering hundreds of lives underground. Great care was required to evacuate passengers, locate and rescue trapped transit cars, and communicate instructions. The damage in New York City was so great that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Congress appropriated $1.8 billion to rebuild the subway infrastructure that was damaged in the attacks. I am hopeful that through this legislation we can prevent such attacks rather than face the tragic consequences of 9/11 again. I refuse to sit idly by and allow another 9/11 or Madrid, London, or Mumbai bombing to disrupt our Nation and its critical infrastructure-- it is with that conviction that I seek to address these issues. The recent world events should serve as a wake-up call that we must do more to secure our transportation systems and we must act quickly and responsibly. I firmly believe that the legislation before us today will take an important step in securing our transportation systems. Pursuant to the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, ATSA, the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, is responsible for the security of all modes of transportation including rail and mass transit. TSA, however, has focused the majority of its resources and assets on aviation security in the past five years. I could go on with other examples, but what these instances show is that clearly it is imperative that TSA value rail and mass transit security on equal footing with aviation security. We are satisfied with the progress that TSA has made with the National Explosion Detection Team Program, but more is needed to train frontline employees. Congress, recognizing TSA's lack of progress in developing a security strategy for all modes of transportation, mandated the development of a National Strategy for Transportation Security in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, 9/11 Act. This strategy, although due April 1, 2005, was not finalized by TSA until September 2005. Moreover, the document provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not meet the requirements set out by Congress, especially with regards to rail and mass transit security. Furthermore, subsequent congressionally mandated updates were also not met by TSA, resulting in the 9/11 Discourse Project giving the TSA a C- for its efforts. TSA's failure to assume a leadership position on surface transportation security is plainly evident. It is time that we take action and leadership to help protect the more than 11.3 million passengers in 35 metropolitan areas and 22 states who use commuter, heavy, or light rail each weekday. There must be substantial penalties for those who do not follow the security plans, vulnerability assessments, and regulations set out in this legislation. H. Res. 1150 is a straightforward resolution, but a very important one. Recognizing that TSA is the lead agency for transportation security, and all of the hard work Congress did last year to make rail and mass transit security programs more robust in the enactment of the 9/11 bill, we must continue to push TSA to fulfill the mandates for rail and mass transit security required by Congress. Last month, the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, which I have the privilege of chairing, held a field hearing in New York City on efforts to secure rail and mass transit. It was a truly edifying experience. We learned much about what is being done to secure the New York Transit system and other systems across the Nation, and what TSA can do in its leadership role at the federal level, to facilitate these efforts. I want to commend TSA on its progress with the National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program, since most successful attacks on rail and mass transit are carried out using IEDs. However, we need TSA to continue to develop training programs for frontline workers, and fulfill the other mandates Congress put in place in the 9/11 bill to increase security on rail and mass transit. TSA should reinvigorate their efforts to fulfill the mandates of the 9/11 bill. TSA has not submitted to the Committee on Homeland Security the National Strategy for Public Transportation Security which was mandated by the 9/11 bill, along with other deadlines including training regulations for frontline workers. TSA must submit this to both comply with the law and more importantly to protect Americans. I find it completely appalling that this Administration seems to be unwilling to act on rail and mass transit security until we are faced with another disaster. I shudder to think that if the Washington, DC or New York subway systems were attacked, and mass casualties resulted, that we would be thinking that more could have been done to prevent such a tragedy. We will be desperately trying to figure out how to prepare for a disaster that has already happened and holding hearing after hearing to find out where we dropped the ball. The time to prepare is now, and I am committed to securing our Nation's rail and mass transit system expeditiously. We have been blessed thus far that our rail and public transportation systems have not been attacked. We should make our best efforts to ensure that we do not overlook this blessing. From the terrorist attacks that have occurred around the world, we know that terrorists will target our rail and public transportation systems. Despite this admonition, the agency created and funded by Congress to address the issue of transportation security has consistently dropped the ball when it comes to rail and public transportation. We cannot let the lessons of Madrid, London, and Mumbai go unheeded. For the sake of the millions of Americans who use our rail and mass transit systems everyday to go to work, school, and visit friends and family, we have to take charge on this security risk. We owe it to the public to safeguard the modes of transportation that allow them to carry on with their lives and drive this economy. Millions of men and women ride our Nation's rail and public transportation systems everyday; we owe it to them to ensure that they can do so safely and securely. I hope that through today's hearing and our continued efforts on the issue of rail and mass transit security, we can resolve the asymmetric way in which we treat aviation versus rail security and resolve the substantial threat posed by inadequate security on our rail and mass transit system. I want to thank my colleagues for all of their hard work and dedication to these important issues.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the chairman of the full committee for his leadership and the consistency of the methodical pathway to securing America. That is what we are doing here today. I want to acknowledge the ranking member of the committee and my ranking member, Mr. Lungren of California, because we have worked together as a committee to focus on a number of issues, including chemical security and an overview of infrastructure protection and now this legislation. I also think it is important to note that we have committed, as the chairman has indicated, that we will look at the security measures needed for the trucking industry. But we should get a sense of the roadmap that is being created here on the floor today. And as we look at the bills that we have discussed, each one of them are building blocks toward the response to the 9/11 families, who, day after day after 9/11 told this Congress to get its act together, starting first, of course, with the bill of Congresswoman Clarke that emphasizes that if we have a watch list, that watch list should be a watch list that is both accurate and secure, and that hard working Americans have to have their civil liberties protected, so if they are on the list by mistake we must avoid or find a process of appeal for the mistakes that are being made. Then, of course, I think it is noteworthy, as the chairman brought forward his bill on biometric, that we found incidences in Chicago where these cards that are being used by airport employees were fraudulently produced and large numbers of them found, a cache of them found in the hands of employees, so that people who are not credentialed can get on the airport surface because of this fraudulence. So this biometric study is extremely important. Having just come back from Boston Logan Airport, we also note that the bill by Congresswoman Lowey is very important, so that we are on our toes about ensuring that those who are working at these airports are not tipped off about testing or having them go through security, so that the four corners of airports are secure. Now we come full circle, and this legislation, H. Res. 1150, goes back again to the heart of the purpose of the 9/11 Commission. It was a holistic approach to security, for we have seen the tragedy of being lax on airport security. And I might imagine that those of you who are visiting the United States Congress who might have taken airplanes have gone through security, and it might have been a crowded line. But you are adhering to the rules because you know that we are working together to secure the homeland. But the homeland is more than just aviation. It is also rail. And this legislation is part of the approach that the Homeland Security Committee is taking, and seriously taking, as its responsibilities of oversight. Each weekday, 11,300,000 passengers depend on our Nation's mass transit lines as a means of transportation. Our Nation's mass transit lines serve as a target for terrorist attacks, as evidenced by the March 11, 2004, attack on the Madrid, Spain, mass transit system; the July 7, 2005, attack on the London, England, mass transit system; and the July 11, 2006, attack on the Mumbai, India, mass transit system. These systems are vulnerable, and the TSA Administration through the development of its National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program furthered its ability to provide security against terrorist attacks on the Nation's transportation systems by preventing and protecting our explosive threats. However, it is important for the administration and the Transportation Security Administration to be reminded of the Nation's rail and mass transit lines, that they should remain secure from terrorist attack, as they are critical in the functioning of our Nation's economy and they serve as a means of transportation on a daily basis for millions of hard working Americans. So this legislation is a wake-up call. It is in fact to remind the administration that we have to do more work on transportation security inasmuch as we have seen done by others. In 1995, the Irish Republican Army waged a long-running terrorist campaign against the London Underground.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Palestinian terrorists have carried out suicide bombings on Israeli buses. And so this legislation is to emphasize again that attacks on mass transit are possible and therefore we should look seriously at providing the security necessary. Just recently I held a field hearing in New York to look at the ways of the New York transit system and how they were securing their particular system, one of the largest in the Nation. We learned that the National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program was very important, and therefore we want the TSA to continue that. We need TSA to continue to develop training programs for frontline workers and fulfill the other mandates Congress put in place in the 9/11 bill to increase security on rail and mass transit. This resolution is to provide that roadmap and to emphasize to TSA how important mass transit security is. Might I just conclude by suggesting as my colleagues have discussed this whole question of energy, just think about a secure mass transit that will allow us to engage in a transit system that actually works.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4749, the National Bombing Prevention Act, introduced by my distinguished colleague from New York, Representative King This important legislation establishes the Office of Bombing Prevention within the Protective Security Coordination Division of the Office of Infrastructure Protection of the Department. This legislation is a bipartisan bill, whose lead sponsor is the Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, Representative King, and is also cosponsored by Chairman Thompson. The function of the Office of Bombing Prevention already exists in the Department, and this bill establishes it in statute. The Office is responsible for coordinating the Government efforts to deter, detect, prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist explosive attacks in the United States. As we all know, the most likely terrorist threat to our Nation's critical infrastructure and transportation modes is from explosives. Madam Speaker, we need to ensure that the Office of Bombing Prevention has the protection of being established by the force of law, so the Department can more readily meet the threats to our Nation. This legislation requires the Secretary to develop and periodically update a national strategy to prevent and prepare for terrorist explosive attacks in the United States due 90 days after the date of enactment. The Secretary is further required to report to Congress regarding the national strategy. This strategy is also called for by Homeland Security Presidential Directive-19, Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States, issued by the President in February of 2007. This legislation also authorizes the Office to support technology transfer efforts as well as research into explosives detection and mitigation. I did, however, have one reservation with regards to this legislation, regarding canine procurement, which is why I introduced an amendment, which was accepted by the full Committee, to address that issue. Dogs are used to detect illicit and illegal substances every day. They are used to: detect illegal narcotics; find money that is being smuggled out of the country; and locate explosives that may be concealed in cargo, within vehicles, on aircraft, in luggage and on passengers. There is no doubt that every day, the actions of these dogs and their handlers significantly contribute toward deterring threats and protecting our Nation from terrorists. While the contributions of our canine forces are priceless, they are not without cost. We must place a price on what we are willing to pay for untrained dogs. The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General has found that from April 2006 through June 2007, Customs and Border Protection spent $1.46 million on purchasing 322 untrained dogs--that is about $4500 per dog. Most of these dogs are purchased in Europe and brought to America. These are not fully trained animals. They are puppies that will be trained to provide valuable service. I think most people would find $4500 for an untrained dog an exorbitant amount. However, I cannot deem this amount out of bounds because the Department of Defense pays $3500 for each untrained dog. The Secret Service pays an average of $4500 for each untrained dog. Therefore, the price paid by CBP is within the acceptable range of current practice. However, I think that if we are to be good stewards of the American tax dollar, we must change the current practice. When one considers that domestic breeders offer the same kinds of dogs for $500-$2000, we cannot justify what I can only call a puppy tariff. My amendment would require the Secretary to explore ways to reduce the amount we pay for each dog we purchase by considering the use of different breeds, procuring dogs from domestic breeders and seeking out dogs from animal shelters or rescue groups. If this Department can successfully implement a new method to obtain capable dogs for our homeland security needs, we could begin a trend that would save the American people millions of dollars each year. With the inclusion of my amendment, I am deeply satisfied with this legislation. I am proud to support this legislation, which brings our great Nation closer to its goal of securing the homeland, and I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1333, Civil Air Patrol Homeland Security Support Act of 2007, introduced by my distinguished colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Dent. This important legislation is a first step for the Committee on Homeland Security to understand how the Civil Air Patrol can provide necessary Homeland Security assistance. The Civil Air Patrol is a prime example of how Americans can get involved to support our Nation's preparedness and response to emergencies as well as our Nation's great history of civil aviation and aerospace education. The Civil Air Patrol is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and also serves as the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, when given an Air Force assignment for a Federal support mission. The Civil Air Patrol flies missions in one of two ways: they are either assigned an Air Force mission, wherein they fly on behalf of the Federal Government as the Air Force Auxiliary, or they fly in their non-profit status based on requests from State and local governments or other organizations, many of which have MOU's with the Civil Air Patrol that govern their partnerships. As such, the Civil Air Patrol performs a vital service for this Nation, one which must be further examines and utilized. Over the course of any given year, the Civil Air Patrol is responsible for conducting over 90 percent of the Nation's inland search and rescue operations on behalf of the Air Force. In fiscal year 2007 alone, the Civil Air Patrol helped save 103 lives. Beyond that capacity to execute search and rescue missions, the. Civil Air Patrol can also provide emergency transport for sensitive medical materials and conducts low-altitude reconnaissance surveys for the Government. Even with the Civil Air Patrol is not in the air but working on the ground, their volunteers have pitched in to assist with disaster response. This important legislation will require that the GAG examine how the Civil Air Patrol's proficiency in aerial reconnaissance and communications can enhance our border security. It furthermore will assess the Civil Air Patrol's experience in conducting damage assessment and enhancing situational awareness and how that might be utilized to improve our Nation's collective response to an act of terrorism, natural disaster, or other man-made event. The GAG report produced by this legislation will be utilized to paint a clear picture of the cost-effectiveness of using Civil Air Patrol assets for homeland security missions and help this committee to understand whether the current mechanisms for Federal agencies and States to request CAP support are adequate. In this age of a global war on terror, it is imperative that we utilize aIl the assets available to us to secure our homeland. The Civil Air Patrol has been an invaluable resource for this Nation and embodies the volunteer service that makes our Nation great. I commend the Civil Air Patrol for their commitment to service and protecting this country, and I support this legislation that seeks to further examine how we might use them for their homeland security capacity. I wholeheartedly support this legislation and strongly urge all of my colleagues to join me in doing so.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1230, Condemning Postelection Violence in Zimbabwe and Calling for a Peaceful Resolution to the Current Political Crisis; introduced by my distinguished colleague from New Jersey, Representative Donald Payne, of which I am a proud cosponsor. This important legislation calls on all security forces, informal militias and individuals to immediately cease attacks on and abuse of civilians. The Zimbabwean African National Union-Patriotic Front, ZANU-PF, led by President Robert Mugabe, has controlled Zimbabwe's executive and legislative branches for 28 years; over the past 8 years, ZANU-PF has suppressed political dissidents and won elections and referendums through the use of vote rigging, localized violence, harassment, and intimidation. The political and economic situation in Zimbabwe has been worsening since 2000, culminating in the current electoral crisis. In the wake of the elections, President Mugabe has unleashed security forces and militia against opposition supporters and members of civil society. Over 900 people have been tortured and beaten, and 22 have been confirmed dead. The offices of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network have been raided and some of its employees detained. Security forces have attacked humanitarian organizations and civil society groups. Madam Speaker, such atrocities must come to an end. While the African Union, AU, and Southern African Development Community, SADC, have been continually engaged in efforts to bring about an end to the political crisis in Zimbabwe; unfortunately, after the AU and SADC dispatched delegations to Harare, they have not yet successfully compelled the Government of Zimbabwe to restore the rule of law. The people of Zimbabwe are in desperate need of our aid. A prime example of this is represented through Zimbabwe's gross domestic product which declined about 43 percent between 2000 and 2007, and the unemployment rate of 80 percent. Zimbabwe's inflation rate, at almost 165,000 percent, is the highest in the world and has contributed significantly to the country's economic collapse. Additionally, worsening economic conditions and commodity shortages have caused at least 3 million people to flee the country. I firmly believe that we must pass this legislation in order to demonstrate through our actions that the people of the United States, local, State, national organizations and governmental institutions support democracy and oppose tyranny. All parties must engage constructively towards peace and reconciliation for the sake of the Zimbabwean people. The people of Zimbabwe deserve the assistance of the international community in the restoration of fundamental human rights, democratic freedom, and the rule of law. That is why we must pass H. Res. 1230. I am proud to support this legislation and I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in so doing.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 350, Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, should use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling in all of its forms, including scientific and other special permit whaling, coastal whaling, and community-based whaling, and seek to strengthen the conservation and management measures to facilitate the conservation of whale species, and for other purposes, introduced by my distinguished colleague from West Virginia, Representative Nick Rahall, and of which I am a proud cosponsor. This legislation is an important step in the conservation of the precious whale species. As of today, 79 nations have adopted the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which established the International Whaling Commission to provide for the conservation of whale stocks. The United States was instrumental in influencing the Commission to adopt a moratorium on commercial whaling, which is important in order to conserve and promote the recovery of whale stocks, many of which had been hunted to near extinction by the whaling industry. However, three International Whaling Commission member nations continue to kill whales for financial gain, killing more than 25,000 whales since the moratorium, over 11,000 of which were killed under the guise of scientific research. Because nonlethal research alternatives exist, the majority of the world's cetacean scientists have found whaling conducted for scientific purposes unnecessary. Numerous resolutions have been adopted by the member nations of the International Whaling Commission opposing and calling for an end to scientific whaling, most recently in 2007 at the annual Commission meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Whaling undermines the conservation mandate of the International Whaling Commission and impairs the Commission's ability to function effectively. Allowing whaling for commercial purposes, or under the false guise of scientific research, is reprehensible. This whaling must end now. Additionally, the majority of Americans oppose killing whales for commercial purposes. They expect the Members of Congress to do all in their means to end this killing. We must listen to the American people on this issue. By passing this legislation, we affirm to the American people our commitment to ending whaling in any form, including scientific and other special permit whaling, coastal whaling, and community-based whaling. It is an important step towards saving the whale species. Surely, this legislation should not be ignored. H. Con. Res. 350 would encourage Congress to use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling in all of its forms, oppose any initiative that would result in new whale hunting, and seek to strengthen conservation and management measures to facilitate the conservation of the whale species. I urge my fellow members of Congress to support this legislation.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. Mr. Speaker, I ask to revise and extend. I want to add my appreciation to, again, the very, very able and distinguished Member Yvette Clarke from New York for her strong advocation for H.R. 4179 and legislation that came through the subcommittee of transportation security, which I chair, and her wisdom on bringing about a solution to a long-standing problem that we have seen come about after 9/11. Every day, millions of Americans travel across the country and abroad by land, air, and sea. Unfortunately, we have a process in place, the terrorist watch list or database, which makes, or should make, traveling safe. However, there have been problems and misidentifications. Even air marshals have been denied boarding on air carriers on the very flights they were assigned to protect because of misidentification. To date, more than 15,000 Americans have sought redress from the Transportation Security Administration and voluntarily provided information. But this system has not worked. We know two of our very own dear colleagues, Senator Kennedy and John Lewis, who I think have a pedigree beyond reproach, have been set aside, if you will, in trying to fly. And so therefore, it is important to have a redress process that works and to assure that a person on the TSA's Clear List will not be stopped as a potential terrorist. H.R. 4179 by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke will establish an appeal and redress process to ensure that the Office of Appeals and Redress at the Department of Homeland Security actually work. I do want to congratulate her for this forward thinking. I look forward to working with her as we move forward on additional legislation that addresses the question of dress. As we all know, imams who have cleared TSA could not board a plane in one of our midwest States because they were determined to be a threat when they had passed security, when their name was not on the watch list, and only because of religious actions. And so this is an important step forward. We should be a Nation of security but also the protection of civil liberties. And I look forward to us making further steps to ensure that religious dress, attire, and talk does not in any way undermine your constitutional rights in this question. My appreciation to Congresswoman Clarke. I ask my colleagues to enthusiastically support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4179, To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an appeal and redress process for individuals wrongly delayed or prohibited from boarding a flight, and for other purposes, introduced by my distinguished colleague from New York, Representative Clarke, of which I am a proud original cosponsor. This important legislation will provide an effective and efficient mechanism through which Americans can seek redress. Every day, millions of Americans travel across the country and abroad, by land, air, and sea. Fortunately, we have a process in place, the terrorist watch list or database, which makes travel safer for the traveling public. However, that very process has been plagued with problems and misidentifications. The American public has grown weary of the constant delays and misidentifications caused by incomplete and inaccurate information associated with the terrorist watch list or database. For years, even Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) have been denied boarding by air carriers on the very flights they were assigned to protect because of misidentifications. To date, more than 15,000 Americans have sought redress from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and voluntarily provided personal information to facilitate travel and prevent further misidentifications and delays. While the TSA maintains a ``Cleared List'' for individuals who have the same or similar name or other identifier as someone on the ``No Fly'' or ``Selectee'' lists but have gone through the redress process, there is a significant stagnation in the columniation and sharing of information. The Cleared List is then shared with airlines for screening purposes but it is not shared within the Department of Homeland Security or with other Federal agencies that use the terrorist watch list or database. Therefore, despite going through the redress process, there's nothing to assure that a person on the TSA's ``Cleared List'' will not be stopped as a potential terrorist by other Federal agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Sharing information on the Comprehensive Cleared List between components of the Department would alleviate redundancy and reduce excessive delays. H.R. 4179, the Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely (FAST) Redress Act of 2008, will establish an appeal and redress process to ensure that the Office of Appeals and Redress at the Department of Homeland Security becomes the ``one-stop shop'' that the American public deserves. This legislation will require the DHS Secretary to establish a timely and fair redress process for individuals who believe they have been delayed or prohibited from boarding a commercial plane or denied a right, benefit, or privilege by DHS, because they were wrongly identified as a threat when screened against any terrorist watch list or database. It would also require the Office of Appeals and Redress to maintain a Comprehensive Cleared List that contains the names of individuals who have been misidentified and have corrected erroneous information. The DHS Secretary would be required to furnish the Comprehensive Cleared List to all DHS components and to other Federal, State, local, and Tribal authorities and others that use the terrorist watch list or database, to resolve misidentifications. This important legislation will consolidate agency knowledge by requiring the compilation of a comprehensive cleared list of individuals who have been misidentified. It furthermore requires that the correction of erroneous information be maintained by the Department and shared with those agencies that use the terrorist watch list or database. Our citizens must not only be afforded an effective redress process, they must also be assured that once they have voluntarily provided personal information and successfully achieved redress, they are not repeatedly subjected to further misidentifications. This legislation is supported by the National Business Travel Association, who wrote to the Committee on Homeland Security in support of H.R. 4179. The FAST Redress Act of 2008 explicitly requires the DHS Secretary to assure that TSA, CBP, the Coast Guard and other DHS components reference the Comprehensive Cleared List when assessing the security risk of an individual. It furthermore authorizes the DHS Secretary to enter into Memoranda of Understanding with other Federal agencies to enhance redress, including addressing legal name changes. This bipartisan legislation directs the Secretary to engage in cooperative agreements with other relevant agencies so that legal name changes are reflected on the watch list and the cleared list. When it comes to watch and cleared lists, accuracy is the key. This change ensures that the Department has the most accurate information to evaluate American citizens. Mr. Speaker, it is time we protect the civil rights and civil liberties of American citizens and lawful permanent residents. This bill will help eliminate false identifications and increase efficiency for the traveling public and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to indicate that I was detained off the floor for the Republican motion to recommit on the NASA authorization bill, H.R. 6063. I obviously oppose enthusiastically the waiving of section 526. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on the motion to recommit.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. And I now yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 188, a companion bill to H.R. 6250, providing for revising the short title of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. On January 31, 2007, I introduced H.R. 745 to add Barbara Jordan and Cesar Chavez. On June 12, 2008, I authored and introduced the House companion to S. 188, H.R. 6250, in order to add numbers of individuals who deserve the recognition of this legislation. I would like to thank Senator Salazar on the Senate side for his leadership on this issue. And certainly I would like to thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Conyers, and the ranking member, Mr. Smith, for their leadership and collaboration, along with the chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee. I also want to thank Mr. Keenan Keller of the Judiciary Committee staff and all the staff who worked with him, Mr. Yohannes Tsehai and Mr. Arthur D. Sidney of my staff, for their work on the House bill and for their work on bringing this bill as quickly as possible to the floor. The bill before us adds the names of Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, William C. Velasquez and Dr. Hector P. Garcia to the short title. It is only an addition of names. It is not a deletion of any names. It is adding to the name portion of the bill only. These great people are pillars in the Nation's struggle for civil rights, equality and justice for all, and I strongly support the bill. Allow me, Madam Speaker, to share the humble beginnings of all of the individuals that have come before us to be named now to this very important bill, a bill of which we know was really borne in the sweat and tears of those who struggled in the civil rights movement. Many lost their lives in this battle. This reauthorization that occurred in the last session, and the session before is a testimony to the struggle. Cesar Estrada Chavez was born of humble beginnings on March 31, 1927, in Yuma, Arizona. Early in his life, Mr. Chavez was forced to recognize the harsh realities of racism that all too often plagued communities of color. After his family's home and land were taken from them, Mr. Chavez knew firsthand what it meant to be a victim of gross injustice. Yet despite this and similar experiences of discrimination, Mr. Chavez was not deterred. He often said that ``the love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being but also the most true to our nature.'' At only 10 years old, Mr. Chavez became a migrant farmworker. He attended 38 different schools before quitting at the end of the eighth grade to support his family full time. In 1945, he joined the U.S. Navy and served in the western Pacific during the end of World War II. After completing his military service, Mr. Chavez returned to his roots, laboring in the fields. Mr. Chavez was unwavering in his activities in voter registration campaigns. He is truly warranting of this honor today. By day, Mr. Chavez picked apricots in an orchard outside of San Jose. And be reminded that he served in the United States Navy. But he picked apricots in this orchard, and by night he was actively involved in galvanizing voter registration drives. In 1952, Mr. Chavez was a full- time organizer with the Chicago-based Community Service Organization (CSO), not only coordinating voter registration drives, but battling racial and economic discrimination against Chicano residents and organizing CSO chapters across California and Arizona, as well. In 1968, Chavez conducted a 25-day fast to reaffirm the United Farm Workers' commitment to non-violence. In the process, Mr. Chavez gained the support of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy and was propelled onto the national political scene. Kennedy called Cesar Chavez ``one of the heroic figures of our time'' and actually flew to be with Mr. Chavez when he ended his fast. On August 8, 1994, Mr. Chavez became the second Mexican American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. The award was presented posthumously by then- President Bill Clinton. Mr. Chavez dedicated his life to improving the working conditions for the poor and exploited. He worked on behalf of the migrant workers in the western United States. He worked also tirelessly to ensure that Hispanic Americans were involved in the political process. He is deserving of this honor. And we commend him as we move this legislation forward. The next named person to have her name listed on the Voting Rights bill is Barbara Charline Jordan. Congresswoman Jordan was a friend to many, a mentor to me, and an icon. The late honorable Congresswoman Barbara Jordan represented the 18th Congressional District. She was the maiden holder of this seat. After this opportunity was given through the Voting Rights Act of 1965, I am now privileged to serve, and she was one of the first two African Americans from the South to be elected to the House of Representatives since Reconstruction. Barbara Jordan was known for her eloquence but also to many for her quiet thoughtfulness and seriousness in the legislative process. Barbara Jordan was a renaissance woman, eloquent, fearless and peerless in her pursuit of justice and equality. I pay tribute also to her sister who has carried on her legacy by presenting herself to the public and helping people understand Barbara's legacy, that is to a dear friend, Ms. Rosemary McGowan, who lives in Houston, Texas, today. All of her family grew up and lived in Fifth Ward, and we were with them just a few weeks ago when they showed us the remnants of where they lived. It is now railroad tracks. But we will never have their history extinguished. Barbara Jordan exhorted all of us to strive for the excellence, stand fast for justice and fairness, and yield to no one in the manner of defending the Constitution and upholding the most sacred principles of a democratic government. To Barbara Jordan, the Constitution was a very profound document, one to be upheld. On January 17, 1996, Barbara Jordan died too early, at the young age of 59. On that day, Texas and the Nation lost one of its finest daughters, a woman who had served the people of Houston and Harris County in State and national government for over a decade. And with Barbara Jordan's passing, America lost one of its finest citizens. Barbara Jordan's voice and eloquence was one of a kind, and so was she. From her outspokenness during Watergate, to her ethics back in Texas to improve transparency, accountability and ethics in government, no stand was too controversial or too unpopular for Barbara Jordan to take. If she believed that it was the right thing to do, she did it. She was not afraid to take unpopular stands. And she often ruffled the feathers of friends and foes alike. The Washington Post, too, half-jokingly described Barbara Jordan as ``the first black woman everything.'' And a Cosmopolitan magazine survey of 700 political opinions in 1975 put Jordan at the top of the list of women they would like to see become President. And in 1966 she became the first African American woman elected to the Texas State Senate. She was the only woman in that legislative session. In 1972, she came to the United States Congress. She worked on worker's compensation and she also amended the Voting Rights Act to include Mexican Americans in Texas and other southwestern States and to extend its authorities to those States where minorities had been denied the right to vote. She obviously was renowned for her Watergate work and also her 1976 speech to the Democratic Convention. One of Professor Jordan's colleagues paid her the ultimate compliment. ``She pushed her students. She said, `You know, you have an obligation. You owe something for what you have, and you need to pay it back.' '' That was Barbara Jordan, continuing to give public service. She ended her life as a professor at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School. In the tradition of Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King and Thurgood Marshall, she believed that the Constitution should be upheld. We honor her, deservedly so, by naming her to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, reauthorized. The next named person is William C. Velasquez, also a Texan, affectionately known as ``Willie.'' He paved the way for his generation and future generations of Hispanics to empower themselves through voter registration, political empowerment, economic self-reliance and education. Mr. Velasquez was one of the founding members of the Mexican American Youth Organization, MAYO, a Chicano youth organization aimed at social action. His role in MAYO led to his becoming Texas' first statewide coordinator of the El Movimiento Social de la Raza Unida, the precursor of La Raza Unida Party. His involvement with the Latino organization was extensive. In 1968, as boycott coordinator for the United Farm Workers, he organized strikes in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. After leaving the UFW, he became the founder and director of the Mexican-American Unity Council in San Antonio, Texas. In 1970, he was named field director of the Southwest Council of La Raza. From 1972 to July 1974, he concentrated his efforts on building the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. That is what so many of us know him for, SVREP. Little notice was given when Velasquez opened the doors to SVREP in 1974, seated on a folding chair behind a small desk calling from a borrowed rotary telephone to spur Mexican Americans into politics. Mr. Velasquez's work of empowering all Americans through political participation by his nonpartisan voter registration, voter education, candidate training, get-out-the-vote efforts, this work of SVREP continues as it began through his work. He enlisted the aid of community organizers. Together they launched hundreds of voter registration and get-out-the-vote GOTV campaigns throughout the Southwest. The legacy of Mr. Velasquez is apparent. Since its inception, his organization has cultivated 50,000 community leaders, successfully litigated 85 voting rights lawsuits, and has conducted 2,300 nonpartisan voter registration and GOTV campaigns. Consequently, voter registration has grown over the years from 2.4 million registered Latinos in 1974 to almost 12 million nationwide. Upon news of his death, the Congress adjourned its session for the day, symbolically illustrating his single-handed effect on our political process. President Clinton posthumously awarded Mr. Velasquez the Presidential Medal of Freedom, stating that he was driven by an unwavering belief that every American should have a role in our democracy and share in the opportunities of our great Nation, adding that Mr. Velasquez made this a greater country. I agree with him. It is for this reason, Madam Speaker, that we are honored today to be able to add Mr. William ``Willie'' C. Velasquez in the short title of the Voting Rights Act, now reauthorized, but the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Our next named person, Dr. Hector P. Garcia, was an interesting and strong Texan. Dr. Hector P. Garcia was a Mexican immigrant who became a doctor, soldier, war hero and presidential confidante. He dedicated his life to advocating for the education, civil rights, labor rights and human rights of our community by struggling against racism and injustice. His life is an example for the younger generation. Dr. Garcia received many honors during his life-long fight for veterans rights. He is a giant in Texas. He is well-known, as we have found, throughout the Nation, throughout the veterans efforts that have come about, particularly representing Latinos. He is a giant. His fight for veterans rights and his struggle against discrimination in housing, education and voting rights is renowned. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson made him the first Mexican to serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Johnson also appointed him Alternate Ambassador to the United Nations to promote better relations with Latin America and Spain. Dr. Garcia served Presidents John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter as an adviser. President Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor. Pope John Paul II recognized him with the Equestrian Order of Pope Gregory the Great. President Clinton eulogized him as a national hero. The Treasury Department's new $75 Series I U.S. Savings Bond bears Dr. Garcia's portrait. The eight Americans depicted on the bonds, which debuted on September 1, 2007, were chosen for their individual achievements and service, and, for the first time, to reflect the Nation's racial and ethnic diversity. Dr. Garcia is the only Hispanic. Other honorees include General George C. Marshall and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. Congress honored Dr. Garcia, who died on July 26, 1996, at the age of 82, by passing a bill in August 1996 that made the American G.I. Forum a Congressionally chartered veterans organization. Dr. Garcia founded the organization in 1948, and today it is the Nation's largest Hispanic veterans group. The charter status recognizes the G.I. Forum as a peer of the American Legion. Dr. Garcia was born in a Mexican village in 1914 to a college professor and a schoolteacher. They fled to Texas in 1918 to escape the Mexican Revolution. He was one of seven children, six of whom became doctors. He graduated from the University of Texas Medical School, joined the Army in World War II and served in North Africa and Italy as an infantryman and combat engineer until the Army officials found out that he was a doctor. He earned the Bronze Star Medal with six battle stars in Italy. A disturbing incident in 1949 convinced Dr. Garcia that the Forum needed to fight for more than veterans rights. Army Private Felix Longoria was killed on June 14, 1945, while on patrol in the Philippines to flush out retreating Japanese. It took nearly four years to identify and return his remains to his family. A funeral director in Three Rivers, Texas, told the family that the Anglo community wouldn't stand for his remains to lie in the chapel for a wake, but he offered to arrange for Longoria's burial in the segregated Mexican cemetery separated by barbed wire. Private Longoria's widow called Dr. Garcia for help, who then contacted the funeral home and asked permission to use the chapel. The director told him no Mexican American had ever used the chapel and he wouldn't allow it because it might offend the whites. Dr. Garcia went on to talk about this issue and to fight against it, and ultimately he prevailed when many noticed that the State of Texas, which loomed so large on the map, looked so small tonight. So within 24 hours the founder of the newly organized American G.I. Forum received a telegram from then Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who expressed his regret about what occurred, and therefore he made arrangements to have Felix Longoria buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. This is truly a story of a hero, and that is why we stand today to acknowledge Hector P. Garcia, who will be named to the short title of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He will join these heroes, Cesar Chavez, Barbara Jordan, Willie Velasquez, and now Dr. Hector P. Garcia, for he has fought for those who could not speak for themselves to in essence have the opportunity to vote. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this legislation in honor of these magnificent individuals. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 188, to revise the short title of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. On January 31, 2007, I introduced H.R. 745 to add Barbara Jordan and Cesar Chavez. On June 12, 2008, I authored and introduced the House companion, H.R. 6250 to S. 188. I want to commend the author on the Senate side, Senator Salazar. I would like to thank Mr. Keenan Keller, and Mr. Yohannes Tsehai and Mr. Arthur D. Sidney of my staff for their work on the House bill and for their work on bringing this bill quickly to the floor. The bill before us adds the names of Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, William C. Velasquez, and Dr. Hector P. Garcia to the short title. These great people are pillars in the nation's struggle for civil rights, equality, and justice for all. I strongly support this bill. cesar estrada chavez Cesar Estrada Chavez was born of humble beginnings on March 31, 1927, near Yuma, Arizona. Early in life, Mr. Chavez was forced to recognize the harsh realities of racism that all too often plagued communities of color. After his family's home and land were taken from them, Mr. Chavez knew first hand what it meant to be the victim of gross injustice. Yet, despite this and similar experiences of discrimination, Mr. Chavez was not deterred. He often said that ``the love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being but also the most true to our nature.'' At only 10 years old, Mr. Chavez became a migrant farmworker. He attended 38 different schools before quitting at the end of the eighth grade to support his family full time. In 1945, Mr. Chavez joined the US Navy and served in the Western Pacific during the end of World War II. After completing his military service, Mr. Chavez returned to his roots, laboring in the fields. Mr. Chavez was unwavering in his activities in voter registration campaigns. By day, Mr. Chavez picked apricots in an orchard outside of San Jose; by night, he was actively involved in galvanizing voter registration drives. In 1952, Mr. Chavez was a full time organizer with the Chicago-based Community Service Organization (CSO), not only coordinating voter registration drives, but battling racial and economic discrimination against Chicano residents and organizing new CSO chapters across California and Arizona as well. Mr. Chavez was also a passionate member of the labor movement in this country. In 1962, he moved his wife and eight young children to California, where he founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), the first successful farm workers' union in U.S. history. In 1968, Chavez conducted a 25-day fast to reaffirm the United Farm Workers commitment to non-violence. In the process, Mr. Chavez gained the support of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy and was propelled onto the national political scene. Kennedy called Cesar Chavez ``one of the heroic figures of our time,'' and actually flew to be with Mr. Chavez when he ended his fast. In 1991, Mr. Chavez received the Aguila Azteca (The Aztec Eagle), Mexico's highest award presented to people of Mexican heritage who have made significant contributions outside of Mexico. When he passed away on April 23, 1993, at the age of 66, he was the president of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO. On August 8, 1994, Mr. Chavez became the second Mexican American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. The award was presented posthumously by then- President Bill Clinton. Mr. Chavez dedicated his life to achieving better working conditions for the poor and the exploited migrant farmers in the western United States. He also tirelessly worked to ensure that Hispanic Americans were involved in the political process and were registered to vote. He is regarded as one of the most important people in the U.S. labor movement and in the Hispanic voter registration movement in this country. We honor his life and his legacy with the addition of his name on this important piece of legislation. barbara charline jordan Barbara Charline Jordan was a friend to many, a mentor to me and an icon. The late honorable Congresswoman Barbara Jordan represented the 18th Congressional District of Texas that I am now privileged to serve, and was one of the first two African-Americans from the South to be elected to the House of Representatives since Reconstruction. Barbara Jordan was a renaissance woman, eloquent, fearless, and peerless in her pursuit of justice and equality. She exhorted all of us to strive for excellence, stand fast for justice and fairness, and yield to no one in the matter of defending the Constitution and upholding the most sacred principles of a democratic government. To Barbara Jordan, the Constitution was a very profound document, one to be upheld. On January 17, 1996, Barbara Jordan died at the young age of 59. On that day, Texas lost one of its finest daughters--a woman who had served the people of Houston and Harris County in state and national government for over a decade. And with Barbara Jordan's passing, America lost one of its finest citizens. Barbara Jordan's voice and eloquence were one of a kind. And so was she. Her accomplishments and admirers were legion. As a statesman and as a teacher, Barbara Jordan transcended race, gender, class, and political affiliation. She was not afraid to take unpopular stands--and she often ruffled the feathers of friends and foes alike. From her outspokenness during Watergate, to her efforts back in Texas to improve transparency, accountability, and ethics in government, no stand was too controversial or too unpopular for Barbara Jordan to take--if she believed that it was the right thing to do. Her rise through the ranks of state and national politics compelled The Washington Post to half-jokingly describe Barbara Jordan as ``the first black woman everything.'' And a Cosmopolitan magazine survey of 700 political opinion leaders in 1975 put Jordan at the top of a list of women they would like see become President. In 1966, she became the first African-American woman elected to the Texas state Senate. She was the only woman in that legislative session. In 1972, she became the first African-American woman elected to Congress from Texas after Reconstruction. While in Washington, she served with distinction on the House Judiciary Committee. As a public servant, Barbara Jordan sponsored bills that championed the cause of the poor and the disenfranchised. One of her most important bills as state senator was the Workman's Compensation Act, which increased the maximum benefits paid to injured workers. As a congresswoman, she sponsored legislation to broaden the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to cover Mexican Americans in Texas and other southwestern states, and to extend its authority to those states where minorities had been denied the right to vote or had their rights restricted by unfair registration practices, such as literacy tests. She gained national prominence for the position she took and the statement she made at the 1974 impeachment hearing of President Richard Nixon. In casting her ``yes'' vote, Jordan stated, ``My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total.'' In 1976, she was the first African-American woman to deliver a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. She would deliver the keynote address again at the Democratic National Convention in 1992. President Jimmy Carter considered her for Attorney General and U.N. Ambassador, but she chose to remain in Congress. She seriously considered challenging Sen. John Tower in 1978, but became ill and retired from politics. Representative Jordan left Congress in 1979 to become Professor Jordan when she joined the faculty of the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. President Johnson was a mentor to Jordan. Fittingly, Professor Jordan held the endowed Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial Chair in National Policy. One of Professor Jordan's colleagues paid her this ultimate compliment: ``She pushed her students. She said, `you know, you have an obligation. You owe something for what you have and you need to pay it back.' And I think they all caught that passion that she had for public service.'' Professor Jordan, reflecting on her service in Congress, offered this pearl: ``One sometimes gets the feeling that the Washington politician feels that all wisdom resides in the nation's capital. That is not the view of the people on the outside, the people I am now working with and communicating with. Distance has a way of lessening the impact of what the Federal Government does.'' Few truer words have ever been spoken. As a distinguished professor at the LBJ School, Professor Jordan was able to have a major influence on the next generation of public officials. She impressed her students with her intellect and ability to inspire them to achieve excellence in the classroom, and to be committed to public service. Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, legislator, scholar, author, and presidential adviser. She was immensely gifted, and used every bit of her talent and skill to address, improve, and dignify the conditions of human life. In the tradition of Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, and Thurgood Marshall, she challenged the Federal Government and the American people to uphold the principles set forth in the Constitution. Today, we honor Barbara Jordan by including her name on the Voting Rights Act, an Act up which she personally worked. She sponsored legislation to broaden the Voting Rights Act of 1965 so that its promises would be extended to all Americans. For this, we celebrate her and her legacy.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 188) to revise the short title of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 31) recognizing the Honorable Andrew L. Jefferson, Jr., on the occasion of the establishment of an endowment for trial advocacy called the ``Andrew L. Jefferson Endowment for Trial Advocacy'' at Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, let me close by indicating that Judge Jefferson is to be honored today for many reasons, but I hope one of the strongest reasons will be his ability to work with young lawyers and the excellent service that he gave as a member of the State bench. For those reasons, along with his commitment to civil rights and voter rights, I ask my colleagues to enthusiastically support H. Res. 31, recognizing the Honorable Andrew L. Jefferson. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a great Texan, a great civil rights advocate, and a great American. My resolution recognizes a great legal scholar, as well as a great institution of legal education located in the 18th Congressional District of Texas. The scholar is Judge Andrew L. Jefferson, and the institution is the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Both embody the spirit of the legal excellence and public service. Andrew L. Jefferson, a native of Dallas, Texas, graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1959, after earning his Bachelor's degree from Texas Southern University. He was president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and rose to became a partner with Washington and Jefferson, Attorneys at Law, in Houston. He has served as an assistant criminal district attorney for Bexar Country, a chief assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, and a trial counsel and labor relations counsel for Humble Oil and Refining Company. Each time, he was a pioneer, he explored new ground, and certainly as an African American, getting his degrees in the late 1950s, going through the 1960s before the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, and the Voting Rights Act, he truly braved new areas and stood for the dignity and respect of all in our community. Judge Jefferson served in the Judge Advocate General Corps in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he was honorably discharged as a captain. He has as his lovely bride another civic leader, Mary Jefferson, who I have the pleasure of serving with on a number of organizations. She advocates for quality education for our youth, and for more opportunities for young people to go to college by expanding financial access. A long-time active committee member of the State Bar of Texas, Judge Jefferson is also a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a member of the American Bar Foundation, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Texas Constitutional Revision Commission. This outstanding jurist, who is renowned for his expertise in legal practice, has been a highly sought-after speaker throughout his career, and has frequently shared his experience and knowledge with the Criminal Law Institute for the Houston Bar Association and the San Antonio Bar Association. Furthermore, Judge Jefferson has spoken at conventions for the National Bar Association and the Family Law Institute. Aside from the respect that he has earned as a skilled jurist and advocate, Judge Jefferson's leadership and sound judgment has merited tenures as chairman of the board of the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank and of the Texas Southern University Foundation. Moreover, he is a life member of the Houston Area Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He has received numerous awards and honors, among them the Anti- Defamation League National Torch of Liberty Award, the Forward Times Community Service Award, the League of United Latin American Citizens National Community Service Award, and the Community Service Award from La Raza. In addition, he was a Presidential Nominee to sit on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. To honor Judge Jefferson on this occasion will be momentous for the City of Houston, for Texas Southern University, and for minorities worldwide who aspire to study and practice law. He is an inspiration for minority students to give them confidence in their potential to succeed. I congratulate and thank the State of Texas for its contribution to the overall accrual of the resources that were required for the endowment. The establishment of a Trial Advocacy program at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law will be both an actual and a symbolic landmark. It was not in the Sixties, but only a few years ago, that I joined the students, legislators, and community leaders at Prairie View A&M University on the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to fight for fair and unobstructed voting rights for those students. It was the skilled advocacy of the Lawyer's Committee that produced a statement by the Secretary of State in favor of the students. Furthermore, the well-settled jurisprudence of case law such as Symm v. United States and United States v. Texas, which made important pronouncements as to the adequacy of students' residency/domicile status to determine eligibility to vote, were the product of skilled trial advocacy. Without the work of the skilled advocates who argued those cases, we would have an even longer journey to equality of the right to vote in this nation. Judge Jefferson was also a good friend and advisor to Barbara Jordan. They were strong friends together, because they believed in the empowerment of all. They fought side by side for equality and civil rights. When Barbara Jordan sought to expand the Voter Rights Act of 1965 to Texas in 1968, Judge Jefferson was right by her side. My mentor, Barbara Jordan, was surrounded by the best and brightest, and Judge Jefferson was no exception. Therefore, the endowment that will be established in the name of the Honorable Andrew L. Jefferson, Jr. will provide a legacy and will produce legal scholars who will contribute to the achievement of equality in the United States of America. I congratulate the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University and I thank Judge Jefferson for his service. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished gentleman, and to the New Yorkers and Washingtonians that had the privilege of having Tim Russert as their native son and someone who moved to their particular area, and to the State of Ohio where he was educated. Let me thank the author of this legislation, the Congressman from New York (Mr. Higgins), the full committee Chair and ranking member. This is a special tribute that is necessary for this body because we are nothing without words. And Tim Russert was the architect of words that gave politicians a basis of explaining how democracy works. That's what Meet the Press and Sunday morning was all about for many, many Americans. So I rise to pay tribute to Tim Russert for his life and what he gave to the process of government, and to thank him as well as I watched over the weekend in the times that I was able to see the tributes toward him that he also gave a sense of importance of family, and how he emphasized his wife and his son and of course his family and ``Big Russ.'' And isn't it interesting that he lost his life on the weekend of Father's Day? But it allows so many to emphasize that he was more than just the moderator, the host of Meet the Press; he was an American who loved this country and loved his flag, but he was also someone who loved his family and showed America that even in all of his energy and all of his business he could stop and smell the roses and appreciate the wonderment of his family. And so I join my colleagues in tribute to him today on the floor of the House and ask, as we celebrate his life, that we will be reminded of the preciousness of democracy and all that we have in benefits to be able to stand on this floor and to espouse our words and to talk about what democracy and freedom is all about. Tim Russert captured it in his love for this process, and his giving to America the ability to understand it in layman's terms. I offer my deepest sympathy to the Russert family.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. With that, I yield back my time.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Madam Speaker, let me rise in appreciation to the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Mr. Conyers, and the ranking member, Mr. Smith, in working with the Senate and working with the staff on this very important initiative. And I would like to acknowledge both former Senator Sarbanes, Senator Cardin, and of course our very, very able and distinguished and dedicated Majority Leader Hoyer in collaboration with Congressman Sarbanes to have this legislation, S. 1692, move, which is to create the Korean War Veterans Association to become a Federally tax-exempt organization. It was a Federally tax-exempt corporation that was incorporated in the State of New York on June 25, 1985. And now this bill will grant a Federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association. The veterans association is an association of persons who have seen honorable service during the Korean War at any time between June 25, 1950 and January 31, 1955, both dates inclusive, and of certain other persons, the particular qualifications for membership to be set forth in the bylaws of the Korean War Veterans Association. Over the years, the organization has established a strong record of service and commitment to fellow Korean War veterans ranging from the efforts on behalf of Project Freedom to a successful effort to construct a national Korean War veterans memorial on the National Mall. I certainly personally want to thank my friend and colleague from Texas, Congressman Sam Johnson, who has never wavered from his commitment and dedication to the men and women of the United States military, to his love of Texas, and certainly to his particular love of those who served in the Korean War as he did, along with his service in the Vietnam War. He made mention of our friends and colleagues, Congressman John Conyers and Congressman Charlie Rangel. So today we honor them as we honor many, many of those who served. The Korean War, often overlooked in American history, is anything but forgotten by the nearly 1.2 million American veterans of the Korean War still alive today. And during the 3-year course of the war, some 5.7 million Americans were called to serve. And by the time the Korean War Armistice Agreement was signed in July 1953, more than 36,000 Americans sacrificed their lives, 103,284 were wounded, 7,140 were captured and 664 were missing. And so we know it was, in fact, a war that saw a painful time in American history but yet saw the valiant effort of our American soldiers. American troops fought to protect our freedom as we know it today and paved the way for the United States to vanguard the movement for global democracy and liberty, a movement that afforded many countries the opportunity to shift to democratic regimes. And so it is a special honor to me to able to stand today and join my colleagues, to be able to support this legislation, S. 1692. I would ask my colleagues to support this legislation and be reminded that no war should ever be forgotten. We stand here today to acknowledge that the Korean War is not forgotten, and as well, that we will have the opportunity to celebrate in the passing of this legislation. With that, Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote for S. 1692. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S.1692, a bill to grant a Federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association. This legislation honors the sacrifice and courage of our soldiers who served in the Korean War. My distinguished colleague from Maryland, Senator Benjamin L. Cardin and the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer seek to recognize the heroic deeds of Korean War veterans by granting the Korean War Veterans Association Incorporated a Federal Charter. The Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) is a federally-tax exempt organization that was incorporated in the State of New York on June 25, 1985. Its original founder was Mr. William T. Norris, of New York, a member of F Company, 27th Infantry Regiment (Wolfhounds), 25th Infantry Division, when he served as a sergeant in the Korean War. This legislation provides an opportunity for each of us, regardless of political views, religion, ethnicity, gender, or background to come together, and to recognize and honor our nation's heroes. We gather here today, in the midst of ongoing conflict and warfare, honoring the dedication of our men and women in uniform. Though we may be divided by our positions on the war in Iraq, we stand together to support all of our veterans, highlighting in this particular legislation those who fought in the Korean War. Our nation has a proud legacy of appreciation and commitment to the men and women who have worn the uniform in defense of this country. We must be united in seeing to it that every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine is welcomed back with all the care and compassion this grateful nation can bestow. S.1692 assists us in these endeavors by extending a small gesture of gratitude that grants a federal charter to an organization that promotes and maintains benevolent and charitable endeavors. The Korean War Veterans Association is an association of persons who have seen honorable service during the Korean War at any time between June 25, 1950 and 31 January 1955, both dates inclusive, and of certain other persons, the particular qualifications for membership to be set forth in the by-laws of the Korean War Veterans Association. Over the years, the organization has established a strong record of service and commitment to fellow Korean War veterans, ranging from efforts on behalf of Project Freedom to its successful effort to construct a national Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. The Korean War, often overlooked in American history, is anything but forgotten by the nearly 1.2 million American veterans of the Korean War still alive today. During the three year course of the war, some 5.7 million Americans were called to serve, and by the time the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in July 1953, more than 36,000 Americans sacrificed their lives, 103,284 were wounded, 7,140 were captured and 664 were missing. American troops fought to protect our freedom as we know it today and paved the way for the United States to vanguard the movement for global democracy and liberty; a movement that afforded many countries the opportunity to shift to democratic regimes. Sadly, all too many of our veterans are left without the help and support they need to transition from the horrors they bravely faced on the front lines of battle to a successful civilian life. According to the Veteran's Affairs Department, as of 2006, on any given night, 196,000 veterans of all ages were homeless. As we work to curb this formidable reality, let us demonstrate our support for the veterans of the Korean War by supporting this legislation. This should encourage us to continue to honor this nation's troops who are fighting and who have fought for the rights of all of us in places we do not dare to go, under environments we cannot fully appreciate from this comfortable position. I firmly believe that we should celebrate our veterans after every conflict, and I remain committed, as a Member of Congress, to both meeting the needs of veterans of previous wars, and to provide a fitting welcome home to those who are now serving. Veterans have kept their promise to serve our nation; they have willingly risked their lives to protect the country we all love. I have always been a strong supporter of our country's troops, male and female. That is why I introduced the House Concurrent Resolution 320 which celebrates one of our heroic daughters of Texas, Specialist Monica L. Brown of the United States Army with for her efforts earlier this year. Spec. Brown was the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest medal for valor. This soldier from Lake Jackson, Texas was only 20-years-old. On April 25, 2007, Specialist Brown was part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the eastern province of Paktia on April 25, 2007, when a bomb struck one of the Humvees. When Spec. Brown saw her fellow soldiers were injured, she grabbed her aid bag and started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers from her platoon scrambled out. Under this commotion, she assessed her patients and moved them to a safer location because they were still receiving incoming fire. Other veteran's legislation that I am pursuing entails guaranteeing that our VA hospitals have the capacity to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of our troops. The Riverside Hospital in Houston, Texas is a historic medical center that has served the needs of veterans in the Houston area for a long time. However, currently, the hospital is lacking the tools necessary to treat the augmenting number of troops who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other common problems associated with fighting in battle. Today, at this very second let us take a united stand for the well being of our veterans; to say the very least, they deserve it and to say the most; we've promised it. This attests to the fact that we must now ensure that we keep our promises to our veterans by extending our gratitude and appreciation. Currently, there are over 25 million veterans in the United States. There are more than 1,633,000 veterans living in Texas and more than 32,000 veterans living in my Congressional district alone. I hope we will all take the time to show appreciation to those who have answered the call to duty. As the Winston Churchill famously stated, ``Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'' This recognition for our nation's Korean War Veterans is long overdue, and it is a small expression of appreciation our nation can offer to these men and women, and it will enable them to ensure that the ``Forgotten War'' is forgotten no more. Madam Speaker, as we approach the 55th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting and serving those who have served this nation.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I would like to now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) who also desires to rise to thank the Korean War veterans.