Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

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

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 175 deals with a tragic situation where a member of the Armed Forces dies leaving a surviving child but no spouse. This resolution expresses a sense of Congress that State courts with fiduciary responsibility for the child of a deceased member of our Armed Forces should take into consideration the express desires of the fallen soldier as to how funds related to the soldier's service should be distributed on behalf of a surviving child. When an American soldier makes the ultimate sacrifice, not only does our country suffer a terrible loss, but that soldier's family suffers directly. Among many other concerns, a family faces a number of immediate financial challenges; and, unfortunately, these challenges come in the midst of their grief. These financial and emotional hardships are compounded when the deceased servicemember was a single parent. I thank the mover of the bill for his leadership and the cosponsors, thank the members of the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Conyers and the ranking member Mr. Smith. This bill helps the surviving family members of a fallen soldier better cope with these financial hardships. Congress established a death gratuity intended to address some of these expenditures families must cover during the traumatic period following a loved one's death. The current system administering the death gratuity, however, often makes it difficult for those left with the responsibility of caring for a fallen soldier's child to access these funds. A death gratuity payable to a minor child is placed in trust until the child gains majority status. In the interim, the relevant State court has discretion to release funds for the care and needs of the child. The problem here is that the Armed Forces personnel who are single parents currently have no formal way to designate, for the purposes of the death gratuity, a caretaker for their minor child in the event of a servicemember's death. It is our duty to do all we can to ensure that the children left behind are cared for as their parent requested. When servicemembers make it clear who they would like to care for their children in the event of their death, those wishes should be an important factor for the court to consider. It is almost like the tragedy of 9/11 and a bill that I authored after those parents are deceased to ensure that the children of the 9/ 11 tragedy, the orphan children, would have their benefits promoted and supported and rendered first. This legislation, and rightly so, wants to give parents the opportunity to designate who should be the custodian for these funds so children can be taken care of first and foremost. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 175 deals with a tragic situation where a deceased member of the Armed Forces leaves a surviving child, but no spouse. This resolution simply expresses the sense of Congress that State courts--with fiduciary responsibility for the child of a deceased member of our Armed Forces--should take into consideration the expressed desires of the fallen soldier as to how funds related to the soldier's service should be distributed on behalf of the surviving child. When an American soldier makes the ultimate sacrifice, not only does our country suffer a terrible loss, but that soldier's family suffers directly. Among many other concerns, the family faces a number of immediate financial challenges, and unfortunately, these challenges come in the midst of their grief. These financial and emotional hardships are compounded when the deceased service member was a single parent. To help the surviving family members of a fallen soldier better cope with these financial hardships, Congress established a death gratuity intended to address some of the expenditure's families must cover during the traumatic period following a loved one's death. The current system administering the death gratuity, however, often makes it difficult for those left with the responsibility of caring for a fallen soldier's child to access these funds. A death gratuity payable to a minor child is placed in trust until the child gains majority status. In the interim, the relevant State court has discretion to release funds for the care and needs of the child. The problem here is that Armed Forces personnel who are single parents currently have no formal way to designate, for the purposes of the death gratuity, a caretaker for their minor child in the event of the service member's death. It is our duty to do all we can to ensure that the children left behind are cared for as their parent requested. When service members make it clear who they would like to care for their children in the event of their death, these wishes should be an important factor for the court to consider. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time. H. Con. Res. 175 will help the children of fallen soldiers by providing necessary guidance to the courts about how to treat the expressed desires of a deceased service member when it comes to distribution of the death gratuity. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution so that the wishes of soldiers are given proper respect and consideration. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 175) expressing the sense of Congress that courts with fiduciary responsibility for a child of a deceased member of the Armed Forces who receives a death gratuity payment under section 1477 of title 10, United States Code, should take into consideration the expression of clear intent of the member regarding the distribution of funds on behalf of the child.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3095) to amend the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 to modify a deadline relating to a certain election by Indian tribes.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. 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. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to yield to the author of this legislation, along with his cosponsor, Mr. Renzi, distinguished member of the House Education Committee, subcommittee chairman and a great leader on Native American issues in this Congress and in America, Mr. Kildee of Michigan for 3 minutes.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is with celebration and recognition that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to David Ray Ritcheson, first 17, and, in the loss of his life, only 18, yet an American hero, a teenager who experienced harshness in his life, but yet out of his courage, tenacity and spirit we stand here on the floor of the House today. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 535, which honors the short life, but big contributions of David Ray Ritcheson, a victim, as I said earlier, of a horrific hate crime, who became an exceptionally effective advocate for Federal hate crimes legislation. Over the years I have been privileged to take the floor many times to speak on behalf of my constituents and those who live in the greater Houston-Harris County area. On those occasions my heart has filled with joy on the knowledge that so many people entrusted me with the honor of giving voice to their hopes and aspirations. But as I rise today, my heart is enormously heavy, for I have the sad duty of informing the House of the tragic death of David Ray Ritcheson, a Texas teenager, and as I've said earlier, experienced and was a victim of a horrible hate crime only at the age of 17, who went on to become an effective advocate for Federal hate crimes legislation. To his parents, to his attorney Mr. Leon, for their spirit, his wonderful family, his brothers and sisters, all who showed the great love and tenacity and courage to stand by David, I call them the stand- by-David family. This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call to the Nation of the need to redouble our efforts to prevent hate crimes by juveniles, which I believe is, in the long run, the best and most effective way of eliminating the scourge of hate-motivated crimes from our society. I have long believed, and research confirms, that if a person does not acquire a proclivity to hate as a juvenile, he or she is not likely to be motivated to commit crimes out of hate as an adult. But once a child or juvenile has learned to hate, it is a short step to learning and liking to act out of hatred. We will have, I hope soon, coming to this floor a bill named after David. Many in the community have asked that H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, be likewise named after him. You wonder why. It is because of the outstanding courage that this young man has shown. I remember meeting with him in the offices of his attorney, Carlos Leon, and his family members way back in 2006. He was in the midst of several of his surgeries that had to be implemented or had to be done in order to help cure him. Quiet, determined, smiling, generous in his time, we spoke about what he could do and how he could support legislation to turn things around. I believe that that courage exudes today on the floor of the House. A year ago last April, the people of Harris County and those in and around my congressional district saw just how easy and how dangerous it is for young people to commit a crime of hate. In a case that drew national attention, 16-year-old David Ray Ritcheson, a Mexican American, was severely assaulted on April 23, 2006, by two youths while attending a party in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas. One of his teen attackers, a skinhead, yelled ethnic slurs and kicked a pipe in an inappropriate place, severely damaging his internal organs and leaving him in the hospital for 3 months and 8 days, almost all of it in critical care. For the supposed crime of allegedly kissing a white girl, this Hispanic young man was punched unconscious, kicked in the head, suffered 17 cigarette burns sadistically inflicted that still scar his body. His assailants poured bleach on his face and body and then assaulted him with a pipe taken from a patio umbrella. He was left lying unconscious and unattended in the back yard of a house for more than 8 hours. He has endured more than 30 operations to restore his appearance and regain the normal use of his bodily functions. Might I say to you that he was the cause and the inspiration behind the passage of H.R. 1592. And I just want to share with my colleagues this young man's picture, along with his attorney. He was a young man who came here with a business suit on because he meant business. We honor him today with a resolution that acknowledges his life. In addition, I will soon be introducing additional legislation intended to fill a big gap in current hate crimes prevention. And we must do more to assist the victims of hate crimes and their families recover from their physical, emotional and psychological wounds. My legislation will authorize programs to provide psychological and emotional support services and appropriate economic assistance to the victims of hate crimes and their families. The legislation will focus on three main areas: counseling, prevention, and economic support. Let me just say, in closing, that I indicated that it is with a heavy heart that I stand on the floor today. It is certainly with great celebration that I acknowledge to the world and to America, the youth of America, the name of David Ray Ritcheson, someone who, in essence, sacrificed his life so that America might be better, sacrificed his life so that those of us who want to be able to preach love, opportunity and quality maybe, sadly, will have a message of joy out of his living, and that is that you can move to move hearts and minds, and that we can provide America with a better moral compass and legal system to prevent hate crimes in America. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 535, which honors the short life but big contributions of David Ray Ritcheson, a victim of a horrific hate crime who became an exceptionally effective advocate for Federal hate crimes legislation. Over the years I have been privileged to take the floor many times to speak on behalf of my constituents in the Eighteenth Congressional district of Texas. On those occasions my heart was filled with joy in the knowledge that so many people entrusted me with the honor of giving voice to their hopes and aspirations. But as I rise today, my heart is heavy. I have the sad duty of informing the House of the tragic death of David Ray Ritcheson, a Texas teenager and victim of a horrible hate crime, who went on to become an effective advocate for Federal hate crimes legislation. Mr. Speaker, this tragedy should serve as a wakeup call to the Nation of the need to redouble our efforts to prevent hate crimes by juveniles, which I believe is in the long run the best and most effective way of eliminating the scourge of hate motivated crimes from our society. I have long believed, and research confirms, that if a person does not acquire a proclivity to hate as a juvenile, he or she is not likely to be motivated to commit crimes out of hate as an adult. But once a child or juvenile has learned to hate, it is a short step to learning and liking to act out that hatred. A year ago last April, the people of Harris County, Texas, and in my congressional district, saw just how easy and how dangerous it is for young people to commit a crime out of hate. In a case that drew national attention, 16-year-old David Ray Ritcheson, a Mexican-American, was severely assaulted on April 23, 2006, by two youths while attending a party in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas. One of his teenage attackers, a skinhead, yelled ethnic slurs and kicked a pipe up his rectum, severely damaging his internal organs and leaving him in the hospital for 3 months and 8 days--almost all of it in critical care. For the supposed crime of allegedly kissing a white girl, this Hispanic young man was punched unconscious, kicked in the head, suffered 17 cigarette burns sadistically inflicted that still scar his body. His assailants poured bleach on his face and body, and then assaulted with a pipe taken from a patio umbrella. He was left lying unconscious and unattended in the back yard of a house for more than 8 hours. He has endured more than 30 operations to restore his appearance and regain the normal use of his bodily functions. Mr. Speaker, no one deserves to be tortured and victimized like David Ray Ritcheson was simply because he is of a different nationality, or race, or religion, or ethnic group, or sexual orientation or preference. It is for that reason that I introduced the David Ray Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, H.R. 254, earlier this year, key provisions of which were incorporated into H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. For example, my bill increased the penalties to 10 years in prison for any person whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, or an explosive device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of any person. Also, H.R. 1592 incorporated another key component of my hate crimes prevention bill: the establishment of a grants program administered by the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice to award grants, in accordance with such regulations as the Attorney General may prescribe, to State, local, or tribal programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. I will soon be introducing additional legislation intended to fill a big gap in the current hate crimes prevention regime. We must and can do more to assist the victims of hate crimes and their families recover from their physical, emotional, and psychological wounds. My legislation will authorize programs to provide psychological, emotional support services and appropriate economic assistance to the victims of hate crimes and their families. The legislation will focus on three main areas: counseling; prevention; and economic support. Hate Crime victims lose their jobs at least in part because of the impact of hate crime violence and lack of financial and economic support during recovery. By giving hate crime victims economic and financial support, Congress makes it more likely that employees who are victims of hate crimes could stay at work while they deal with the violence or promptly return to work if they have to take temporary leave. Therefore hate crime victims must be provided access to: (1) Healthcare support including counseling and therapy to prevent in the future severe depression, violent outbreaks, suicide; (2) construction and personnel cost for shelters and hate crime support centers; (3) direct services providers; (4) healthcare insurance for counseling and therapy; (5) hotline services; and (6) short- and long-term individual counseling and support groups for hate crime victims and their families. Since prevention is always better than cure, my legislation also seeks to prevent violent hate crime attacks before it happens. The legislation will provide funding for outreach and educational programs to raise awareness against racist and discriminatory beliefs. Specifically, it will lead to: (1) Development community responses and public education campaigns working with elementary, middle and secondary school to raise awareness of racist crimes as unacceptable behavior. (2) Provide educational programs working with teenagers and young adults in college and university campuses. (3) Adoption of hate crime awareness programs in the workplace. When he testified in support of H.R. 1592, David Ray Ritcheson challenged this committee to take a big step toward making hate a thing of history. Hear the words this young man, wise and courageous beyond his years, spoke to the Judiciary Committee: It has been a blessing to know that the most terrible day of my life may help put another human face on the campaign to enact a much needed law such as the ``Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007''. I can assure you, from this day forward I will do what ever I can to help make our great county, the United States of America, a hate free place to live. I ask unanimous consent that to place a copy of David Ray Ritcheson's entire statement in the Record. I believe the best thing we can do to hasten the day that the United States is a hate free place to live is to work at least as hard toward preventing hate crimes as we must at prosecuting and punishing those who commit them. As important as it is to apprehend, prosecute, convict, and punish severely those who commit hate crimes, we can all agree that in the long run it is even more important and better for society if we can increase our effectiveness in eradicating the desire to commit a hate crime in the first place. Mr. Speaker, I have never been as proud of any constituent as I was of David Ray Ritcheson that day when he spoke such eloquent truth to power. By force of his own example and moral courage he helped clear the way for House passage of strong and long overdue hate crimes legislation. In the process, he made America better, and he made Texas stand tall. That is why it is so fitting to honor his memory. And that is why I am pleased to announce that the introduction of a resolution in tribute to this remarkable young man. Mr. Speaker, I would like to read into the Record the text of this resolution. H. Res. 535 Whereas David Ray Ritches, Mexican-American, was a friendly and cheerful student at Klein Collins High School in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, and a popular and talented football athlete who was loved and admired by his family and friends; Whereas on April 23, 2006, at the age of 16, David Ray Ritcheson was severely assaulted while attending a party in Spring, Texas; Whereas the former running back and freshman homecoming prince spent more than three months in the hospital as a result of the injuries he suffered in the assault and endured more than 30 surgeries to restore his appearance and regain the normal use of his bodily functions; Whereas no human being deserves to be tortured and victimized like David Ray Ritcheson simply because he is of a different background, race, religion, ethnic group, or sexual orientation; Whereas of all crimes, hate crimes are most likely to create or exacerbate tensions that can trigger larger community wide racial conflict, civil disturbances, and riots in communities at-risk of serious social and economic consequences; Whereas hate-motivated violence disrupts the tranquility and safety of communities, impedes the movement of members of targeted groups, and prevents members of targeted groups from purchasing goods and services, obtaining or sustaining employment, and fulfilling the American Dream; Whereas the courageous, eloquent, and compelling testimony of David Ray Ritcheson before a committee of the House of Representatives brought into vivid relief the human face of victims of hate crimes and the terrible suffering that such crimes inflict on victims and their families, friends, and communities; Whereas David Ray Ritcheson, in his testimony, emphasized that he was a survivor who urged the Federal Government to take the lead in deterring individuals like those who attacked him from committing violent crimes against others because of where they are from, the color of their skin, the God they worship, the person they love, or the way they look, talk, or act; Whereas David Ray Ritcheson's powerful testimony helped inspire the House of Representatives to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1592 of the 110th Congress), which incorporates key provisions of the David Ray Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 254 of the 110th Congress); Whereas David Ray Ritcheson vowed to do whatever he could to help make the United States a hate-free place in which to live; Whereas the courage displayed by David Ray Ritcheson is an inspiration to all Americans and reinforces the message that acts of bigotry and hate are unacceptable in the United States; and Whereas, on July 1, 2007, David Ray Ritcheson died at the age of 18: Now, therefore be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives mourns the passing of David Ray Ritcheson and commends him for his activism in contributing and raising awareness toward the eradication and elimination of hate crimes in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to place into the record the testimony David Ray Ritcheson gave before the Judiciary Committee in April of this year in support of H.R. 1592. Statement of Mr. David Ritcheson at the Hearing on H.R. 1592, the ``Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007'' I appear before you as a survivor of one of the most despicable, shocking, and heinous acts of hate violence this country has seen in decades. Nearly one year ago on April 22, 2006, I was viciously attacked by two individuals because of my heritage as a Mexican-American. After hanging out with a few friends at a local crawfish festival, my friend and I, along with the two individuals who would eventually attack me, returned to the home in Spring, Texas where I was to spend the night. It was shortly after arriving at this private residence that a minor disagreement between me and the attackers turned into the pretext for what I believe was a premeditated hate crime. This was a moment that would change my life forever. After I was surprisingly sucker punched and knocked out, I was dragged into the back yard for an attack that would last for over an hour. Two individuals, one an admitted racist skinhead, attempted to carve a swastika on my chest. Today I still bear that scar on my chest like a scarlet letter. After they stripped me naked, I was burned with cigarettes and savagely kicked by this skinhead's steel toed army boots. After burning me in the center of the forehead, the skinhead attacker was heard saying that now I look like an Indian with the red dot on my forehead. Moreover, the witnesses to the attack recalled the two attackers calling me a ``wetback'' and a ``spic'' as they continued to beat me as I lay unconscious. Once the attack came to an end, was dragged to the rear of the back yard and left for dead. Reportedy, I lay unconscious in the back yard of this private residence or the next 8- 9 hours. It was not until the next morning that I was found and the paramedics came to my aid. I am recounting this tragic event from the testimony I heard during the trial of the two attackers this past fall. God spared me the memory of what happened that night. As I sit before you today, I still have no recollection of those life changing twelve hours or the weeks that followed. Weeks later I recall waking up in the hospital with a myriad of emotions, including fear and uncertainty. Most of all, I felt inexplicable humiliation. Not only did I have to face my peers and my family, I had to face the fact that I had been targeted for violence in a brutal crime because of my ethnicity. This crime took place in middle-class America in the year 2006. The reality that hate is alive, strong, and thriving in the cities, towns, and cul-de-sacs of Suburbia, America was a surprise to me. America is the country I love and call home. However, the hate crime committed against me illustrates that we are still, in some aspects, a house divided. I know now that there are young people in this country who are suffering and confused, thirsting for guidance and in need of a moral compass. These are some of the many reasons I am here before you today asking that our government take the lead in deterring individuals like those who attacked me from committing unthinkable and violent crimes against others because of where they are from, the color of their skin, the God they worship, the person they love, or the way they look, talk or act. I believe that education can have an important impact by teaching against hate and bigotry. In fact, I have encouraged my school and others to adopt the Anti-Defamation League's No Place for Hate' program. If these crimes cannot be prevented, the federal government must have the authority to support state and local bias crime prosecutions. As the weeks in the hospital turned into months, I began hearing the stories of support that came from literally all over the world. The local community pulled together in a really majestic way, reaffirming my hope in the good of humanity. My family told me about the crowded waiting rooms full of the great friends from past and present. I heard about prayer groups before school in front of my school, the Klein Collins Campus. The donations that helped my family and me get through an unthinkable time poured in from generous people scattered across the globe. These donations would help pay for the enormous hospital bills from the over thirty surgeries I underwent during the first three months after the attack. Most of these operations were essential to saving my life--and others were necessary just to make my body able to perform what would be normal functions. As the recovery process continued, my family began to slowly inform me of what had happened to me. They went on to tell me of the effective response by the Harris County Sheriff's Department and the Harris County Constables who had investigated the hate crime committed against me. I slowly began learning the about the background of the two individuals who had been arrested for attacking me. I was informed that one of the attackers, David Tuck, was a self proclaimed racist skinhead who had viciously attacked at least two other Hispanics in the past few years, almost killing one of them. I learned that he had been in and out of several juvenile facilities. Most surprising, I learned that he had been released from the Texas Youth Commission a little over a month before he attacked me. In fact, he was still on probation the night he nearly ended my life. I was told that he had ``white power'' and swastikas tattoos on his body. I was informed that his older step brother, a major influence in his life, was also a self-proclaimed skinhead currently serving time in a Texas jail. Here I was, learning shocking details of a person who lived only miles from me and who had at one time attended the same high school that I attended. How could this type of hate be breeding just miles from my home in a city as diverse as Spring without anyone taking notice? I quickly learned of and benefited from the support of groups such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Both groups immediately provided whatever support they could to help me and my family. From setting up fundraisers to help my family with unanticipated expenses to providing emotional support confirming that I was not going through this alone, both groups were instrumental in assisting me and my family in the process of moving forward. There are so many people to thank for the support they have given me, including the ongoing encouragement to appear before you today. Last November and December I sat in a courtroom in Harris County, Texas and faced my attackers for the first time as they went through their respective trials. I am glad to say that justice was done. I am proud of the job our county prosecutors and investigators did in ensuring life sentences for the two individuals who attacked me. Specifically, I want to recognize the great job that Assistant District Attorney Mike Trent did during the prosecution of these two individuals. However, despite the obvious bias motivation of the crime, it is very frustrating to me that neither the state of Texas nor the federal government was able to utilize hate crime laws on the books today in the prosecution of my attackers. I am upset that neither the Justice Department nor the FBI was able to assist or get involved in the investigation of my case because ``the crime did not fit the existing hate crime laws.'' Today I urge you to take the lead in this time of needed change and approve the ``Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007''. I was fortunate to live in a town where local law enforcement authorities had the resources, the ability--and the will--to effectively investigate and prosecute the hate violence directed against me. But other bias crime victims may not live in such places. I ask you to provide authority for local law enforcement to work together with federal agencies when someone is senselessly attacked because of where they are from or because of who they are. Local prosecutors should be able to look to the federal government for support when these types of crimes are committed. Most importantly, these crimes should be called what they are and prosecuted for what they are, ``hate crimes''! In fact, because there was so much attention focused on the fact that my case was not being prosecuted in Texas as a hate crime, the Anti-Defamation League and the Cook County (Illinois) Hate Crimes Prosecution Council published a Pamphlet called ``Hate Crimes Data Collection and Prosecutions: Frequently Asked Questions,'' designed to address some of the basic legal and practical considerations involved in labeling and charging a hate crime. My experience over the last year has reminded me of the many blessings I took for granted for so long. With my humiliation and emotional and physical scars came the ambition and strong sense of determination that brought out the natural fighter in me. I realized just how important family and the support of community truly are. I will always recall my parents at my bedside providing me with strength and reassurance. They showed me how to be strong during my whole recovery, a process I am still going through today. Seeing the hopeful look of concern in the faces of my siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles everyday was the direct support I needed to get through those terrible first few months. As each day passed, I became more and more aware of everything I had to live for. I am glad to tell you today that my best days still lay ahead of me. Thank you for the opportunity to tell my story. It has been a blessing to know that the most terrible day of my life may help put another human face on the campaign to enact a much needed law such as the ``Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007''. I can assure you, from this day forward I will do what ever I can to help make our great country, the United States of America, a hate free place to live. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 535) commending David Ray Ritcheson, a survivor of one of the most horrific hate crimes in the history of Texas, and recognizing his efforts in promoting Federal legislation to combat hate crimes.

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

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2798, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation Act of 2007. I would like to thank my colleague Mr. Sherman for introducing this important bipartisan legislation. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has led by example in improving the social and economic conditions in some of the world's poorest countries. Today's bill not only reauthorizes OPIC but it improves upon both its strategy and oversight to make it the most responsible investor it can be. OPIC has, since its inception in 1971, applied a private-sector model to a number of important public-sector goals. By supporting targeted investments in a number of the world's poorest countries, OPIC extends the benefits of American projects to areas where a high level of risk might preclude investment by private companies. In this way, OPIC fills an important void left by the private financial sector. OPIC is essential and vital to the development of many countries, providing political risk insurance against the risks of inconvertibility, political violence, and expropriation allowing business to invest overseas and promote economic development in new and emerging markets. For the past 35 years, OPIC has funded and insured the type of infrastructure building that no private company would do in some of the countries in which no company would otherwise go. OPIC has paved the way for roads, bridges, buildings, and energy facilities in war-torn and impoverished developing nations, and has accomplished all this while turning a profit and building billions in reserves. Remarkably, OPIC has itself turned a profit in every single year of its operations. It currently has reserves of over $5.3 billion, despite working in many of the world's least developed nations. OPIC's sophisticated system involves reviewing applications and funding projects in countries where companies are least likely to get insurance coverage for the risk they are taking. In addition OPIC also provides financing through direct loans and loan guaranties. With H.R. 2798, OPIC will become a new and improved agency. We live in a world that requires all of us to work together to fight terrorism, hunger and poverty, and for fundamental freedom and rights of every individual. This bill will allow OPIC to work in countries and with companies that provide greater protection for international workers rights. This legislation has a number of vital safeguards, preventing funds from being used for destructive purposes. It strictly prevents funding for any project that damages the environment, and it ensures that it is not funding projects in nations with the most dangerous regimes in the world, including Iran. This bill prohibits investment in any state sponsor of terrorism, and charges OPIC with researching the subsidiaries of every company it funds to enforce that prohibition. Under the provisions of this bill, OPIC will be as transparent as possible. I was happy to work with Congressman Sherman to include language in the Committee Report to ensure that Iraq is not given a blank check. Given the violent and chaotic situation in Iraq, and due to difficulties in dealing with an unstable Iraqi government, it is necessary to waive certain requirements normally mandatory for OPIC involvement in a country. While I believe that OPIC investment has the potential to be extremely valuable and beneficial for Iraqi reconstruction, I also believe it to be necessary for Iraq to demonstrate that it is making definitive and substantial steps toward the benchmarks set by the United States, including achieving political and national reconciliation. For 35 years, OPIC has funded and insured infrastructure-building activities that would not otherwise be undertaken by the private sector. This legislation ensures that OPIC can continue its valuable work, building on its legacy of constructive involvement and further refining its strategies and oversight. I believe that OPIC deserves our support, and I strongly support this legislation.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3043, the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill. Let me first commend my dignified colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin, Representative David Obey, for his tenacity and strong leadership in steering this important piece of legislation. Among many things, this bill will provide the support and additional resources in areas where our Nation is currently facing scarcity--health care, social security, medical research, skilled workers and job training, community services, as well as the quality, accessibility and affordability of higher education and education for the disabled. Madam Chairman, I must certainly agree with the rationale behind this bill--``we cannot continue to disinvest in our Nation's future.'' Over the past several years, the previous Republican-led Congress significantly cut investments for the Labor-HHS-Education bill, and our 43rd United States President has once again proposed drastic cuts--$7.6 billion below FY 2007. As a Representative of the people of the United States, I am committed to reversing this trend of disinvestment. Our Nation's future is dependent on quality health care, job opportunities for our citizens, decent education, improvement of life-saving technologies, and national security. With $151.7 billion of projected discretionary spending in FY 2008, this bill will provide a modest increase of $4.3 billion (or 3 percent) over 2007, after adjusting for inflation and population. Although this bill will not completely rectify the problem, it is indeed a step towards a positive direction. This bill promises to make college more affordable because its provisions include an increase in the maximum Pell Grant of $390, which is in addition to th $260 enacted in February 2007 by this Democratic- led Congress. This measure will benefit the more than 5.5 million low- and middle-income students across America's higher education system. In addition, this bill provides an increase of 4.8 percent for the TRIO programs, educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Madam Chairman, this bill is of significant importance to my constituents. For the past twelve years, I have served as a Representative of the 18th Congressional District of Texas. In the heart of my district are several community colleges and three major universities--the University of Houston, the University of Houston-- Downtown, as well as one of our nations leading Historically Black College/University, Texas Southern University. In the heart of my district are also three ABA-approved law schools--the University of Houston Law Center, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and South Texas College of Law. With the rising cost of college education, many of these students in my district are reliant on Federal financial aid to complete their education. Because investment in education system today yields high returns for the individual, as well as society, I support this measure to make college more affordable and accessible. Madam Chairman, quality health care is close to non-existent in this great nation that we call America. As a nation of abundant natural resources and high productivity, it is humiliating to know that 46.6 million citizens are without health insurance. If current policy plans are to continue, by 2013, the number of uninsured Americans will increase by 11 million. This is simply an unacceptable national problem and must be rectified. H.R. 3043 will expand access to health care for the uninsured by providing access for more than 2 million uninsured Americans. Funds will be directed to community health centers, which will enable them to serve an additional 1 million uninsured Americans. The bill also includes a $50 million initiative to assist states in providing high-risk insurance pools, thereby supporting affordable insurance for almost 200,000 medically high-risk people. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill, which invests in initiatives that will provide new access to health care for more than 2 million uninsured Americans. H.R. 3043 invests in life-saving medical research by reversing the previous Republican disinvestment plans and providing an increase for National Institute of Health of $750 million. As once stated by Senator Joe Lieberman, ``by expanding our knowledge of human diseases, we can help reduce health care costs by discovering more effective treatments and learning how to prevent onset of serious illnesses. Biomedical research is a fundamental component of a preventive care approach to health care reform.'' Medical research at NIH offers optimism to millions of American families--with groundbreaking research into diseases such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and many more. This bill provides an increase of $750 million, which in essence allows for NIH to support another 545 new and competing research grants. Expanding and funding life-saving medical research programs must become a top priority if the United States hopes to combat the inefficiencies and inequities in our health care system. Madam Chairman, it is time that we take a new course of action in investing in our Nation's future. I strongly believe that H.R. 3043 is this new course. Forty-one low priority programs were cut or eliminated, saving $1.1 billion below 2007. Through passage of this bill, our Nation will benefit from the increase in quality, accessibility and affordability of higher education with the $3.3 billion directed to student financial aid. The academic performance of our American children will be improved through the $1 billion allocation for No Child Left Behind Programs. Our citizens, especially the uninsured, will have the opportunity to receive quality health care, through the $1.3 billion being directed to the Health Resources and Services Administration. This bill also allows for an investment in the skills and training of America's workers and the workforce through additional funding to programs similar to Job Corps, as well as community services initiatives, such as the Community Services Block Grant. Our disabled citizens will be cared for through federal contributions for special education for children with disabilities through the funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Madam Chairman, I am a strong believer that our children are our future. Family is the backbone to the success of any child, as well as the success of our Nation. For this reason, all members of society must be granted access to quality health care, education, and job skills training. It is students like my current Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Intern, Daria Awusah, that gives me strong faith that our future is in good hands. As my constituent, as well as a student at the University of Houston (which is in my district), she has worked tirelessly and endlessly to finance the past three years of her college education. It is her testimony that although not enough, financial aid has been an instrumental element in financing her education. Let us continue to support students like Ms. Awusah. I ask my colleagues to join me and support H.R. 3043. Once again, I thank you, Congressman Obey, for your leadership in this endeavor. Our country's future is dependent on the role that we take as Members of Congress through the policies that we choose to implement. Let us begin with the reinvestment in our country's future by passing H.R. 3043.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we have heard this week in publicized reports of the activities that are going on around the world with respect to al Qaeda. The National Intelligence Estimate has indicated publicly, nonclassified information, that this group is franchising. It means that they are able to spread without leadership around the world. And those who have followed the Iraq war recognize that it is a training ground for those terrorists who would then leave and spread their viciousness around the world. We heard this week Prime Minister Maliki indicating that our soldiers could leave. He ultimately said he was misinterpreted. But, frankly, I believe, Mr. Speaker, it is time for our soldiers to be redeployed out of Iraq and that an appropriate and directed decision needs to move all of our soldiers home to America.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the chairman. To my good friend from Tennessee, let us be very clear that homeland security is a bipartisan issue. What the chairman has indicated is that we are yielding to the Secretary of Homeland Security for a slight opportunity to be able to modify, if you will, in his reasoned judgment, that deals with securing America. We are not ignoring sedition and treason. I want my colleagues to know that. But the individuals that will now be subjected to the TWIC card, which costs 137 dollars and 700,000 people will be processed the first year, and 1.5 million persons the second year, these are our neighbors, individuals who have been working in this capacity who have nothing in their background that would suggest that they are terrorists. The gentlelady's motion would literally shut down America's ports. Commerce would come to a standstill. As my good friend from Ohio has said, people rehabilitate. Give the Secretary the opportunity to use his judgment and to use his discretion to be able to secure America on the real causes of sedition and treason.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the distinguished chairman of the full committee, and to the Speaker, my good friend from Tennessee, we are here on this floor for a very serious deliberation. Over the last 10 days we have heard a number of responses from the administration; and I have often said that if and when, if and when there was a turn of events that would generate a horrific and terrorist act against this Nation, it is the Members of the United States Congress and committees with names like Homeland Security and Defense that would have to be called to the carpet. None of us, none of us, Mr. Speaker, have any desire to be on the list of those who are derelict in their duties. In fact, Chairman Thompson has been enormously zealous in constant oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, constant briefings, and I am reminded of one that occurred in the last 10 days where the term ``gut feeling'' was introduced to us. Out of that particular briefing, many of us tightened our belts and began to reflect on the oversight hearings and the legislative initiatives that will respond and have responded to that gut reaction. So the dilemma, or the discussion today, as we bring up the 9/11 bill, may I remind my colleagues, is about terrorism. It is about the thought and the fear that Americans have of who lives amongst us. The TWIC card, as Transportation Security Administration is about to issue forward with regulations, is one of the elements to define who is in this country that would want to do us harm. Let me say this again, Mr. Speaker. It is a card to define who wants to harm us. As the chairwoman of the Transportation Security Subcommittee, Critical Infrastructure, we live every day with those individuals who are receiving identification, those at airports. We have done oversight about employees' ingress and egress, about the back side of the airport. We are well aware, my colleague Representative Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez and her committee, well aware of the massiveness of the Nation's ports. We could give you a list of times that we have been to look at the intimacies of the port. But what my good friend is speaking about clearly has no direct relationship to ensuring America's security and releasing or eliminating the fear that Americans have about the next-door terrorist cell. This amendment, this motion to instruct is not constructive. For what it says is that age-long workers, union workers who through an early lifetime had the ups and downs of a criminal record, have now been cast as terrorists. Mr. Speaker, I am not interested in opening the doors to criminal elements. I don't disrespect the fact that we are concerned about murderers and others who have done dastardly deeds. But what you are talking about is taking an age-old seasoned port worker, union member, and eliminate their livelihood by projecting onto them the question of whether or not they are in line to perpetrate a terrorist act. The TWIC card is an identification document to ensure that those who are in possession of that card have no connection to any elements of terrorism. It is to safeguard the American public. It is not, it is not, if you will, the sledgehammer on hardworking, taxpaying Americans. And let me be very clear: The TWIC card is no wimp. There is a serious review process that goes forward that takes into account everyone's record and includes any elements that would lead us to believe that this person might perpetrate a terrorist act. I respect the gentlelady from Tennessee because I know that she is, as we all are, warriors against terrorism, and this Congress has to be united on this factor. I would raise the question, however, as to whether or not these modifications of a TWIC card that has already been vetted directed only at eliminating, firing, and terminating lifelong employees with strong records that have shown no inclination and no past history to terrorist acts is the appropriate direction to take. I hope that we can join in this body, as Chairman Thompson has encouraged us as members of his committee, to focus in a bipartisan way on solutions to major problems: Critical infrastructure, nuclear and biological possibilities, the reconstruction of FEMA, the interests in protecting our ports and borders north and south. This is how, an intelligence response that shows who is here as it relates to terrorist cells and who is here to do damage. These are the key elements, along with the 9/11 bill, that lay down the underpinnings, the framework of the survival of this Nation. Let us not fall upon divisiveness in the redesign of a card that has been fully vetted in its structure, that will do what it is intended to do, which is to weed out the terrorists and to allow hardworking Americans to continue to work and provide for their families. They, too, are patriots. And we as patriots and lovers of this country must stand united together in doing the right thing to secure America.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 980, which is designed to provide police officers, firefighters and other public safety I officers with basic collective bargaining rights, without undermining State authority or existing State laws. I would first like to commend our distinguished colleague, Mr. Kildee of Michigan, for introducing this important resolution. In light of the post-9/11 era of protecting America from terrorism, in which we are asking our police officers, firefighters, and other public safety officers, to take on more--and more dangerous--responsibilities than they had before, the least we can do is ensure they enjoy the basic right to bargain for better wages and benefits. State and local public safety officers play an essential role in the efforts of the United States to detect, prevent, and respond to terrorist attacks, and to respond to natural disasters, hazardous materials, and other mass casualty incidents. As the first to arrive on scene, State and local public safety officers must be prepared to protect life and property and to preserve scarce and vital Federal resources, avoid substantial and debilitating interference with interstate and foreign commerce, and to protect the national security of the United States. Public safety employer-employee cooperation is essential in meeting these needs and is, therefore, in the Nation's best interest. Public safety agencies benefit from constructive relationships with their public safety officers. In fact, local communities also benefit by a more efficient delivery of safety and emergency services. This type of cooperation is promoted by providing public safety employees with the fundamental right to bargain with their employers. Public safety officers deserve the same right to discuss workplace issues with their employer that the Federal Government already grants to most other employees. The Federal Government needs to encourage conciliation, mediation, and voluntary arbitration to aid and encourage employers and the representatives of their employees to reach and maintain agreements concerning rates of pay, hours, and working conditions; and to make all reasonable efforts through negotiation to settle differences by mutual agreement reached through collective bargaining or by such methods as may be provided for in any applicable agreement for the settlement of disputes. Mr. Speaker, public sector membership gains are important because they demonstrate workers' willingness and ability to organize under conditions of relative management neutrality and non-interference. If the National Labor Relations Act had covered public safety officers 30 years ago--when health care and nonprofit entities were finally covered--it is likely that public sector unionization in the U.S. today would be at least 80 percent, strikingly similar to Canada, Europe, South Africa, Korea, Japan and every other democracy. Instead, the existence or scope of collective bargaining in half the States is still being determined by State legislators or Governors, who favor either no bargaining at all or limited ``meet and discuss'' arrangements. If collective bargaining in public employment is indeed a public good, we need to focus more on explaining and defending that process, rather than just highlighting the obstacles that individual unions face while trying to boost their own membership. For example, in France, unions count only 10 percent of the workforce as dues-payers but unions negotiate in nearly all industrial sectors based on longstanding support for collective bargaining. Unions actively compete against each other--both for membership and votes for government-mandated workplace committee members open to all workers in the same workplace or firm. But the country's various labor federations then find ways to engage in common contract campaigns with management or the government; as a result, nearly 90 percent of French workers have collective bargaining agreements. Mr. Speaker, this bill is very balanced. Given the unique responsibilities of the public safety community, the bill specifically outlaws strikes by firefighters, police officers, and other public safety personnel. The bill also does not interfere with State right-to- work laws; preserves the rights of volunteer firefighters; protects all existing certifications, recognitions, elections and collective bargaining agreements; and exempts all States with a State collective bargaining law for public safety officers equal to or greater than the bill's basic minimum standards. Promoting collective bargaining is even more critical today, because the Nation is in much worse shape than half a century ago. What is the likelihood that we can address America's safety crisis, the collapse of retirement security, the threat of outsourcing, workplace safety and health hazards, or the growing income inequality without far more workers winning the right to bargain? We know the answer, and it is H.R. 980. For these reasons I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, our ally Pakistan is facing a difficult challenge. For those of us who believe that the region that includes Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan is one of our most strategic and Pakistan one of our most important, we want free elections and human rights. But now, we can see the light. Pakistan is losing thousands of Pakistani troops into the region between Afghanistan and Pakistan in order to maintain the protection against the NATO troops. It is imperative that we engage Pakistan, support Pakistan and help them as they begin to try and resolve the crisis of Taliban. Many criticize the agreement, but now we can see what happens when that agreement is declared dead by the Taliban. It is important that we work with Pakistan, see the light, stop the accusations and sit down to resolve the best, a safe and secure manner for the U.S. troops, the NATO troops and the Pakistani troops. The alliance and friendship between the United States and Pakistan is important. We must find ways to accommodate that friendship to make it work for Pakistan and the United States and the United States military and the Pakistani Army.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank my distinguished colleague from Cleveland, Ohio, the chairwoman of the Ethics Committee, and as well the first African American woman, only African American woman on the Ways and Means Committee. These two distinctive positions are so important, one, for the health of this body, the Ethics Committee, and two, for the great city that she represents. And I might compete with her, she has the Cleveland Clinic; I have the Texas Medical Center. And I know that we have had the opportunity to work with each other, and I want to thank her for what I think is an enormously important Special Order. I want to begin, as many of my colleagues have begun, and I want to acknowledge the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Kilpatrick, for the importance of putting a face on the issue of disparities in health care. In doing that, I'm reminded of the language in the beginning of the Constitution that the Founding Fathers organized to create a more perfect Union. But as they struck out on faith to establish this fledgling United States of America, only 13 colonies, feeling the redcoats breathing down their backs, afraid that at any moment this very fragile government might be toppled, they had enough courage to declare some words that I believe, if this Congress would use it as a moral compass, these issues of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones would be very clear, and those are the words of the Declaration of Independence that said we all are created equal with certain inalienable rights; the right to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are all created equal with certain inalienable rights; the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Clearly, health care is intimately involved in life and the pursuit of happiness. And so in actuality, the Founding Fathers put down a marker of what kind of Nation they wanted this to be. Tragically, over the last years, when our good friends were involved, many of the serious issues of health care were diminished in terms of care and funding. And so it is important that we stand here tonight to be able to lay down the challenge and the charge that we are here to fix it up. We are here to make it right. We are here to correct some of the ills, governmental ills, budgetary ills that have caused health care to be diminished. And let me cite some important statistics that represent the districts of individuals in this body coming from the south, coming from the midwest, coming from the far west, next to Texas, and parts of the mountain area. The cost of the war in one district is costing $1 million. And out of that waste of money in the Iraq war, we would be able to provide people with health care: 336,000 adults and 527,000 children, plus, with health care. Another district, the war is costing them $1.2 million, plus. We would be able to provide 420,000 people with health care if that war was ended, 758,000 children. Another district, the war is costing them $1.1 million--755,000 people would be able to have health care and 633,000 children. Another district, $812,000 it's costing them, and we would be able to provide 310,000 adults with health care, and children, 502,000. So, we can already see that we would be able to provide thousands, hundreds of thousands of Americans with health care and hundreds of thousands of children with health care if we, first of all, brought our troops home and ended the Iraq war. Now, why should we be concerned with that? And the Congressional Black Caucus has gone on the record on questions of disparities in health care. And I might say that this whole issue of disparities is not just an issue of race; it's an issue of dealing with economics. It is the kind of health care that poor people are able to manage to get versus those who are covered, who have means. Some people have means where they pay outright for the care. The Texas Medical Center, for example, has long-time hosted international patients who outright pay for good care. We don't have that luxury here in the United States for many of those who are struggling. And I might give you just a real-life example, Mr. Speaker, having left my home district and had the challenge and the desire to visit constituents who were ailing. They are now surviving because they happen to be individuals who had the care and the sophistication of family members who could get them to a spot that would, in fact, determine what was the final need of their care. Mr. Speaker, they had a disastrous cancerous organ that was not initially found, and they could have died. But because they had the means, they were able to go through test after test, and one expensive test that is rarely given, an MRI, was able to find that cancerous organ, their life has been saved. Another person with a severe injury or severe disease was able to be cared for and is in the best of care because of means. They live today. But that is not the case in the question of disparities on economics, what you make, and also on race. I'm very glad to be part of the CBC effort and Health Task Force to focus on ensuring that the Ryan White CARE Act is passed with language that emphasizes minority HIV organizations. I believe in fixing health care disparities on the ground. I have organized a series of testing activities or actions to engage the community in being tested. Our first effort with a church, 245 persons were tested. And our message is that HIV testing is not a one-shot deal. Just recently, a good friend, Representative Borris Miles, was able to get 7,000, or thousands of persons tested, possibly 7,000 persons, for HIV. We are going to launch another effort of testing and a campaign that says ``HIV testing is not a one-shot deal.'' I am a strong supporter of believing in the Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006. For the time that I have been here, I have emphasized that we have not enough community-based health clinics that were privately owned in neighborhoods accessible to grandmothers and young mothers with children. And we have worked hard to ensure that more community health centers come to Houston, Texas. I'm proud that in my own congressional district we've opened one in Fifth Ward. We've opened two that are under the auspices of the Martin Luther King Community Center that I worked with and kept their doors open with a $400,000 grant from HHS in the early years of my congressional career. This is a stopgap to the disparities in health care, allowing those in the community to have immediate access to health care. Then, of course, one of the largest, if I might use the term, Mr. Speaker, ``elephants'' in the room, is the question of obesity in America. As the cochair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, we have worked on the issue of obesity in children. I was very proud to join Congressman Donald Payne for a very thoughtful, forward-thinking session on obesity in New Jersey, and providing remarks dealing with the question of obesity in our children. And it is a disparity in health care as it relates to Hispanic and African American children who are victimized, if you will, in large numbers by the lack of nutritious food that generates an overweight child. That turns into hypertension as an adult, type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, asthma, bronchitis, sleep apnea, and other respiratory diseases. There are also increases in overweight among children and teens. For children age 2 to 5, the prevalence of overweight increased from 5 percent to 13 percent; 6 to 11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5 percent to 18.8 percent; and for age 12 to 19 years, 5 percent to 17.4 percent. We're working to ensure in the agricultural reauthorization bill that's coming forward that school lunches and school breakfasts are nutritious. That has to be for those children who are poor and are dependent upon those meals as sometimes their only meal. I passed legislation that involved the creation of an Office of Minority Populations that still stands today, and the idea is to keep the question of disparities in health care before Health and Human Services regardless of who the Secretary is. We can do better in this Congress. And there are issues dealing with our veterans. I'm very pleased that my VISTA bill was marked up in the veterans which provides added resources for visually impaired veterans in order to assist them in the care of those who are impaired by their recent, if you will, deployment to Iraq and those who are veterans who have suffered injury or have lost their sight. But we come now to the issue of the SCHIP, which is in the process of being reauthorized. And the difficulty, of course, is that we need to emphasize the crucialness of SCHIP in the Nation and in our States. I believe that the work of the Congressional Black Caucus and all of us in our respective States is a telling answer to health care for children who are at a certain economic level. Tragically, the State of Texas, after the passage of the 1997 budget resolution which created SCHIP, was one of those States that turned back $400 million because they could not enroll the children. As we move forward, I want to make sure that we move forward on the package that will cover 6 million children. I would like to see us go up to 9 million, but I think we need to look at process. I hope that we do not privatize and make this a market-based program so that people can stuff their pockets with money. This should be a program that goes directly to these families. Any State that fails to enroll should be penalized by the State's having to refund their own tax dollars, not the money sent for the children. Let us not penalize the children, but let us cause those States to pay fines for their inertia and their inability to enroll these children. I hope that we will have that kind of reform. Let me close by suggesting that we have an enormous road to take on health care. I am gratified that I hear more African Americans and Hispanics and others of a certain economic level who are prone to these disparities in health care talking about eating right, talking about an intake of less red meat. For those who are on the ranches, and I am from Texas, a good steak is a good thing to have. But to focus on vegetables, and some people have become vegetarians and are drinking water. These are elements that can encourage good health care. For those of us who have our schedule here in Washington, D.C., a little walking, a little exercise would be good as well. We should probably look at ourselves in the mirror and try to improve our own health status. We have the capability and capacity if and when some health matter would come to our attention, that is a personal matter, but we must speak for the millions of Americans, 44 million, that are uninsured, that do not have access to health care. I do believe that it is time to move for universal access to health care. So as we move in the 110th Congress and complete this session, I would say to all of my colleagues, be reminded of the Declaration of Independence; we all are created equal with certain inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Health care has to be a constitutional issue and a right for Americans. Certainly for the least of those we must stand ready to provide them with a strong and forceful statement and action on health care in America. We should have the SCHIP passed without hindrance and without a market-based approach. We should pass universal access to health care so that all Americans, all Americans, can have the ability to be blessed with the virtues of the pursuit of happiness and have good health care. Mr. Speaker, let me thank my colleague for yielding. Might I also suggest that we have our marching orders at this point, that we will not take a ``no'' on passage of the SCHIP out of this House. We want to see universal access to health care come to the floor. On the disparity question, I am looking forward to the Congressional Black Caucus and the Tri-Caucus health disparity bill being made in regular order and being brought to this floor as soon as possible. Mr. Speaker, we must save lives. We must.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Special Order to recognize the importance of closing the racial and ethnic health disparities in this country. It is crucial that we continue to bring awareness to the many health concerns facing minority communities and to acknowledge that we need to find solutions to address these concerns. My colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus and I understand the very difficult challenges facing us in the form of huge health disparities among our community and other minority communities. We will continue to seek solutions to those challenges. It is imperative for us to improve the prospects for living long and healthy lives and fostering an ethic of wellness in African-American and other minority communities. I wish to pay special tribute to my colleague, Congresswoman Donna Christensen, the Chair of the CBC Health Braintrust, for leading the Congressional Black Caucus in its efforts to bring attention to the health challenges facing minority communities. I thank all of my CBC colleagues who have been toiling in the vineyards for years developing effective public policies and securing the resources needed to eradicate racial and gender disparities in health and wellness. Let me focus these brief remarks on what I believe are three of the greatest impediments to the health and wellness of the African-American community and other minority communities. The first challenge is to provide everyone access to healthcare. This includes supporting the reauthorization and expansion of the State Children's Heath Insurance Program (SCHIP) so that all of our children who need health insurance will receive it. The second challenge is combating the scourge of HIV/ AIDS. The third challenge is to reverse the dangerous trend of increasing obesity in juveniles and young adults. differential access may lead to disparities in quality; support for healthcare legislation--h.r. 676 Across this great Nation the health disparities between minority and majority populations are staggering. Most major diseases--diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer, HIV/AIDS, low-birth weight babies--all hit minority communities harder. As minorities, we constantly have had to endure decreased access to care, and often of lesser quality care, than do members of the majority race in America. h.r. 676, ``the united states national health insurance act'' Earlier this year, I was proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 676, ``The United States National Health Insurance Act.'' This Act would allow for every American to receive heath insurance. You, the American people called for universal health care, as it was one of the most prominent issues for Americans in the 2006 election. The need for a high-quality, accessible and affordable health care system has never been more urgent. There are currently 47 million uninsured Americans, 8 million of whom are children. Another 50 million are underinsured. Although the U.S. spends twice as much on health care per capita as countries with universal coverage, the World Health Organization ranks us 37th in overall health system performance. Major American corporations such as General Motors bear the brunt of an outdated health care system because they are at a competitive disadvantage relative to their international counterparts who pay less for health care. A Harvard study found that almost half of all bankruptcies are partially or fully related to health care bills. Our plan, H.R. 676, ``The United States National Health Insurance Act,'' guarantees every resident of the United States access to a full range of medically necessary services, including primary care, prescription drugs, mental health care and long term care. The role of the government would be limited to collecting revenues and disbursing payments; care would continue to be delivered privately. Patients could continue to use the same hospital, physician or health clinic from which they currently receive services. H.R. 676 is supported by over 210 labor unions and more than 100 grassroots groups across the country. The former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, two former U.S. Surgeons General and 14,000 physicians support national health insurance. health equity and accountability act of 2007 I also strongly support the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007, an important bill that my colleague Congresswoman Donna Christensen has crafted to address the health disparities we face in our community. This bill will provide for: Creation of Regional Minority Centers of Excellence Programs in medically underserved regions of the country Creation of Health Information Technology Zones Data Collection and Analysis Grants for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Services Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving institutions with accredited public health, health policy or health services research programs Reauthorization of the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Expansion of funding the Minority AIDS Initiative ($610 million) Grants for Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Access to programs and activities and establishes support center to those with limited English proficiency and ensures antidiscrimination provisions and sets standards for these services, such as hiring bilingual staff and informing patients of their rights in their primary language. Federal agencies that carry out health related activities are mandated to adopt a guidance model on language services. The Secretary is required to conduct a demonstration project in no less than 30 states or territories showing the impact of costs and health outcomes to those with limited English proficiency. Grants to improve healthcare for those with communities with low functional literacy. The preparation and publication of a report that describes government efforts to provide access to culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services including an evaluation of activities and an explanation of best practices and models. DHHS will be responsible for submitting a report on health workforce diversity with descriptions of any grant support provided for workforce diversity initiatives. Establishment of a technical clearinghouse for health workforce diversity with statistical information, model health workforce programs, admissions policies, etc. Evaluation of workforce diversity initiatives, data collection and reporting by health professional schools, and supporting institutions committed to workforce diversity. Providing career development for scientists and researchers and for those non-research health professionals. Provide cultural competence training for health care professionals. To increase the number of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in health professions by enhancing their academic skills and supporting them in training. Examination of providers and the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate services in geographic areas Makes public the data collected and analyzed. Grants to eligible institutions to conduct and coordinate research on the built environment and its influence on individual and population- based health. Such a bill will go a long way in providing for the healthcare needs of minorities and will help to narrow the health disparity gap. There is no reason why this country should continue down a dreadfully deleterious road of denying healthcare to any citizen of this country who needs it. Many of the health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, kidney failure, cancer, hypertension and HIV/AIDS, the prevalence of which plagues our community the most, could be curtailed or even prevented if everyone had access to health insurance. I will continue to fight hard for the most effective policy measures that aim to narrow the racial health disparity gap. It is a misconception that minority healthcare is just about helping minorities. Keeping Americans healthy ensures that children can stay in school and that their parents can go to work. It ensures that our emergency rooms are not glutted. It ensures that our hospitals are not wasting time and money chasing the uninsured with massive bills they cannot afford to pay anyway. Keeping Americans healthy ensures that all of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones can have longer, more productive lives to contribute to our communities and to our economy. We all pay the cost of leaving people in America without health coverage. We cannot afford to pay that high cost any longer. The time for health equality is now. We need to work to improve access to care for people, in general, but there are also areas where more specific interventions are necessary. I have worked to improve awareness on prostate cancer, and have worked with MD Anderson to help start clinics in Houston that will open access to quality affordable prostate screening and care. I have worked with Hepatitis C advocates in Houston, and across the Nation, to spread the word that Hep C is a silent killer that is cutting down our minority communities and our veterans. There is so much misinformation out there about Hep C. I am pushing the Government Accountability Office to do a full report on the Hep C problem so that we can work to stop this epidemic. There is also a significant shortage of minority doctors, dentists, and health professionals of all sorts; a shortage that contributes significantly to quality healthcare access. It has been shown that people tend to seek care from people who look like them, and share similar backgrounds. So, the lack of diversity is not just a civil rights issue, it is an issue of health access. We need to boost minority enrollment in health professional programs. Success will require young people to redouble their efforts to pursue their scholarly pursuits with a renewed commitment to health and medical research. I am very bullish on academic achievement. That is one reason why I was so interested in securing increased funding for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and research. There are so many areas in which we need to work together and address the critical needs of the people who are being left out of our health care system. Putting energy and resources into decreasing health disparities is a solid investment, one that will reduce unnecessary suffering, and make our workforce and our society stronger. I pledge to you that I will continue to do my part. By your presence here today, I have no doubt you will continue to do yours. And together, we will see the eradication of serious health inequalities in our lifetimes. We must ensure that all Americans have access to healthcare. Access to healthcare is an important prerequisite to obtaining quality care. Some access barriers, whether perceived or actual, can result in adverse health outcomes. Patients may perceive barriers to delay seeking needed care, resulting in presentation of illness at a later, less treatable stage of illness. For example, a usual source of care can serve as a navigator to the healthcare system and an advocate to obtain needed evidence-based preventive and health care services. Of the major measures of access, the lack of health insurance has significant consequences. Avoidable hospitalizations are a good example of the link between access and disparities in quality of care. These hospitalizations may reflect, in part, the adequacy of primary care. When health care needs are not met by the primary health care system, rates of avoidable admissions may rise. Many racial and ethnic minorities and individuals of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to have a usual source of care. As a result: Hispanics and people of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to report unmet health care needs. While most of the population has health insurance, racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to report health insurance compared with whites. Lower income persons are also less likely to report insurance compared with higher income persons. Higher rates of avoidable admissions by blacks and lower socioeconomic position persons may be explained, in part, by lower receipt of routine care by these populations. Many of these circumstances are the direct result of lack of heathcare coverage.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 966, the Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007. We are all very concerned by the extreme backlog in the passport system, and even more so by the apparent lack of adequate preparation that has led to the severe delays that our constituents are now experiencing. I would like to thank Senator Schumer for introducing this important legislation. Madam Speaker, we all recognize the need to protect our Nation and to secure our borders. As a senior member of the Committee on Homeland Security, this has long been a priority for me, and I appreciate the need to continually review and update the policies we use to permit entry into the United States. However, I believe that the current delays are far in excess of what is excusable. I have witnessed the suffering of those waiting to receive passports first I hand in Houston, where my office shares a building with the passport agency. I have spoken with many of the countless Americans who have carefully planned and saved money for family vacations, only to lose the money spent on plane tickets and hotel rooms when they are unable to procure passports. Families in which only one of many children receives a passport in time for travel. U.S. citizens desperate to travel overseas to see ailing relatives. Businessmen and women who are unable to complete necessary overseas travel while waiting to receive their documents. These individuals and families lined up on the streets of Houston are indicative of the huge numbers of Americans who are suffering as a result of the U.S. Government's failure to adequately prepare for the swell in passport demands. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the men and women in the Houston field office, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that as many Americans as possible receive the necessary travel documents. Washington has let them down by failing to provide them with the adequate resources and personnel to successfully do their job, and it has failed the American people. This is a situation that demands leadership from the top. The Department of State Crisis Response Act of 2007 is an important first step toward alleviating the massive passport backlog that has developed since the recent implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, or WHTI. It allows the State Department to employ retired Foreign Service officers to process passport applications. Many Foreign Service retirees already possess the necessary training and security clearance for these functions, and could therefore be rapidly deployed to meet the ongoing crisis. Under the provisions of this act, Foreign Service retirees can work without forgoing pension payments, provided that they either provide assistance to consular posts with a substantial backlog of visa applications, or they provide assistance in meeting the passport backlog resulting from the WHTI. I firmly believe we must do all in our power to keep the American people, and our Nation itself, safe. This includes constantly reviewing and, as need be, revising our entrance policies. However, I also believe that we owe it to the American taxpayers to do everything that we can to allow free travel. We must work to ensure that such a serious problem does not occur in the future, while also working to immediately address the ongoing passport backlog. I strongly support this legislation, which is an important first step toward alleviating the existing passport delays, and I would like to encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2293, which requires the Secretary of the State to submit to Congress a report on efforts to bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who killed John Branchizio, Mark Parson, and John Marin Linde. This bill requires the Secretary of State to submit a report-- classified, if necessary--within 30 days and every 120 days thereafter to the appropriate committees until the attackers have been brought to justice. The bill also warns of potential restrictions on privileges extended to the Palestinian Authority by our government in the case of continued noncompliance, although I hope it will never come to that. I commend my colleague Mr. Ackerman of New York for introducing this important measure. This resolution lends the full support of the United States Congress to bringing to justice the Palestinian terrorists who murdered three contractors providing security to American diplomatic personnel in Gaza on October 15, 2003. The Palestinian terrorists who killed John Branchizio, Mark Parson, and John Marin Linde have still not been brought to justice. John Branchizio, Mark Parson, and John Marin Linde were slain by terrorists who assaulted a clearly marked convoy of American diplomats. Ironically, the diplomats were on a mission to help the Palestinians by identifying Gazan candidates for the Fulbright exchange program. In February 2005, Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, assured Secretary of State Rice that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Further, senior Palestinian officials asserted that the Palestinian Authority knew the identities of the assailants. Yet inexplicably, these terrorists have not been named; they have not been questioned; and they have not been arrested, charged, prosecuted, and punished. No way is that justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. It is imperative that the legitimate leaders of the Palestinian Authority show their willingness to confront the scourge of terrorism if they are to be considered a reliable partner for peace. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this piece of legislation, and I ask that my colleagues do the same.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 294, commending the Kingdom of Lesotho, on the occasion of International Women's Day, for the enactment of a law to improve the status of married women and ensure the access of married women to property rights. Let my first begin by thanking my distinguished colleague on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of its subcommittee on Africa and the Global Health, Congresswoman Watson, for recognizing this issue and introducing this vital resolution. It is important that we recognize and commend the role and the efforts that the Government of Lesotho has taken to further gender equity. International Women's Day, observed on March 8, 2007, calls for people to recognize the accomplishments of women, while reaffirming their commitment to continue the struggle for equality, justice, and peace. This is a milestone that demands worldwide recognition, and I applaud our United States Congress for taking this role. The Kingdom of Lesotho is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy that has been an independent country since 1966. Often referred to as the ``Kingdom in the Sky,'' Lesotho was a strong public supporter of ending apartheid in South Africa, and was known for granting political asylum to numerous refugees during that era. Lesotho is a low-income country with a gross national income per capita of $960, and 50 percent of its people live below the poverty line. However, its Government has demonstrated a strong commitment to ruling justly, investing in its people, ensuring economic freedom, as well as controlling corruption. Madam Speaker, in the Kingdom of Lesotho, a married woman would historically be considered a legal minor during the lifetime of her husband. Such status would severely restrict her economic activities, forbid her from entering into legally binding contracts without her husband's consent, and hamper her ability to have standing in civil court. As early as 1992, legislation aimed at elevating the legal status of married women and providing property and inheritance rights to women in Lesotho was introduced. Since then, women's groups, nongovernmental organizations, the Federation of Women Lawyers, Lesotho Government officials, and many others have continually pushed for the passage of legislations which would strengthen their rights. As a strong advocate of women's rights, it has continually been my role to denounce human rights violations against women, as well as fight for gender equity. I must certainly agree with the Chief Executive Officer of the MCC, who stated that ``gender inequality is a constraint on economic growth and poverty reduction and is related to the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and that inattention to issues of gender inequality could undermine the potential impact of the Compact proposed to be entered into between the MCC and the Government of Lesotho.'' Madam Speaker, the MCC is currently implementing a new gender policy to integrate gender into all phases of the development and implementation of the Compact between the MCC and the Government of Lesotho. It is now the responsibility of the United States House of Representatives to support the goals of Lesotho's International Women's Day, commend them on their strong commitment to improving gender equity, as well as applaud their enactment of the Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act. Lesotho's actions aimed at guaranteeing equity for women under the law ought to serve as a model for many other African nations, where women have been subjected to discriminatory laws in the areas of civil, economic, and property rights. This resolution will certainly go a long way in reducing the risk of women and their children falling into extreme poverty, eventually reducing their risk of exposure to the HIV/ AIDS pandemic. I ask my colleagues to support this measure. Let us continue to encourage the Kingdom of Lesotho in its ongoing efforts to ensure gender equity. Let us commend the Millennium Challenge Corporation for developing and implementing policies to advance gender equity. I thank you once again, Congresswoman Watson, for your efforts in introducing this piece of legislation.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the distinguished gentlelady from Illinois for yielding me the time. Mr. Chairman, this is a historic occasion, a historic time. I want to express my appreciation to the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Frank, and the chairwoman of the subcommittee, Congresswoman Waters, and the ranking members, for what I hope will ultimately be an enormous step forward for the homeless and the underserved. I also want to acknowledge my colleague and friend, Congressman Al Green, who has worked so hard to ensure that cities who have the background of Houston, Texas, are also accounted for. Those are cities that have for years had thousands of individuals on the waiting list. I think the number 25,000 in Houston has literally become a number of the decade, because there has been a waiting list of 25,000 for as long as I can remember, having served on the Houston City Council. I am very pleased to acknowledge that we are going to reorder the formula so that cities can borrow against moneys that are already in their account, so that the cities that have an excessive number of individuals on the waiting list can still be able to utilize those dollars. I want to pay special attention to the resources that will be utilized for the disabled and special resources that are going to be utilized for innovative programs dealing with, for example, the housing innovation program, which has previously been Moving to Work. One of the issues that I hope that we will look forward to is giving incentives to cities to help them reduce the waiting list. Now, you can change the formula, and I had an amendment that would provide at least a pilot study to construct, if you will, an incentive to make sure that cities took advantage of this new structure and worked hard to reduce the waiting list. It is one thing to have the laws in place. It is another thing to have housing authorities sit by and just watch, rather than working very hard to bring down their list. I am very grateful that we now have an understanding that there is less and less affordable housing being built in America. These individuals that use section 8 vouchers are working people, people who are paying their taxes, who cannot find housing in high-priced markets. This section 8 voucher program will allow these individuals to purchase homes. They are creative, unique and forward thinking, because they are individuals who have put their stake down in these particular areas. I am also hoping, as I close, and I am hoping that we will continue to work on this issue, is to ensure individuals will not be put out because of combat pay for soldiers who are coming back. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1851, the ``Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007.'' I support this bipartisan measure for three important reasons. First, H.R. 1851 reforms Section 8 vouchers to make their allocation more efficient and targets them based on need. Second, the legislation also increases access for rural families, and expands the number of families receiving housing vouchers. Third, the bill permits families to use housing vouchers as a down payment on a first-time home purchase, and includes other provisions to encourage family self-sufficiency including incentives for families to obtain employment, increase earned income, pursue higher education, and save for retirement. I wish to express my special thanks to the Chair of the Financial Services Committee, Mr. Frank, for his leadership and commitment to affordable housing for low and moderate income families. Let me also thank the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Waters, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity for her yeoman work in bringing this important and much needed legislation to the House floor today. Mr. Chairman, a strong America requires strong families and communities. Affordable housing is critical to maintaining strong families and communities. Section 8 housing vouchers provide vital rental assistance for low-income families, seniors, and the disabled to help them afford housing. The Section 8 housing voucher program contributes to the strengthening of our nation. Let me discuss briefly for our colleagues some of the more beneficial provisions in the legislation. The legislation eliminates inefficiencies that have resulted in $1.4 billion in unused funds and provides incentives for agencies to use funds to assist more families. Thus, the voucher Funding Formula is made more efficient and will lead to an increase in the number of families receiving vouchers. And that is good because the number of housing vouchers issued has declined more than 150,000 since 2004. The bill authorizes 20,000 incremental vouchers in each of the next five years, for a total of 100,000 new vouchers. Mr. Chairman, I also support this legislation because it protects tenant rights, promotes home ownership, and encourages economic self- sufficiency for low income voucher and public housing families. The legislation also protects housing agencies adversely affected by formula changes, by allowing them to use voucher reserves in the transition to maintain the number of families being assisted. Homeownership is promoted because, for the first time, families will be permitted to use housing vouchers as a down-payment on a first-time home purchase, and to use vouchers for purchase of a manufactured home on leased land. Economic self-sufficiency for low income voucher and public housing families is encouraged because H.R. 1851 includes several incentives for families to obtain employment, increase earned income, pursue higher education, and save for retirement. The bill also increases voucher opportunities for lower-income working families in rural areas. Finally, the bill contains several tenant protections, including provisions to preserve voucher families' ability to move to other areas, to address excessive voucher rent burdens, to provide for more accurate fair market rent calculations, and to protect voucher holders in units that are in need of repair. Mr. Chairman, for millions of our fellow citizens, finding safe and affordable housing is still a constant and often futile struggle. Today, about 1.4 million households nationwide participate in the voucher program; but not all qualified applicants are guaranteed housing. The demand for housing assistance consistently exceeds the limited resources available from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and local government agencies. Long waiting lists have, unfortunately, become very common. In my hometown of Houston, the largest city in Texas, and the fourth largest in the United States, there is a multi-year backlog of applications for individuals seeking government assistance. It is not unusual for individuals and families to be placed on the waiting list for more than three years. I believe it imperative that something be done to reduce this backlog. That is why I offered an amendment to the bill that would establish a pilot program to aid in the reduction of Section 8 waiting list. Mr. Chairman, I also offered an amendment providing that funds received by a section 8 family from a family member serving in the Armed Forces in a hostile combat theater be excluded from the computation of income for eligibility purposes. The military is one of Americans most precious resources and one whose efforts ought to never be taken for granted. Daily, these men and women in uniform risk their lives to ensure the national security and safety of our country. One way to express our gratitude to them is to offer relief to their family members. Eligibility for housing vouchers is typically based on the family size and the total annual gross income, which ought to not exceed 50 percent of the median income for the area in which they choose to live. HUD's Housing Voucher (HCV) handbook lists both special pay (except pay received by a service member who is exposed to hostile fire) and the Base Housing Allowance (BAH) as income for purposes of determining a family's income eligibility. Excluding monies received by section 8 tenants from family members serving in combat zones when evaluating income eligibility for Section 8 housing would provide a little piece of mind to the families of these soldiers serving overseas. The final amendment I offered sought to provide economic opportunities to Section 8 tenants by requiring the Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development carry out programs whereby public housing agencies develop curriculums and policies designed to increase employment and contracting opportunities for recipients of tenant-based rental assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937. These economic opportunities can be in the form of maintenance, inspection, and management of rental properties for which rental assistance is provided. Families living with Section 8 vouchers can achieve self-sufficiency through active participation in education and employment. Self- sufficiency eliminates the need to be dependent on public assistance and increase one's self esteem and sense of accomplishment. My amendment was intended to help section 8 become more economically independent. But taken as a whole, Mr. Chairman, H.R. 1851 is a very good bill and represents a significant step forward in the direction of an enlightened policy of affordable housing. Accordingly, I strongly support H.R. 1851, the ``Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007.'' I urge my colleagues to join in voting for this much need legislation.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud support of H. Res. 526, as offered by my distinguished colleague from Maryland and fellow member of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Congressman Elijah Cummings. This resolution seeks to recognize and support home ownership and responsible lending. Ownership of property is an exciting prospect, especially when individuals acquire property that they can truly call ``their'' own. As once stated in Essence magazine, ``ownership gives a sense of power and permanence; you are the ruler of your castle and not the pawn of a landlord.'' For many Americans, home ownership is an important attribute to realizing the American dream. Whether it means buying a home for the first time or refinancing, home ownership is a powerful economic stimulus, both for the individual homeowners, as well as the national economy. It benefits neighborhoods by raising property values and providing economic and social capital in previously distressed communities. Mr. Speaker, our Nation recently experienced a housing boom from 2001 to 2006, due to historically low mortgage rates, rising home prices, and increased liquidity in the secondary mortgage market--factors that led to the growth of the sub-prime mortgage industry. In the year 2006 alone, more than 75,000,000 Americans owned homes, and the home ownership rate reached a near record high of nearly 69 percent. For non-Hispanic whites in 2006, the home ownership rate was 76 percent, while the rate for African Americans fell at only 48.2 percent. Hispanic home ownership rate was at 49.5 percent, and that of Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders were at 60 percent. The buying of a home is usually the largest purchase that most people will ever make in their lifetime. To many individuals, this is known as a ``huge responsibility with great benefits.'' Sub-prime market has created home ownership opportunities for lower-income people, families without access to down payments and people with little or no credit histories. On the other hand, it has also created opportunities for ``predatory'' lending, where unscrupulous lenders hide the true cost of sub-prime loans from unsophisticated borrowers. Higher cost sub-prime mortgage loans are most prevalent in lower income neighborhoods with high concentration of minorities. This is simply unacceptable. In the past few months, it has become increasingly clear to the American people that irresponsible sub-prime lending practices have contributed to a wave of foreclosures, which are in essence, harming our communities and disrupting housing markets. In 2005, 53 percent of African Americans and 37.8 percent of Hispanics took out sub-prime loans. Home ownership is critical in building wealth because it signifies the accumulation of appreciable assets. It has been proven consistently that property usually constitutes one's greatest financial asset because ownership of property is one of the single largest investments that an individual can make. On the other hand, foreclosures can be detrimental to an individual, legally and administratively. The average foreclosure causes lenders to loose thousands of dollars and costs the borrower an average $7,200 in administrative charges. For the local government, abandoned homes cost districts tax revenues. As a public servant and a representative of the people, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Res. 526. The time has come for us to raise awareness about the dangers of risky loans and to protect homeowners from unscrupulous lending practices from mortgage brokers and lenders. We must demand the enforcement of rules eliminating unfair and deceptive practices in sub-prime mortgage lending, as well as the establishment of clear minimum standards for mortgage originators. Among many things, H. Res. 526 would help in the reduction and elimination of abuses in prepayment penalties, as well as increase opportunities for loan counseling. Knowledge is the remedy for fear, however knowledge is not enough. We must apply that knowledge to achieve change.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for allowing members of that committee to show their commitment through their legislative work in a hearing at the early stages of his leadership when we were allowed to present solutions. They were not Republican solutions or Democratic solutions. They were solutions for those of us who love America, and I just want to simply reinforce that. I thank Mr. Skelton for his leadership. I have legislation that declares a military success, and I rise today to make it clear that I believe that the fallen in battle are heroes, and those who still fight carry their banner, for 3,611 have died, and I don't know why we're not on this floor declaring a military victory, thanking our soldiers. And my good friend from Texas says that he supports the Iraq Study Group. So do I and I have legislation. We all have legislation that responds to the Iraq Study Group. I might remind him that that report, bipartisan report, speaks articulately to redeployment, and so when we look at the costs of the war, $120 billion, Americans are asking, should one more drop of blood be shed? And my answer to that is, no. Should we engage? Yes. Should we involve in the surge of diplomacy? Absolutely. We want to make sure that all of those nation states can work to help solve the divide, the civil war. But we must face the facts that this process that the President is continuing to repeat does not work. It is wracked with corruption and misdirection. There were no weapons of mass destruction. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I have been disturbed this whole week as I listened to the Secretary of Homeland Security speak about his gut feeling of the possibility of a terrorist attack. I'm a member of that committee. I live every day with the idea that the question will be asked by Americans to the Homeland Security Committee and the Homeland Security Department, does the Secretary realize that we have fueled the fires of terrorism by training terrorists in this war. And so when I speak of why we must end, it is to save lives. It is to reconcile Iraq, and it is to make America safer. I ask for support of the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2956, the Responsible Redeployment From Iraq Act. I rise in strong support of this legislation because I am listening, and responding to the will of the American people. Last November 2006, Americans went to polls by the millions united in their resolve to vote for change. They voted for a new direction and a change in the Bush administration's disastrous policy in Iraq. The new Democratic majority heard them and responded by passing H.R. 1591, the Iraq Accountability Act. The President vetoed the bill, demanding instead a continuation of the ancien regime under which the Republican-led Congress gave him a blank check to mismanage the occupation and reconstruction of Iraq. Those days are over. No matter how many veto threats the President issues, this Congress is not going to give him a blank check to escalate and continue the war ad infinitum. It is long past time for change in Iraq. It is time for the people and Government of Iraq to take primary responsibility for their own country. It is time for the President to recognize the reality on the ground in Iraq. The time when a surge in troops is useful and necessary is past. It is now time to redeploy our troops and launch a diplomatic surge for national and political reconciliation in Iraq. H.R. 2956 will help achieve this goal and that is why I support the measure. Mr. Speaker, there is no more important issue facing the Congress, the President, and the American people than the war in Iraq. It is a subject which agitates the passions of all Americans, including Members of Congress. The Framers understood that while the military does the fighting, a nation goes to war. That is why the Framers lodged the power to declare war in the Congress, the branch of Government closest to the people. They knew that the decision to go to war was too important to be left to the whim of a single person, no matter how wise or well-informed he or she might be. Four years ago, President Bush stood under a banner that proclaimed ``Mission Accomplished.'' If the mission was to further place our troops in harm's way at the hands of insurgents and sectarian violence, then it is mission accomplished. After spending more than $450 billion sacrificing the lives of 3,611 of America's finest citizen-soldiers, what have we accomplished and where are we headed? I cannot support the President's waging of a war that has no clear direction, does not meet the benchmarks that the President set, and has no visible target. Four years after launching the invasion, conquest, and occupation of Iraq, the evidence is clear and irrefutable: The preemptive invasion of Iraq, while a spectacularly executed military operation, was a strategic blunder without parallel in the history of American foreign policy. This is what can happen when the Congress allows itself to be stampeded into authorizing a president to launch a preemptive war of choice. It is time to change our strategy in Iraq. It is time to engage the key stakeholders in the Middle East and make real strides towards securing a just and lasting peace in Iraq and for the Iraqi people. And most important, bring our troops home so they can be reunited with their families, friends, and neighbors. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 2956. The Responsible Redeployment From Iraq Act requires a responsible redeployment of U.S. troops beginning within 120 days of enactment and ending by April 1, 2008. The legislation requires the President to publicly justify the post-redeployment missions for the U.S. military in Iraq and the minimum number of troops necessary to carry out those missions. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is consistent with the advice of military and foreign policy experts, ensures the safety of our men and women in uniform, addresses our commitment to fighting terrorism, and reflects the will of the American people. Mr. Speaker, the need for a new direction in Iraq could not be clearer. In the face of mounting evidence that progress is not being made in Iraq, military leaders, defense experts, Republican and Democratic Members of Congress, and the American people are demanding change. Yet the President continues to urge continued support for a failed policy that is not making America safer or supporting our troops. In a report released today by the White House, the administration concedes that violence continues in Iraq and that the Iraqi Government has failed to meet key benchmarks endorsed by the President in January and political reconciliation is nonexistent. By the Bush administration's own admission, there is unsatisfactory progress on all of the political reconciliation benchmarks announced by the President on January 10, 2007. In fact, just this week, the National Security Network reported that since the President announced his ``surge'' policy 6 months ago, more than 25,000 troops have been sent to Iraq, approximately 600 have been killed and more than 3,000 have been wounded. Mr. Speaker, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been given numerous chances and ample time by the American people and the Congress to straighten out the mess in Iraq. They have failed. It is little wonder that the criticism of the administration's failed policy in Iraq is mounting by the day. Respected military leaders, like LTG William Odom, have spoken forcefully. According to Lieutenant General Odom, ``No effective new strategy can be devised for the United States until it begins withdrawing its forces from Iraq. Only that step will break the paralysis that now confronts us.'' Key Republican Senators are joining the chorus of critics. In addition to Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Senator Richard Lugar, some of the President's allies in Congress have spoken out. Senator Pete Domenici says, ``There's no reason to wait . . . [I am] trying to tell [Bush] that he must change his ways because there is nothing positive happening.'' Senator Elizabeth Dole says, ``It is my firm hope and belief that we can start bringing our troops home in 2008.'' Senator Lamar Alexander says, ``The President needs a new strategy.'' And just this week, in a USA Today/Gallup Poll, more than 70 percent of Americans favor removal of almost all U.S. troops from Iraq by April 2008, leaving a limited number for counterterrorism efforts. Military Success in Iraq Act Finally Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation because it is grounded in the fundamental principles I first announced in February of this year when I introduced H.R. 930, the Military Success in Iraq and Diplomatic Surge for National and Political Reconciliation in Iraq Act of 2007. I introduced this legislation, the Military Success in Iraq Act of 2007, MSIA or ``Messiah,'' to offer an honorable deliverance from Iraq. Let me explain. In October 2002, the Congress authorized the President to use military force against Iraq to achieve the following objectives: (1) To disarm Iraq of any weapons of mass destruction that could threaten the security of the United States and international peace in the Persian Gulf region; (2) To change the Iraqi regime so that Saddam Hussein and his Baathist party no longer posed a threat to the people of Iraq or its neighbors; (3) To bring to justice any members of al Qaeda known or found to be in Iraq bearing responsibility for the attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11,2001; (4) To ensure that the regime of Saddam Hussein would not provide weapons of mass destruction to international terrorists, including al Qaeda; and (5) To enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq. Every one of these objectives has long been accomplished. Iraq does not possess weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein has been deposed, captured, and dealt with by the Iraqi people. The American military has caught or killed virtually every member of al Qaeda in Iraq that was even remotely responsible for the 9-11 attack on our country. Last, all relevant U.N. resolutions relating to Iraq have been enforced. In other words, every objective for which the use of force in Iraq was authorized by the 2002 resolution has been achieved. Mr. Speaker, since the objectives which led Congress to pass the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) have been achieved, I believe the authorization to use that military force expires automatically. My legislation affirms this proposition. Additionally, I believe, and my legislation provides, that it is the Congress that is the ultimate arbiter as to whether the objectives set forth in a congressional AUMF have been achieved. Mr. Speaker, where a Congressional authorization to use military force has expired, the President must obtain a new authorization to continue the use force. My legislation requires the President to do that as well. Finally, my bill requires that if the Congress does not vote to reauthorize the use of force in Iraq within 90 days after determining that the objectives set forth in the 2002 AUMF have been achieved, all American armed forces in Iraq must be redeployed out of Iraq. Thus, under my legislation, an up-or-down vote must be held by the House and Senate to continue waging war in Iraq. I am not talking about ``cutting and running,'' or surrendering to terrorists. And I certainly am not talking about staying in Iraq forever or the foreseeable future. The Armed Forces won the war they were sent to fight. Their civilian leadership has not succeeded in winning the peace. That is why the United States should surge diplomatically and politically. Title II of my legislation, the ``Diplomatic Surge for Political and National Reconciliation in Iraq Act,'' implements twelve of the most important recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. This approach is now gaining widespread support among many who had previously disparaged diplomacy in favor of military force. All six of Iraq's neighbors--Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait--have an interest in a stabilized Iraq because as the Iraq Study Group report makes clear, none of these countries wants to live with an Iraq that, after our redeployment, becomes a failed state or a humanitarian catastrophe that could become a haven for terrorists or hemorrhages millions more refugees who will stream into neighboring countries. Mr. Speaker, in addition to the enormous financial cost, the human cost to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces has also been high but they have willingly paid it. Operation Iraqi Freedom has exacerbated the Veterans Administration health care facility maintenance backlog; placed an undue strain on the delivery of medical treatment and rehabilitative services for current and new veterans; and exacted a heavy toll on the equipment, training and readiness requirements, and the families of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. Mr. Speaker, everyday when I walk into my office I am reminded of the courageous young men and women who have given their lives in service to our nation. Outside my office I have displayed a poster-board that displays the names and faces of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The poster-board is nearly full. I do not want to start another board. Let me call the roll of honor of the remarkable sons and daughters of Houston, Texas who have made the ultimate sacrifice and gave the last full measure of devotion: Capt. Eric L. Allton, Petty Officer 1st Class Howard E. Babcock IV, Spec. Adolfo C. Carballo, Staff Sgt. Brian T. Craig, Staff Sgt. Terrence D. Dunn, Pfc. Analaura Esparza Gutierrez, 1st Lt. David M. Fraser, Lance Cpl. Phillip C. George, Spec. Clinton R. Gertson, Capt. Andrew R. Houghton, Master Sgt. Ivica Jerak, Spec. John P. Johnson, Pfc. Roy L. Jones III, Cpl. Brian M. Kennedy, Staff Sgt. Dexter S. Kimble, Spec. Scott Q. Larson Jr., Staff Sgt. Hector Leija, Pfc. Jesus A. Leon-Perez, Sgt. Keelan L. Moss, Tech. Sgt. Walter M. Moss Jr., Staff Sgt. Kenneth I. Pugh, Staff Sgt. William D. Richardson, Staff Sgt. Timothy J. Roark, Sgt. Michael T. Robertson, Cpl. Benjamin S. Rosales, Staff Sgt. Alberto V. Sanchez, Pfc. Leroy Sandoval Jr., Pfc. Armando Soriano, Cpl. Tomas Sotelo Jr., Sgt. Danny R. Soto, Spec. Juan M. Torres, Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Zapp. Mr. Speaker, the misguided, mismanaged, and costly debacle that is the Iraq War which was preemptively launched by President Bush in March 2003 despite the opposition of me and 125 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives has lasted longer than America's involvement in WorId War II, the greatest conflict in all of human history. But there is a difference. The Second World War ended in complete and total victory for the United States and its allies. But then again, in that conflict America was led by FDR, a great Commander-in-Chief, who had a plan to win the war and secure the peace, listened to his generals, and sent troops in sufficient numbers and sufficiently trained and equipped to do the job. My friends, I say with sadness that we have not enjoyed that same quality of leadership throughout the conduct of the Iraq War. The results, not surprisingly, have been disastrous. To date, the war in Iraq has claimed the lives of 3,611 brave servicemen and women. The last three months of the war have been among the deadliest (104 in April, 123 in May, 101 in June, and 32 in the first week of July). More than 26,690 Americans have been wounded, many suffering the most horrific injuries. American taxpayers have paid nearly $450 billion to sustain this misadventure. To grasp the magnitude of this number, consider that American taxpayers are spending: $120,000,000,000 per year; $10,000,000,000 per month; $2,307,692,380 per week; $329,670,330 per day; $13,736,264 per hour; $228,938 per minute; $3,816 per second. Mr. Speaker, last November the American people signaled clearly their loss of confidence in the President's leadership and their desire for a new direction in Iraq. The new Democratic majority has begun to deliver. And we will not rest, Mr. Speaker, until we are clearly on a glide path to the day when our troops come home. And even then our work will not be done. We must still be about the business of repairing the damage to America's international reputation and prestige. But this Democratic majority, led by the Progressive Caucus and the Out of Iraq Caucus, has ushered in a new era of oversight, accountability, and transparency to defense and reconstruction contracting and procurement. I urge all members to join me in supporting H.R. 2956. This is the best way to ensure accountability to our soldiers who have been sent into battle without proper training or equipment or a clear mission. It is the best way to keep faith with our veterans who are not getting the best medical care when they come home. Passing this legislation is essential to restoring our military that is being stretched to the limits by the Bush policy. Last, it is absolutely necessary to regain the confidence of the American people who demand a new direction in Iraq.