David Loebsack

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this important bill to establish a National Cancer Research Month. Sadly, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. This disease will claim the lives of almost 560,000 Americans and over 6,500 Iowans this year. However, the more we know about this deadly disease the more we can do to eradicate it. Research is the key to saving lives. I'm proud to represent the University of Iowa and commend them on their commitment to cutting edge research. The University just broke ground for the Iowa Institute for Biomedical Diversity, and the College of Public Health. Both facilities will work to research, develop and advance treatments for a wide array of human diseases, including cancer. We must encourage and support cutting edge cancer research so that lives are no longer lost to this disease. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Small Business Investment Expansion Act. Today's small business owners are leaders in job creation and economic development not only in Iowa, but across the country. Small businesses create 80 percent of new jobs in the United States, and they make up 97 percent of United States exporters. They are truly the backbone of our Nation's economy. Many of Iowa's communities are built upon the strength of small businesses, and ensuring that entrepreneurs have the resources and tools their businesses need to thrive is critical to their success. Yet access to capital is an increasingly common concern for new business owners. The Small Business Investment Expansion Act takes vital steps to reverse this trend. By increasing access to loans, capital, and Angel investors, this bill ensures that the Small Business Administration is an effective partner for our Nation's small businesses. It overhauls the Small Business Investment Company and the New Markets Venture Capital program to improve the efficiency of their resources for fledging enterprises. The Small Business Investment Expansion Act also creates a new Angel Investment program to provide seed financing to new businesses through public-private partnership. Through these changes, as well as renewed investments in under-served areas, this bill will provide small businesses with critically needed support. Small business owners are leaders in their communities, and innovative support programs are essential tools that help them to flourish. In my district, the Economic Development Center was established to help small businesses grow and succeed not only in Iowa's Second District, but across the State. To date, the EDC has assisted over 300 entrepreneurs; raised over $6 million in capital for its businesses; and helped to generate over $30 million for the region through the success of its businesses. In turn, EDC businesses created over 200 new jobs. I am a proud advocate of the Economic Development Center, and I believe that the Small Business Investment Expansion Act will help organizations such as the EDC to be even more effective partners with Iowa's--and our country's--small businesses.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan agreement that will provide health coverage to 10 million children. We have a moral obligation to protect and nurture our children. No child should go without health care. No child should go without regular checkups, preventive care, and treatment of illnesses. This legislation provides support to those who need it most, our children. And it is long overdue. This compromise secures coverage for the 37,000 children covered by Iowa's HAWK-I program. It also provides essential funding for the State of Iowa to reach the almost 27,000 children who are eligible for the program but remain uninsured. Mr. Speaker, healthy children are the foundation of our society and our economy. I sincerely hope that the President will change his mind, put the politics aside, and sign this critical legislation into law. The health, the well-being, and the lives of our children are at stake, and I support the rule.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Drug Endangered Children Act. Over the last 6 years, 7,500 drug-related child abuse cases were reported in Iowa. In 2004, over 1,700 of Iowa's children tested positive for illegal drugs. Two-thirds of them were under the age of 6. Nearly one-quarter were less than a year old. These statistics are staggering but they have a very real face. They represent Iowa's most vulnerable population--a population that demands not only our attention but our action. The Iowa Drug Endangered Children Program was established in 2004 to assist local communities in their efforts to protect the health and safety of children exposed to illegal, toxic drugs in their homes. In my district, Linn and Wapello counties have created community-based Drug Endangered Children programs in order to coordinate services and provide immediate intervention, long-term assistance, and follow-up care for children found in homes where illegal drugs are used, manufactured, or trafficked. Since 2001, 4,000 methamphetamine labs have been dismantled in Iowa. Roughly 30 percent of these labs were based in homes with children. State and local law enforcement, prosecutors, and child welfare organizations are dedicated to the protection of children found to be living in homes where dangerous and illicit drugs are present, but they cannot carry out this enormous and vitally urgent task on their own. This bill authorizes $20 million annually for the Drug Endangered Children grant program for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009. These grants will assist in the coordination of State and local agencies and will help to assure the swift and safe transition of children from dangerous homes to safe residences. We cannot sit by while almost 2 million children nationwide continue to live in homes where illegal drugs are present. This bill is an essential step toward assuring the health and safety of our Nation's children, and I strongly urge its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This memorial stands as one of the finest tributes to a generation of veterans our country has ever created. No person who has visited the memorial has been left untouched by the experience. It is an eloquent statement of gratitude to a generation of men and women who wore our country's uniform during a time of angst and uncertainty. As the memorial's designer, Maya Ying Lin, stated ``. . . this memorial is for those who have died, and for us to remember them.'' The Wall of Names, with 58,249 names inscribed on its face, is truly a place where all Americans--regardless of background, age, and personal beliefs--are able to come together to honor and remember those who served. Today, with this resolution, the House of Representatives once again pays tribute to those who served our Nation and remembers their sacrifice.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. This important legislation will provide thousands of Iowa's students and families with the financial support they need to attend college by increasing the purchasing power of the Pell grant. Next year the scholarship will increase by $490 and by 2012 the grant will reach $5,400. The bill also provides upfront tuition assistance and makes it easier for students who pursue careers as public school teachers. In Iowa, 36 percent of students who attend pubic 4-year schools graduate with unmanageable debt levels if they choose to take a teaching job in the State. As a college teacher in Iowa I regularly encountered students struggling to afford their education, and I'm certain that this bill makes the right investments at a critical time for our students. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and strongly support its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Reducing Barriers to Learning Act of 2007. Students come to school with diverse academic and non-academic needs. A student may have trouble reading, or have a chronic health condition or a disability. Students may have hearing problems or problems with their eyesight. They may have behavior problems. Some children may have experienced a tragedy or have family problems. They may live in poor conditions or be subject to violence in their homes or communities. It's abundantly clear that many students face severe barriers to learning. In order to reduce these barriers and help our children succeed in the classroom and in the community we must find a way to positively affect their social and emotional well being. A child is only prepared to learn when he or she is healthy and strong, both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, 20 percent of the 53 million children in school will, at some point, meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental illness at a level of impairment that requires some type of intervention. Thus, there is the potential that over 10 million children will need some type of help to meet the goals relating to emotional well-being in the No Child Left Behind legislation. The school can be an important site where the health and education risks of students may be identified. Early identification and intervention addressing a student's social and emotional health is essential. Many important services are provided by school counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, therapists, and many others. These individuals, commonly referred to as pupil services personnel, are lifelines to our children. Unfortunately, very little attention is paid to these personnel and the services they provide for struggling students. In fact, there is a shortage of school mental health positions. Current recommended ratios are 250 students per counselor; 400 students per social worker; and 1,000 students per psychologist. Unfortunately, reality does not match recommendations. Current national averages are 488 students per counselor and over 1,600 students per school social worker and psychologist. In Iowa, during the prior school year, 40 districts out of 365 did not have a school counselor. The State legislature recently reconstituted the mandate that every district have ``a'' counselor and included goal language that staffing levels work toward no more than 1 counselor for every 350 students. The ratio of students per school social worker is 2000 to 1. These shortages jeopardize a schools ability to provide broad-based mental health services to students. Unfortunately, very little attention is paid to these personnel and the services they provide for struggling students. This appears to be largely a reflection of a lack of leadership at the national, state, and local level. The Reducing Barriers to Learning Act of 2007 takes necessary steps toward increasing student access to critical services so that we can better address the nonacademic needs of students and reduce barriers to learning. The bill creates a grant program for State Education Agencies to build the capacity of Local Education Agencies to develop programs and personnel dedicated to removing barriers to learning. These grants will help recruit and retain coordinators at the local level; establish and expand instructional support services programs; and provide technical assistance regarding the effective implementation of instructional support services programs. The bill also establishes an Office of Specialized Instructional Support within the U.S. Department of Education. This office will administer, coordinate, and carry out programs and activities concerned with providing specialized instructional support services in schools. The office will provide technical assistance to State education agencies and State specialized instructional support coordinators, if any. It will also improve cross-agency coordination of services and programs supporting students who face barriers to learning. Finally, the bill simply clarifies conflicting terminology, definitions, and roles of specialized instructional support personnel. The personnel are known as ``pupil services personnel'' in the ESEA and as ``related services personnel'' in the IDEA, despite the fact that they are exactly the same professionals. This difference in terminology continues to cause confusion for school districts. Establishing one common statutory term would ease this confusion and would more accurately reflect the nature and purpose of the services that these professionals provide to students in schools. Knowing who is available to support struggling students in schools is essential. Connecting students in need with a professional who can assist them and be accountable to them is the only way to know that we will leave no child behind. The Reducing Barriers to Education Act of 2007 will take necessary steps toward increasing student access to critical support services and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of H.R. 3159, of which I'm a proud cosponsor. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from California and the chairman of the Armed Services Committee for their leadership on this issue. Just 14 months after returning from deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 833rd Engineer Company of the Iowa Army National Guard was again mobilized for combat duty in Iraq. The men and women of the 833rd have served with distinction. Yet, by providing inadequate and unpredictable rest between deployments, the Bush administration has broken our contract with our citizen soldiers. We have strained our troops, endangering both our men and women in uniform and our national security. Our servicemembers must have the dwell time necessary to be fully rested, trained and equipped. This bill provides the rest and predictability necessary to ensure the health of our Armed Forces, and I strongly urge its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act. This bill provides health care to those who most need it, our children. That's what this bill is about. The CHAMP Act means that the coverage of almost 50,000 children enrolled in Iowa's CHIP Program, called the Hawkeye program, will be secured. This bill also provides essential funding for the State to reach the almost 30,000 children who are eligible for the program but remain uninsured. In addition, the CHAMP Act would provide the State of Iowa with a new option to cover an additional 47,000 children who are aging out of Medicare and CHIP. No child should go without health care. No child should go without regular checkups, preventive care and treatment of illnesses. The CHAMP Act serves as a crucial health care safety net for low-income, uninsured children. That's what it's all about. And I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. As a freshman Member of this body, I believe it is critical that we restore the people's faith in the People's House. This bill will bring transparency to lobbyists' activities and the relationship between Members of Congress and those who seek to influence us. It is one in a series of steps we must take to change the status quo in Washington. Greater transparency, a willingness to change the way we do business, and adequate oversight are all essential elements of the reforms we have a responsibility to enact. The priorities of Iowa's Second District are my priorities as a Member of Congress. This bill is a step toward assuring my constituents, and all American citizens, that the House of Representatives remains in their hands.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in strong support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007. This bill will rectify the 5-4 Supreme Court decision in the case of Lilly Ledbetter and preserve worker's rights everywhere. Lilly Ledbetter was a female production supervisor at a Goodyear plant in Gadsden, Alabama. She worked for 19 years and retired in 1998. Six months prior to her retirement she filed a charge with the EEOC alleging various claims of sex discrimination. Despite receiving awards for top performance, Ms. Ledbetter received several unfair, negative evaluations and her pay dropped well below that of her male counterparts. Ledbetter's supervisor even admitted that one year her pay fell below the minimum threshold for her position. Ms. Ledbetter's case went to trial, and an Alabama court found in her favor, but Goodyear appealed and the case eventually went to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court tossed aside prior law and ruled against Ms. Ledbetter. This case has far reaching effects on all worker's civil rights. If an employee does not file a charge within 180 days of a discriminatory pay decision, the employer's pay decision is immunized. The employee must live with discriminatory pay for the rest of her tenure, and the employer reaps the financial benefits of unlawfully underpaying the employee. There are numerous problems with this line of reasoning. Employees often don't know about a discriminatory decision until it is too late. Pay disparities are difficult to discern. Many employers prohibit employees from discussing their salaries, and workplace norms warn against asking coworkers about their salaries. Additionally, a minor pay disparity adopted for discriminatory reasons in the beginning of a career may go unnoticed until, years later, after subsequent percentile adjustments, it is too large to ignore. This bill overturns the Ledbetter v. Goodyear decision and restores the longstanding interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and states that each paycheck that results from a discriminatory decision is itself a discriminatory act that resets the clock on the 180-day period within which a worker must file. This bill acknowledges the realities of the workplace and provides necessary protections to hardworking men and women. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I remember when this bill was signed into law in 1990. As an Iowan, I was proud to be represented in the United States Senate by Tom Harkin who helped lead the fight for this important legislation and is a true champion to people with disabilities. As an American, I was proud to be a part of a country that understood true equality and was unafraid to take steps toward achieving it. The ADA was one of the greatest victories in civil rights since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The effects of this legislation reverberated across the country as those who had been forced into the shadows and treated as second-class citizens were brought into the light and granted the rights and opportunities they long deserved. While we have made great strides, this fight is not over. Justin Dart Jr., who was widely recognized as ``the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act'' and ``the godfather of the disability rights movement,'' once wrote, ``ADA is only the beginning. It is not a solution. Rather, it is an essential foundation on which solutions will be constructed.'' This Congress is ready to answer Justin's call to action. I am a proud cosponsor of the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 which was introduced earlier today by Majority Leader Hoyer. In recent years, the Supreme Court has slowly chipped away at the broad protections of the ADA and has created a new set of barriers for Americans with disabilities. Under the cramped interpretation of the ADA by the courts, a broad range of people with physical and mental impairments have been held not to be ``disabled enough'' to gain the protections of the law. This is not what Congress intended when it passed the ADA. The ADA Restoration Act focuses on the discrimination that people experience rather than focusing on their ability to prove that they have a disability. I'm also proud to be a co-sponsor of the Community Choice Act which would provide community-based supports for persons with disabilities and older Americans. This legislation just makes sense--it gives individuals more options to remain in their own communities, and their own homes, rather than having to be placed in a nursing home or other institution. These bills continue to move us forward and closer to our goals. We are building a momentum that will be impossible to stop. I encourage all of my colleagues to commit to keep the ADA strong. Congress must continue the fight for equal rights for all people.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pride to welcome home the Iowa Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry. The Ironman Battalion returns to Iowa today after a 22-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While serving in al-Anbar province, the Ironman Battalion provided transportation security for more than one-third of the fuel used by coalition forces in Iraq. It is with a heavy heart that I note that the 133rd Infantry lost two soldiers. I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to their families and loved ones. Now that the 133rd has returned home, we must honor their service by providing for their health care and productive futures. Our commitment to these citizens must extend throughout their lives. On behalf of the Second District of Iowa, I thank the soldiers of the 133rd Infantry for their service. It is with great pride and gratitude that we welcome them home today.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for House Concurrent Resolution 175, of which I--along with the entire Iowa delegation--am a cosponsor. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Iowa for his leadership on this issue. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that courts should take into consideration the expression of clear intent by a member of the United States Armed Forces regarding the distribution of death gratuity payments to their surviving children. Such payments are intended to provide for the immediate needs of the survivors of deceased servicemembers. However, under current law, children cannot directly receive the payments until the age of 18, even if they are designated as the recipient by the servicemember. The wishes of those who serve our country should be honored to the greatest extent possible. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I am proud that the fiscal year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act passed by this House allows servicemembers to designate up to 50 percent of their benefit payment to someone other than a spouse or child, thereby assuring that children under the care of individuals or family members other than the servicemember's spouse are properly provided for by the gratuity system. This resolution reaffirms the commitment of Congress to providing for the children of those who have served our country, and I strongly urge its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Campaign Expenditure Transparency Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill, which prohibits candidates' spouses from being compensated for campaign work. To put it simply, no candidate or their spouse should ever use campaign contributions for personal gain. To do so would be to break the trust American citizens place in our country's political process. While most candidates run their campaigns ethically and responsibly, even the suggestion that a single candidate has violated campaign finance regulations or has acted unethically in any way, taints the confidence the American people have in their elected officials. I strongly believe that we must act decisively to bring greater transparency and oversight to the campaign finance system. I also support fully transparent and publicly financed campaigns. The priorities of my constituents are my priorities as a Member of Congress, and the political process should belong to them. Greater oversight and regulation is vital to ensuring the integrity of the electoral system. This bill is an important step, and I strongly urge its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy with the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, for decades during the Cold War, hundred of thousands of Department of Energy employees, including thousands of workers at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in my district, worked diligently at our Nation's nuclear weapons facilities. These men and women worked with radioactive and other hazardous materials, and some ultimately sacrificed their health for the security of our Nation. In response, Congress enacted the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act to provide compensation and medical benefits to these former nuclear employees. The intent of this act was to honor and care for Cold War veterans who became ill while working at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant and other DOE facilities. However, due to mismanagement and delays, the compensation program has only paid 11,829, or 23 percent, of the 51,188 claims that have been filed nationwide. My constituents, and thousands of former DOE employees like them, have been subjected to bureaucratic red tape and unfair burdens of proof, delaying their compensation and even, in some cases, preventing them from filing claims. Congress made clear in enacting the compensation program that our Nation's Cold War heroes should be justly compensated for the illnesses they contracted while serving our country. Sadly, the Department of Labor has failed to ensure that the claims are properly processed and approved. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully request your assistance in asking the Department of Labor to report to Congress on the administration of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, and specifically, I believe it is vital that the Secretary provide Congress with information concerning, first, the length of time it takes to process and evaluate a claim; second, the reasons behind the current backlog in processing these claims; third, the staffing of the relevant offices assigned to administer the program; fourth, the quality of communication with claimants; fifth, the process through which claims are approved or denied, as well as the oversight currently in place to assure that claims are handled properly; and sixth, the possibility of providing greater assistance through the Department of Labor to those wishing to file claims, many of whom are elderly and in poor health. Our Nation's former nuclear workers are truly among the unheralded heroes of the Cold War. We owe them and their families better than bureaucratic red tape, and I would greatly appreciate your assistance in assuring that the Department of Labor remains committed to providing these workers with the recognition, treatment and compensation they deserve.

Mr. LOEBSACK. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Reclaiming my time, I thank the chairman for his willingness to address this important issue and look forward to working with him. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman and look forward to working with him on this issue. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, today Norman Borlaug received the Congressional Gold medal, the highest civilian award that Congress may bestow. I'm extremely proud to be able to celebrate this great honor with Dr. Borlaug, a native Iowan and a true humanitarian. Dr. Borlaug was born on his grandparent's farm in Saude near Cresco, Iowa. The lessons he learned there stayed with him throughout his life. His desire for knowledge and his dedication to helping those in need led him to Mexico after his studies. There he worked tirelessly and created high yield wheat varieties which enabled the country to become self-sufficient and improved the lives of countless poor farmers. Dr. Borlaug became the ``Father of the Green Revolution,'' and in 1970 he was recognized for his extraordinary advancements in agriculture and received the Nobel Peace Prize. He continues to work to alleviate hunger across the world and has saved countless lives. He is truly deserving of the Congressional Gold medal. Dr. Borlaug is an inspiration to us all.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007. I applaud Mr. Kildee and Mr. Duncan for their impressive work on this bill and I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this important legislation. As a result of this legislation, public safety officers--police officers, fire fighters, and EMTs--will be able to discuss workplace issues and collectively bargain with their employers. Public safety officers in Iowa and across our nation regularly put themselves in harms way and risk their lives so that we are safe. It's only right that they have a say in the decisions that affect their lives and their livelihoods. They should be able to negotiate for wages, hours, and safe working conditions. This legislation has strong bipartisan support. It's the right thing to do and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for the Passport Backlog Reduction Act. Our country's passport system is broken. The backlog in processing passport applications has been a severe burden on businesses and families. My constituents have been forced to cancel or delay travel plans; pay thousands of dollars for international flights they were unable to board; and lose deposits on accommodations they were unable to use. The current situation is unacceptable. The administration had 3 years to plan for the new passport requirements, yet the Department of State was caught flat-footed by the surge in applications. Eliminating the backlog as swiftly as possible should be a matter of priority for the State and Homeland Security Departments, and new passport requirements for land and sea travel should not be enacted until the staffing infrastructure is in place to do so. This bill allows the State Department to re-hire retired Foreign Service employees to staff passport processing centers. By providing access to highly qualified staff, this bill will assist the State Department in reducing the backlog in passport applications. The administration's lack of foresight and planning has created significant problems for families in Iowa and across the Nation. I strongly urge the passage of this bill as a crucial step towards fixing our country's passport system.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for this resolution honoring the humanitarian work of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. In February of this year, southern Iowa was hit by a devastating ice storm that caused massive damage and left tens of thousands of people without electricity or heat in the middle of winter, some for more than ten days. The Red Cross moved expeditiously to set up vitally needed shelters and coordinated with state and local governments to ensure that the needs of those affected by the storm were met. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, I had the opportunity to tour Red Cross shelters throughout my district and to meet with Red Cross volunteers. I was enormously impressed with the Red Cross's rapid, thorough, and compassionate response to the disaster, which affected everyone of my constituents. On behalf of the Second District of Iowa, I would like to extend my thanks to the Red Cross for the services they provided in the aftermath of the February storms. This resolution recognizes the type of work I saw the Red Cross carrying out first-hand, and I strongly urge its passage.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today it was reported that al Qaeda is as strong now as it was prior to the 9/11 attacks. Meanwhile, our troops who have served with honor and distinction are mired in the middle of a religious civil war in Iraq. The men and women of Iowa's National Guard have faced multiple redeployments at great sacrifice to them and their families. The American people continue to demand a new way forward in Iraq. Even Members of the President's own party are demanding change. We must immediately begin to chart a new course. I'm a cosponsor of the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act because it provides for the safe withdrawal of combat troops by April 1, 2008. We must bring home our troops safely and responsibly. We must also redirect our efforts against terrorism. This bill represents a step forward, and I urge its passage and the rule.