Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 125th Anniversary of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I have the privilege of serving as the Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, a committee that has a unique relationship with the BLS. The JEC was established by the Employment Act of 1946 to study matters relating to the US economy, so we are indeed a much younger sibling to the Bureau. For roughly six decades, the Commissioner of the BLS has testified before the JEC in hearings examining the monthly Employment Situation. As Chair, I have welcomed Commissioner Keith Hall and his colleagues to the committee this year as we have closely tracked labor market conditions in the current recession. The BLS staff is a dedicated group of public servants who themselves do important work for our nation. The numbers they provide represent real people and the trends they report on provide valuable insights into the economic well-being of families across the country. I look forward to the first Friday of the month to arrive when the Employment Situation shows our economy has stopped shedding jobs and that more Americans are going back to work. Policy makers from both sides of the aisle rely on the high quality, timely and non-partisan data produced by the BLS to make informed decisions that affect the millions of Americans around the country. Too often, lawmakers fail to recognize that the data produced by BLS and other agencies are crucial to making meaningful, effective policy. But it is for that reason that I have worked to preserve funding for vital statistical programs at the BLS, like the American Time Use Survey--our most extensive source of data on how Americans are balancing all demands on their time, from work, to child care, to recreational activities. The JEC has fought for and will continue to fight for the funding that BLS needs to maintain its international reputation for quality data that keeps pace with our always-evolving economy. We could not fulfill our mission in Congress without the hard work of the BLS. I want to thank JEC Vice Chair Schumer, Senate Ranking Member Brownback, and House Ranking Member Kevin Brady for joining me in this bipartisan concurrent resolution, I hope all of my colleagues will join us in congratulating the Bureau of Labor Statistics on a job very well done for the last 125 years.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, this week, after consultation with leaders in the business community, organized labor, health care providers, patient groups, insurers, pharmaceutical makers, and small business owners, Democratic leaders introduced America's Affordable Health Choice Act, which will expand access to health care, protect consumer choices, provide a public option, and enable over $500 billion in Medicare savings. And what is the Republicans' answer to the health care crisis in America? A color-coded chart of the Democratic plan. Here is the chart of their plan. Absolutely nothing. Our bill addresses the needs of all Americans, including the nearly 46 million without health insurance, by maintaining the freedom to choose individual health providers, improving care, and increasing choice and competition with the new public option. It's time for our Republican colleagues to join us in getting serious about health care coverage.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, I am pleased to reintroduce the Access to Books for Children Act (ABC Act), which strives to make buying books for kids as easy as A-B-C. The bill would provide vouchers for purchasing educational books to low-income mothers of infants and children participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends daily reading to a child beginning when the child is just 6 months old. Children who are exposed to books and reading before they start school are much more likely to graduate from high school than those who are not. The ABC Act will put books in the homes of children who may not otherwise have them, in order to help those children develop the reading skills to set them on the path to success.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today along with Representative Chris Murphy and Representative Tammy Baldwin to introduce the Women's Health Office Act. This critical bill which will help close the serious gaps in health care for women, by providing statutory authorization for the offices of women's health in five federal agencies which currently are not protected by law. Many people are shocked when they learn that women were excluded from most medical research studies until 1985. That means it has been just 24 years since we began to understand that women are more prone to ailments like osteoporosis, lupus, and depression. Just recently in 2004, we learned that women who were treated in emergency rooms were less likely than men to receive life-saving medications for heart attacks because doctors did not fully understand the different symptoms of a heart attack in women. How much do we still not know? For years, the offices of women's health in key federal health agencies have been conducting vital research to identify disparities in women's health care, and spearheading innovative programs to close those gaps. However, only two of those offices are federally authorized and protected by law: the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health, and the Office for Women's Services at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This bill will give permanent authorization to the federal offices located in the Department of Health and Human Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration. Without it, those five offices will always be vulnerable to understaffing, underfunding, or complete elimination. Recent initiatives like the establishment of the White House Council on Women and Girls shows that we're finally starting to get it--women have unique experiences, needs, and interests, and these need to be considered and addressed. In no area of public policy is this more true than with health care. I urge my colleagues to support the Women's Health Office Act, to put those offices of women's health on a secure footing and give women the kind of health care they need and deserve.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment.

Mrs. MALONEY. Thank you for offering me the opportunity to talk about the merits of the energy conservation and efficiency upgrade of the HVAC controls project. This has been vetted by my office, the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Department of Energy, and they have decided that it will not only directly and positively impact my district but the Nation at large. Included in the energy efficiency and energy renewable account, this project will use solid-state sensors and controllers in direct digital control systems which have considerable energy-efficiency advantages over conventional systems. These features will yield energy savings of up to 15 percent when compared to conventional systems, thus a significant savings to the environment and a substantial reduction in energy use by a major museum. One of the goals of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is to reduce the energy consumption of its buildings while improving cost-effectiveness. To achieve these goals, the museum is seeking to use energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, recycled and sustainable materials, and site-sensitive design to minimize the burden on the environment. And one major piece of this energy-efficiency effort is the upgrade of the various systems to boost energy output, while allowing greater control per building in the complex. And this will reduce energy waste. This conversion project will also help generate 20 employment positions, which is needed in this time of job loss. Finally, I would say that the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a national treasure. It is a cultural and artistic center in our country, and even if the gentleman or others do not recognize the value of funding art in our society, which I certainly support, it is part of the economic lifeblood of New York and this country. It pays considerable taxes, and it also generates revenues in our city from the over 5 million annual visitors to the museum. It is one of the top tourist attractions in the country, and by supporting this funding request, you support the thousands of small businesses in the community that will benefit from the many who visit it. I might also say that the museum is considered one of the finest in the world, and it includes not only the art history of America but the historical art from around the world, and it is also a center that helps other museums, including Texas. The museum recently volunteered its help to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, which draws attendees from Congressman Hensarling's district, and exhibited the first known painting by Michelangelo. This painting was cleaned, transported, restored and hung by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Without the contribution of the Met, the Kimbell museum in Texas would not have been able to support the exhibition of this invaluable work. I am confident this project is a valuable use of taxpayers dollars, investing in creating jobs and helping other museums, and helping the economic development of the district that I am proud to represent. In response to the gentleman's other points, our economic problems were not created in the 5 months that President Obama has been in office, and they're not going to be resolved in 5 months either. We are facing the most severe recession since the Great Depression, and it will take time for the Recovery Act to take hold. Likewise, the Recovery Act was not designed to work in 5 months. It was designed to work over 2 years, and the Recovery Act was designed to provide a boost necessary to stop the free-fall and lay the foundation for recovery. We are working as quickly as possible in my district and across New York State to move the stimulus money into the economy as quickly as possible. Economist Zandi estimates that in the last 3 months alone over 500,000 jobs were saved as a result of the stimulus spending. So far, $43 billion of the recovery spending has come in the form of tax relief to America's working families and businesses. Let's imagine the situation we would have been in if we had not had the TARP money to stabilize our financial institutions and let them fail. The failure of our financial and credit systems would have followed the failure of institutions, crippling our economy with millions of losses of jobs in so many directions and unemployment to millions of Americans. So I strongly support this. I believe it's a good investment in energy efficiency and job creation and the economic development of our country.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the gentlelady for her leadership on this bill, and I rise in support of this bill, and particularly commend the chairwoman for her leadership on the United Nations Population Fund, which was denied funding for 7 years under the prior administration, and will save women's lives; and her focus on helping the women under the oppressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan with over $100 million focused on female NGOs and the security of our country and the help for our allies. A great bill. I appreciate your allowing me to include my statement. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill and commend Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their hard work in crafting this important bill. I am particularly pleased that it includes $60 million for the critical work done by UNPFA (the United Nations Population Fund). Every minute of every day, a woman dies needlessly in pregnancy or childbirth, most in the developing world--this translates into 10 million women lost per generation. 4 million newborns also die every year of similarly preventable causes. UNFPA has worked to end these deaths since it became operational in 1969. It has provided significant assistance to improve the health and quality of life and to promote the health and rights of women worldwide. UNFPA is the largest source of international assistance for women's reproductive health in the world and despite the past 7 years during which the previous Administration withheld funding for UNFPA, the United States Congress has demonstrated its strong support of the organization by approving U.S. financial support for UNFPA each year. Fully 42 percent of all pregnancies worldwide suffer complications and in 15 percent of all pregnancies, the complications are life- threatening. In too many places, maternal health still receives inadequate attention and funding. Fortunately for women around the world, UNFPA operates in 154 countries specifically to combat maternal mortality and to promote safe motherhood. The impact of losing U.S. funding over the past 7 years has been devastating. For each of these years, UNFPA could have helped to prevent 2 million unintended pregnancies, 800,000 abortions, 4,700 mothers' deaths, and more than 77,000 infant and child deaths. In 2001, the U.S. Agency for International Development estimated the global economic impact of maternal and newborn mortality at $15 billion per year in lost potential production, half associated with women and half with newborns. Investing in UNFPA actually reduces healthcare costs, and teaching and promoting safe motherhood enables adequate time between births for women's bodies to better carry another pregnancy. Mr. Chairman, this funding will help to restore the United States' standing in the global community while demonstrating its commitment to the lifesaving work of UNFPA.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. economy shed 467,000 jobs in June, yet the economic climate would have been worse without the economic recovery legislation we passed in February. One leading independent economist reported last week that our stimulus measures prevented the loss of some 500,000 jobs in the last 3 months alone. Many State and local governments, retailers, and service-providing employers have been able to save thousands of jobs that otherwise would have vanished without money provided in the stimulus package to communities and consumers. As a result of our action, the legislation's broad approach will leave the unemployment rate 2 percentage points lower by the end of next year. The stimulus impact has and continues to be an economic lifesaver for families all across this country.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, on June 26, 2009, I missed rollcall vote No. 466. Had I voted, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 466, on agreeing to the resolution, H. Res. 587, providing for consideration of H.R. 2454, American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, our nation takes a historic step toward a clean energy economy. The American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act will revolutionize American energy policy, combat climate change, and provide a unique opportunity to revive our economy and create millions of clean energy jobs. Some key provisions of the bill include a requirement for electric utilities to meet 20 percent of their electricity demand through renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2020, a cap-and-trade global warming reduction plan designed to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020, and a new building efficiency standard requiring new buildings to be 30 percent more efficient by 2012 and 50 percent by 2016. These and other provisions will encourage new renewable requirements for utilities, studies and incentives regarding new carbon capture and sequestration technologies, energy efficiency incentives for homes and buildings, and grants for green jobs. In my home state of New York, clean-energy investments will create tens of thousands of jobs. A total of $150 billion in clean-energy investments across the country is estimated to result in about $10 billion in investment revenue and 109,000 jobs in New York State. These additional jobs in the New York labor market would have brought the state's unemployment rate down to 4.3 percent from its actual 2008 level of 5.4 percent. In addition to creating millions of new jobs, the ACES Act will make our nation more energy independent. Under this legislation, we can significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil by promoting renewable energy, including wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass energy. New clean energy and energy efficiency technologies, along with more efficient vehicles, will also help reduce our need for oil. Now, you'll hear some say that this bill will tax individuals for using energy. The truth is that the energy-efficiency and consumer protection provisions in the ACES Act will actually cut the electricity bill for an average New Yorker by around $5.60 every month. In these tough economic times, the ACES Act is both environmentally sound and economically responsible. I thank Chairmen Waxman and Markey and Speaker Pelosi for their leadership in negotiating this important bill, and I am pleased to vote in favor of it.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, I am reintroducing bipartisan legislation that I hope will resolve the question of whether there is any link between the increased incidence of neurological disorders, including autism, and the use of certain vaccines and/or multiple vaccine schedules. Vaccines have been instrumental in reducing the incidence of many once-common diseases. However, there continue to be questions raised in numerous media reports, and by medical professionals, regarding the safety of vaccines and multiple vaccine schedules while there have been no comprehensive studies comparing the health outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. We owe it to parents and children to study and resolve the question of a possible link between vaccines and neurological disorders. The comprehensive national study comparing outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated children mandated by this legislation would help resolve this controversy once and for all. As the most scientifically advanced country in the world, we should be jumping at the chance to conduct a comprehensive national study and help ensure absolute trust in our nation's vaccine program. Parents deserve answers, and children deserve no less than absolute certainty and safety when it comes to their health, which is why I am pleased to reintroduce this legislation today.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I have a amendment at the desk, No. 39.

Mrs. MALONEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This amendment would establish an overseas voting advisory board to provide guidance and oversight to the Federal Voting Assistance Program's efforts to increase ballot access for military and overseas voters. I would like to thank the distinguished Chairman Skelton for his support of this amendment. The Voting Assistance Program, which is part of the Department of Defense, is the government's primary entity for assisting overseas voters' access to the ballot, including men and women serving in the military and Americans living abroad, who are our unofficial ambassadors. With the global economy, more and more Americans will be living abroad, and we need to make sure that their voices and votes are counted. While the State Department cannot give an exact number, there are estimated to be between 4 and 6 million Americans living abroad. There are also hundreds of thousands of brave men and women abroad from Afghanistan to Germany, serving our country in the Armed Forces. In recent election cycles, the Voting Assistance Program has failed to bring about increased overseas voting participation, even with extreme and increased cost to the taxpayer. For example, in 2004, the Integrated Voting Assistance System, created by the Voting Assistance Program, cost over $500,000 with only 17 overseas voters participating. In 2006, the Voting Assistance Program did even worse by spending over $1.1 million on the same voting system, but it accounted for an increase of only eight votes placed in the system. In 2008, the Voting Assistance Program Web site to help active members in the military to vote wasn't even put up and operative until July, just 4 months prior to the November election. From July 23 through November 4, 2008, of the roughly 1.6 million servicemembers across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, only 780 servicemembers requested ballots through the program. This really is disgraceful and disrespectful to the sacrifices made by our fighting men and women. Mr. Honda and I have offered this amendment to address the issues to overseas military and civilian voting now long before the next election. This panel will provide oversight for the Federal program that has struggled in a mission to ensure greater ballot access for Americans overseas and our military. The program's longtime director resigned her post in 2008, and at that time it appeared that the next director would be chosen in a closed process. Along with many Members of this body on both sides of the aisle, we sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates urging him to conduct a fair and open hiring process for the program. I am pleased that Secretary Gates did a national search and selected Mr. Robert Carey to be the next program director. I know and I respect his experience, and I believe he will bring fresh ideas and workable solutions to improve ballot access for all Americans living abroad. And while he is very capable and will certainly bring long-awaited and much-needed overhaul of the program, the advisory panel will add additional strength, expertise, and depth and support for his efforts. By passing this amendment, which will establish an oversight board, we can guarantee that the best policies are being pursued to provide better access to the ballot by bringing greater attention and support for the Voting Assistance Program for Americans living abroad for our military. I thank my colleagues for supporting this amendment, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY. Absolutely not. The purpose of the board is to increase voter participation. And in a global economy, believe me, there will be more and more Americans living abroad. We now have hundreds of thousands of military living abroad.

Mrs. MALONEY. Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for his support. It certainly is a bipartisan effort to increase voter participation in our country, particularly for our brave men and women living abroad and serving in the military. In this new global economy, more and more Americans will be working abroad. This is a common goal for our Congress and for our democracy. I thank the gentleman for his support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 37th anniversary of Title IX. This landmark legislation prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs and activities that receive federal funding, and has expanded educational and career opportunities for countless young women and girls across the United States. This legislation is most famous for creating opportunities for women in athletics, but this legislation has done so much more. It is hard to imagine a time when women couldn't enroll in any college or university they wanted, had no chance of getting an athletic scholarship, and were steered away from classes in math and science in favor of home economics. But that was the United States before Title IX. This legislation works to address inequality and injustice in all areas of women's lives, from access to higher education, career training and advancement, and gender stereotyping and sexual harassment in schools, just to name a few. In large part due to Title IX, more women are receiving higher degrees than at any time in the past, more each year are entering traditionally male dominated fields, and hundreds of thousands of girls are living happier and healthier lives because they have the opportunity to be part of a sports team and have strong women role models to look up to. Yet despite the demonstrated positive impact of Title IX, opponents have tried to weaken this critical legislation. In 2005, the Department of Education issued a Title IX policy clarification that allows schools to use a less rigorous, e-mail based survey method to prove compliance. If enough young women simply deleted the mass e-mail, that was taken to mean that they were not interested in sports, and sports programs for girls could be cut. Men did not face the same burden, revealing a huge double standard while men's interest in sports was taken for granted, women's had to be proven. What these actions seem to imply is that Title IX's work is done. I have worked to protect and promote women's rights since my very first day in Congress, and I look forward to the time when there is complete gender equality in the United States. But that day is not today. While Title IX has undoubtedly opened doors for women faculty in higher education, women still make up just 36% of associate professors and 21% of full professors. Only 2.4% of full professors are women of color. Women only receive 20% of computer science and engineering- related Bachelor's degrees, and a joint study by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine found that women who are interested in science and engineering careers are lost at every educational transition, and those who do enter these fields very likely to face severe discrimination throughout their careers. The Obama Administration has already made an admirable start in tackling barriers to women's success by promoting work-family balance, establishing the White House Council on Women and Girls, and signing into law the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Strengthening Title IX enforcement at the Department of Education would bolster the progress that has already been made in advancing women's rights, while helping to address the inequalities that remain in so many areas. Those of us with daughters will probably remember promising them that they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up. Title IX works to make this a reality. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 37th anniversary of Title IX and acknowledging the essential role it has played in expanding opportunities for women and girls in the United States.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today I stand with my colleagues in this Congress, I stand with President Obama and Vice President Biden, in support of the Iranian people, their right to express themselves, their right to have peaceful demonstrations, and I stand in support of this resolution. I hope that the ayatollahs understand that these demonstrations are about the future of Iran and the right of their people to have a voice in their government. Young and old, liberal or conservative, all ages, all economic groups are part of these demonstrations. As President Obama has said, the entire world is watching, and the world is inspired. We applaud your efforts to move your country toward a more democratic, peaceful country.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chair, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Appropriations Committee for their inclusion of language that I requested in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2010. This language, which emphasizes the importance of federal support for crisis hotlines for rape victims, states as follows: ``Services for Victims of Rape.--The Committee is aware that an estimated one in six women in the United States will experience a sexual assault in her lifetime, and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation ranks rape as the second most violent crime, second only to murder. The Department of Justice is encouraged to continue supporting programs, including hotline programs, that facilitate the delivery of confidential recovery services to rape victims.'' The above language is specifically intended to express the House's support for the continuation of funding for the National Sexual Assault Hotline programs. These programs include the National Sexual Assault Hotline, accessible at 800-656-HOPE, the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, a Web-based hotline at www.rainn.org, as well as the other education and outreach programs created and carried out by RAINN (the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). RAINN, a 501(c)(3) not-for- profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, currently receives funding from the Office for Victims of Crime to carry out its programs. In the past, RAINN also has received funding from the Office on Violence Against Women and the Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for this purpose. While rape crisis centers in every state and the District of Columbia play a very important role in partnering with RAINN to support the operation of these national hotlines, it is important to note that they are truly national in scope. RAINN launched, and continues to operate, both hotlines from its headquarters in Washington, DC. As a result, every American, regardless of where they are located, who becomes a victim can seek immediate, confidential support services at any time of the day or night by calling 800-656-HOPE or by going to rainn.orit for Web-based information, referrals and support. We specifically authorized RAINN to operate these programs for rape victims through fiscal year 2010, when Congress passed, and then President Bush signed into law, Section 628 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. It is critical that Congress continue to provide the funding necessary to ensure RAINN's operation of these programs in fiscal year 2010. Absent such funding, victims of crime will not receive the resources they so desperately need in the aftermath of an attack. The House did not specifically include a dollar amount in the fiscal year 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act for RAINN to continue to operate such programs, and it is vital that the Department of Justice find a way to ensure that the organization can continue to carry out the important work it does to support rape victims in the aftermath of attack. Vice President Biden, who sponsored a resolution honoring the National Sexual Assault Hotline in 2006, during his tenure in the United States Senate, described it as follows: ``[a] critical partner in our fight to end sexual assault has been the National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. RAINN created this toll-free telephone hotline 1-800-656-HOPE--in 1994 and manages it with 1,100 local affiliates in 50 States and the District of Columbia. Victims from across the country can telephone the Hotline and receive confidential, trained expertise from experienced professionals with the assistance of over 10,000 volunteers. In June 2006, the Hotline received its millionth call since it answered its first call in 1994. ``The National Sexual Assault Hotline is truly a national treasure. It helps individuals and families recover from a horrendous violation. It provides a safe haven for victims to talk about the crime, and offers referrals on local psychological and physical help. A call to the National Sexual Assault Hotline is often the first step towards justice for a victim. . . . The hotline's volunteers are doing God's work and deserve our gratitude.'' I would agree, Madam Speaker. In closing, I thank the gentleman from West Virginia for his inclusion of the above-mentioned language in this year's appropriations bill. I look forward to continuing to work closely with him during conference negotiations to ensure that the bill recommends a specified dollar amount of funding for the Department of Justice to support RAINN in its efforts to operate national hotline programs for victims of sexual assault.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to echo what President Obama said the other day. Something is happening in Iran, and it is something remarkable and inspiring. Thanks to Iranian citizen journalists and technological innovations and communications, the entire world has seen the pictures from Iran of those who are giving their lives in the cause of freedom and democracy. The pictures show hundreds of thousands of people, men in green, women in chadors, young and old, rich and poor, taking to the streets in unity in peaceful protest. They have used the universal human right to peacefully assemble and to seek redress of grievances in the full knowledge it may cost them their lives. They go out today in mourning for the scores of victims of shameful acts of repression. Their determination and bravery have the whole world watching, waiting and inspired, and hoping that Iranian authorities, with the support of the ayatollahs, will do the right thing.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Money Service Business Act of 2009''. This is bipartisan legislation that has been cosponsored by the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, Spencer Bachus of Alabama as well as the Chair and Ranking Member of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee, Congressmen Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Jeb Hensarling of Texas and the Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Judy Biggert of Illinois. Last Congress, this bill passed the House on a unanimous voice vote. The ``Money Service Business Act'' addresses the critical problem of money services businesses (MSBs) being denied access to the banking system. MSBs have experienced blanket terminations of their commercial accounts over the past several years due, in part, to banks responding to unclear guidance from regulators. This bill establishes a mechanism that would allow MSBs to self- certify their compliance with Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering requirements, while allowing banks to make risk-based decisions about banking particular MSBs. MSBs, which include check cashers, money transmitters and money order issuers, have served our nation's communities for years. If this issue is left unaddressed, the viability of MSBs will be compromised, potentially pushing many of these transactions underground and potentially untraceable to law enforcement. Banks, reacting to regulatory fears, have terminated MSB accounts in a blanket fashion, in an attempt to minimize exposure to ``high risk'' businesses. Without a banking relationship, MSBs are unable to provide financial services to communities, making it difficult for millions of Americans to pay bills, send money, or cash checks. Federal regulatory agencies, recognizing the problem facing MSBs, have sought to address this issue through agency guidance and regulatory changes, with little effect. This legislation addresses this problem by enabling MSBs to self- certify their compliance with Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering requirements. This approach is not novel. It is similar in principle to that used for international correspondent banking. It would not relieve banks of their due diligence responsibilities with regard to their MSB customers, rather, it would permit appropriate reliance on self-certification to relieve banks of being the de facto regulators only of MSBs' Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering compliance. The mechanics of this self-certification will be handled by regulations set forth by the Secretary of the Treasury and the certification will be filed with the financial institution where the MSB has a commercial account. I do want to mention that even with the implementation of the self- certification; MSBs would continue to be responsible for complying with all other existing provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act and will continue to be the subject of rigorous on-site examinations by IRS examiners. MSBs are also State-regulated in many jurisdictions. Currently, 28 States and the District of Columbia require MSB's to be licensed and/or regulated by State banking agencies. Both MSBs and the Financial Institutions banking them will still be required to fully comply with all other aspects of the Bank Secrecy Act, including the filing of Suspicious Activity Reports and Currency Transaction Reports. Any violation of their certification would render the same civil and criminal penalties provided for by the Bank Secrecy Act and other Anti- Money Laundering Provisions. This is a well crafted bill that allows law enforcement to continue to track the transactions of Money Service Businesses, while allowing the MSBs to have access to the banking accounts they need to conduct business.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, on June 15, 2009, I was delayed in returning to Washington, and missed rollcall votes numbered 336, 337, 338 and 339. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes: 336 expressing condolences to the citizens of Italy and support for the Government of Italy in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck the Abruzzo region of central Italy; 337, a bill to name the Laredo Veterans Post Office; 338, Phylicia's Law; and, 339, a resolution expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the catastrophic explosion at the ConAgra Foods plant in Garner, North Carolina.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the men and women in our armed forces and H.R. 2346, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009. I support this bill because it is the first step toward ending the war in Iraq and bringing home the troops, as President Obama has pledged to do by August 2010. This bill is consistent with the President's plan and provides the troops with increased pay and better protection over the next few months as we begin to withdraw. H.R. 2346 will provide $1.9 billion more than requested for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, MRAP, vehicles. Since most of our casualties in Iraq result from roadside bombs, it is critical that we fully fund vehicles capable of keeping our troops safe. In addition, this bill recognizes the hardships of ``stop-loss''--remaining on active duty beyond one's contract--on military servicemembers and their families by providing a retroactive pay increase for those serving under stop-loss orders. This bill does what Bush-era war funding bills did not. By mandating performance reports, it illustrates the understanding that Congress needs to be fully informed about the progress of the military actions undertaken by the United States. By refocusing our efforts on success in Afghanistan, it demonstrates a shift from an open-ended two front war to a focused mission in Afghanistan centered on establishing a strong Afghan military and political infrastructure. Lastly, by extending a line of credit to the International Monetary Fund, which will be significantly leveraged, this bill reflects the Administration's strong belief that diplomacy and economic empowerment are critical to winning the war on terror. Finally, I also support the funding for preparedness against pandemic flu. New York City has been hit the hardest by the recent outbreak of the H1N1 strand of influenza with 567 hospitalizations to date. Pandemic flu preparedness funding will prepare New York and the nation for the worst case scenario by increasing the national stockpile of antiviral drugs and medical supplies and improving our capacity to develop and produce vaccines to prevent infection.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I rise in strong support of the Nadler-Michaud-Maloney amendment that would fully fund the Debbie Smith DNA backlog grant program. And I applaud all like-minded men who are standing up in leadership roles to fund what many have called the most important anti- rape violence against women prevention bill ever to pass this Congress, the Debbie Smith Act. I particularly applaud my colleague from New York who has been a gladiator in support of women's issues, a strong defender and has worked hard to help us in many ways. I applaud Congressman Mollohan for providing $146 million earlier this year for the Debbie Smith grant program. I must say that this bill, which I authored with Mark Green on the other side of the aisle, was truly a bipartisan mission, and it has saved lives. Every single unprocessed rape kit represents a victim who has been denied justice and a predator who remains at large, free to attack other women. The program's funding has been increased by $5 million for fiscal year 2010. It has been an honor working with my good friends to deliver full funding for this vital anti-crime, protection-of-women, anti-rape legislation. I urge my colleagues to stand with us and support this important amendment. I applaud my like-minded male leaders who have stood so strong to protect and defend women from violence and one of the worst crimes of all--rape.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join with President Obama, with Vice President Biden and with all of those around the world who have been expressing their most profound concern about the events in Iran and, in particular, about the violence being used against those people who have been peacefully dissenting in the streets of Iran. There are news reports that at least seven have been killed. Others have been beaten and have been badly injured. Both the protests and the violent suppression have been spreading. It has been reported that there are instances of live fire being used by police in the cities. The Iranian authorities have now indicated that they will do a limited recount of the election results. I hope they are sincere and earnest in this offer. As President Obama has said to those who have used their right to dissent: The world is watching and the world is inspired.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I ask unanimous consent that the proceedings during the former Members ceremony be printed in the Congressional Record and that all Members and former Members who spoke have the privilege of revising and extending their remarks.