Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I regrettably missed rollcall vote 961 (H. Res. 738). Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: rollcall 961: ``yes.''

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. It is a pleasure for me to yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hall).

Mrs. LOWEY. Reclaiming my time, I yield to the chairman of the committee, the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mrs. LOWEY. It is my pleasure to thank our distinguished chairman, Mr. Oberstar, for your expertise on these very important issues. On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 flew directly over New York's Indian Point Nuclear Facility on its way to the World Trade Center. One year later, a taped interview on al-Jazeera indicated that al Qaeda initially planned to include a nuclear plant as one of its targets. The Indian Point nuclear power plant is less than 50 miles from New York City. The FAA's post-September 11 no fly zone around the plant was lifted in November 2001. Since that time, I've worked with my Hudson Valley colleagues to protect Indian Point from any potential terrorist threat, including calling for a no fly zone around the facility. Will the chairman commit to working with me to ensure that both the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration are protecting the airspace around this facility and protecting the more than 20 million people who live near Indian Point from all aviation threats?

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, which would rename the Wykagyl Post Office in New Rochelle, New York after Robert Merrill. I want to thank Chairman Waxman for his support of this bill and for placing it on the suspension calendar today. Born on June 4, 1919, Robert Merrill spent his life performing from the grand stages of the world's opera houses to Broadway and music and television. He set the standard for theatrical and musical excellence. Robert Merrill was a favorite of U.S. Presidents, performing at the invitation of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan. He was the only singer to perform before Congress, the Cabinet and the Supreme Court, and Mrs. Roosevelt at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial service held in the U.S. Capitol. In 1968, President Johnson appointed him to the National Council on the Arts, and President Clinton awarded him the National Medal of Arts in 1993. Throughout his career, Merrill performed as a soloist with every major orchestra in the United States and many of the world's great conductors, including Arturo Toscanini, Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan. His annual coast-to-coast recitals included performances at such venues as Wolf Trap, the Hollywood Bowl, Philadelphia's Mann Music Center. Often referred to as ``America's Star Spangled Baritone,'' he was well known for singing the ``Star Spangled Banner'' at Yankee Stadium. In 1969, Merrill began singing the national anthem on opening day for the New York Yankees, a tradition that continued for over 25 years. In addition to his dedicated singing career, Robert Merrill also lent his talent and presence to community and local charities, including volunteer work at the New Rochelle Hospital and New Rochelle Public Library. For over 50 years, Robert and his wife, Marion, made New Rochelle, New York their home and were active supporters of West Chester Community College, the West Chester Arts Council and the New Rochelle Arts Council. Mr. Speaker, Robert Merrill spread his talents and love for the arts all over the country, enriching all who experienced his performances. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this great American by passing this legislation.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. I thank the chairman. Six years after the worst tragedy in our Nation's history, the pain that we all feel is still fresh. We remember the victims of this senseless attack, the parents, the siblings, spouses, children, friends, neighbors and coworkers, who lost their lives on September 11 for no reason other than an ideology of hatred directed at our country, at our values and our way of life. We hold a special place in our hearts for the men, women and children that died that day. The victims' friends and families are in our thoughts and prayers that they may find comfort by focusing on the blessings of the lives of the victims rather than on the tragedy of their deaths. In Congress and in the administration, it is our solemn duty to honor those who died on September 11 by implementing the policies, both at home and abroad, that will protect our citizens and our country and help others to avoid the devastation that results from losing a loved one.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the important and essential role that oncology nurses play in providing quality cancer care. Oncology nurses provide clinical, psychosocial and supportive care to patients and their families and are integral to our Nation's cancer care delivery system. I would like to specifically acknowledge Laura Benson from New Rochelle, New York, for her service on the Oncology Nursing Society Board of Directors, as treasurer, and her role as senior director of medical communications and medical information at OSI Pharmaceuticals. Laura, who received her bachelors, masters, and nurse practitioner degrees from Adelphi University, has served on the ONS Board of Directors for the past 3 years. Laura also served as the patient care consultant for Schering Oncology Biotech. In this capacity, she serviced all of Long Island, New York City, and Westchester County. The Oncology Nursing Society has 13 chapters in my home State of New York. These chapters serve the oncology nurses in the State and support them in their efforts to provide high-quality cancer care to patients and their families throughout New York. Laura has served as president of her chapter and was awarded ONS' AOCN of the Year award in 1999. I would like to once again acknowledge and thank Laura Benson for her hard work and leadership on the Oncology Nursing Society Board of Directors. As a nurse and leader in the field, Laura has made it her life's mission to help others, and she should be applauded for her accomplishments.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for your important leadership on this committee and to the ranking member. It's been a pleasure for me to work cooperatively in a bipartisan way. I rise in strong support of the conference report which will make us safer by increasing the amount of risk-based homeland security grants, screening 100 percent of maritime and aviation cargo and improving intelligence collection and information-sharing capabilities. I would also like to highlight the title on interoperability grants which completes the three-pronged interoperability proposal I put forward following September 11. The dedicated grant program will significantly enhance the ability of public safety agencies to plan, build, and maintain communications networks as they will no longer have to make impossible decisions such as whether to purchase personal protective equipment or radios. It will ensure that first responders will have more advance resources than those used by Paul Revere. This bill is a great victory for first responders. I rise in strong support of the conference report, which implements many of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, actions that should have been taken years ago. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee and the conference committee that resolved differences with the Senate, I know that many of us put a great deal of work into creating this legislation. I would like to thank Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King for their tireless work. I would also like to thank our leadership for making this the House's top priority. I would like to briefly outline a few of the many reasons why this bill makes our country safer. First, it mandates 100 percent scanning of all maritime cargo before it enters the U.S. The current system of scanning only some cargo when it has already entered the U.S. is inadequate. AI Qaeda and other terrorist organizations must be prevented from using a maritime cargo container to conceal a nuclear weapon. Many have stringently opposed this provision and have stated that they will not support the conference report because of the perceived impact on business. I would respond to this argument by stating the job of Congress is to protect the American people, not stand in the way of commonsense security measures to make it easier for the business community to ship containers. The cost to scan each container is minimal compared to the cost of value of goods shipped in each container. And the cost is nothing compared to the consequence of what would happen if terrorists were able to detonate a nuclear weapon in the U.S. Second, the bill greatly enhances aviation security efforts. Today, a great deal of cargo is placed on commercial aircraft without being screened. The bill closes this security loophole. It also authorizes $450 million per year for in-line explosive detection systems and provides a process for passengers who have been misidentified and placed on the ``no-fly'' or ``selectee'' lists to clear their names. Third, it augments intelligence collection and information sharing. The bill properly organizes intelligence gathering agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, to enable them to better communicate potential threats with local first responders. One of the best ways to prevent an attack is to increase our intelligence gathering capabilities. This bill will help to provide assistance to State and local fusion centers and counter-terrorism officials. The excellent work of the New York Police Department's counter-terrorism division to detect and prevent potential terrorist plots exemplifies what can be accomplished by local law enforcement agencies. Fourth, the bill advances our efforts to identify and protect critical infrastructure, one of the fundamental purposes of the Department of Homeland Security. The conference report includes provisions I proposed to review and update the National Asset Database and the subset National At-Risk Database. It also requires the Department to conduct annual critical infrastructure vulnerability assessments. These are only four of the many examples of how the bill makes our country more secure. I would like to detail two particular provisions which have been two of my highest priorities since the September 11 attacks--interoperability grants and the first responder funding formula for homeland security grants. Title III of the conference report completes the three-pronged interoperability proposal I first put forward following September 11. The Department of Homeland Security now has an office that coordinates first responder emergency communications efforts. It is in the process of implementing a national communications strategy, and this bill creates an interoperability grant program. Communications problems have plagued first responders in every major emergency in the last 15 years. We witnessed this 12 years ago in Oklahoma City. It resurfaced at Columbine in 1999. It slowed our response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. On September 11, it proved to be a deadly problem. Of the 58 firefighters who escaped the North Tower of the World Trade Center and gave oral histories to the Fire Department of New York, only three heard radio warnings that the North Tower was in danger of collapse. We will never know how many of the 343 firefighters who died that day while heroically rescuing thousands of workers were in the North Tower. Nor will we know how many of these lives would have been spared if they had had effective, interoperable communications equipment to receive the evacuation order. The provisions in the emergency communications grant title are long overdue. More than 10 years ago, the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee stated that, ``unless immediate measures are taken to promote interoperability, public safety agencies will not be able to adequately discharge their obligation to protect life and property in a safe, efficient, and cost effective manner.'' The 9/11 Commission included interoperability as one of its recommendations and the Public Discourse Project found that the Federal Government had made minimal progress on this priority. This legislation finally responds to the widely acknowledged vulnerabilities posed by poor communications capabilities. A dedicated grant program, which I first proposed following September 11, will significantly enhance the ability of public safety agencies to plan, build, and maintain communications networks as they will no longer have to make impossible decisions such as whether to purchase personal protective equipment or radios. This bill will not solve all of our interoperability problems. However, it will help to ensure that in the next emergency, our first responders are not left to the same strategies used by Paul Revere in 1775, which was sadly the case during Katrina just 2 years ago. This is a great victory for first responders. A second item which I have been fighting for years to improve is the first responder funding formula. Title I of the conference report increases the percentage of DHS grants that are allocated on the basis of risk. For far too long the Department has awarded 40 percent of formula grants to State governments without any consideration of risk. The conference report will eventually lower this amount to 18.52 percent in 5 years. On four occasions, the House passed legislation to increase the amount of risk-based funding, including an amendment that I added to the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill. The compromise we are considering today, while far from perfect, is the product of several years of negotiations between the two chambers. Even with the conference report, I will continue my efforts to improve the manner in which grants are awarded. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. After September 11, we experienced the cost of not being adequately prepared--the loss of almost 3,000 lives and tremendous economic impact. We must distribute homeland security funding on the basis of risk now so that areas most at risk have the resources to prevent and effectively respond to any potential attacks. Attacks against New York, Madrid, London, and Mumbai illustrate that terrorists target the areas in which they can inflict the most damage. The Federal Government's efforts to prepare and respond to terrorism should reflect this reality. In addition, Hurricane Katrina highlighted the need to allocate resources to the areas most vulnerable to any type of emergency situation. We cannot afford to use homeland security funding as a type of revenue sharing. This was one of the most prevalent recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. In 2005, the Commission gave the Federal Government an ``F'' for failing to allocate funding where it is needed. Had the provisions in the conference report been implemented prior to the date the report card was issued, this grade would have been better. Regardless of the amount of the percentage of risk-based funds, the Department must do a better job calculating risk. In the Fiscal Year 2007 Homeland Security Grant Program allocation process, the Department made many decisions that resulted in awarding what were supposed to be risk-based funds to areas that do not face a high threat of being attacked. I plan on introducing legislation that would improve the manner in which DHS calculates risk and awards funds, strengthening the first responder funding formula provisions in this conference report. In addition, I am disappointed that the conference report dropped the provisions that would have provided collective bargaining and other worker protections for Transportation Security Officers (TSOs). These provisions were included in both the House and Senate versions of the bill but were dropped from the conference report due to the President's misguided veto threat. Transportation Security Officers are on the front lines protecting our airports and airplanes. They should be given the basic worker protections enjoyed by other DHS personnel. They perform a crucial and often grueling job that requires training, experience, and patience. We need workers who have mastered the job and will make a career of helping to protect the flying public and our skies. That is why I am introducing stand-alone legislation today to provide the 42,000 screeners with basic worker protections. This would replace the increasing turnover and dissatisfaction with professionalism and a career path our screeners will pursue long-term. Highly trained and seasoned TSOs are part of our smart, comprehensive, and cost-effective efforts to prevent terrorist attacks and protect America's transportation system. In its July 2004 report, the 9/11 Commission concluded that we are safer than we were prior to September 11, 2001, but we are not safe. The same is true today. While we will never be able to eliminate all threats or vulnerabilities, the implementation of this conference report is a substantial step forward.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to put a statement in the Record expressing outrage at the continued violence and genocide in Darfur. Mr. Speaker, I rise today burdened by many emotions--sadness, disappointment, frustration and most of all, anger. Anger because it has been three years since Congress declared the atrocities occurring in Darfur to be genocide--and yet the violence continues. Anger because 2.5 million people are still displaced--living in camps, unable to return to their homes. Anger because humanitarian workers are even more endangered today--unable to deliver vital services to large swathes of the population. And anger because not a single individual has been brought to justice for these crimes. The crisis in Darfur requires sustained diplomatic action--including international pressure on those nations that support the Sudanese regime and allow President Bashir to equivocate on his promises. It is unacceptable that 3 years have passed and there is still insufficient protection for civilians on the ground. The AU/UN force must be deployed immediately. There is no time to waste. The people of Darfur have waited long enough.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The only purpose this amendment serves is to decrease access to family planning services and to mischaracterize the critical, life- saving work of Planned Parenthood affiliates. Let me be clear. Under current law, Title X funds can not be used to pay for abortions. Nothing in the underlying bill changes that. Therefore, I am left to assume that the services the sponsor of this amendment wishes to cut include family planning, cancer screening, prenatal care and deliveries, fertility information and support groups, and support and advocacy for victims of sexual assault. I am proud to defend the hundreds of Planned Parenthood affiliates, including the Hudson Peconic affiliate in my Congressional District. The dedicated work this affiliate and others like it engage in are the reason that more than five million men and women have access to any health care at all. Their commitment is something that should be recognized and commended, not demonized. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Thank you to Chairman Obey, Ranking Member Walsh, and their staff for their hard work in crafting this bill. At the start of the year, Chairman Obey asked us to consider not only the challenges of today, but those of the year ahead, and I believe the bill does just that. The bill addresses the appalling reality that 46 million people in this country lack health insurance by providing a $200 million increase for community health centers, $75 million for grants for States to develop plans to cover their uninsured, $75 million for States to create insurance pools for high-risk individuals. Furthermore, recognizing that one of the best ways to keep women healthy is to provide them with access to high-quality family planning services and other preventative health care, the bill provides a $27 million increase to the Title X family program for low-income women. The bill acknowledges that millions of students are shut out of college for financial reasons or lack of preparation in the early years and increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $200, restores proposed cuts to supplemental education grants, and increases both GEAR UP and TRIO. The bill provides desperately needed relief to after-school programs by increasing 21st Century Community Learning Centers by $125 million. As a result of the Republican-controlled Congress level funding this program for more than 5 years in a row, thousands of children, including more than 34,000 in New York could lose these programs if this increase isn't approved quickly. At a time when we're on the cusp of finding cures for some of the world's most devastating diseases, this bill increases our investment in biomedical research, and the bill provides a $700 million increase for NIH which would allow for hundreds of new research grants. However, I would be remiss if I didn't express my disappointment that the mark also includes an increase by the same amount for abstinence- only programs when there is mounting evidence questioning the accuracy of some of the curriculum taught in those programs. We all agree that we must teach our children that abstinence is the best way to prevent pregnancy and STDs. We should all also agree that abstinence-until-marriage programs must provide children with the most medically accurate information available. Unfortunately, study after study has found that many of these programs teach inaccurate and even harmful information to our young people. I also hope to work with Chairman Obey as the bill moves through the legislative process to reverse the potential damage of the large Workforce Investment Act reduction that was passed during Committee markup. If these cuts are enacted, New York could lose approximately $28 million in worker training funds. Despite these two concerns, this bill--for the first time in a number of years--takes big steps towards addressing some of our nation's most pressing challenges. I am proud to support it, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment and would like to thank Representative Dicks for providing over $320 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. Our contributions to the arts and humanities are the standard by which our history as a society will be measured. A strong public commitment to the arts and humanities, along with a dedication to freedom, is the hallmark of great civilizations. History has shown that religious and political freedoms go hand in hand with greater artistic and literary activity, and that the societies that flourish and have a lasting influence on humanity are those that encourage free expression in all of its forms. This is a lesson that resonates with people of every age, background, and belief, and one that we can guarantee our children learn. Our support for the arts and humanities also has a profound impact on our economy. In my Congressional District, there are close to 2,000 arts-related businesses, providing more than 9,000 jobs. This creates a substantial economic impact. Nationally, the arts industry generates $134 billion in economic activity, sustaining over 5.7 million jobs. Even more significant is the return on the investment for the American taxpayer. While the federal government spent just over $250 million on the NEA and NEH in Fiscal Year 2007, it collected over $24.4 billion in tax revenue related to the arts industry. Federal funding for the NEA and NEH is crucial to the arts community, helping leverage more state, local, and private funds. Clearly, the numbers show that investment in the arts is important not only to our national identity, but also to our national economy. Mr. Chairman, we must act decisively to commit ourselves to our national heritage and culture, by voting to properly fund the NEA and NEH. I urge my colleagues to support creativity and reflection, to support our economy, and to support the continued growth and expression of democracy in its fullest form by rejecting this amendment.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I'm delighted to yield 1 minute to Mr. Ellison.

Mrs. LOWEY. I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment. For years, many Members of Congress and activists, including the Maryknoll nuns based in my congressional district, fought to shut down the School of the Americas. The school's very existence was undermining United States efforts to promote civilian control of the military and respect for human rights in Latin America. So the Army closed the school of the Americas and reopened it a few weeks later with a new name, WHINSEC. Past questions about the School of the Americas has still not been resolved, giving us no basis on which to build a better, more credible, effective program at WHINSEC. We need to shine the light on the past of the School of the Americas in order to put WHINSEC on track to be a beacon of light for the militaries of Latin America. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mrs. LOWEY. I move to strike the last word, and I'm pleased to yield to my colleague, Mr. McGovern.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment. I agree with the intention of the amendment and thank my friend for raising this very important issue. I want to reiterate my support for the United Nations. I strongly believe in the mission of the United Nations. That plays an indispensable role in the world today. In fact, it has often been said that if the United Nations did not already exist, we would surely need to invent it. The U.N. plays an important role in maintaining international peace and security, promoting economic and social development, alleviating hunger, championing human rights, and supporting efforts to address humanitarian crises. However, the U.N. is by no means perfect. It is often too slow to act in times of crisis, and too often the U.N. is a reflection of the lowest common denominator, rather than the best and the brightest. A perfect example of the problems with the U.N. is the Human Rights Council. My friend and I agree that there are problems, and I want to assure my friend that as we move toward conference that we will ensure that none of the funds in the CIO account will go toward paying the costs of the United Nations Human Rights Council. And, again, I thank my friend. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield to my friend (Ms. Berkley).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express reservations regarding the gentleman's amendment. I do share his deep concern over the refusal of certain countries to extradite to the United States any individual indicted in the United States for killing a law enforcement officer. I certainly do not condone the refusal of those governments to extradite those accused of murdering a law enforcement officer in order to allow the families of fallen law enforcement officers to see the person or persons involved face justice. However, the remedy that the gentleman is proposing is not targeted at the central government but at all persons from those countries applying for a visa. I just have some reservations about punishing the people of a country because their government is doing something objectionable that goes against the way we would like to be seen in the world. But I am prepared to accept the amendment and bring this matter to conference.

Mrs. LOWEY. I rise to accept the amendment, and I thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I think this amendment is fiscally irresponsible, it will harm our national security, and I strongly oppose it. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word, and I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.