Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and I rise in support of this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3920, the Trade Globalization Assistance Trade Act of 2007. This legislation would overhaul the current Trade Adjustment Assistance, TAA, program to better meet the needs of American workers and communities affected by globalization. This legislation passed the Ways and Means Committee by the strong bipartisan vote of 26-14 and I hope that we are able to provide a similar bipartisan vote again here today. After years of trade policies that all too often diminished the importance of our workforce, today's legislation will rightfully support the working men and women in our country. Specifically, H.R. 3920 would expand Trade Adjustment Assistance coverage to more workers, including service workers, and substantially improve the program's training opportunities and associated health care benefits. The bill also creates new benefits and tax incentives for industries and communities that have been hit hard by trade. Finally, the legislation would promote long-needed reforms to the unemployment insurance system, recognizing that all unemployed workers, not just those who lose their jobs because of trade, deserve our support in getting back on their feet. I congratulate Chairman Rangel for bringing forth this important legislation and I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3963, a revised version of the Children's Health Insurance bill which the President vetoed on October 3 despite strong bipartisan support. Like the original, this bill ensures health care coverage for 10 million children. This bill will preserve coverage for all 6.6 million children currently covered and will reach millions more children who are currently eligible but not yet enrolled. It is vital that we pass this important legislation to ensure that our nation's children receive the health care they deserve. We cannot allow our children to slip through the cracks. An overwhelming majority of the American people and Governors of both parties support our efforts to provide health insurance for our children. Democrats have reached out to Republicans to craft this revised bill to address concerns that were raised with the original bill. Today's vote will give the American people the opportunity to see whether these were legitimate concerns or merely political excuses. This revised bill gives the President another opportunity to protect America's most vulnerable children. Let's send the President this bill giving him the chance to finally get this right. I encourage my colleagues to join me in fulfilling our moral obligation to our nation's children by supporting this bill and giving them the health care they need and deserve.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, as a co-chair and co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, I want to welcome Mr. Alexis Galanos, mayor of Famagusta, Cyprus, to Washington, DC. Mr. Galanos has an important message to share with those of us in Congress about how his city became a ``ghost town'' when Cyprus was invaded in 1974 by Turkey. Famagusta is a symbol of a divided Cyprus and a crystallization of the situation there since the invasion. Famagusta was a thriving port city in Cyprus until 1974. Its industrial sector supplied vital jobs to the nearby population, and it was an important tourist destination. In 1973, 88.9 percent of all imports and 73.6 percent of all exports went through Famagusta. Tragically, a few short weeks after Turkey invaded Cyprus, Famagusta was bombed relentlessly by Turkish troops. Greek Cypriots fled in terror, and the city was sealed off with barbed wire fences by Turkish forces. Ultimately, 45,000 citizens of Famagusta became refugees in their own country, losing their land, businesses, homes, and neighbors. As a result of the Turkish invasion and occupation, 160,000 Greek Cypriots, amounting to 70 percent of the population of the occupied area and over a quarter of the total population, were forcibly expelled from their homes and approximately 5,000 Cypriots were killed. More than 1,400 Greek Cypriots, including four Americans of Cypriot descent, remain missing and unaccounted for since the Turkish invasion. Sadly, since the invasion, churches, monasteries, and cultural artifacts have been destroyed, looted, vandalized, and illegally excavated. Many of these priceless items have been sold on the black market. Today, thirty-three years later, Turkey continues forcibly to occupy more than one-third of Cyprus with more than 43,000 Turkish troops. It is time for Turkey to remove its troops from the island so that Cyprus can move forward as one nation. Just this month, we passed legislation introduced by my fellow co- chair, Representative Gus Bilirakis, which expresses the strong support of the House of Representatives for the implementation of the July 8, 2006, UN-brokered agreement between President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat relating to the reunification of Cyprus. I believe that passage of this resolution will be a positive influence in moving this process forward in preparation for new comprehensive negotiations leading to the unification of Cyprus within a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. Additionally, I have introduced H. Res. 407, which expresses the strong support of the House of Representatives for the positive actions by the Republic of Cyprus aimed at opening additional crossing points along the cease-fire line, thereby contributing to efforts for the reunification of the island. The people of Cyprus, and Famagusta, deserve a unified and democratic country, and I remain hopeful that a peaceful settlement will be found so that the division of Cyprus will come to an end. Once again, I want to acknowledge Mayor Galanos for being a tireless advocate on behalf of the exiled citizens of Famagusta

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to join the Hellenic- Americans and Philhellenes in my district and throughout the country in celebrating ``OXI Day (No Day),'' which falls on the 28th of October. This year marks the 67th anniversary of a very important day in Hellenic history, the day on which brave Greek patriots said ``No'' to fascism, ``No'' to injustice, and ``No'' to slavery. For those individuals who lived through that momentous period and their descendants, many of whom live in the 14th Congressional District of New York, ``OXI Day'' is more than a memory: it is the embodiment of Hellenism and its highest ideals. At dawn on October 28, 1940, General lonnas Metaxas was confronted with an ultimatum. An Italian ambassador delivered a message directly from General Mussolini demanding that Greece allow Axis forces to enter Greek territory and occupy certain unspecified ``strategic locations'' or face war. General Metaxas simply replied ``No!'' and committed the brave people of Greece to resistance against Axis oppression. With level-headed determination and steadfast resolve, the citizenry of Greece mobilized. Men went calmly to their closets and retrieved their military uniforms and weapons. Women went about their necessary tasks, and the children assisted as they were able. On OXI Day, the people of Greece chose the harder path, the path of resistance. That brave generation of Hellenes refused to submit to oppression even at the cost of their homes, their land, and their lives. Theirs was an act of self-sacrifice that clearly proclaimed the humanitarian ideals of their Orthodox Christian faith and their ethnic heritage. The Greeks' brave defense of their land was a crucial turning point in the Axis eastern advances. Dogged resistance by Greek patriots weakened Axis morale and derailed the Nazi war effort by delaying the eventual attack on Soviet Union. The Greeks' sacrifice will forever be remembered and honored by the free nations of the world. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting the heroes of OXI Day. In their brave words and deeds we see all of the highest virtues of Hellenic heritage: passion for justice, courage at a time of trial, unity in the midst of conflict, and willingness to sacrifice one's life for the good of others. On this day, we thank Greece for saying ``OXI.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2868, bipartisan legislation that would enhance the competitiveness of U.S. capital markets by allowing exchanges to establish developmental tiers to expand listing opportunities in the U.S. for smaller companies. H.R. 2868 would remove the barrier to creating developmental listing tiers on several of the major exchanges in the U.S. by amending Section 18 of the National Securities Markets Improvement Act (NSMIA). Under the bill, all securities listed on a developmental tier would be subject to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversight and state blue-sky regulations in an effort to uphold investor protections. Right now, the inability to develop an additional, developmental tier can be a significant impediment to an exchange's ability to compete in the global marketplace. These barriers make our markets less competitive for small cap listings and can drive companies to list outside the United States. London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) for example, is attracting capital worldwide and recruiting U.S. IPO's. According to a recent International Herald Tribune report, companies listed on London's AIM raised $30 billion in capital in 2006. The exchange has tripled its number of listed companies to 1,640 since 2000, with about one-third of them international. A total of 63 companies worth about $11 billion are from the United States--the highest representation on AIM. The U.S. must take the necessary steps to maintain our capital markets as the premiere choice for companies large and small, within our country and throughout the world. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) previously offered a developmental tier through Arca, but is currently in the process of getting out of that business, while the AMEX has expressed an interest in developing a second tier. I am proud to co-sponsor H.R. 2868, which was introduced by my esteemed colleagues from New York, Congressman Meeks and Congressman Fosella. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation, level the playing field, and ensure our domestic exchanges can compete in the global marketplace.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Free Flow of Information Act, H.R. 2102, legislation that would prevent journalists from being forced to reveal their confidential sources in legal proceedings. This important bill has strong bipartisan support and the endorsement of countless news organizations and the Newspaper Association of America. The ``press shield'' is critical to the functioning of our democracy. Compelling reporters to testify and reveal the identity of confidential sources hinders the free flow of information. Many people with important information about government wrongdoing would rather stay quiet than reveal their identities. Sometimes the only way a reporter can gain access to a source's information, and bring it to the public's attention, is by guaranteeing that source confidentiality. H.R. 2012 strikes a common sense balance between the public's need for information and fair justice. It would compel reporters to reveal the identity of a source if the court finds it necessary to prevent ``imminent and actual harm to national security'' or ``imminent death or significant bodily harm.'' The First Amendment states that, ``Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.'' The Founding Fathers clearly envisioned a free press that would enable the electorate to make informed decisions and hold the government in check. That's precisely what this bill would do. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2012 and protect the free press that our Founders envisioned.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast floor votes during the week of October 8, 2007, and on October 15, 2007, because of a death in the family. Had I been present for the votes, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes 949, 950, 951, 952, 953, 954, 955, 958, 960, 961, 962, and 963, and ``no'' on rollcall votes 956, 957, 959.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Phoenix House, an honorable organization that has been an outstanding member of my community and many other communities nationwide for 40 years. The praise is well-deserved, and I am proud to recognize its invaluable service to our country. Phoenix House is a provider of substance abuse treatment and prevention services operating in nine states across the country. In my district alone, it provides critical services to nearly 600 people each year. Phoenix House utilizes an approach based on mutual support and success through community. Today, we celebrate Phoenix House's 40 years of commitment to and success in serving those struggling with addiction and substance abuse. Six heroin addicts started the Phoenix House in 1967 when they came together at a dextoxification program at a New York hospital. Today, it is the nation's leading nonprofit substance abuse treatment and prevention agency--operating more than 100 programs in New York, California, Texas, Florida, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont. Over the years, Phoenix House has treated approximately 150,000 substance abusers and currently cares for nearly 6,000 men, women, and teens each day. Phoenix House operates more than 100 programs including residential centers for adults, as well as outpatient, and prison programs--at close to 120 locations in nine states. It also provides education and prevention programs, with in-school and after-school programs that reach more then 30,000 young people every year. Moreover, for more than two decades, Phoenix House has operated the Phoenix Academies, where teens can make up schooling lost to drugs and recapture opportunities for higher education and careers. As a result, thousands of at-risk youth every year are given the tools and support they need to leave drug abuse behind and become contributing members of their communities. There are now eleven Phoenix Academies operating in seven states, and they were designated by the U.S. Department of Justice as a ``model program'' in 2005. A 2004 study by RAND Corporation, a respected research organization, found that adolescents treated at a Phoenix House Academy demonstrated substantial reductions in drug use and unlawful behavior and improvement in psychological status--and that the Academy outperformed other juvenile programs in achieving these objectives. Phoenix House is also the leading research organization among treatment providers. Its expanding research agenda reflects the broad array of services it provides; its growing number of research partners; and the historic imperative of Phoenix House to improve, refine, and innovate to make its services better, stronger, less costly, more accessible, and more predictably effective. I believe that those are objectives that all of us, as a Congress, can support. Phoenix House was recently featured in an HBO documentary series titled Addiction. The project is one of the most ambitious efforts ever undertaken to educate the American public about drug addiction as well as recent advancements in treatment. Addiction aired on HBO in March, April, and May of 2007. I am honored to join Phoenix House in celebrating its 40 year commitment to fighting the war on drugs. I want to thank Phoenix House for the lives it has touched and its leadership in battling this harmful addiction that affects every family.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 405, of which I am a cosponsor, which expresses the strong support of the House of Representatives for the implementation of the July 8, 2006, U.N.-brokered agreement between President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat relating to the reunification of Cyprus. As a co-founder and co- chair of the Hellenic Caucus, I want to thank Representative Bilirakis, my fellow co-chair, for introducing the bill and working to bring it to the floor today. On July 8, 2006, President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed, under the auspices of the United Nations, to a set of principles to begin a process of discussions aimed at ending the division of Cyprus. The agreement calls for a commitment to the unification of Cyprus based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation and political equality, as set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions. The agreement also called for the establishment of technical committees and working groups to examine and discuss a variety of issues including those that affect the daily lives of the people. I believe that the United States must play an active role in the resolution of the serious issues facing Cyprus, and I hope that passage of H. Res. 405 by the House today will be a positive influence in moving this process forward in preparation for new comprehensive negotiations leading to the unification of Cyprus within a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3648, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act. This bill will end the double-whammy of paying taxes on the lost value of their homes by providing a permanent exclusion from gross income of discharged home mortgage debt. We are passing this legislation at a time when anxiety over the state of the economy remains high and concerns mount that the subprime mortgage meltdown will infect the rest of the economy. Last month, RealtyTrac released the latest bad news that foreclosures reported in August increased 36 percent since July and 115 percent since this time last year. Expectations are that the next 18 months will be even worse, as many subprime loans reset to higher rates. We have real concerns that this subprime crisis will cause 2.2 million people to lose their homes. The credit crunch, the worsening housing slump, market volatility, and weak consumer confidence point to a gathering storm that could drag down the economy, possibly taking thousands of American jobs with it. In the face of this gathering storm, Democrats in Congress are working to help families stay in their home and are working to prevent another crisis. The House has passed FHA and GSE reform bills. We are working on a predatory lending bill. We are working with regulators to advocate forbearance and with servicers to engage in workouts for strapped borrowers. We recognize this crisis in homeownership and we are doing everything we can to respond in a forceful and responsible way. Again, I support this legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, on October 2, 2007, I was unable to cast my floor vote on rollcall votes 927, 928, 929, 930, and 931. Had I been present for the votes, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes 927, 928, 929, 930, and 931.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 928, the ``Improving Government Accountability Act.'' I commend Chairman Waxman for his leadership on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, of which I am a member, and for his efforts to ensure that the government is working for the American people. This legislation includes provisions of a bill that I introduced earlier this year which will provide for the enhanced protection of the Internal Revenue Service and its employees. In 1998, Congress passed the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act, which created the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). The legislation gave TIGTA the responsibility for protecting the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against external attempts to corrupt or threaten IRS employees. At the same time, it excluded the provision of providing ``physical security'' from TIGTA's responsibilities. Prior to the enactment of this law, the former IRS Inspection Service had been responsible for protecting the IRS against external attempts to corrupt or threaten IRS employees. The IRS Inspection Service was responsible for providing armed escorts for IRS employees who were specifically threatened or who were contacting individuals designated as ``Potentially Dangerous Taxpayers.'' The law transferred most of those duties to the new Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Inexplicably, ``physical security'' was excluded from TIGTA's statutory responsibilities. In its current statutory mission, TIGTA investigates all allegations of threats or assaults involving IRS employees and assists U.S. Attorneys' offices with appropriate prosecutions. However, if TIGTA determines that any of the threats or assaults it investigates call for the provision of physical security, the language of the 1998 law precludes TIGTA from taking action. Authorizing TIGTA to have armed escort authority would be both more efficient and more effective in advancing tax administration and ensuring the safety of IRS employees. I want to thank Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis for their support of this provision, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 928.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, we are at a critical juncture with respect to the subprime mortgage crisis. I see my colleagues here on the floor that are members of the Financial Services Committee and other important committees that have been working with the Democratic leadership and the Democratic Congress to help families stay in their homes and prevent another crisis like this from happening in the future. Today, I joined with House and Senate leaders and colleagues in urging the President to join us in aggressively working to turn back the tide of foreclosures. Parallels have been drawn between this administration's management of the subprime crisis and Hurricane Katrina, when some 300,000 people lost their homes. Millions of Americans may lose their homes to foreclosure as a result of the subprime mortgage meltdown. And once again the response from the Bush administration has been slow and small. This crisis requires a bolder response. Foreclosures have spiked nearly 115 percent since this time last year, and expectations are that the next 18 months will be even worse as many subprime loans reset to higher rates. Some economists think that the collapse of home prices that we will see might be the most severe since the Great Depression. The worsening housing slump, the credit crunch, and weak consumer confidence point to a gathering storm that could drag down the economy, taking thousands of American jobs with it. As losses mount for borrowers and lenders, economic pain is already being felt in communities across this country as the ripple of default spreads to local economies, governments and neighborhoods. The time to act is now. Under Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Frank's leadership, the House swiftly passed legislation that will enable the FHA to serve more subprime borrowers at affordable rates and terms, and offer refinancing to homeowners struggling to meet their mortgage payments. The President should sign that bill the minute it gets to his desk. We have passed also important GSE reforms in the House, but we should also raise the cap on their portfolio limits at least temporarily so that they can provide additional liquidity and help with the subprime crisis. If there was ever a time for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to have more liquidity to help people, it is now. The caseloads for nonprofits aiding strapped borrowers are growing larger by the day. The Joint Economic Committee, which I am honored to serve on, reported earlier this year that it cost $1,500 to prevent a foreclosure of a single family home. And that's the first thing that we should be doing is keeping people in their home, helping them stay there. And that shows what it's like for one family home, only $1,500. But foreclosure prevention specialists are absolutely in critical need of more resources in order to save more homes. Foreclosures have a significant negative impact on entire communities because of lower property values, decreased property tax revenues, and higher municipal maintenance costs. In fact, we estimate that the total cost of each foreclosure to the community can be up to $227,000, as the right-hand column shows. The impact of these foreclosures will be devastating on African American and Hispanic owners, as 52 percent of all mortgage loans sold to African Americans and 40 percent of those sold to Latinos were subprime over the last 2 years. The sad irony here is that up to 40 percent of subprime borrowers, they would qualify for prime fixed-rate loans. We need to help them renegotiate their loans and get into the prime, more affordable loans. Securing additional funds for foreclosure prevention is critical to bringing subprime borrowers and lenders together to achieve loan workouts. For $200 million in Federal Foreclosure Prevention Funding, which passed the Senate this month, 130,000 families, let me just show this one thing that is happening, Mr. Speaker. For $200 million, we can save a lot of people and keep them in their homes, and yet we're spending that much in Iraq. The sad irony here is that up to 40 percent of subprime borrowers would qualify for prime, fixed-rate loans. Securing additional funds for foreclosure prevention is critical to bringing subprime borrowers and lenders together to achieve loan workouts. For $200 million in federal foreclosure prevention funding, which passed the Senate this months, 130,000 families could be helped to avoid foreclosure, as the bar on the left shows. That is less than the cost of the Administration's Iraq war spending for one day, which is now about $330 million and to rise, as the big red bar on the right shows. To help the two million households that are at risk of foreclosure would cost one week of our spending in Iraq. We invite President Bush to join us in our efforts to aggressively help protect and expand the American dream of home ownership. Mr. Speaker, the price of doing nothing is just too high.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, on Friday, September 28th the Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group presented to Congress its final report on the United States' knowledge of Nazi war crimes. First, I want to thank the Archivist, Mr. Allen Weinstein, for serving as the chair of the Interagency Working Group. I would also like to thank his staff at the Archives for all of their hard work on this project throughout the years. I am also grateful to the IWG's public members--Tom Baer, Richard Ben-Veniste and former Congresswoman Liz Holtzman. They have all performed a great service for our Nation. They undertook a 7-year, nearly $30 million, government-wide effort to locate, declassify, and make publicly available U.S. records of Nazi and Japanese war crimes. We now have their final report. This project really was an example of government working well. So many different agencies and branches came together to work on it. I want to thank all of the government agencies--the FBI, CIA, Defense Department, Treasury Department, and others. Without their help, we wouldn't have a report in hand. This part of the process wasn't always easy going--this I realize--but so many staff members throughout all of these important agencies worked hard on this project. It would be impossible to name them all, but they all deserve our thanks. I--and indeed the whole world--was shocked to discover that Kurt Waldheim, one-time U.N. Secretary General, was a Nazi. The critical question that followed was how much information did the U.S. Government have about Waldheim's actions during the war and before he became head of the U.N.? And why wouldn't they reveal it? I introduced the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act back in 1994 to get to the bottom of important questions like these. From the start, there was great opposition to the bill from the intelligence community. But in 1996 we were able to pass a Sense of Congress in support of the bill. And, with the help of former Senator DeWine and former Congressman Horn, the bill finally passed in 1998. Former counsel to Mr. DeWine, Louis DuPart also deserves credit and thanks for helping to write the bill that finally passed. Peter Levitas, another DeWine staffer, deserves thanks for helping to shepherd the bill through its different iterations. In 2005, we expanded the War Crimes Disclosure Act to cover the Japanese crime documents, and extended it an additional 2 years to give the IWG more time to do its work. As a result of it, more than 8 million pages of government documents have been declassified and opened to the public. The declassified records include the entirety of the operational files of the Office of Strategic Services--the predecessor agency of the CIA--and more than 163,000 pages of CIA materials of a type never before opened to the public. One of the IWG's aims was to uncover documentation that would shed light on the extent to which the U.S. Government had knowingly used and protected Nazi and Japanese war criminals for intelligence purposes. In fact, the IWG found that there was a closer relationship between the U.S. Government and war criminals than previously known. This revelation, while difficult to accept, is crucial to the understanding of our Nation's history. Researchers, private citizens, in fact anyone who is interested, are now able to comb through the documents that will bring us closer to the truth of the Holocaust. Moreover, as the Archivist of the United States, the Honorable Allen Weinstein explained when presenting to Congress IWG's final report, ``Perhaps more important even than the declassified records, this effort stands as a lasting testimony to the fact that declassifying significant documents such as these will not impede the operations of government. Indeed, the work of the IWG should set a new standard for declassification.'' In today's world, our government faces enormous pressure--not only from our own agencies but also from foreign intelligence agencies--to keep all records out of the public realm. In the end, disclosure of these files and records is better for our intelligence agencies and better for history. Madam Speaker, the best chapters of our history provide a model for great democracy and leadership. Our worst chapters show us the dark consequences of apathy and intolerance.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, today, along with Representatives Tom Lantos and Sheila Jackson-Lee, I am reintroducing the ``International Women's Freedom Act.'' This legislation establishes an Office of International Women's Rights within the State Department headed by the appointed Ambassador at Large, and additionally, would create a United States Commission on International Women's Rights. The positive links between the empowerment of women and effective and sustainable development are very clear and this legislation would seek to protect women's rights by channeling U.S. security and development assistance to countries that are not found in gross violations of women's rights. I believe that all people, regardless of gender, should have the power to shape their lives and participate in their communities without the fear of oppression. When given the tools they need, such as education, access to employment, land, and economic assets, and the opportunity to contribute to civic life, women and girls improve their situation in society and have a positive impact on society as a whole. By annually reviewing the status of women's rights in each country and designating countries of particular concern, more succinct policy recommendations can be made to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress. We require the State Department to issue reports on battling international bribery, religious freedom, and narcotics control, among many others. Creating a report on the status of women's rights is vitally important to assuring the rights of women worldwide.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove Representative Emanuel Cleaver as a cosponsor of H.R. 946, the Consumer Overdraft Protection Fair Practices Act. He was added to the bill in error.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 47th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus. It was on October 1, 1960, that Cyprus became an independent republic after decades of British colonial rule. I am honored to represent Astoria, Queens--one of the largest and most vibrant communities of Greek and Cypriot Americans in this country. I truly enjoy participating in the life of this community and treasure the wonderful and vital Cypriot friends that I have come to know. As a member of the European Union, Cyprus is playing a vital role in European affairs while also strengthening relations with the United States. Unfortunately, the commemoration of Cyprus' Independence Day this year, as in the past, is clouded by the fact that Turkish military forces continue illegally to occupy Cyprus, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, and to this day continues to maintain an estimated 40,000 heavily armed troops on the island. I have introduced legislation, H. Res. 407, which expresses the strong support of the House of Representatives for the positive actions by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus aimed at opening additional crossing points along the cease-fire line, thereby contributing to efforts for the reunification of the island. On March 8, 2007, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus demolished a wall at Ledra Street in Nicosia, a key thoroughfare through the divided capital, as a gesture to facilitate the opening of Ledra Street as a crossing point. Two months later, the Government demolished a National Guard post at Kato Pyrgos. I commend the Government of the Republic of Cyprus for taking these actions, and I continue to believe that it is time for Turkey to remove its troops from the island so that Cyprus can move forward as one nation. I remain hopeful that an end to this division will be achieved. I believe that the United States must play an active role in the resolution of the serious issues facing Cyprus. Cyprus and the United States share a deep and abiding commitment to democracy, human rights, free markets, and the ideal and practice of equal justice under the law. The relationship between Cyprus and the United States is strong and enduring, and we stand together celebrating democracy and freedom.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, the President says his policies are working to make the economy strong and that all Americans are benefiting. But evidence of a slowing economy is building, and anxiety over the state of the economy remains high. The credit crunch, the worsening housing slump, market volatility and weak consumer confidence point to a gathering storm that could drag down the economy, taking thousands of American jobs with it. Risks in the housing market and weak business investment point to the growing uncertainty of which way the economy is heading. We are facing a tsunami of defaults and foreclosures in the subprime market which could have broader implications for the overall economy. RealtyTrac reported that foreclosures in August increased 36 percent since July and 115 percent since this time last year. Expectations are that the next 18 months will be even worse as many subprime loans reset to higher rates. The ability of American consumers to keep spending may be flagging with the cooling housing market. Consumer spending has been propping up the economy, but high energy prices and a worsening housing slump could force consumers to cut back, putting the economy at even greater risk. American families are understandably worried about the future because the economy is weakening even before many have shared in the gains from the economic growth we have seen so far. Employee compensation has lagged far behind productivity in this recovery. Some workers are beginning to see some gains in their paychecks after inflation, but they still have a great deal of lost ground to make up. Median family income has actually fallen by nearly $1,000 since President Bush took office. The divergence between the ``haves'' and the ``have nots'' in the Bush economy stands in marked contrast to the second term of the Clinton administration when real wage gains were strong up and down the wage ladder, to the wealthy, to the poor, to the middle class. And our economic foundation is simply not on solid ground. The administration is responsible for the three largest budget deficits on record, including a $413 billion deficit in 2004. The gross Federal debt is now almost $9 trillion, or my colleagues listening tonight, each of us owes $29,000 per person. Every citizen in America owes $29,000 to the Federal debt. Our current account deficit with the rest of the world, the broadest measure of our trade deficit, rose to a record smashing $856 billion in 2006, the largest ever in the history of our country. The amount of Federal debt owned by foreigners has more than doubled under President Bush, with Japan and China alone holding nearly half of our $2.2 trillion debt. We have become a Nation of debtors vulnerable to the economic and political decisions made half a world away. Despite 4 years of economic expansion, job growth has been modest. Wages are barely keeping pace with inflation. Employer-provided health insurance coverage is declining, and private pensions are in jeopardy. These are the economic barometers that matter most to American families. Democrats in Congress are taking action to restore a sense of economic security to the middle class and ensure long-term economic growth for our Nation. We started by presenting a realistic budget plan that adheres to PAYGO principles for bringing down the deficit but that does not shortchange our national defense or our citizens. We are not going to spend money we do not have. Our priorities include providing health care for millions more uninsured children as we did tonight, adding 10 million uninsured children, providing coverage for them, making investments in veterans' benefits, and restoring crucial funding for first responders and local law enforcement. In order to spur innovation that will keep America number one, Democrats will increase funding for cutting-edge research, invest more in math and science education, and make college more affordable. We also have a plan to expand renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce global warming and dependence on foreign oil. And Democrats want to bring tax relief to those who need it most, by shielding 19 million middle-income American families from the alternative minimum tax. Mr. Speaker, after 6 years of irresponsible policies, Democrats are working hard to get our economic house back in order.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, in Alan Greenspan's new memoir, ``The Age of Turbulence,'' the former Fed Chair criticizes Republicans for abandoning fiscal discipline. It's no wonder: the current Bush administration has racked up over one-third, about $3.2 trillion, of our nearly $9 trillion total national debt. In fact, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush are responsible for incurring almost three-quarters of our total national debt, according to a new analysis from the Joint Economic Committee. Republican administrations over the last 30 years have made us a Nation of debtors, vulnerable to the economic and political decisions made half a world away. We need a new direction. Democrats in Congress are committed to getting our fiscal house back in order.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I thank our chairman for his heroic leadership on this, along with the New York delegation, Gary Ackerman, and many, many others. This is an absolutely necessity for New York City and for our country and for our economy. After 9/11, I have never seen this body so united and determined, and I thank you for all of your help. But by far, the most important action by this Congress was enacting TRIA. Before TRIA, we could not even build a Popsicle stand in lower Manhattan. No one could build anything. Critical to our economic recovery was the passage of this Federal backstop, and I implore my colleagues to join the leadership, Mr. Frank and others, in passing this. They say it is not needed, but I hear from businesses in New York they cannot get insurance. Some have gone to Lloyd's of London. They get insurance policies that say you have this policy on the condition that TRIA is reauthorized. This is critically important. And I would like to stress to my colleagues that a very important part of our homeland security is our economic security. TRIA not only helped the rebuilding of New York City, it created jobs and helped America's economy grow despite the continuing terrorist threats against the United States. TRIA has no cost to the taxpayer unless there is a terrorist attack. And in that terrible event, if it happens, and I hope it doesn't, TRIA saves the government money by structuring what would otherwise be hastily drafted emergency spending. Of course, setting up a public/ private partnership to provide insurance coverage is more cost- effective than throwing money at the disaster after the fact. So this is very important. I would like to be associated with the comments of my colleagues Mr. Ackerman and Mr. Frank on the reset and the need for long-term planning, 15 years. I thank my colleagues for your help after 9/11. Give our economy help now. Vote for this.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. This amendment effectively guts a provision of this bill which is essential for the recovery of localities that are the subject of terrorist attacks. As we know in New York, insurance companies are reluctant to write coverage at all for sites of terrorist attacks because they find the risk of another attack too high given the deductible under TRIA. Insurance companies aren't willing to pay the higher deductible more than once, in other words, for any given site. We in New York face this problem today as there is far less coverage available for lower Manhattan than is required, but this problem will confront any locality that is the subject of an attack. The reset mechanism in the bill solves this problem by lowering the deductible for any locality that has been the subject of a significant attack. It applies nationally and will greatly help with economic recovery by helping to provide adequate terrorism insurance. We have worked on a bipartisan basis to make sure this reset mechanism works for the whole Nation, for industry, for policy holders and that it is fiscally responsible. This amendment guts the reset mechanism by mandating large and rapid increases in the deductible once it resets to a lower number after a large terrorist attack. Under this amendment, the reset deductible could rise in a short time to as high as 19 percent, which is almost the same as the original deductible of 20 percent. This defeats the purpose of the reset mechanism, which we worked so hard to craft as a balanced and effective tool. A TRIA bill that does not consider the special problems of sites recovering from an attack is not an effective or well designed plan. I urge my colleagues to reject this misguided amendment.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for her extraordinary leadership, really creative leadership, along with Barney Frank and others. I rise in support of the bill, which will revitalize the FHA and will ultimately assist low- and modern-income families seeking the American Dream of homeownership and providing much-needed stability and liquidity in the markets with the subprime crisis. I thank the gentlewoman for accepting an amendment that I authored that would expand affordable and available daycare by giving an incentive to build or include licensed child care facilities in FHA- insured properties. This bill does many things that are very important. It builds on the President's recent announcement that FHA will work with homeowners who are having a difficult time paying their mortgage due to a reset in this interest rate. This will help with the subprime crisis by, number one, increasing the loan limits in high-cost areas of the country like New York City where FHA has been driven from the market, forcing many borrowers to turn to high-cost financing. It will, secondly, authorize zero down and lower down payment FHA loans for home buyers who could not otherwise make these payments. It directs FHA to underwrite to borrowers with higher credit risks than FHA currently serves. And it permanently eliminates the current statutory volume cap on FHA reverse mortgage loans to permit this program to meet the growing needs of home equity-rich, cash-poor senior citizens and, very importantly, reinvesting the increased profits created into an affordable housing fund. With all the great things in this bill, I am concerned that we may be loosening the reins a bit too much by allowing mortgage brokers to bypass the current audit and net worth requirements and instead posting a surety bond to participate in FHA. I have been very concerned with the role the largely unregulated mortgage broker industry has played in the current subprime mortgage crisis. I do support this bill, and I hope we can work to ensure the safety and soundness of FHA and we are expanding affordable and available housing. And congratulations to Chairman Waters.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, today, with my good friends Representatives Nadler, Fossella and 44 other original cosponsors, I am pleased to introduce the comprehensive, bipartisan 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, to finally provide health care and compensation to the heroes and heroines of 9/11. The collapse of the World Trade Center towers took nearly three thousand lives in an instant and released a massive cloud of asbestos, pulverized concrete, and other poisons. To those toxins, we now know that thousands more have lost their health. Now 6 years later, more than 6,500 responders--truly the heroes and heroines of 9/11--are being treated for 9/11-related health problems through the federally-funded World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment program, and more than 4,500 have been referred for mental health care, often for conditions like post traumatic stress syndrome. Every month, another 500-1000 responders sign up for health monitoring, and those coming in are more sick than ever before. Separately, more than 70,000 Americans reported to the World Trade Center Health Registry. While most are from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, more than 10,000 Americans from outside the Tri-State area have also registered. Amazingly, every single state has someone in the World Trade Center registry. This is a health emergency on a national scale and it requires a strong federal response. Last Saturday, I joined New York AFL-CIO President Dennis Hughes, and Representative Nadler and Fossella at a labor rally at Ground Zero to announce the bill we are introducing today. The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act will ensure that everyone exposed to the Ground Zero toxins has a right to be medically monitored and all who are sick as a result have a right to treatment. It will build on the expertise of the Centers of Excellence, which are currently providing high-quality care to thousands of responders and ensuring on-going data collection and analysis. Expanding care to the entire exposed community, the bill also includes care for area residents, workers, and school children as well as the thousands of people that came from across the country to assist with the recovery and clean-up efforts. Finally, the bill provides compensation for economic damages and loss by reopening the September 11 Victims Compensation Fund. I thank Chairman Pallone of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health for holding an important hearing tomorrow on answering the call to provide medical monitoring and treatment to World Trade Center responders. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the leadership as we move this important legislation forward. It is critical that we show our first responders that, after rushing in to serve New York and the Nation in a time of great disaster, we will not desert them in their time of need. It is the least we can do, as a grateful Nation.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, 6 years ago the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were an act of war against our entire Nation, not just New York. The whole country was touched; and in the aftermath, people came from every State in the Nation to assist in the massive rescue and recovery efforts. All of these people from all of these States were all exposed to the same deadly toxins. While press reports may question the size and scope of the problem, there is no doubt that there are thousands who are ill because of their exposure. Whether these brave firefighters and fire officers and EMTs came from California, Michigan or Florida, they all breathed the same toxic air. This map shows how many people from each State are enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry; over 71,000 people from every single State in our Nation. At least 28 even came from Hawaii. The list goes on and on. But the message of the map is clear: The 9/11 health crisis is a national problem, and it deserves a strong Federal response.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for the resolution to name the post office at 365 West 125th Street in New York City as the ``Percy Sutton Post Office Building.'' A civil rights leader and businessman, Percy Sutton was a pre-eminent fixture of New York politics, serving as a member of the New York State Assembly and from 1966 through 1977 as Manhattan Borough President. Most of all, Percy Sutton was one of the architects of the effort to revive Upper Manhattan. Percy Sutton once said, ``If you pray for only one thing, let it be for an idea.'' He was a man of innumerable ideas--many of them profoundly important for New York City and for the community he represented. He lived an astonishingly full life that included stints as a stunt pilot, military intelligence officer, lawyer, civil rights activist, politician, media baron and technology executive. Most of all, Percy Sutton dared to dream the impossible. At a time when Harlem was crumbling, he believed that it could become a tourist attraction. When the famous Apollo Theatre closed, it threatened to become another vacant shell on a street of shuttered stores. He acquired the theater, in a move that is widely considered the first step to the renewal of 125th Street. Percy Sutton had an important and lasting impact on the community surrounding the post office, and it is fitting to have a federal building named in his honor. I am proud to support H.R. 954.