Stephen Lynch

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, seeing no further speakers on this matter, I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague and friend, Michael Capuano, for as much time as he may consume.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to another friend of Red Sox Nation, part of Red Sox Nation from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney).

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, before I yield additional time, I just want to relate anecdotally how the extent of the Red Sox Nation is expanding. About a month ago I happened to visit Afghanistan and Pakistan. And while in Afghanistan, I traveled with the 173rd Airborne up in a little place called Nahre. It's about 8,000 feet up into the mountains of Afghanistan. And while I was there, the helicopter, it was not pressurized so it only took us up so far, and then we had to walk up a little ways to the outpost where the 173rd was conducting operations on the Pakistani border, and when we were approaching the camp, there were a group of Afghani villagers off to the righthand side digging a ditch. And while most of them had the traditional headdress of the Afghans at that time on in their project, I did notice one gentleman, an Afghani, probably about 30 years old. And on close inspection, there he was, 8,000 feet in the mountains of Afghanistan, an Afghani villager wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap. And that is an indication of how widespread and popular the movement behind the Red Sox has become. And in closing, I would just like to thank the Red Sox organization. As a corporate citizen, its owners, its managers, its players, coaches, there is no shortage of kindness that they have shown to every cause. From Curt Schilling's support of ALS and the efforts against that disease, David Ortiz and his efforts to help alleviate the effect of the hurricanes in the Dominican Republic, there's no shortage of kindness and good citizenship that has been exhibited by this organization. We recognize them for their excellence. Mr. Speaker, at this point, in a moment of questionable wisdom, I am actually going to yield to a Mets fan, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner), for 1 minute, because I am not quite sure what he might say.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 782) expressing the sense of the House with respect to the Boston Red Sox victory in the 2007 Major League Baseball World Series.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the House and in the Senate and my mom and dad and the entire Red Sox Nation in consideration of House Resolution 782, a bill that congratulates the Boston Red Sox baseball team, our beloved Boston Red Sox baseball team, for winning the 2007 Major League Baseball World Series. House Resolution 782 was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Michael Capuano. The Boston Red Sox baseball team did indeed win their second World Series in four seasons, defeating the Colorado Rockies 4-3 in game four at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, on Sunday, October 28, 2007. The Red Sox are the first team in this century to win multiple championships since the year 2000. Kevin Youkilis, the first baseman for the Red Sox said, ``Pitching will lead you all the way,'' and that was it, great pitching and timely hitting. This team is now rightfully the best team in baseball. The Red Sox won the 2004 and 2007 World Series under the great management of Terry Francona. We in Red Sox Nation wish to congratulate the management of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, the players, the coaches, the fans and the entire Red Sox community. I commend my colleague, Representative Capuano, and Fenway Park is actually in his district. I want to thank him for congratulating the Boston Red Sox for winning the 2007 Major League Baseball World Series. From all the members of the delegation, we appreciate his hard work on this matter. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 787) expressing the support and sympathy of the House of Representatives and the people of the United States for the victims of the tragic fire that occurred in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, on October 28, 2007.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre).

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague, Mr. James Clyburn, of South Carolina.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H. Res. 787 which expresses the support and sympathy of the House of Representatives of the people of the United States for the victims of the tragic fire recently that occurred in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. House Resolution 787, which has 66 cosponsors, was introduced by my friend and colleague Mr. James Clyburn. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, October 28, 2007, seven college students perished in a fire in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. They were victims of an early morning fire that engulfed a two-story house. There were also six survivors who were hospitalized but later released. Of the seven students who perished, six were from the University of South Carolina, and one was from Clemson University. We in this Congress express our heartfelt sympathy for the victims, their families and the campus communities that have been affected. These students were among our best and brightest. Their striving, their aspirations, and the hope and support of their families, especially their parents, for their future embodies a shining example of what is best about America. The Ocean Isle Beach's fire claimed the precious lives of seven young people who had so much to live for and so much to give. We express our deepest sympathy to the victims and their families. Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague Representative Jim Clyburn for seeking to express the deepest sympathy of the House of Representatives on this sad occasion, and I urge the swift passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I'm pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H. Res. 728, which is a bill that expresses the support and sympathy of the House of Representatives and the people of the United States for the victims of the devastating floods that swept across Ohio in August of 2007. H. Res. 728, which has 51 cosponsors, was introduced by my friend, Representative Jim Jordan, on October 10, 2007. H. Res. 728 was reported from the Oversight Committee on October 23, 2007, by voice vote. Mr. Speaker, during the week of August 19, 2007, Ohio received over 15 inches of rain in a violent storm that swept across the State. Firefighters and volunteers from that State performed great acts of heroism in rescuing people from life-threatening conditions. The storm caused major flooding that damaged many homes and businesses, and the water forced at least 500 families from their homes in several northern Ohio towns. Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio declared states of emergency in nine counties in northwest and north central Ohio. This was, indeed, the worst flooding for Ohio since 1913. I now rise in support of the victims in this disaster and to commend the State, local and Federal officials and emergency personnel for their response to this crisis situation. I commend my colleague, Representative Jordan, for seeking to express support and sympathy for the Ohio flood victims. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend and colleague, Ms. Marcy Kaptur from Ohio, for as much time as she may consume.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 728) expressing the support and sympathy of the House of Representatives and the people of the United States for the victims of the devastating flooding that occurred across many parts of Ohio in August 2007 and commending the communities, volunteer organizations, churches and emergency response agencies for their continuing work to restore the affected areas across the state.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I do want to encourage my colleagues across the aisle to remember the history here. It was not long ago that the previous VA Secretary, Mr. Nicholson, came before this House and complained that the VA was $1.1 billion in the red. That was under a House Leadership that was Republican, and that left short many of the needs of our veterans. It was when the Democrats in January took over that we pushed this largest single appropriations bill in the history of the VA to address all of those unmet needs, and I just asked my colleagues across the aisle to work with us. No one is complaining here today about the content of that bill or the process that brought it to this floor. Many of the ideas in that bill are part and parcel of what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would hope for. We just need to work together today to get this bill to the floor, get it done, and get it to the President for his signature.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that the American people understand what exactly is going on here. This is not about the Clinton administration. It is not about Blackwater. I just want to touch on a few facts here. Number one, $450 billion has already been committed by this President and his administration toward the war in Iraq. Recently, the President has come back to us with a request for an additional $150 billion also to be spent in Iraq on, among other things, schools, roads, bridges, power plants, water treatment facilities, not in the United States, but in Iraq. Now, Congress, our responsibility here, we have the power of the purse. The power of the purse is not simply the power to open the purse, but it also includes the duty and the obligation to inspect appropriations and to inquire whether or not this country, this government, who has had the benefit of, if the bill goes through, it will be $600 billion, we have the duty to inquire whether that government is corrupt. We received several reports, one from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, Mr. Stuart Bowen, who indicates there is widespread corruption. There is a commission headed by General James Jones, United States Marine Corps, indicating there is widespread corruption in Iraq among the government, and again by Comptroller General David Walker, who indicated, again, there is widespread corruption in Iraq. We have requested, in response to these reports, testimony and documents from the State Department. They have said ``no.'' They have said, no, they would not testify; they would not give us documents. Chairman Waxman had to join with the committee and we issued four subpoenas. They were joined in by my respected colleague from Virginia (Mr. Davis) who agreed that he would support the subpoenas, as well. However, they did not give us all the documents. The witnesses came forward, but refused to testify as to the level of corruption in Iraq. They have denied Congress the access to the information we need. There's a strong irony here; it is inescapable to me. The State Department has retroactively classified two reports by its own officials regarding Iraqi corruption. Do you know, it is ironic, the name of the office inside the U.S. Embassy that wrote those reports? It is the Office of Accountability and Transparency. They have refused to give us information. They are the ones who are supposed to be teaching the Iraqi Government how to be more transparent, how to be more accountable to their own government. What about the other report the State Department classified, basically has hidden from the American people? Who issued that one? The Government Accountability Office. The statement retroactively classified that one, too. If this were not so serious, it would be laughable. These offices were set up with the express mission of calling the government to account, not only the Government of Iraq but also the Government of the United States. This effort to classify this information has been done for the express purpose of saving the Maliki government from embarrassment because of the allegations of corruption regarding their officials. So here we are supposed to be exporting democracy, but what we are doing here now is covering up for a corrupt government at the expense of the American people. And the irony runs deep. The Bush administration says we are in Iraq to spread democracy and the rule of law; but, instead, it appears that we are, indeed, complicit with the corruption that is going on in the Maliki government. I question how it makes America look not only to Iraqis but to our own citizens. I believe it does render us complicit. It harms our core mission. It does not win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis. It loses them. America must lead by action and by example, not by suppressing public discussing of corruption in government.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairwoman for the courtesy that has been extended to me, and I also look forward to working together on this very important issue.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairwoman, and I rise for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy with the gentlewoman from New York. First of all, Madam Chairman, I would like to thank you for your efforts to increase funding for nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, demining and related programs. My amendment would have targeted a specific increase for the counterterrorism program within the nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, demining and related programs account. This vital program was only funded at the President's request of $6 million, which is actually a reduction from the $7.4 million in last year's budget. I appreciate the good work done by the chairwoman and by the committee in meeting the President's request. I understand that. But the President has not done a sufficient job in the area of counterterrorism, and there has been actually a reduction in this area. As the cochair of the Task Force on Terrorism and Proliferation Financing, I have joined many of my colleagues, including the Chair, in meetings and hearings facing the challenges that we confront in the United States Government in battling terrorist financing. Since the attacks on 9/11 Congress and this committee have taken significant steps towards utilizing investigation and data collection regarding terrorist financing as a viable intelligence tool for disrupting the financing of terrorist activities. Nevertheless, terrorists' proven ability to move money through innovative means necessitates continued progress in this critical counterterrorism area. Al Qaeda's strength, for example, rests in its ability to continually adapt to U.S. tactics, and thus it requires greater innovation and greater resources in order to develop new strategies to counter those efforts. In April, I had an opportunity to organize a trip to the Middle East where we met with high-ranking banking officials to discuss the issue of anti-terrorism financing in Jordan, in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in Istanbul, Turkey. I believe that through international financial pressure, we can effect real change in the policies of other countries towards these terrorist groups. In the parts of the world where financial restrictions would have the greatest impact, unfortunately, U.S. influence is at its lowest. On the other hand, however, I know from our own experience that these countries do want to participate in the global economy. Thus, we have seen that these countries are more likely to adopt transparency in their finance laws for the purpose of gaining legitimacy in the eyes of global investors rather than simply responding to U.S. pressure. By allocating more resources to induce anti-money-laundering compliance and transparency, we can make significant gains in tracking terrorists and cutting off their funding. While we made some progress, considerable work remains to be done in regulating, for instance, the hawala system, which is an informal transfer system used extensively in the Middle East, because anytime you have a lack of transparency and a lack of accountability regarding the movement of funds, there is a great likelihood that terrorists and criminals can harness the system for their own gain. By closing off legitimate financial markets for terrorists, we force them to change tactics that are less secure and oftentimes easier to track. A perfect example is the example of December 14 and the arrest of Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh at the border crossing into Gaza from Egypt carrying an estimated $30 million in cash in suitcases for the Palestinian Authority and for Hamas. The reason that Hamas has to operate that way is because financial markets were not available to them. Instances like these highlight the importance and indeed the benefit of focusing on counterterrorism financing efforts. In essence, I am greatly concerned that the President is not doing enough and that by meeting the President's request, we here are not doing enough to stop the financing of terrorist operations. Mr. Chairman, I would yield back to the gentlewoman from New York for a response.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of a good friend and tremendous labor leader, Joseph A. Dart. Joe has dedicated his life to improving the lives of working men and women throughout Massachusetts. Joining Local 257 Painter & Allied Trades in 1974, Joe's hard work and leadership skills propelled his rise through the ranks. In 1980, Joe became a Business Agent and the following year advanced to Business Manager. By 1985, Joe held the position of President of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council. Joe's ability to advance his union and provide the fellow members of his trade with employment exemplifies the characteristics in which all members of the Building Trades should strive. Between 1994 and 1996, Joe added three new positions to his impressive list of accomplishments, all of which he holds to this day. In 1994, Joe became President of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, an organization which is comprised of 72 local unions and 10 Local Building Trades Councils representing 75,000 construction trades men and women in Massachusetts. In 1995, Joe became Co-Chair of the Labor-Management Construction Safety Alliance, where he succeeded in passing the OSHA 10-Hour Law requiring all construction workers on public projects to be trained in safety. In 1996, Joe became the Executive Vice President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Throughout his career in the Building Trades, Joe has been an advocate for workers rights and fought to provide his fellow brothers and sisters of labor with fair wages and skilled training. Joe has negotiated dozens of Project Labor Agreements to guarantee good wages, hours, and working conditions on massive construction sites. These agreements have also guaranteed employers access to a skilled workforce and eliminated labor relations problems. In 1988, Joe was instrumental in defeating a ballot question, which was intended to remove Prevailing Wage Laws in the state of Massachusetts. Ten years later, Joe was essential in the passage of an amendment to the Massachusetts Payment of Wages Law, which increased penalties on employers who willfully and intentionally violated payment rights of employees. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor to join with Joe's family, friends and brothers and sisters of labor to thank him for his incredible dedication and commitment to the fight for workers' rights and service to the American Labor Movement. I hope my colleagues will join me in celebrating Joe's distinguished career and wishing him good health and success in all his future endeavors.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of my longtime friend and fellow brother of the Building Trades, Dana J. Kelly. Dana is a remarkable labor leader with a long and illustrious career in Local 537 Pipefitters Association of Boston. Throughout his tenure, Dan has dedicated his efforts to improving the lives of working men and women throughout Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, Dana joined Local 537 in March of 1965 while attending Charlestown High School in Boston, Massachusetts. Dana's attention to detail and craftsmanship led him to become a welding instructor for Local 537. As a result of his dedication to this craft, Dana attended and graduated from the United Association's 5 year Instructor Training Program at Purdue University. After 18 years of dedicated work and leadership, Dana was elected in both 1983 and 1985 to serve on the Executive Board to Local 537. In 1985 he was appointed Organizer of Local 537, a position he held for the next 13 years. Due to his unique leadership abilities, Dana as designated Chairman of the New England Pipe Trades Action Committee which coordinated organizing efforts throughout New England. In 1998, Dana was elected Assistant Business Manger of Local 537 and held this position for 2 terms. In 2004, he was elected Business Manager and Financial Secretary Treasurer. Despite his various accomplishments, as his friend, I can honestly say that the title that Dana s always been most proud of and which he cherishes most, is that of husband and father. Dana has had the tremendous good fortune and distinct honor to be married to his wife Linda. Together, Linda and Dana have three wonderful children and four beautiful grandchildren. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to join Dana's family, friends and brothers and sisters of labor to thank him for over 40 years of remarkable service to the American Labor Movement. I hope my colleagues will join me in celebrating Dana's distinguished career and wishing him good health and success in all his future endeavors.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Boston Higashi School's 20th anniversary. Since 1987, the Boston Higashi School has been treating children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Their dedicated work helps students benefit from and contribute to society while bringing hope and joy to their families. Autism, a lifelong, nonprogressive developmental disability, results from still unspecified impairments to normal brain development. Impairments in social interaction, communication and in the capacity for imaginative and symbolic thinking characterize this syndrome. Autism varies in severity from person to person. Therefore, individuals are often described as having autism spectrum disorder. The Boston Higashi School bases its philosophy in the world-renowned tenets of Daily Life Therapy developed by the late Dr. Kiyo Kitahara of Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Kiyo Kitahara's method provides children with systematic education through the intermingling of academics and technology, as well as art, music and physical education. This educational approach is intended to help individuals achieve social independence and dignity. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor to take the floor of the House today to join with the faculty, students and families of this fine institution in celebrating the school's 20 years of dedicated service. I would like to commend their perseverance and patience in coping with the day-to-day realities of this disorder and wish them well. I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing the mission and accomplishments of the Boston Higashi School and its dedication to helping students and their families.