Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, on September 12, 2006, I missed rollcall votes numbered 436 and 437. Rollcall vote 436 was on the motion to suspend the rules and pass as amended H.R. 5428, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 202 East Washington Street in Morris, Illinois, as the ``Joshua A. Terando Morris Post Office Building.'' Rollcall vote 437 was on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H. Res. 175, a bill to recognize the importance of establishing a national memorial at the World Trade Center site to commemorate and mourn the events of February 26, 1993, and September 11, 2001. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes 436 and 437.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 left voids in our lives that can never be filled. Almost 3,000 families lost a loved one--sons, daughters, fathers and mothers who were taken too soon. New York City, my hometown, lost beloved residents, protectors and leaders. Our city, and our country, also lost an icon and symbol of our nation--the World Trade Center. The hole where the World Trade Center once stood remains a somber reminder of those we lost and the heartache 9/11 has caused. Lower Manhattan and Ground Zero are being redeveloped in order to keep our city's economy strong and show our resilience and resolve. At the same time, the footprints of the Twin Towers have been preserved and designated for a permanent 9/11 memorial. The men and women we lost on 9/11 must be honored with a poignant and thoughtful memorial. The one that is being developed is exactly that. We must support the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation as it constructs the tribute to our fallen friends and neighbors. While we can never refill the voids left on 9/11, we can keep their memories alive forever. When the work is completed and the memorial is opened, we will have an ever-lasting site to remember 9/11 and those who we lost. This is the way it should be--we must never forget.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 503; and like many of my colleagues, I have been around horses all my life. I am a former horse owner and my father had a farm. The humane vote is to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 503. I thank my colleagues, Mr. Sweeney and Mr. Spratt and Ms. Schakowsky, for their really outstanding leadership and for clarifying the points that have been so made in this debate. Over 90,000 horses were brutally slaughtered last year at three foreign-owned slaughterhouses in the United States, and their meat was then shipped to countries in Europe and Asia for human consumption. Americans do not eat horse meat. They love horses. They are cherished companions. They are sporting animals. They are not food. If you look at the history of America, horses have played such an important part in our Nation's development, and I would say they are probably the most beloved animals native to the United States. The American people strongly support banning horse slaughter. They recognize that it is a deplorable practice that needs to end. Over 70 percent have expressed this opinion in opposition to slaughtering horses for human consumption. Again, no American would eat horse meat. This is to be shipped to a foreign country, and they are slaughtered in a gruesome manner, as my colleague pointed out on the floor. While it is technically required that horses be unconscious prior to slaughter, the method used to render them unconscious is not effective due to a horse's instinctive flight response to stress. As a result, the horses are sometimes conscious while being slaughtered. This is unconscionable. I call upon my colleagues for a humane vote and to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I thank my colleague for yielding, and I join my voice with the Democratic leader and Mr. Fossella and many others in honoring Robert Tisch. When Preston Robert Tisch passed away on November 15, 2005, America lost one of its preeminent and most successful business people. Anyone who followed his career or worked with him knew of his brilliant business sense, and anyone who has seen a movie in a Loews theater or stayed in a Loews hotel can attest to it. But as much as Bob Tisch will be remembered for his many business successes, he will be remembered and honored for being one of our most caring and giving philanthropists and humanitarians. Anyone who has benefitted from the vital city Meals on Wheels program is a testament to his many efforts. In his business career, Bob was an enormous success, and he used his wealth and intelligence to assist those who need help the most. For that, we greatly admire him, and we honor him with this resolution today. I am particularly proud, as is my colleague, Vito Fossella, who introduced this resolution, that Bob Tisch was born and resided in our hometown, New York City. We were able to see the success and many good deeds up close, and our city has been the beneficiary of many of his best and most heartfelt ideas and programs. The City of New York thanks him and misses him. Bob Tisch, the son of Russian immigrants and a native of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, served our country in the Army during World War II. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in economics and would go on to become the chairman and director of the highly successful Loews Corporation. During the financial crisis of the 1970s, he organized business leaders from New York and around the country to earn the support of the Federal Government for New York City, and he helped rebuild our city. He helped our city go from bust to boom. Bob Tisch served as the Postmaster General under President Reagan from 1986 to 1988 and, likewise, served as the chair of the National Democratic Convention. He was a man who was admired by both parties, admired by all people. He was chairman of the New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau for 19 years, and he was appointed by former Mayor David Dinkins to be the city's ambassador to Washington in 1990. You would often see him here in Washington visiting, talking, promoting New York City. Perhaps his greatest feats, though, were his philanthropic efforts. Aside from the countless of millions of dollars he gave to charities, hospitals, universities and the Metropolitan Museum, Bob Tisch helped create city Meals on Wheels and was president for more than 20 years. The program provides food to the elderly and to the homebound, New Yorkers in need, allowing them to get nutrition and stay healthy in their homes. More recently, Bob Tisch's Take the Field campaign raised more than $140 million to refurbish unkempt athletic fields of New York City's public schools. Since 1991, Bob Tisch, a lifelong sports fan, owned 50 percent of the New York Giants Football Club, sharing it with another great New Yorker whom we recently lost, Wellington Mara. Few Americans have done more in their lives or have helped more people than Bob Tisch. He is missed tremendously, especially in New York. As the companies he ran endure and as the philanthropic programs he created continue to help those in need, Bob Tisch will not be forgotten. The good work he began continues even today, and our hearts and our thoughts are with his wife, Joan; his children, Steven, Laurie and Jonathan, all of whom have continued with his philanthropic work. And they have greatly, in their own way, benefitted our city, State and our country. Overall, Bob Tisch was just a good man. He was a terrific person. He is deeply missed, and I am so pleased for his family and for his city that Congress has thought to honor him today.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5682, the ``United States and India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006.'' The close relationship between the U.S. and India is crucial to world stability. We share a common system of government, common constitutions, and common values. The two nations work closely together on a wide range of issues including building peace and security in South Asia, increasing bilateral trade and investment, meeting global environmental challenges, fighting disease, and eradicate poverty. India is an important partner in the ongoing struggle to fight terrorism. Just last week the House of Representatives passed a resolution, which I cosponsored, expressing sympathy for the people of India in the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attacks in Mumbai on July 11, 2006. The resolution also expressed our solidarity with the government and people of India in fighting and defeating terrorism in all its forms. Today, we have a historic opportunity to advance and deepen relations with India with the passage of the bill before us. Under this pact, India would open up its civilian nuclear facilities to international inspections. This legislation contains important conditions including that the President must determine that the International Atomic Energy Agency and India are working to ensure that there are more inspections of nuclear facilities and that India is working with the United States to prevent the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technology. India is a vital friend and ally and by approving this bill we will make that relationship even stronger. I commend Chairman Hyde and Ranking Member Lantos for their leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act. While I strongly support improving and advancing health information technology, I am disappointed that the Majority chose to bring this inadequate bill to the House Floor instead of offering the Enzi-Kennedy-Frist-Clinton bipartisan Senate-passed bill. H.R. 4157 does not provide for the development or adoption of interoperability standard. It does not provide funding to help providers transition to an electronic medical records system. And it does not provide privacy protections which will ensure that patients can control access to their own sensitive electronic health information. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office has stated that ``enacting H.R. 4157 would not significantly affect either the rate at which the use of health technology will grow or how well that technology will be designed and implemented.'' Mr. Chairman, all of this makes you wonder why the Majority insisted on bringing this bill to the floor and refused to consider the Dingell- Rangel substitute. The Dingell-Rangel substitute was the bipartisan Senate-passed bill with additional key privacy protections. It authorized necessary funding to help providers adopt health IT and it removed provisions that expanded waste, fraud and abuse. Mr. Chairman, we must bring our healthcare system into the 21st century. To do so, we must have a comprehensive, interoperable technology-based system that will also protect patient privacy. With this, we will improve efficiency, ensure patient care, and reduce medical error. Unfortunately, this bill has too many flaws and does little to improve upon our outmoded pen and pad system. I am disappointed that the Majority did not allow us to vote on a bill that will make a difference. Americans deserve better.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, sex tourism and more specifically the sexual commercial exploitation of children has increasingly become a serious problem. The International Labor Organization estimates that approximately 550,000-700,000 children are forced into sexual exploitation each year. I, therefore, rise to salute the Carlson Companies Inc., the American Society of Travel Agents, ASTA, Flamingo Travel in Philadelphia and Ela Brasil in New York City for signing the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children From Sexual Commercial Exploitation in Travel and Tourism. They have taken a bold stand against the sexual exploitation of children and should be recognized for their actions The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children From Sexual Commercial Exploitation in Travel and Tourism was developed by End Child Prostitution Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, ECPAT, along with World Tourism Organization, WTO, and has been funded by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). By signing the Code of Conduct, travel and tourism companies commit to take a series of steps to ensure that they are not facilitating the trafficking of children for purposes of prostitution. Law enforcement cannot do it alone. It takes a multifaceted approach to discourage sex tourism. The Code of Conduct requires that the tourism or travel company establish an ethical policy regarding sexual exploitation of children; train its personnel in the country of origin and travel destinations; introduce a clause in contracts with suppliers requiring that they repudiate commercial sexual exploitation of children; provide information to travelers by means of catalogues, brochures, inflight films, and ticket slips; provide information to local ``key persons'' at the destinations; and report annually to the Code International Steering Committee and the Secretariat at the WTO. By reporting yearly, the companies share their experiences and allow for annual monitoring and evaluation of the progress and outcomes of their endeavors. A Steering Committee made up of international independent and voluntary representatives along with ECPAT supervise the Code implementation. Internationally, more than two hundred companies have signed the Code of Conduct. The United States, however, has lagged far behind. That is why the willingness of Carlson Companies Inc., Flamingo Travel, Ela Brasil and ASTA to sign the Code is so significant. The Carlson Companies Inc. is ranked as one of the largest privately held corporations in America. Among its brands and services are Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels, Country Inns and Suites, Park Plaza, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Cruise Holidays, Results Travel, Raddison Seven Seas Cruises, and Carlson Marketing Group. Since signing the Code of Conduct, Carlson Companies Inc. has put information about sex tourism and commercial exploitation of children on its company website, has run ads and included editorial content in its hotel publications, and has included information about this issue on their ticket stock. Flamingo Travel, Ela Brasil and ASTA have taken similar steps in implementing the Code of Conduct. These companies are trailblazers in combating the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Their bold stand could save lives. Significantly their forthright commitment on this issue puts pressure on other American companies in travel and tourism to sign the Code of Conduct as well. Mr. Speaker, for all the foregoing reasons, I ask my the colleagues to join me in applauding the Carlson Companies Inc., ASTA, Flamingo Travel, and Ela Brasil for their commitment to implementing the Code of Conduct and fighting one of the world's cruelest and most devastating industries.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today I, along with Senator Jack Reed (D- RI) in the Senate, introduce legislation that will establish a Commission on the Survey of Income and Program Participation. The President has proposed eliminating the SIPP in his FY 2007 Budget, with a redesigned survey to take its place in 2009. This is careless, as it takes away one of the most valuable sources of data on the economic well-being of American families. The SIPP Commission represents a fair process for changing or eliminating the survey if the need arises. Should someone wish to change the SIPP, a detailed proposal outlining the change, its justification, and the timetable on which it should take place, will be submitted to the SIPP Commission for evaluation. Members of the Commission would include the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, one appointed member from Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Social Security Administration, the Bureau of the Census, and two members from the National Academy of Sciences.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express deep and profound sadness at the passing of Stan Moskowitz, CIA Director of Congressional Affairs and integral partner to the Interagency Working Group on Nazi War Crimes, IWG. Mr. Moskowitz passed away suddenly, after playing tennis, on June 29, 2006. It was a great shock to many who were privileged and fortunate to work with him. Mr. Moskowitz played an integral role in ensuring the disclosure of documents related to the Nazi war crimes. When the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act was extended for 2 years in February 2005, then Director of Central Intelligence Porter Goss asked Mr. Moskowitz, who at the time was retiring as CIA's Director of Congressional Affairs, to help him guide the Agency toward a full disclosure of the historical record as captured in CIA files. Based on Porter Goss's commitment, Mr. Moskowitz promised the IWG that CIA would do the following: Declassify information on all Nazis; Declassify operational files associated with those Nazis; Re-review material that had been redacted; Undertake such additional searches that historians or the CIA thought necessary as the work progressed. Under the leadership of Mr. Moskowitz, the CIA has made good on each of these promises. He played a key role in ensuring the success of the CIA's work during the 2-year extension and made a quick, sensitive, and good humored shift from all of his prior responsibilities to an entirely, new, important and difficult role. I first learned of Mr. Moskowitz's death from those of us working with the IWG in an effort to release U.S. Government records related to crimes committed by the Nazi and Japanese Governments during World War II. The response to the news was immediate and heartfelt. Since his colleagues conveyed Stan Moskowitz's remarkable character and the important contribution he made to history, I would like to share with you some of their thoughts. One person wrote: ``Stan was a man whose broad experience, character and personality drew you in as few have the ability to do. He just radiated intelligence, understanding, empathy, insight, and yes, wit. I will miss Stan.'' Another wrote: ``Stan was a major reason for our success. He may not have always agreed with our conclusions, but he wanted to be sure that the historical record was as complete as possible.'' Finally: ``What terrible, shocking news. Stan was a wonderful person who was unswervingly dedicated to pursuing truth, and he performed great service to his country in a long and distinguished career. He will be greatly missed. Mr. Speaker, these are just a few of the statements from those who knew and worked with Mr. Moskowitz. I think they speak volumes of this man who contributed significantly to our Nation's history. Most recently, I met Stan Moskowitz at the IWG press conference on June 6. As usual, his comments were informative and insightful. He truly was a national treasure. I would like to note that Mr. Moskowitz earned many high honors including two Presidential Distinguished Officer Awards, the Director's Medal, the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, and the Intelligence Community Medal of Merit. Mr. Speaker, Stan Moskowitz served his Agency, his government, and the people of the United States loyally and with honor. I would like to offer Mr. Moskowitz's family my deepest condolences. He will truly be missed.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the National Organization for Women (NOW), our Nation's paramount champion of women's rights. The National Organization for Women has been a pioneer in the fight for women's equality and is one of our Nation's foremost institutions for social justice and social change. For the past 40 years, NOW has been at the forefront of every major effort to advance women's rights and promote equality between the sexes. The National Organization for Women was founded in 1966 with the $5 contributions of 28 women. These women came together in recognition of the need to bring women into equal partnership with men as part of a world-wide human rights movement. In the last 40 years, NOW has expanded this vision to local and campus chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and grown its membership to roughly 500,000. As the largest feminist organization in the United States, NOW's continued success is due to its leaders' commitment to innovative and diverse avenues of activism. From local rallies and mass marches to political lobbying and Supreme Court battles, NOW works to achieve advancement for women. Its current primary concerns are promoting passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, eradication of violence against women, championing reproductive freedom and other women's health issues, opposition to racism and bigotry against lesbians and gays and advocating for economic and educational equality. Since 1967, NOW has dedicated itself to passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. The organization tirelessly led efforts to lobby Congress for the amendment's passage until both Houses ratified the ERA in 1971. NOW then led the campaign for ratification in the states and fought for the extension of the amendment's deadline. Since 1969, NOW has brought lawsuits to our Nation's courts to fight sex discrimination in the workplace. In one of the first cases to apply Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to a sex discrimination case, NOW won women access to positions previously denied to them because of biased and unnecessary strength tests. Recognizing that economic security means little to women who are not secure in their homes, NOW pioneered the founding of battered women's shelters and rape crisis centers. By organizing the first Take Back the Night rallies, NOW activists provided women with a platform to confront threats of violence and empowered them to speak out against their offenders. In 1994, NOW's efforts to end women's victimization culminated in the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. Since its founding, NOW has led the battle for women's reproductive freedom. NOW was the first national organization to call for the legalization of abortion and has committed itself to safeguarding the right to choose secured by Roe v. Wade. For 20 years NOW fought to use federal anti-racketeering laws to protect abortion clinics and their clients from harassment by militant anti-abortionists. In 2004, NOW cosponsored the March for Women's Lives to demonstrate Americans unequivocal support for women's reproductive rights. The march drew 1.15 million people to Washington, D.C. for the largest civil rights demonstration in U.S. history. NOW was an early and vocal supporter of lesbian rights. NOW activists supported the rights of lesbians and their families in Belmont v. Belmont, the landmark case that awarded a lesbian mother custody of her children. Rosemary Dempsey, the defendant, later served as NOW's Vice President of Action. ill 1975, lesbian rights became one of NOW's priority issues and has since been the theme of two of its national conferences. Opposed to bigotry and discrimination of all kinds, NOW has also been a champion and defender of affirmative action policies. In 1996, 50,000 activists gathered in San Francisco in defense of affirmative action for NOW's March to Fight the Right. NOW has also adopted a hiring policy that reflects its dedication to diversity and commitment to eradicating racial disparities in the work place. Today, NOW's President, Kim Gandy, follows in the footsteps of the organization's inaugural president, the late Betty Friedan. Under Ms. Gandy's leadership, NOW remains committed to the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and has risen to the unique challenges of our time. Advocating for pay equity, affordable quality daycare, women-friendly workplaces, and a fair minimum wage, NOW, with unfaltering determination, continues to lead our country on the march towards women's equality. Mr. Speaker, as the National Organization for Women celebrates 40 years as our country's preeminent voice for the advancement of women, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing the essential role that NOW has played in leading efforts to create positive social and political change.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) who has worked very hard on this bill. (Mr. CROWLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any further requests at this time, and I yield back the balance of my time and urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to thank Chairman Oxley for his distinguished service to this body and to this country. He has been a very fine chairman of the Financial Services Committee, on which I serve. An example of his leadership is the bill that is before us today, which had very strong bipartisan input, was balanced, took into consideration concerns first of all for national security but also for the business community and all concerned. In sum, the bill has over 90 cosponsors. It is a balanced approach, making sure that foreign acquisitions do not jeopardize our national security while continuing to encourage appropriate foreign investment. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), ranking member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to join my colleagues, Representatives Oxley, Pryce, Crowley and Majority Whip Blunt in bipartisan support of H.R. 5337, the National Security FIRST Act. After the Dubai Ports World disaster, it was clear that there was a pressing need to reform the process by which the United States Government reviews foreign acquisitions of businesses in the United States for national security threats, the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. This bill was unanimously approved by the Financial Services Committee and has received strong bipartisan support in the Homeland Security Committee. It also reflects the input of the Energy and Commerce, Armed Services and International Relations Committees. We have all worked hard together to achieve a strong and sensible bill, and I would like to thank the members and staff of these committees as well as my own staff for their support and hard work. H.R. 5337, the National Security FIRST Act, is widely recognized as a balanced approach which protects national security, first, while continuing to encourage safe and important foreign investment, to create American jobs and improve our economy. Many observers, both domestic and foreign, think our bill has struck this balance successfully. The National Security FIRST Act incorporates and builds on a bipartisan bill I introduced earlier, based on reforms proposed by the General Accounting Office even before Dubai Ports World brought this issue into the spotlight. These recommendations of the GAO were obviously not knee-jerk reactions to the Dubai crisis but addressed structural problems in the CFIUS process and so provided a sound and farsighted basis for long-term reform. This bill addresses three core issues. First, the bill strengthens national security protections. All foreign government-controlled entities must go through a 45-day rigorous investigation in addition to the 30-day review. This is necessary because government-controlled entities could have agendas other than profit and can pay whatever they want to accomplish them. Private companies would not be able to compete. To ensure greater accountability and better judgment, all reviews and investigations by CFIUS will require sign-off at the highest levels. The Secretary or Deputy Secretary of Treasury, Homeland Security and Commerce must sign the CFIUS recommendation. The Dubai Ports deal was approved by 12 people and agencies. No one had ever heard of these particular people. This bill makes Cabinet officers responsible to the American people for their decisions. Also important, all reviews and investigations will be analyzed by the Director of National Intelligence, whose input is required under the bill. For the first time, CFIUS will have a set of mandatory factors to consider in determining whether the purchase could affect national security, including whether it affects critical infrastructure such as ports, energy transmission or voting machines. Second, the bill builds in congressional oversight by requiring twice-annual reporting to Congress of all completed actions by CFIUS. In order to ensure that this administration does not evade its responsibility by only reporting to one or two members, the bill specifies that both majority and minority members of the relevant committees will be notified. Additionally, Congress would be notified promptly of any extensive investigation or transaction involving a foreign government purchase. Involving Congress can help the CFIUS agencies be more aware of transactions that raise a red flag. For example, recently I wrote a letter to Secretary Snow urging CFIUS to review a transaction in which a company with strong Venezuelan ties acquired a major electronic voting company in the United States. Treasury says it is conducting a pre-review of whether the company is owned by the Venezuelan Government and whether the deal puts our electoral system at risk. Regardless of the outcome, this is a good example of why this bill is needed. The third impact of the bill is to strengthen the CFIUS enforcement and monitoring systems. In many cases, the U.S. Government enters into a contract with a foreign purchaser to ensure U.S. Government concerns regarding national security are met. This bill strengthens these contracts and adds provisions to follow up on whether the foreign purchasers are complying. Also, the bill provides for greater oversight of withdrawals from the CFIUS process. The GAO, the Government Accountability Office, noted a pattern of applicants withdrawing if they needed or received indications of concern and then going ahead with the flawed transaction anyway without the CFIUS approval. These off-the-radar deals pose great risk and great incentives, and we need to adopt better monitoring of them. In sum, this bill is a sensible, balanced approach to making sure foreign acquisitions do not jeopardize our national security, while not killing foreign investment in our country. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Ninety of our colleagues are cosponsors. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Community Protection and Response Act of 2006 to eliminate confusion in terrorist prevention and response. One of the major lessons learned in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks is that timely response is critical. Any delay complicates short-, medium-, and long-term recovery efforts. Sadly, many of the lessons that we have learned have gone without an appropriate response. In response to the attacks of September 11th, Congress took a series of actions to bring relief to affected areas. These legislative actions along with existing statutes, including the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Act and the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, formed the framework for the Federal Government's response. The magnitude of the attacks and the need for Congress to take action before certain relief could be delivered added to the challenge of the recovery efforts and exposed critical weaknesses in Federal authority to respond. The Community Protection and Response Act would amend the Stafford Act along with other statutes and would give the President a series of policy options to choose from following a homeland security event. A homeland security event is defined as an event that poses a significant risk to the security of people and property and is in such a magnitude that effective response is beyond the scope and capability of the affected State and local government. Many of these options are based on congressional action following September 11th or other policy suggestions in reports by the Congressional Research Service, the General Accounting Office and the New York branch of the Federal Reserve. Specifically, in the event of a homeland security event, the President can provide grants for lost tax revenue, aid to school systems, and assistance to medical facilities and utility companies. The bill also establishes guidelines to ensure the public health of area residents and disaster workers. Specifically this legislation would do the following: Community Protection and Response Act of 2006 (CPR) expansion of definitions in the stafford act/amendments to existing statutes 1. Expands the definition of ``major disaster'' to include terrorist attacks, dispersions of radioactive or other contaminants, dispersion of hazardous substances, or other catastrophic event. 2. In the event of a homeland security event expands definition to include private for-profit utilities (including power, water, telecommunications and phone services). 3. Defines ``Homeland Security Event'' as a major disaster that poses a significant risk to the people and property of the Nation and it is such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capability of the affected State and local government. Designation requested by Governor and made by President. 4. Changes definition of critical services to include education systems, providers of counseling assistance, and providers of assistance to the homeless. 5. Removes $5 million restriction for loans as a result of lost taxes or other revenues. Forgives interest in the event of a Homeland Security Event. 6. Removes requirement of ``direct'' impact for assistance. homeland security events new authorities given to the president After declaration, the President is authorized, but not required, to do the following: 1. Establish a coordinating office and appoint a Disaster Recovery Director. 2. Reimburse State and local governments to respond to high security alerts. 3. Provide grants to local governments which may suffer a loss of tax and other revenues. 4. Reimburse school systems for lost instructional time, mental health and trauma counseling and clean up cost. 5. Authorizes EPA to perform all indoor air testing and undertake remedial actions. standards and reporting Directs OMB to establish standards for reporting disaster relief efforts regarding each agency that assists in disaster relief efforts following a homeland security event. Reports such data to Congress. monitoring of health risks 1. Instructs President to appoint a special commission to study the authorities available to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following a homeland security event. Including the monitoring of the environment. 2. Works with the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to develop guidelines regarding health risks for affected areas and instructs the CDC to provide information in the case of biological materials. 3. Provides for standardization, rapid collection and analysis, and communication following a homeland security event. 4. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make awards to private entities to collect health data in the aftermath of an event. These awards can be made in advance of the event for immediate response.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, at this point we do not have any further speakers. I urge a strong vote on this bill. It is supported by the Financial Services Committee, the Chair and the ranking member, the Chair and the ranking member of the subcommittee, and the Chair and ranking member of the Small Business Committee. It has a very special focus on enabling small businesses to compete in the global market, and it will help America's competitiveness and economic growth. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee)

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the honorable gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the ranking member of the Small Business Committee. I thank her once again for her leadership on this legislation. (Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Financial Services Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Export-Import Bank, I am delighted to stand and speak in support of H.R. 5068, the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2006, introduced by our Subcommittee Chair, Deborah Pryce. This bipartisan legislation was overwhelmingly supported in the Financial Services Committee and is also supported by the Small Business Committee on a bipartisan basis. The original cosponsors include not only Representative Pryce and myself, but the majority and minority leadership of both committees. We have all worked together in this bill to fairly address the concerns of many viewpoints, and I want to thank those Members and their staffs for their hard work and effort to listen to many points of view and to produce a bill on which we can all agree. I also want to take a moment to thank Chairman Oxley for his leadership on this bill and on so many others throughout his tenure. The Financial Services Committee and this Congress will feel his absence. This bill is a good example of the bipartisan work of the committee that Chairman Oxley helped to make possible. We don't always agree, but we can often work together to find points of agreement, as we have done on this bill. This bill responds to concerns that the committees involved have had for some time and that we heard repeatedly from our constituents, both businesses and interest groups, as we began work on this very important piece of legislation. First, the bill reaffirms Congress' strong intent that the bank support small businesses to a greater extent than at present, consistent with sound lending practices. To this end, the bill creates a Small Business Division within the bank run by a senior VP who reports directly to the chairman. The staff of this new division are dedicated exclusively to small business transactions, reflecting the fact that these deals and these clients need unique skills. Within this division, the bill creates an office charged with expanding outreach to women and minority-owned businesses. On these sections, the leadership of the Small Business Committee was especially valuable, and I want to thank my colleague Representative Velazquez from New York. Secondly, based on numerous comments, we also concluded that the bank could increase its activity in Sub-Saharan Africa consistent with sound lending principles by being more flexible in its financing and underwriting terms. And the bill contains a mandate to that effect. Third, as a proud member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues and the representative of a large and vibrant Armenian-American community, I support the provisions which would prohibit the Export- Import Bank from funding railroad projects in South Caucasus region that deliberately exclude Armenia. Fourth, in listening to my constituents and others talk about their experiences with the bank, it became clear to me that businesses, large and small, were frustrated by the lack of transparency and unfriendliness in the bank process. Several of them said that their applications simply disappeared. At my initiative, the bill contains several transparency reforms that respond to this concern. I expect these relatively low-cost changes will provide significant benefits to Ex-Im clients. They include notification requirements, so that applicants know what is happening to their application. Ex-Im has recently put up an improved Web site, and the bill requires that applicants be able to access their application on that site and see where it is in the process. Most colleges manage student applications in a similar manner, and it is time for Ex-Im to implement simple steps like this to help the American public. In the same vein, the bill contains a requirement for board action on applications that have been subject to economic impact analysis. These applications tended to die a lingering death as Ex-Im sat on them. That is really not fair. The bank should tell applicants whether it can support them or not in a reasonable time frame. Finally, and very important, the bill contains new provisions to make the bank more competitive with other countries' export credit agencies, or ECAs, so that the bank and U.S. companies are not fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. In particular, the bill gives the bank authority to use the Tied Aid Fund, a fund established several years ago by Congress to combat unfair export practices by other countries' ECAs. To date, Treasury has blocked the use of this fund as Congress intended, and this underlying bill will correct that. This reform and reauthorization legislation is urgently needed. Today, more than ever, the future of the Export-Import Bank is of great interest and concern because it has significant potential to affect the national economy, job growth and our trade imbalance. We are faced with the need to pass reauthorization legislation for our Nation's export credit agency at a time when the demands of the global marketplace seem increasingly pressing and difficult and the agenda of the Ex-Im Bank is more critical to our economy than ever before. The Ex-Im Bank has long played a key role in the economy of many of the districts we each represent. As the independent U.S. Government agency that assists in financing the export of U.S. goods and services to markets around the world, through export credit insurance, loan guarantees and direct loans. But the bank's mission of creating and maintaining U.S. jobs through financing exports takes on a new urgency and importance in the new global economy. Tom Friedman's book, The World is Flat, brought home to many of us the fact that an economic tsunami is occurring under our feet. The convergence of events that have brought India, China and many other countries into the global supply chain for services and manufacturing has created an explosion of wealth in the middle classes of the world's two biggest nations, giving them a huge new stake in globalization. As former Chairman Greenspan was fond of telling us when we asked him about the loss of jobs in this country, we need to recognize, he said, that all of a sudden a huge number of highly educated people from formally noncompetitive countries have entered the global workforce. We cannot afford to be uncompetitive in the rapidly changing global market or complacent about our status in the global market. As leadership on both sides of the House recognize, we must empower and support Ex-Im now more than ever. I think we have crafted a bill that Members from both sides can support and that is much needed. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5068. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the remaining time.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Expanded Homeownership Act. It modernizes and moves the FHA into the realities of the housing market of the 21st century. I want to build on the comments of my colleague Maxine Waters who has worked selflessly and devotedly on moving this legislation to the floor in a bipartisan effort. There are three points that are particularly important to New York and the district that I represent. The bill raises the mortgage limits to 100 percent of area median income, thereby making more Americans eligible to receive loans under FHA. Secondly, it expands coverage, not only to higher risk individuals, but also to cover condos and co-ops. I represent many people who live in high-rises. They live vertically as opposed to horizontally. This is an important change. Many more will be eligible for FHA support. Thirdly, and very importantly to the elderly in New York City and around the country, it lifts the cap on the number of reverse mortgages HUD can insure, allowing many more elderly in our country to be able to stay in their homes. I congratulate the leadership on both sides of the aisle. This is an example of the bipartisan effort in the Financial Services Committee that has moved forward meaningful legislation, and I particularly thank my colleague and ranking member of the committee, Maxine Waters.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the Bush Administration and Washington Republicans continue to tout the success of their economic policies. But their economic record actually falls far short of their rhetoric. This week, the Democratic staffs of the House Budget Committee and the Joint Economic Committee released a report showing that employment growth is at its lowest levels since the Eisenhower administration, while inflation-adjusted wages have decreased by 1.3 percent since August of 2003, when the economy stopped losing jobs. Today, the average American worker is spending more hours on the job for less pay. According to the report, median annual household income has decreased by $1,700 after accounting for inflation since President Bush took office back in 2001. While the wealthiest have been rewarded with tax breaks, middle-class workers are really feeling the pinch. Stagnant wages are making it difficult for them to pay for rising housing, health care and gas bills.