Mark Kirk

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, if you believe in today's Boxer Rebellion, you must believe that the 627 million votes for President Bush do not count. You must believe that the 50 Secretaries of State who certified their elections were all wrong. You must believe that Ohio's Secretary of State lied in his solemn certification of Ohio's electorate. You must believe that Senator Kerry was all wrong when he said the election should be decided by voters, not lawyers. Today, you will hear from Members of Congress who want to choose a President here in Congress because they do not like the choice that was made at the voting booth. But, here in America, elections should be decided at home at the ballot box and not here by extremist Members of Congress who show themselves on national television to be sore losers.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr Speaker, I call attention to the link between cardiovascular risk and kidney disease. On December 6, 2004, the Congressional Kidney Caucus, in cooperation with the National Kidney Foundation, sponsored a luncheon in which Dr. George Bakris, MD, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, spoke on this troubling trend. I submit Dr. Bakris' remarks for the Record: Cardiovascular Risk and Kidney Disease Kidney disease is a silent killer, in that, there are no signs or symptoms until you lose >70% of your kidney function. A 50% loss of kidney function increases your risk of a cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke, sudden death, heart failure) to more than double that of the general population. The risk of dying from a cardiovascular event, if you've lost 50% or more of your kidney function, is similar to that of having had a heart attack. Aggressive measures to achieve guideline goals (JNC7, ADA, NCEP) for blood sugar (HbAlc less than 7%), blood pressure (less than 130/80mmHg) and cholesterol levels (less than 200mg/dl) reduce both cardiovascular risk and risk of kidney disease progression. According to the most recent NHANES 1999-2000 data only 7.3% of Americans with diabetes, the most common cause of kidney disease achieve all three of these goals. The crisis of chronic kidney disease is that it is ``under- diagnosed, under-treated,'' and the relationship of chronic kidney disease to cardiovascular disease, ``under- recognized.'' It is now estimated that 1 in every 9 adults-- approximately 20 million Americans--has chronic kidney disease and most don't know it. The morbidity (hospitalizations, disability) associated with cardiovascular events in people with kidney disease is significantly higher than people without kidney disease. This translates into very high expenditures on the part of Medicare as well as lost wages and a reduced work force due to this disease. At the current rate of increase in kidney disease, we can expect a doubling of the number of people with kidney failure by 2010 at a projected cost of 28.3 billion dollars annually. Therefore, reducing risk of cardiovascular disease and development of kidney disease requires a preventive strategy.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago Osama bin Laden was able to run his al Qaeda network freely, thanks to the protection of the Taliban regime. Today, he is on the run, frequently crossing the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan to elude coalition forces. Last January, I traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan to determine how Osama bin Laden continues to avoid capture. When I traveled to the Kyber Agency, I was reminded that the State Department had run a very successful rewards program that had previously led to the arrest and capture of Mir Amal Kansi, a terrorist who had murdered two CIA employees and injured three others in a 1993 shooting outside CIA headquarters in Virginia. The promise of a significant monetary reward was enough for some Pakistanis to turn Kansi in to the proper authorities. The program worked before, and it could easily work again. When I returned, I talked to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the chairman of the Committee on International Relations, and had help from the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the ranking Democratic member, and we introduced legislation to increase the maximum reward this program could offer from 25 to $50 million for some of the world's most dangerous terrorists. It made sense that we increase the reward for information leading to the capture of Osama bin Laden. Additionally, our bill allowed the State Department to use non-cash awards, and in a rural community, the provision of a truck or feed or farm animals can mean a lot in a rural community which could provide information leading to the arrest of Osama bin Laden. I am pleased to report this legislation was included in the omnibus appropriations bill that was just passed by the House of Representatives. When the President signs this bill into law, he will give the State Department a new and powerful tool that can be used in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his senior associates. Bottom line, with passage of this bill the reward for the arrest of Osama bin Laden can rise to $50 million. The passage of this bill could not come at a more critical moment, as earlier this week both the United Nations and the White House issued their latest estimate for the Afghan poppy harvest for the year. The estimate did not contain good news. This year, the crop yielded enough poppy to produce 4,950 metric tons of opium. This represented a 239 percent increase in the crop last year. Evidence suggests that Afghanistan is in danger of becoming a narcostate; and worse, we know that al Qaeda and the remnants of the Taliban are now primarily funded by the sale of heroin. Following the September 11 attack, the U.S. targeted bin Laden's Afghan sanctuary. We destroyed the Taliban's bases and bin Laden abandoned his terrorist training camps and also abandoned his foreign fund-raising efforts; but in their place, he and the Taliban have turned to the sale of heroin to finance terrorism. It appears that bin Laden and his patron, Mullah Omar, plan to rely more heavily on heroin profits than ever before. The international community wrongly praised the Taliban when Mullah Omar eradicated Afghanistan's poppy crop in 2001. They failed to see that the Taliban only destroyed poppies after it had stored tons of opium paste in its own warehouses. The purpose of Mullah Omar's touted eradication was an effort simply to corner the market on heroin for greater profits. During my mission to Afghanistan earlier this year, the brave new antinarcotics minister for Afghanistan, Mirwais Yassini, noted that one Afghan drug kingpin, Haji Bashir Noorzai, delivered 2,000 kilograms of heroin every 8 weeks to al Qaeda operatives. At the market price in Pakistan, this one supply chain alone would yield Osama bin Laden $28 million a year. The 9/11 Commission estimated that the September 11 attack cost only $500,000. Passage of this law shows that we are recognizing the growing connection between bin Laden's finances and the sale of heroin. During consideration of intelligence legislation, I offered an amendment calling for the administration to study the feasibility of bringing the Drug Enforcement Agency back in to the formal intelligence community. My amendment passed unanimously, underscoring how critical it is to recognize the connection between drug cartels and terrorism. Mr. Speaker, Congress has turned up the heat on bin Laden today. Our new law raises the top award to $50 million. We also allow for rewards to help in the arrest of drug kingpins who finance terror. We also give greater flexibility to paying awards in commodities, such as a truck or grain, that can mean a great deal to a rural family. I applaud the action of the Congress and urge the President to make full use of his new authority to offer a $50 million award for the arrest of Osama bin Laden.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. I thank the chairman.

Mr. KIRK. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this time, and I just wanted in this colloquy to read a statement that was inadvertently deleted from the conference report regarding Waukegan Harbor. ``The Conferees recognize the progress achieved over the last year by the parties involved in the Waukegan Harbor project. However, it is important that this fiscal year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finishes its requirements so next year dredging of the Inner Harbor may begin, such as finishing the Comprehensive Dredging Management Plan, the National Environmental Protection Act requirements, and Plans and Specifications. All of these requirements must be completed for dredging work to begin on the Inner Harbor. Once final dredging is concluded, the Harbor can be considered for delisting as an Area of Concern by the International Joint Commission. The Conferees urge the Chicago District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue working towards a final resolution of cleaning of the Harbor.'' Is that the Chairman's understanding.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of turn at this time.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Chocola) and want to say that this was a resounding majority for the President of the United States. Unlike previous elections for the White House where a plurality of voters supported the candidate, this candidate won a solid majority of the American people. When we look to who else won the majority, we look at some of the new stars that have come into the Congress to take their places as Members- elect: like Dave Reichert from Washington's 8th district, an expert on both domestic and international security. He brings with him a wealth of experience in law enforcement where he delivered a remarkable record of service to the citizens of King County, Washington. Prior to his election to Congress, Reichert served as King County Sheriff since 1997, and he work within the sheriff's office since 1972 after serving in the United States Air Force. I will say that Dave Reichert joins a very small number of veterans still serving in the Congress. There was a time when three-quarters of us had military backgrounds. Now we are down to just one in five, but Dave Reichert will be one of those advocates for Americans in uniform. During his leadership as sheriff, Reichert brought national recognition to the sheriff's office as head of a task force that solved one of the largest serial murder cases in U.S. history, apprehending the infamous Green River Killer. The people of Washington are safer because Dave Reichert chose public service. He is the recipient of the prestigious 2004 National Sheriff's Association Sheriff of the Year Award and is a two-time Medal of Valor Award recipient from the King County sheriff's office. Dave is a graduate of Concordia Lutheran College in Portland, where he played football and met his wife of now 34 years, Julie Reichert. The Reicherts currently have three grown children, Angela, Tabitha and Daniel, and no less than five grandchildren. He is a family man and expert on international security and especially domestic law enforcement. Now joining him is another star of our class, Patrick McHenry from North Carolina, an expert on the Internet, someone who knows about labor issues and is a key to building the ownership society as a real estate broker. Prior to his election, he was a State legislator in North Carolina, worked as an executive with DCI/New Media, Incorporated, and served as a director of the Bush for 2000 Presidential Campaign. He served his country and the United States Department of Labor and, yes, is a licensed real estate broker and owner of his own real estate company, someone who brings that service to the Congress who can help Americans take part in the ownership society that the President has talked about. Patrick McHenry also knows to those that are given great abilities much is expected, and Patrick McHenry sits on the board of directors of the United Way's Success By 6 youth program. He brings these skills in real estate for ownership, in Internet- based economy, in making sure that we know how to support charities and how to make sure that we give back to the community. For all of these reasons, we are thrilled that Patrick McHenry joins us as well as Dave Reichert, with other stars, to join in the Republican ranks here in the House, and I thank the gentleman from Indiana for yielding.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, on June 23, 2004 during the debate of the Simmons amendment to H.R. 4548, the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2005, I was misquoted in the Congressional Record. My statement should have read: Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Simmons amendment. Unlike some other amendments in this bill that are offered for partisan advantage, this amendment is offered by a former CIA officer with detailed knowledge of how the U.S. intelligence community works. To my knowledge, there are only three current Members of Congress who worked with the CIA: our chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), the author of this amendment; the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons); and me, who was detailed to the CIA from navy intelligence. This amendment seeks to change our intelligence culture to become more effective in the age of the Internet. Today, every two-bit terror organization in the world has a Web site broadcasting information on its activities. Internet news, political parties, and foreign government sites all offer new material to our intelligence community. For years in the cold war, our enemies collected open- source data on us, but we were forced to collect secret data on them. That is now changing. There is a wealth of open- source data on our adversaries. Every analyst in the community should be encouraged to use as much current and accurate open-source data as possible; and I applaud the gentleman, who knows the CIA so well, for offering this amendment to keep our culture up to date with the current technology.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this amendment corrects a critical problem with our intelligence community and adds a needed bipartisan recommendation to the reforms we have in the underlying legislation. We have known for quite some time that the sale of elicit narcotics and terrorism go hand in hand. This link is now firm and is clear with regard to the terrorist activities and terrorist groups in Colombia. It is also clear in Peru, but this phenomenon has spread far beyond Latin America and is evident in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Earlier this year, I traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the key frontier border area of such concern to the United States, and there I learned a new fact, that Osama bin Laden's connection to his family fortune has been reduced. His connection to donations to the United States and Europe has been reduced, but he has a new source of income. Osama bin Laden is now becoming one of the world's largest dealers in heroin. Through just one of his supply organizations, bin Laden's lieutenants are earning at least $28 million from the sale of narcotics through Pakistan. Let us remind ourselves of the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission, that the attacks against the World Trade Centers, Shanksville, and the Pentagon cost al Qaeda only $500,000. With an annual income of $28 million coming from the sale of illegal narcotics, we know that one of the key terrorist financing mechanisms is the sale of illegal narcotics. In the 9/11 Commission report, they briefly mentioned this but did not focus on it. When you are on the front lines in Kandahar or Peshawar in Pakistan, you see that this link is clear. Our Drug Enforcement Agency has some of the best financial maps of terrorist organizations in the world, and the Drug Enforcement Agency used to be a formal member of the intelligence community. In my judgment and the judgment of my bipartisan partner, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen), on this amendment, we believe that the Drug Enforcement Agency should become part of the intelligence community again, that this link between terrorism and illegal narcotics is very clear. Roughly half of the 28 terrorist organizations identified by the State Department in October, 2001, have links to drug activities. Organizations like the Kurdistan Worker's Party, the National Liberation Army, ELN, al Qaeda, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Shining Path, and the United Self-Defense Forces/Group of Colombia. All of these in a worldwide phenomenon, depending on violence and terror, funded by the sale of illegal narcotics. This bipartisan amendment would help study the integration of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency into the intelligence community. It is supported by Karen Tandy, the administrator of the DEA. It is supported by a number of minority members. It is supported by the attorney general. I urge adoption of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra), the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) for supporting this amendment. The gentleman from Texas is exactly right. El Paso Intelligence Center already does this. It is a critical asset but should be a formal part of the intelligence community, as are combatant commands that do a number of key tasks with regard to drug profits and terrorism. We know that half of the Afghan economy is now related to the sale of illicit narcotics. We know that the Taliban and al Qaeda depend on terrorist profits. We started winning the battle against narcoterrorism in Colombia because we took a unified campaign on this approach against terrorism and the sale of illegal narcotics. The DEA is the expert on these financial organizations. If the 9/11 Commission said anything, it said we should attack the financial support for terrorism and that financial support is increasingly reliant on the sale of illegal narcotics, especially for Osama bin Laden becoming one of the number one heroin dealers in Central Asia. For these reasons, I urge adoption of the amendment.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, today a bipartisan group of Democrats and Republicans is forming the Congressional Sugar Reform Caucus. Our caucus will form a bipartisan effort to reform the sugar program through legislation, when appropriate, but also working with the President, manufacturing employers, and union leaders. The sugar program currently forces Americans to pay sugar prices at twice the world level. It kills manufacturing and union jobs. The sugar program cost over $400 million alone in fiscal year 2000 and this cost to the taxpayer is in addition to the lost jobs and higher grocery prices. By forcing sugar prices at two or three times the market price, our law not only inflates consumer costs, it creates an incentive to move manufacturing jobs offshore. No one knows this better than Chicago where thousands of people in manufacturing jobs were thrown out of work because of the sugar program. Mr. Speaker, our sugar policy is a mess, and we need to defend manufacturing jobs by reforming this program.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, today, I missed 2 votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following way: Yes on rollcall Vote No. 490, On ordering the previous question providing for consideration of S. 878, to authorize an additional permanent judgeship in the district of Idaho, and for other purposes. Yes on rollcall Vote No. 491, On agreeing to H. Res. 814, providing for consideration of S. 878, to authorize an additional permanent judgeship in the district of Idaho, and for other purposes.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, today, I missed the following rollcall votes: rollcall number 461--on agreeing to the Rangel amendment to H.R. 5025, rollcall number 462--on agreeing to the Olver amendment to H.R. 5025, rollcall number 463--on agreeing to the Stenholm amendment to H.R. 5025, rollcall number 464--on motion to recommit H.R. 5025, rollcall number 465--on passage of H.R. 5025. Had I been present I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall votes 461 and 464, and I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes 462, 463 and 465.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, we will soon double the size of this Capitol, adding a new Visitors Center. As the first thing visitors see, this space must reflect the values of our Nation and the way it inspires young Americans to public service. Today I am leading a bipartisan group of Members to introduce the American Heroes Act, H.R. 5038. The act authorizes a statue honoring the people of United Flight 93 who fought the first battle in the war on terror over the skies of Pennsylvania. But for their sacrifice, the Capitol might have been destroyed. We also authorize each State to add one new hero after essay contests in America's high schools. In this way, the new entrance to our temple of democracy will have new heroes adding to the pantheon in the Capitol. As we approach the third anniversary of September 11, let us honor the heroes of Flight 93 who gave their lives to protect Washington, and let us also make sure that when this Capitol expands, it is filled with men and women who inspire us, especially young Americans, to public service.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, fifty police officers lost their lives in the line of duty, serving our nation with honor, courage, and a selfless commitment. Today, as we approach the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks, we still see the same noble qualities from law enforcement officers on a daily basis. Officers Jeremy Gaughan, Michael Mann, and Kevin Schreiner of the Gurnee, Illinois Police Department are three examples of such courage. On January 27, 2003, three neighborhoods in my district fell victim to a string of crimes all carried out by the same assailant. After murdering a night school student, fleeing from a hit and run scene, and attempting to carjack a young woman's vehicle, the assailant was cornered by Gurnee Police Officer Kevin Schreiner. Officer Schreiner responded to the shots fired call, located the suspect's vehicle and attempted to pull it over. The suspect attempted to flee behind a private residence, where he began to fire upon Officer Schreiner. Officer Schreiner could not take cover before being shot in the left arm, with the bullet exiting his left shoulder. Despite being seriously wounded, Officer Schreiner radioed for assistance and remained on the scene until Officers Michael Mann and Jeremy Gaughan could arrive. As Officers Schreiner and Mann continued to draw repeated fire from the suspect, Officer Gaughan was able to move into position, fired once, and killed the suspect. If not for the heroic and decisive actions of these three officers, there is little doubt that this assailant would have attacked more people in my Congressional district. Their selfless commitment and courage under fire are the same qualities found in the law enforcement officers who gave their lives on September 11. I am grateful for the actions of these three men, and am pleased to announce that they will be honored at the 11th annual TOP COPS Awards ceremony here in Washington, DC on September 11. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the bravery of these men and every law enforcement officer for their noble service.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the thirtieth anniversary of Turkey's invasion of Cyprus. This anniversary serves as a reminder of three decades of illegal occupation by Turkish military forces of over one-third of Cyprus's territory. On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, forcing nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes. To this day, in defiance of United Nations General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, Turkey maintains more than 30,000 troops in the occupied territory. The division of Cyprus has gone on for too long. The past year has seen great efforts by the Cypriots, the United States, and the U.N. to develop a plan for reunification. Unfortunately, the U.N. sponsored April 2004 vote on reunification failed to pass. Cyprus's recent accession to the European Union presents great opportunities to join its European counterparts in strongly supporting human rights and fundamental freedoms. These values should lay the foundation for a final settlement. On this anniversary, I join my colleagues in looking forward to a future where Greek and Turkish Cypriots can once again live in peace on one unified island.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, today I missed a series of votes due to the visit of the President to my district. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following way: ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 407, H. Res. 738, the rule providing for the Morocco Free Trade Agreement. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 408, H.R. 4175, Veteran's Compensation COLA Act of 2004. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 409, H. Res. 728, sense of Congress on Presidential election postponement. ``No'' on rollcall No. 410, H.R. 3313, Marriage Protection Act of 2003. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 411, H.R. 4056, Commercial Aviation MANPADS Defense Act. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 412, H. Res. 652, urging the Government of the Republic of Belarus to ensure a democratic, transparent, and fair election process for its parliamentary elections in the fall of 2004. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 413, H.R. 4842, United States-Morocco Free Trade Implementation Act. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 414, H. Con. Res. 436, celebrating 10 years of majority rule in the Republic of South Africa. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 415, H. Con. Res. 418, recognizing the importance in history of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan. ``No'' on rollcall No. 416, motion to recommit H.R. 4837, Military Construction Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2005. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 417, H.R. 4837, Military Construction Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2005. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 418, conference report on H.R. 4613, Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2005. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 419, H. Con. Res. 469, condemning the attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ``Yes'' on rollcall No. 420, H. Con. Res. 467, declaring genocide in Darfur, Sudan. ``No'' on rollcall No. 421, motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 1308.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, over 33 years ago, Bruce Rodewald joined the Arlington Heights Fire Department located in my Congressional District. Thirteen years later he accepted the title of Fire Chief and for the last 20 years he has led the department with the highest distinction and honor. Chief Rodewald comes from a long lineage of firefighters and community leaders. Both his father and grandfather served in the Arlington Heights Fire Department. His son also serves as a firefighter and paramedic in a neighboring town. During his tenure as Fire Chief, the village of Arlington Heights' Class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating was upgraded to an ISO I rating. This is the highest ranking given for a municipality's fire protection services. Arlington Heights is one of only about 40 fire departments in the county to have received this outstanding distinction. Mr. Rodewald's dedication to his department and the village of Arlington Heights is unequaled. He had originally planned on retiring from the department in 2001. However, after the September 11th attacks, Chief Rodewald decided to forgo his retirement and continue his service. For the last 3 years he has dedicated himself to the reorganization of the Arlington Heights Fire Department to reflect the heightened levels of awareness and preparedness necessary in the post 9/11 world. In his years of service, Fire Chief Bruce Rodewald has led the Arlington Heights Fire Department with the professionalism and dedication required of a community leader. The Department he leaves behind is one of the most well-prepared and trained in the Nation. Chief Rodewald's tenure in the Arlington Heights Fire Department is worthy of the highest commendation. I wish him much happiness in retirement and offer him and his family my sincerest thanks and appreciation. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing this extraordinary individual.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I rise in very strong support of this bill and the work of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), our chair and ranking minority member. Mr. Chairman, many have said that the United States in this current campaign should build allies, that we should strengthen our ties with other governments, that we should back peace treaties and agreements that make war much less likely. This bill does that. In 1917, the U.S. went to war in Europe and lost hundreds of thousands of young men. In the following years, our government took the easy way out. We demobilized. We saddled allies with debt. We focused resources at home. It was a very popular set of decisions but also laid the foundation for World War II. One man who understood this well as a mistake was Harry Truman, a veteran of World War I. He saw the waste of a Second World War and knew that he had to do everything to prevent another conflict. We had to keep an army overseas. We had to lead international organizations. We had to help allies. These were not popular decisions, and Truman made these tough decisions that started this appropriations bill when he stood at 32 percent in the polls. The lessons he learned were well applied to the world after September 11. This bill backs our allies, especially in the Middle East. It also provides debt relief and reduces the growth of population in countries that can barely create jobs for the people they already have. We have learned that we must be engaged and aggressive with aid and provide leadership in conflict regions. One institution Truman created was the World Bank, officially titled the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The bank moved quickly into occupied Japan and Germany to rebuild those countries. We fulfilled our obligations and built not just security relationships but allies. Years after the Bank moved in, we finally created new governments in Germany and Japan. The Bank has a proud tradition of moving quickly and keenly in new states emerging from civil war. I am the only Member of Congress that is an alumni of the Bank, and during my time we opened offices in zones of conflict in quasi states and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The Bank also provided aid to Croatia and Bosnia and Haiti. It had a proud staff that knew their work was dangerous but important. Given this, it is surprising the World Bank is now so slow to help the people of Iraq. Iraq is a founding member of the World Bank. After the coalition moved into Baghdad, the Bank launched a timely study of Iraq's needs, but then most action stopped. After the U.N. Baghdad bombing, the Bank lost a staff member and withdrew all of its international staff from Iraq. No one has returned, and the Bank has no plans to put international staff in Iraq. Worse, the Bank staff spent from May, 2003, until 2004 debating whether to recognize a new government. I think this is a call to action to Secretary Snow to rectify the situation and hope that we can act.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment. This amendment sends a clear signal that we will be economic conservatives, that we will protect the public treasury, that we will also respect the private buyouts and the private settlements that have already happened with a substantial amount of funds already going to the tobacco industry States and tobacco growers. This amendment stands for the principle that if we buy out, then they should cease producing tobacco, which under the tobacco buyout does not happen. And for all of us as good protectors of the public FSC, it is incumbent upon us to stop new government programs and to make sure we restrict government spending especially at this time when our government budget is in the red. We know there is an unfunded liability for Social Security. We know there is an unfunded liability for Medicare. It is very important for us then to restrict public spending so that we can honor the promises to the American people, especially for retirement security and health care, that we have already made. I applaud the gentleman for putting this together. I apologize to my subcommittee chairman, who I know personally is a rancher and does not have a personal stake in this issue; and I applaud the gentleman for offering the amendment. I urge its adoption.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) for the time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment to honor our colleague, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter). When the Founding Fathers envisioned a new Nation based on self- government, they wrote many rules into our Constitution. Many things were formally laid out, but many assumptions were left unsaid. One of the assumptions were that among the representatives chosen would be people who were consensus and coalition builders, people whose highest allegiance was not to the political party but to country. It is on the backs of such leaders that self-government depends. Doug Bereuter is an embodiment of the kind of leader our Founding Fathers assumed that would move our country forward. I have worked with the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), as I called him as a staff member and as a Member, for 21 years. I call him a friend, but I admire him more. Forty years ago, Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg joined with Democratic President Harry Truman to start the Marshall Plan. Many Members of Congress objected to a spending program overseas, but Senator Vandenberg said, ``Partnership should end at the water's edge.'' In his service on the Committee on International Relations and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, no Member of Congress embraced that ideal more than Doug Bereuter. I worked closely with him on food assistance programs for North Korean children. Despite a formal state of war between our two countries, Doug Bereuter was our leader, championing a humanitarian vision where, as Ronald Reagan said, ``A hungry child knows no politics.'' Doug pioneered leadership for the P.L. 480 program and for the Farmer-to-Farmer programs. These programs fed the hungry and represented the highest ideals of the American people. We honor Doug Bereuter today. I want to also mention his work with the intelligence community to boost foreign language instruction by the U.S. government. No action will boost the long-term defenses of the U.S. more than the Bereuter foreign language initiative. We wish the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) well as the new head of the Asia Foundation and urge the adoption of the amendment as a way to honor a real American and someone totally committed to the humanitarian vision of the United States overseas.