Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Nadler-Velazquez amendment to restore partial funding for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. The underlying bill cuts some $314 million for vouchers that enables low-income families to rent safe, affordable housing. This amendment would restore a third of that money, $100 million, and thereby save about 15,000 low-income families from across this country from losing their homes. If you are concerned about the homeless, then this should be a definite vote in favor of this amendment. This is very much a bipartisan issue. This past spring over 170 Members from both sides of the aisle signed a letter this spring to the appropriators urging them to restore full funding for the Section 8 voucher program. Those Members recognized that the Section 8 voucher program is the only effective Federal program supporting affordable rental housing in large urban areas such as New York City and Chicago and would be very much affected if this amendment does not pass. Section 8 vouchers provide millions of families across the country a safe and affordable place to live and are critical to State and local efforts to end homelessness. These cuts come at a time when Section 8 is already under attack due to program changes in April that threatened to cut over $50 million in vouchers in New York City alone. Due to underfunding in the last bill, many housing agencies have had no choice but to reduce the number of vouchers and cut the subsidy below local rental levels. The proposed cuts make this very, very bad housing crisis a much worse situation. The money to fund this amendment comes out of a program for computer upgrades that the committee criticized in its committee report as ``poorly managed and inefficient.'' I would certainly say that keeping 15,000 families in their homes instead is a better choice that supports family values. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle constantly talk about family values. I cannot think of a more important family value than keeping families in their homes. This is what this amendment does. In fact, a wide range of faith-based organizations have written an open letter to me and other Members of Congress making exactly that same point. And these faith-based organizations call the effort to save Section 8 vouchers ``not just a matter of charity but of responsibility and social justice.'' There are so many drastic cuts in this bill for worthy housing programs that protect the most vulnerable among us, cuts to housing for those with HIV/AIDS, cuts to fair housing programs that reduce discrimination in housing, and cuts to the Community Development Grant, program just to name a few. I do want to compliment my colleagues for accepting the Miller amendment. It is very, very important to have monies in the budget for brownfields, particularly urban areas in order to spur economic development. You cannot really build affordable housing without a Federal role. The Section 8 voucher program has been one of the most successful in this country's history in providing affordable housing to those in need, and it is unconscionable to have this cut. It would literally put 15,000 families out on the street and increase the need for more homeless housing. So if you care about housing in general, if you care about not reducing the need for homeless housing, and the other cuts that the leadership of our ranking member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), has pointed out so clearly on the floor, you should support this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, ending violence against women should be a concern not just for the victims; it should be a national priority. In 1994, Congress moved violence against women from behind closed doors into national policy. The Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized in 2000, and it must be reauthorized and fully funded this year. The Violence Again Women Act is a comprehensive program that strengthened legal sanctions against stalkers, batterers, and rapists. It established a toll-free national domestic hotline. It funded battered women's shelters, and it provided funding for programs to improve both prosecution and victim services. Last year, Congress strengthened VAWA by passing the Justice For All Act, which included my legislation with the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green). Our legislation gave law enforcement tools to process the backlog of rape kits containing DNA evidence that could convict rapists. But there is still much, much more that remains to be done. We must pass the reauthorization and fully fund it this year.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, this Bush administration keeps setting records, only they are the wrong kinds of records. We have a record debt of over $7 trillion that breaks down to each citizen's share being over $26,000. And now they have a new record, a new record debt on our trade deficit. It set a new record of $195 billion in the first 3 months of this year. That is 6.4 percent of GDP on an annual basis, the largest such trade deficit ever in our history. This deficit has been created by the irresponsible trade policies of the Bush administration, and it is also being supported by the willingness at least so far of foreign investors and governments to keep extending us credit. The administration cannot continue to ignore this problem. Even if we avoid a sudden flight from the dollar and an international financial collapse, the burden of paying off our mounting international debt will be a drag on our future standard of living. It will be a drag on the lives of our children and grandchildren. We need a new trade policy.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3057, the FY06 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. I am pleased that the bill includes $55 million in funding for Afghan women, including $5 million for the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. This funding builds upon funding for Afghan women and girls included in an amendment that I offered to the FY04 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill. Over the past four years, the United States has invested in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan both because it is the right thing to do and because it is critical to our security. Afghan women were brutally oppressed by the Taliban regime, but they have been reclaiming their role in society, in part because of critical U.S. assistance provided to Afghanistan. Millions of girls are attending primary schools, equal rights for women are guaranteed in the constitution, and approximately three million women voted in the election held last year. These victories are especially important given that women comprise 55-60 percent of the total Afghan population and should be a driving force in Afghanistan's economic and political viability. However, while women are vastly better off than they were, many continue to endure many hardships including targeted violence, limited mobility, illiteracy, and the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world. By improving health care facilities and by giving women access to the skills and opportunities that they need to become partners in creating Afghanistan's future, we will ensure that women will no longer be second-class citizens. While I hope that all the aid for Afghanistan will help women, I commend the Appropriations Committee for continuing to recognize the needs of Afghan women. I also am pleased that the bill includes $34 million for the life saving work of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. UNFPA is a global leader in providing reproductive health care, including family planning services to the world's poorest women. UNFPA helps women undergo pregnancy and childbirth safely and helps women and men to plan their families and avoid unintended pregnancies and protect themselves from HIV/AIDS infections. UNFPA also is a leader in addressing the reproductive health care needs of women in emergencies. Humanitarian crises are often reproductive health disasters. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death for displaced women of childbearing age, and UNFPA takes the lead in providing supplies and services to protect the reproductive health of people in crisis. Most notably, UNFPA has played an instrumental role in helping to save the lives of women in Afghanistan by providing mobile health facilities as well as rebuilding maternity hospitals. The Afghan government was so grateful for this assistance they gave UNFPA a symbolic donation of $100 to support their work. As we are all aware, for each of the last three years, President Bush has refused to release the funding that Congress has appropriated for this vital program due to this Administrations' unproven assertions that UNFPA supports coercive abortion in China. It has been estimated that the loss of each year's funding could prevent 2 million unintended pregnancies; nearly 800,000 abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, nearly 60,000 cases of serious maternal illness; and more than 77,000 infant and child deaths. The Bush administration's refusal to release these funds puts at risk the very lives and health of women and children in the world's poorest regions. It is my hope that this year, President Bush reconsiders the impact of his decision and releases the life-saving funding that this chamber is wisely approving today.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today, Representative Shays and I introduce legislation to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and to commend the organization on its history of diplomatic achievement throughout the world. Since its founding, the United Nations has made many contributions to the global community in the fields of health, medicine, education, peacekeeping and humanitarian aid. One of the organization's most noteworthy actions is its recent outpouring of aid and support to the people of the nations affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia in December 2004. The United Nations is critical to the balance and well-being of all nations, and makes significant advances in the world every day; however, structural reforms are necessary to ensure that the organization can continue its noble efforts to effect positive change. As the United Nations seeks to reform itself, this resolution sends the message that Members of Congress are willing to work with them to ensure a future humanitarian successes. I look forward to working with Representative Shays and my other colleagues to honor the United Nations for 60 years of good work and to pledge the support of Congress as the organization moves forward.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Obey amendment. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Obey-Lowey-Leach amendment to restore funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. PBS is exceptional because it's local. Unlike the mammoth international media conglomerates that dominate commercial TV, who answer only to their shareholders, the 348 PBS stations are locally owned and operated--accountable to the local communities they serve. The bulk of CPB funding--67 percent--goes directly to local stations, allowing them to serve their communities with the excellent and highly valued programming that is the hallmark of PBS. This cut will slice between 30-40 percent out of most stations' overall budgets. My district in New York is served by PBS channel Thirteen/WNET. If this cut to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is passed, Thirteen's budget would be cut by as much as $5 million. I want to be very clear about what that means for my constituents: A substantial number of local programs produced entirely out of discretionary funding would be eliminated. These are programs like New York Voices, Inside Albany, REEL New York, Women's History Month, Cantos Latinos, Harmony & Spirit: Chinese Americans in New York, Korean-American Spirit, The Irish in America, and New York Kids, outreach service programs to schools and other community partners would be completely cut, at least 40 jobs would be lost, and in addition the indirect impact of cuts would affect nation-wide programing like Great Performances, Wide Angle, and the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and of course Sesame Street, as we've heard so much about today. With its gold standard historical and cultural programming, PBS captures the culture and history of America. As we Americans face vast new challenges in a post-9/11 world, PBS helps us to understand who we are and where we have been--and to help us to see where we're going. It is imperative that we restore CPB funding to ensure PBS's ability to continue to serve our country and our local communities in this vital role.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and I thank him and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) for their commitment and work on restoring these moneys; and I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Regula) for agreeing to this colloquy. I know that the rescission of 9/11 funds was not the gentleman's idea and that he has been put into a difficult position with OMB; but we sincerely appreciate the gentleman's help. I would also like to thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Lewis) and, of course, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Ranking Member Obey), and all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who responded with great commitment in helping New York City with the recovery. Finally, I need to mention the names of some of the rescue workers who have come here today to Washington to put a human face on those who selflessly gave of themselves on 9/11 and still need our help. They are here with us today in the gallery. They are Marvin Bethea; John Feal; Mike McCormack, the rescue worker who literally found the flag on 9/11; John Sferarzo; Scott Shields; and Ron Vega. These men responded selflessly to the largest emergency of our time. They risked their lives to save others; and, today, they are first responders once again, but this time to save the health and compensation aid needed for their fellow workers at Ground Zero. They should be proud of the progress that we are making here today, but there is still much more that needs to be done. It has been reported that 10 times the claims have been turned down by worker's compensation in New York State, and there is no question that there are still many workers who need health aid. Many of them are literally here today trying to speak with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle about their need. I think it is absolutely an insult not only to the 9/11 workers but to all emergency aid workers to deny them the aid and compensation that they need, especially those that were hurt on 9/11. We are asking for this money to be restored. It was allocated. It was part of the commitment this country made to helping New York and its workers and its people recover, and I will say that the New York delegation is totally united on this in our effort to preserve this money for the rescue workers and volunteers. Again, we thank all for their commitment and hard work.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2745, the Henry J. Hyde United Nations Reform Act, because I believe that withholding funds from the United Nations will not help it reform. Rather, decreased funding will slowly starve the organization and prevent it from fulfilling its mission of peace and high standards of human rights all over the world. With the passage of H.R. 2745, the United States declares it will withhold half of the dues it owes the United Nations. Restricting United Nations funds will have a devastating impact on the effectiveness of the Convention to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women: Treaty for the Rights of Women. This treaty supports international standards for basic human rights for women. It establishes a universal definition of discrimination against women, seeks legal protection for victims of violence, and equality in areas of health care, education and employment. Funds are essential in the establishment of equal rights for women: access to health care, education, and legal protection services is not free. The United States is the only industrialized nation that has not ratified the Treaty for the Rights of Women. Our Nation's withdrawal of funding for the organization that supports this essential doctrine of human rights is shameful, and not the action the world expects of a nation that declares freedom and liberty its unchanging identity. The need for the Treaty for the Rights of Women is undeniable. At least 4 million women and girls are sold into sexual slavery every year, two-third of the world's 799 million illiterate adults are women, and an estimated 25-30 percent of all women suffer domestic violence. The Treaty for the Rights of Women establishes international standards that serve to encourage world nations to eradicate injustices imposed on its female citizens, and to establish standards for basic human rights; the Treaty does not impose laws on any nation. For these reasons, the Treaty is in line with past treaties that support international standards, treaties that the United States has supported and subsequently funded through dues paid to the United Nations. Until this Nation, the seat of freedom and the land of liberty, declares to the world its commitment to equality, as embodied in the Treaty, and makes that commitment a reality through essential funding, we cannot expect other nations to follow our lead and adopt freedom as their creed. If we starve the United Nations of necessary funding, we cannot expect it to become a more effective organization. Withholding funds from this worthy organization is the wrong way to urge its reform. It hinders the organization's efforts to reform and deprives the world of the benefits that treaties such as the Treaty for the Rights of Women advocate.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, this Republican Congress may go down in history as the most fiscally irresponsible Congress in the history of this country. Our record budget deficit, our record debt, we have over $7.8 trillion in debt, and each citizen's share is over $26,000. Last week we learned that our trade deficit set a new record, over $195 billion in the first 3 months of this year. That is 6.4 percent of GDP on an annual basis, the largest trade deficit in the history of our country. This Congress is not just raising the debt ceiling, and we have raised this debt ceiling three times recently, this Congress is shooting the Moon. It is totally out of control. And these irresponsible, wanton budget policies will be borne by our children and our grandchildren. Is that the legacy we want to leave?

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman Hoekstra) for accepting the amendment. Certainly certain issues are above partisan politics. The defense, the protection of our Nation, intelligence reform, is certainly among them. The gentleman and the ranking member have really worked together in the best interest of the American people on this important issue. I thank the gentleman for his support.

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), the ranking member.

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays), and I commend his leadership and support on this amendment and his hard work on the intelligence reform committee. We both had many victims that were lost from our respective districts and we worked closely throughout that period with the families and with our colleagues on that important bill. I thank the gentleman for his hard work.

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Our amendment requires the President to keep the Congress and the American people updated monthly on the progress of the implementation and operation of the National Counterterrorism Center until it is fully implemented and operational. The Congress and the President recognize the National Counterterrorism Center as a critical office for the safety of our country. The Congress and the President agreed that it had to be up and running, fully operational and fully staffed, by June 17, 2005, or last Friday. While director Admiral John Redd was nominated on June 10, he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate, and he has many challenges before him, chief among which is to get this center fully staffed and operational. The Bush administration manages by goals and reports. A fully operational and staffed NCTC is a goal that must be attained as quickly as possible. The National Counterterrorism Center was a core element of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The center must be the central organization for analyzing and integrating all foreign and domestic intelligence on terrorism. It also is to conduct strategic operational planning for counterterrorism operations at home and abroad, integrating all elements of national power. In short, the NCTC was created to bring all of the pieces together to prevent a future attack. The Congress and the President established June 17, last Friday, as the deadline for the NCTC. Unfortunately, we cannot stand here today and say that it is fully operational and fully implemented. This is not the only deadline in this important bill to be missed. I have a chart that I requested from the Congressional Research Service. It is an 8-page chart of deadlines. And what CRS found is no fewer than 22 deadlines have been missed in the first 6 months of this bill becoming law. And many other important deadlines are looming. Some of the deadlines we have missed include: developing a national transportation strategy, a number of port security strategic plans, and streamlining the security clearance process. We must keep the implementation of this bill on track; hence the need for this amendment. This is not to say that there has not been substantial progress. Prior to the NCTC being created in law, President Bush created the NCTC last August by executive order. This center has operated for months under the direction of an interim director. A positive step towards the goal of implementation took place on June 10 when Retired Vice Admiral John Redd was nominated to be the permanent director of the NCTC. I would like to note that when we originally submitted this amendment to the Committee on Rules on June 2, no NCTC director had been nominated. Upon confirmation, the new director and Ambassador Negroponte will be faced with a number of issues before full implementation. Chief among these issues is working out the inconsistencies between the statute and the executive order. The existing inconsistencies which have been identified by CRS hold much danger of creating confusion which could undermine the maximum functioning of the NCTC. Another example of these inconsistencies relates to the danger that the tactic supplied to foreign intelligence collection may be applied against U.S. citizens. Thus, the importance of a robust Civil Liberties Board, the beginnings of which were included in the enacted statute. This amendment will motivate all of the participants to get the job done to protect the American people. I am confident that the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, under the leadership of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra) and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), will relentlessly monitor the implementation of these important deadlines. It is too important to the safety of the American people. Just as the Goldwater-Nichols bill unified the Army, Navy, and Air Force into a single effective fighting force, so too does the intelligence reform legislation draw together the isolated elements of the intelligence community into a unified shield to protect the American people. The basic function of the NCTC is to prevent another 9/11. As someone who represents a city that was attacked on 9/11, we owe it to the victims and to all Americans to put this central defense mechanism against future attacks in place. We must fulfill the promise of this functional restructuring of the intelligence community for the safety of the American people. For me, the intelligence bill was the most important bill we passed since I have been in this Congress, and I am deeply grateful to the families of the victims who fought so hard for the enactment of this bill along with the President and my colleagues in this Congress. Our amendment is a step towards implementing this important bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I appreciate very much the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman Hoekstra) not opposing my amendment and all the hard work that he and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman) did on the intelligence bill. I would like to note the concern that the gentleman reported to me or gave to me about the reporting requirement. Modification to Amendment Offered by Mrs. Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be modified to accept changing the reporting requirement in the amendment from the President to the Director of National Intelligence, Ambassador Negroponte.

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Moran amendment to restrict the exportation of 50 caliber sniper rifles. This weapon was not built for hobbies or marksmanship, but for military purposes. According to its original patent filing, it was designed to destroy aircraft at long range, beyond security perimeters. Semi-automatic versions of these guns can fire as many as ten rounds in one minute at a plane, but it only takes one accurate hit to the fuselage, engine or cockpit to cause disaster. There are even two published books on the market that explain how to use this sniper weapon to attack planes and helicopters. All this may be why the conservative Rand Corporation, in a 1995 report, found the 50 caliber sniper rifle to be a serious threat to U.S. military air bases. Today, nine years after that report and three and a half years after 9/11, these terrorist weapons remain under extremely loose regulation. They are as easy to purchase as a regular rifle and even easier to purchase than a hand gun and yet we know terrorists and criminal organizations have sought them. According to the Violence Policy Center, Al Qaeda has at least 25, the Church Universal and Triumphants has at least 10, the IRA has 2, and the Militia Training Camp in Canada has 1. This weapon not only threatens American planes and airports, but also chemical and refinery plants. The military's top choice of ammunition for the 50 caliber is not only armor-piercing, but also explosive and incendiary--meaning it causes fire. That type of ammunition could easily cause a huge disaster. We should protect ourselves and pass the Moran Amendment.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today, along with my Republican colleague, Melissa Hart, I am introducing the Osteoporosis Early Detection and Prevention Act of 2005. This bill will ensure that individuals at high risk for osteoporosis have access to screening tests for the disease. The legislation would require private insurance plans to cover bone mass measurement testing for those at risk for developing the disease. Osteoporosis is a disease that has no symptoms and usually remains undiagnosed until a fracture occurs. Approximately 44 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis or are at risk of developing it, and 80 percent of those at risk are women. Every year, there are 1.5 million bone fractures caused by osteoporosis. Since there is no known cure for osteoporosis, the most effective way to reduce the prevalence and cost of the disease is through prevention and early diagnosis. As a result, bone mass measurement tests are crucial to early detection because ordinary x-rays do not detect osteoporosis until the disease is so advanced that 25 to 40 percent of bone mass has been lost. Bone mass measurement is a non-invasive, painless and reliable way to diagnose osteoporosis before costly fractures occur. By ensuring that high risk individuals have access to screening tests. The Osteoporosis Early Detection and Prevention Act will make a huge difference in defending men and women from osteoporosis.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I would say to the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf), who worked so hard on human rights, to punish an organization working to promote human rights absolutely makes no sense. I have great respect for the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf), and I agree with the gentleman that the stories about China are absolutely appalling. That is why we need UNFPA. The only thing that not releasing the money does is ensure the Chinese women have absolutely no place to turn. UNFPA is rights-based. It is fighting the Chinese Government's oppressive policies. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to say that we may have a disagreement in some ways, but UNFPA is a world leader. Mr. Chairman, I yield the remaining time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, is that on both sides?

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire on the time.