Tom Lantos

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the images from Burma that have flashed across our television screens over the past two weeks have stirred the conscience of the entire civilized world. Buddhist monks draped in their simple crimson robes, peacefully gathering to press for change. Rangoon citizens pouring from their homes to join their holy men, their numbers swelling to over 100,000. Sandals hurriedly abandoned in the road as peaceful marchers were chased away by baton-wielding police. Soldiers firing automatic weapons into unarmed crowds. The charred body of a Buddhist monk, slain by the ruling junta, lying face down in a pool of dirty water stained crimson with his innocent blood. These indelible images, Madam Speaker, will not soon fade, nor will the anguished cry to us made by the leader of the Burmese Democratic movement, Noble Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and I quote her: ``Use your liberty to promote ours.'' So today, Madam Speaker, we use our liberty here in the Congress of the United States to condemn the violent crackdown on dissent in Burma. We use our liberty to call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the imprisoned Buddhist monks, and all other Burmese prisoners of conscience. And today we use our liberty here in the Congress of the United States asking our friends in Asia and Europe to join us in using economic leverage to promote democratic change in Burma. Since the last bloody crackdown in Burma 17 years ago, we in the United States have led the way in imposing tough economic sanctions against the ruling junta. Each year, I ask my colleagues to join me and my good friend Peter King of New York in renewing import sanctions against Burma, and each year this Congress, under both Republican and Democratic control, has responded overwhelmingly to our request. But Burma's elite will only feel the economic squeeze when other countries join us. The enormous flow of aid and trade from China to Burma, not to mention China's political support for the regime in the United Nations Security Council, must come to an abrupt end. The military packages for Burma offered by the world's largest democracy, India, must be removed from the table. And our friends in ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who have begun to speak out for democratic change in Burma, must move beyond words and suspend Burma's membership in this very important regional organization. Madam Speaker, when the generals run out of cash, change will come to Burma. When military officials cannot send their children to be educated abroad, change will come to Burma. And when the Burmese officials are no longer welcome at the table of ASEAN, change will come to Burma. And to those Burmese military officers who are on the fence deciding whether to join in the violent campaign of repression or to refuse orders to kill and torture your fellow citizens, I have a simple message: Do the right thing. As in Germany, as in Rwanda, as in Yugoslavia, those who commit war crimes will be brought to justice before an International Criminal Tribunal. Put yourself on the right side of history. The crimes committed by this junta, Madam Speaker, stretch far beyond the atrocities of the past few days. This regime has systematically used rape as a means of war against ethnic minorities. Recently released satellite images show that it has burned and destroyed entire villages. And since the regime nullified the democratic elections in 1990 won by Aung San Suu Kyi, it has arbitrarily arrested and tortured dissidents, real and imagined, by the thousands. Just a few days ago, the world caught a brief glimpse of Aung San Suu Kyi peaking out of the gate of her home, which has become her virtual prison. Today, we stand with Aung San Suu Kyi, this courageous woman, demanding her freedom, demanding the freedom of all those prisoners of conscience in Burma, and demanding far-reaching democratic change. Change will not come overnight to Burma, but it will come, and it will be my great pleasure to join our distinguished Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, a true champion for human rights around the globe, in witnessing the inauguration of Aung San Suu Kyi as the true prime minister of a free Burma. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and good friend from Washington, Congressman Adam Smith, for this legislation and his commitment to ending poverty worldwide. The statistics are hard to believe: More than one billion people worldwide still struggle to survive on less than $1 per day, and another 1.6 billion eke out a living on less than $2 per day. So, close to three billion men, women, and children--or a population 11 times the size of our own nation--awake each morning to little or no food, dirty water, inadequate shelter, and a lack of rudimentary health care. The entire international community should be ashamed at this massive failure. Alleviating crushing poverty around the globe is our most profound moral imperative. Our unending compassion as an American people and our position as the world's sole remaining superpower demand it. But more than just an appeal to our generosity should move us to pass this bill through the House of Representatives today: Reducing poverty around the world is in our national interest. Persistent poverty gnaws at the bodies of men and women, making them vulnerable to global infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, that demand our resources and threaten health around the globe. And the despair that inevitably accompanies stifling poverty also chews at the souls of the afflicted, making them vulnerable to ideologies of hate that foment violence around the world. For all these reasons, we must support this bill. This legislation makes it a central U.S. foreign policy goal to eliminate extreme poverty and to achieve the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, which this Administration has committed to time and again. Many observers have noted that the Millennium goals are ambitious. But the only way to even come close to achieving them is to remain committed--as a Congress and as a nation--to addressing poverty head- on. This legislation requires the Administration to develop a comprehensive strategy to eliminate extreme global poverty. And it calls on the Administration--and future Administrations--to present to Congress the specific steps it has taken to develop and implement its strategy. The bill enumerates several methods that serve as a blueprint for the overall strategy: development policies, continued investment in key programs, debt relief, and coordination with international organizations. We could all glance at the statistics I mentioned earlier, shrug our shoulders, and shake our heads. But this Congress will not settle for apathy and indifference. We will use our generosity and our foreign policy to lift up the people in extreme poverty who deserve our immediate attention. I strongly urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Texas for raising this issue. The Nunn-Lugar program is one of the most valuable international pieces of legislation since the end of the Second World War. It has gone a long ways in preventing nuclear materials falling into dangerous hands. It is imperative that the Russian Federation work together with the international community to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. I very much look forward to working with my friend from Texas to ensure that that goal and the nonproliferation goals are fully met in this legislation.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\3/4\ minutes to the distinguished member of the Intelligence Committee, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman).

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1400) to enhance United States diplomatic efforts with respect to Iran by imposing additional economic sanctions against Iran, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Sherman of California.

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

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will address the United Nations General Assembly in just a couple of hours, the latest step in his campaign to remove all obstacles to Tehran's headlong pursuit of nuclear weapons. We, in turn, must resolve to use every available peaceful means, economic, political, and diplomatic, to put a stop to that deadly, dangerous pursuit. Peaceful persuasion in this instance will require a lot of leverage. Strong international sanctions must be imposed against the regime in Tehran, biting sanctions that will bring about a change in policy. Ideally, Mr. Speaker, such measures would be undertaken through the United Nations. But if China and Russia continue to block effective U.N. sanctions against Iran, the United States must move ahead in the company of as many other like-minded nations as possible. And if multilateral sanctions are not in the offing, the United States needs to be prepared to tighten and to fully enforce our own sanctions without any exceptions. Current law imposes sanctions in the U.S. market on any foreign company that invests $20 million or more in the Iranian energy sector. But the law lets the executive branch, at its sole discretion, waive those sanctions. And for years, Mr. Speaker, administrations of both parties have done so without fail. Since 1999, giant companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, France's Total, Italy's ENI, and Inpex of Japan have invested over $100 billion, over $100 billion, in the Iranian energy industry, and the United States has done nothing to stop them. If we wish to impose serious and biting sanctions on Iran, effective measures that will change the behavior of the regime in Tehran, it is clear what we must do. We must take away the power from the administration to waive sanctions we pass. Two days ago on 60 Minutes, the President of Iran had this to say about the issue of nuclear weapons: ``We don't need a nuclear bomb . . . In political relations right now, the nuclear bomb is of no use. If it was useful, it would have prevented the downfall of the Soviet Union.'' I wish that we could take Ahmadinejad at his word, but we obviously cannot. This is the same man who yesterday said, ``Our people are the freest in the world'' and ``there are no homosexuals in Iran.'' We are all aware of the many other absurd and irrational statements that have emanated from Tehran since this man took power. But there is one arena in which I agree with Ahmadinejad: when he says his country has the same right as every other country to use civilian nuclear power. Every country has that right. But if they all decide to get there by mastering the full nuclear fuel cycle, then the door will be wide open to an unprecedented global proliferation of nuclear weapons. That is why earlier the House passed my legislation to authorize the creation of an International Nuclear Fuel Bank under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Every country, including Iran, can draw from that bank the nuclear fuel necessary for the production of civilian nuclear energy under strict IAEA safeguards, but no nation will be able to divert nuclear materials for military purposes. The International Atomic Energy Agency supports my approach, as do all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, including our own administration. One would think that the decision makers in Tehran would look upon this idea of an International Nuclear Fuel Bank as an elegant way to get Iran out of a difficult, unproductive, and singularly isolated situation. I hope that they will take this road and they will use this opportunity to move away from their current isolation in the international community. And I hope as well that the administration will see its way clear to opening up serious and continuing dialogue with Iran. When I hear it said that it is somehow wrong to talk with Iran, I think back to the days when the Soviet Union had thousands of nuclear-tipped missiles aimed at the United States. Surely, the Soviets then were a great deal more dangerous to us than the Iranian leadership is today, and yet we talked with them daily. We maintained a very active diplomacy vis-a-vis the Soviet Union. We were engaged in trade, travel, and cultural exchanges of many types. Mr. Speaker, I am not alone in hoping that relations with Iran can and will be improved. But as long as irrationality prevails in Tehran, we must be prepared to employ all peaceful means at our disposal to ensure that the regime renounces its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Iran today faces a choice between a very big carrot and a very sharp stick. It is my hope that they will take the carrot, but today we are putting the stick in place. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Middle East Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Ackerman of New York.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to my good friend from Texas (Mr. Edwards) for a colloquy.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished Chair of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel of New York.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I submit a series of letters from other committees that have jurisdiction over parts of this legislation. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC, September 24, 2007. Hon. Tom Lantos, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing regarding H.R. 1400--``to enhance United States diplomatic efforts with respect to Iran by imposing economic sanctions against Iran, and for other purposes''--which was reported by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on August 2, 2007. As you know, the Committee on Ways & Means has jurisdiction over import matters. Accordingly, certain provisions of H.R. 1400 fall under the Committee's jurisdiction. There have been some productive conversations between the staffs of our committees, during which we have proposed some changes to H.R. 1400 that I believe I help clarify the intent and scope of the measure. My understanding is that there is an agreement with regard to these changes. Modifications were made to section 202, relating to additional import sanctions against Iran, and section 406, relating to certain tax incentives, was removed. In addition, provisions were included in section 201 and a new section 307 was added to H.R. 1400 to clarify that other provisions of the Act did not affect the President's authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, particularly as such authority relates to measures restricting imports. To expedite this legislation for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action on this bill and will not oppose its consideration on the suspension calendar. This is done with the understanding that it does not in any way prejudice the Committee or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this, or similar legislation, in the future. I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming our understanding with respect to H.R. 1400, and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the record. Sincerely, Charles B. Rangel, Chairman.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate, along with my remarkably diverse constituents, Hispanic Heritage Month. I am grateful that September 15th through October 15th has been set aside to commemorate the unique cultural legacy and the significant contributions that the diverse people of Hispanic descent have made to the United States of America. Madam Speaker, this heritage is part and parcel of our shared American birthright. It is only fitting that we celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of the 43 million Hispanic Americans in this country, people who are making their mark in popular culture, business, athletics and politics. Theirs is the American Dream--a deep- seated belief that hard work can bring a better life and a brighter future for our children. I wish to take this opportunity to honor some outstanding individuals living and working in the San Francisco Bay area. KQED, a nationally recognized public broadcaster, has named the following six outstanding individuals 2007 Latino Heritage Local Heroes. These hardworking citizens represent the best of both worlds--preserving their personal and family heritage while contributing great things to the community we all share. Cio Hernandez has brought her language and leadership skills to the youth of Marin County. As the Bilingual Adolescent Mental Health Practitioner for Teen Clinic of Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, Cio is a youth group leader who inspires and motivates adolescents who want to make a difference in their community. Martin Mora is a professional firefighter in the city of San Jose. In his 12 years with the San Jose Fire Department, he has promoted safety and awareness throughout the community. Additionally, Martin continues his family's legacy of dedicated volunteering by assisting children, women, and families in the Bay Area and Nicaragua. Guillermo ``Memo'' Morantes is a longtime community volunteer in San Mateo County, with a special passion for education. As a member of the San Mateo County Board of Education, he continues the fight he has long been waging to provide all our children with the kind of quality education they deserve. A Health and Nutrition teacher at Dover Elementary School in West Contra Costa County, Tony Ramirez imparts invaluable wisdom about healthy living and environmental preservation to our next generation of leaders. Tony has incorporated outdoors hands-on education into the curriculum, instilling the value of preserving natural habitats such as the local watershed, Wildcat Creek, and teaching students of their responsibility to maintain a healthy creek. Mary Helen Rocha is another tireless advocate for children and families in our community. From bus monitor to den mother and Girl Scout leader, she has done it all, and currently works as Program Director for The Perinatal Council and coordinates the Antioch First 5 Center permanent facility, which serves families with children under 5 years of age. As a master of the art of capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts and dance hybrid, Marcia Treidler, known to the arts community as Mestranda Marcia Cigarra, is working to spread hope and opportunity through the art form she loves. Marcia is the founder and Artistic Director of ABADA-Capoeira San Francisco (ACSF), which is dedicated to using capoeira as a vehicle to improve and enrich disadvantaged communities and the lives of people from all backgrounds. Madam Speaker, it is not enough to celebrate this community one month out of every year. All of our Hispanic American friends and neighbors deserve the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their children. They are the driving force behind the efforts of this Democratic Congress to bring a new direction to America--the real people who benefit from progressive legislation like increases to the minimum wage and programs that make college more affordable. Hispanic Heritage month is more than a cultural celebration, Madam Speaker, as vibrant and fascinating as that culture may be. It is an opportunity to see the children for whom we have just increased funding for math and science education, funding that will give all Americans a chance to compete in the global economy. It shines a spotlight on the citizens who lack adequate health care, despite working full time. Hispanic Heritage month is certainly about the past, Madam Speaker, and it is an honorable past worth remembering. Yet this month, let us also look toward the future, and work toward building a better tomorrow for all American families.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, on September 14, 1987, Dr. James H. Billington, who had already distinguished himself as one of this nation's most eminent cultural historians, was installed as the 13th Librarian of Congress. As one of Dr. Billington's many admirers, I want to extend to him my warmest congratulations on his 20th anniversary in that distinguished post. As a youngster in his native Pennsylvania, Dr. Billington began what was to be a life-long pattern of exceptional intellectual accomplishment. He was one of those habitual valedictorians--first at Lower Merion High School and then, at Princeton University. He next went as a Rhodes Scholar to Oxford University, where he completed his Ph.D. Dr, Billington has been a professor at two of our most famous universities--Harvard and Princeton. He is the author of several notable books on the cultural and political history of Russia--The Icon and the Axe and Fire in the Minds of Men, to name just two. Another of his books--The Face of Russia-- became the basis of a three-part television series on PBS. At last count, Dr. Billington had been awarded 33 honorary degrees from institutions all over the world, including Oxford, Moscow State University and Tblisi State University in the Republic of Georgia. It is in his present job, however--that of Librarian of Congress-- that Dr, Billington has made truly monumental contributions to our nation's cultural and intellectual life. ``This place has a destiny to be a living encyclopedia of democracy,'' he said in his inaugural address, ``not just a mausoleum of culture, but a catalyst for civilization.'' For two decades, he has worked to fulfill that destiny. During Dr. Billington's tenure, the holding of the Library of Congress have grown from 86 million to over 135 million items. The Library's budget has grown in that same period by over 200 percent. In the Billington years, the Library has launched many new services-- THOMAS, for example, is familiar to all of us here in Congress and the American Memory Program is being used in schools and libraries around the country. Just recently, the Library's Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation began operations in Culpeper, VA. The Packard Campus, which is the result of the largest private gift ever made to the Library, is dedicated to transferring the Library's priceless, but deteriorating, collection of moving images and recorded sounds to digital files and placing these materials in a digital storage archive. But of all the Billington era projects, the most-far-reaching is the National Digital Library. This massive effort, funded by a public- private partnership, has already placed 135 million items on the Library's web site--with many, many millions more to come. In Japan, Madam Speaker, a person who has made exceptional cultural contributions can be designated as a living national treasure. We don't have that tradition here in America, but if we did, I do not think that I would be alone in submitting for that honor the name of James H. Billington. I congratulate Dr. Billington on his 20th anniversary--and I thank him for the great things that he has done for our country.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, 20 years ago--in October of 1987--His Holiness the Dalai Lama came here to Washington for the purpose of sharing with the leaders of our country his mission to end the systematic abuse by the People's Republic of China of the fundamental human rights of the people of Tibet. In that effort, His Holiness did not have much success. For fear offending the People's Republic of China, President Reagan chose not to meet with him. At the Department of State, it was the same story. But at the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which I founded and of which I was then--and remain--co-chairman, we decided in the face of much protest to give to the Dalai Lama the forum he deserved. To this day, I am proud of that decision. And I am proud that, just as this body was the first in our Government to give the Dalai Lama a venue to speak on behalf of his people, we will take the lead again and honor him with the Congressional Gold Medal. I have come to know the Dalai Lama is one of our era's greatest moral heroes, sharing a commitment to peace of other great leaders of our time, including Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. At a time in history when national grievances are often expressed in the most strident language and when political violence and rage are everywhere, the Dalai Lama speaks with a different voice. Instead of hating his opponents, he recognizes the humanity of those who are oppressing his people. Always, he seeks to find the path to harmony and peace. ``I speak not with a feeling of anger or hatred toward those who are responsible for the immense suffering of our people and the destruction of our land, homes and culture,'' said His Holiness in his Nobel Lecture. ``They, too, are human beings who struggle to find happiness and deserve our compassion. I speak to inform you of the sad situation in my country today and of the aspirations of my people, because in our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.'' We have before us today, a resolution whose purpose is to authorize the use, on October 17, of the rotunda of the Capitol as the venue for the ceremony at which my dear friend, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, will receive the Congressional Gold Medal. That is an appropriate location. The Capitol is the great symbol of American freedom--and of hope to millions around the world. Who better to be honored there? I strongly support the resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to an extraordinary educator from my home district in California. Samuel Johnson Jr. has retired following four decades of service to students. Remarkably, for 39 of those years, Sam Johnson was employed at the San Mateo Union High School District, with the final three years as its Superintendent. A native of Louisiana, Sam Johnson struggled against and rose above the racial challenges of his generation. His career displays a shining light of perseverance and professionalism, offering a pioneering example for all races. Yet let me say, Madame Speaker, that Sam Johnson's legacy is his devotion to young people, his determination that every student should have the ability to excel, to achieve and ultimately to find success in higher education. His first job as a teacher was in his home state of Louisiana, and his eventual move to the San Mateo Union High School District after that first year began a lengthy tenure of dedication at the district he would call home for four decades. Beginning his career as a math teacher, Sam Johnson went on to hold nearly every administrative position in the district. His responsibilities ranged through the years from being the Director of Human Relations for the entire San Mateo Union High School District to being Assistant Principal and then Principal of Capuchino High School, where he was successful in acquiring a prestigious Carnegie Grant. He later served as Director of Personnel, Associate Superintendent for Human Resources and Administrative Services and finally, Superintendent of the District, overseeing seven schools. Madam Speaker, I would like my colleagues to know that Sam Johnson will be remembered for his commitment to the advancement of young people from all walks of life. His innovative pursuit of an Academic Core Curriculum, guaranteeing that every student would be taking classes geared to success in college, was just one example of helping everyone realize educational dreams. He combined that vision with a push for seven periods in the school day, giving students the opportunity to benefit from additional elective classes. He also spearheaded a school year calendar change that more effectively linked the end of academic classes with holiday vacations. These changes, which required political and administrative strength to achieve, highlight much of Sam Johnson's talents and vision. His success at reaching these goals provided more academic opportunities for the students in his care. I am proud to say that the San Mateo Union High School District has reported successively improving student scores in recent years, something universally desired in any educational environment. Madam Speaker, Samuel Johnson Jr. deserves respect and appreciation for an educational career focused on improving the opportunities and experiences of young people attending public school. He faced many challenges during his tenure, specific to the San Mateo Union High School District as well as relating to society in general. He met those challenges with dignity and what many of his colleagues described as class, while never wavering from the dream he held as a young teacher in Louisiana; a dream of helping students find the path to realizing their own hopes and dreams. Madam Speaker, I want to wish Samuel Johnson Jr.; his wife, Della; and children Brad and Shana, happiness in his retirement and congratulations on his four-decade career in education.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. I am pleased to yield 1 minute to my dear friend and our distinguished colleague from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 1 minute to the distinguished Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ms. Nancy Pelosi.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we have before us today a resolution whose purpose is, ``Recognizing September 11 as a day of remembrance,'' extending sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, ``honoring the heroic actions of our Nation's first responders and Armed Forces, and reaffirming the commitment of defending the people of the United States against any and all future challenges.'' Certainly, Mr. Speaker, I remember. Like millions of others in this country and around the globe, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard the news of this hideous atrocity. Like millions of others, I was profoundly shocked, sickened, and horrified by the scenes I saw unfolding that day. And in me there grew a cold anger. We will get those who did this, I said to myself back then. No matter how long it takes, we will defeat them. We will do everything in our power to protect the people of the United States. Recently, Mr. Speaker, we took a major step in that direction by enacting, with bipartisan support, legislation to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. By so doing, we addressed major security vulnerabilities, improving our homeland security across the board. But much more needs to be done. Al Qaeda remains a serious threat to the United States. The leadership of that group has been reconstituted and the terrorists have formed many small independent cells. One such cell was broken up just within the last few days in Germany. In order to triumph in the war of ideas with the extremists, we need to learn how best to use many forms of soft power, economic, financial, diplomatic, and cultural, which are available to us and to our allies. We in Congress can help by making sure that the foreign operations budget is fully funded, our principle instrument of soft power. We need to stop frittering away our resources, military, diplomatic and economic, on a ceaseless religious war in Iraq. The administration is making its case before Congress this week to stay the course in the Iraq war, which it continues cynically to conflate with the global balance struggle against fundamentalist extremism, even with the 9/11 attacks themselves. It continues to disturb me to hear the administration linking Iraq with the attacks perpetrated by Osama bin Laden and his thugs, especially when they are still at large. The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is that we will not forget what really happened on that dark day 6 years ago. We will not forget the victims of 9/11, or the heroic first responders who sacrificed their lives, or the fighting men and women who carried the battle to the mountains of Afghanistan and rooted out the Taliban. We recommit ourselves today, as we have each year at this time for the past 6 years, to continue the fight against those who seek to destroy our American way of life, to deny us our constitutional rights and our freedoms. We will not forget. We will not falter in our resolve to protect our homeland. We shall remember our heroes. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), a distinguished member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to my good friend from Georgia, the civil rights conscience of the Congress, John Lewis.