Jim Moran

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 474, I was delayed in traffic. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the courageous actions of employees in the U.S. Capitol flag office. Last week, an armed intruder evaded security and broke into the Capitol, leading police on a chase spanning four floors of the building. The perpetrator represented a serious threat to the safety of Members, staff, and the visiting public. At the time of his capture, he was carrying a .22 caliber pistol and was high on crack cocaine. But thanks to the sharp instincts, quick thinking, and decisive action of a trio of Capitol flag office employees, Monday, September 18, was not to be a tragic day. According to published reports, these brave employees were able to subdue the intruder, holding him in custody until Capitol Police arrived. Mr. Speaker, I have got some serious concerns, as I think we all do, regarding how easily Capitol security was breached last week. We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on securing the Capitol and increasing the size of the police force since 9/11. But that is a debate for another time and place. Today, I want to use this time on the House floor to recognize individuals from the flag office involved in last week's security breach. They are part of a team who day in and day out ensure that constituents across the country receive their own crisp edition of the Stars and Stripes freshly flown over the Capitol dome. Their actions in a dangerous situation speak volumes, displaying a willingness to put their safety on the line for this institution and for their fellow workers.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, this week marks a critical time for the people of Darfur and for this administration's role in ending the 3-year genocide in Sudan. Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have been murdered by the government-backed Janjaweed, and the African Union's peacekeeping mission mandate is set to expire within a couple of weeks. It has been 2 years since the President declared that genocide was taking place in Darfur, but we are still allowing the Government of Sudan to act with impunity and commit crimes against humanity. Today President Bush addressed the crisis in Darfur before the United Nations and appointed Andrew Natsios as the U.S.' Special Envoy to Sudan. This is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough. The United States must push to keep an international peacekeeping force in Darfur, and this force must be stronger and more robust, with the authority to use force to protect the innocent civilians who are trapped in this nightmare. This has to happen as quickly as possible. Would we be this complacent if the genocide was not in Africa? Would the administration act any differently if claims of ethnic cleansing were in Europe or the Middle East? What in the world does it take for us to stand tall against the evil of genocide wherever it is taking place? We have to act before September 30. We have to require that President el-Bashir stop the indiscriminate killing and slaughter of the helpless and the weak in his country.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, in his speech on Monday night, President Bush continued to try to justify the invasion of Iraq by drawing nonexistent links to the 9/11 attacks. The President's misuse of the fifth anniversary of the attacks shows that he will go to any length to divert our attention from his failures in Iraq, which has diverted focus from America's real national security concerns. President Bush, and most Republicans here in Congress, refuse to admit that things are not going well in Iraq. One has to only look at a report that we requested from the President's own Pentagon showing that the situation in Iraq has greatly worsened. The number of attacks against Americans and Iraqis has climbed to its highest level since the war began, and in the month of July alone 100 Iraqis a day were being killed. U.S. troops continue to pay too high a price. To date, more than 2,600 brave American soldiers have lost their lives, an additional 19,000 have been wounded, and we have now spent over $320 billion in Iraq. Do we really need to lose 58,000 soldiers before we stop staying the same course in Iraq as we did in Vietnam? It is time for a new strategy in Iraq, one where the Iraqis themselves, not foreign occupiers, are responsible for their Nation's future

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce for its 100 years of outstanding and dedicated service to the community. The Chamber was established for the purpose of making Alexandria, Virginia, a better place to work and live, and, for 100 years, it has done just that. In its early years, the Chamber of Commerce fought for the rights and well-being of farmers, ranchers, and the poor, and helped raise money for the Red Cross to assist in the inoculation of residents against typhoid and small pox. In 1918, the Chamber campaigned to change the city's form of government from a trustee and aldermen system to one run by elected officials and a professional city manager, and in just 3 years, it was successful in obtaining the change. The Chamber has also worked to develop strong leaders in Alexandria, most recently with its Leadership Alexandria program that provides upcoming community leaders with a thorough understanding of the city and the most critical challenges it faces. Over the years, the Chamber of Commerce has worked tirelessly to promote the city's education system. In 1914, the Chamber successfully petitioned for a new high school. Through its Alexandria Education Partnership, many businesses and professional groups in the city support a wide variety of activities that assist the city's schools and students. And since 1966, the Chamber has sponsored an annual Summer Economic Institute that has provided Alexandria teenagers with a unique internship experiences in the business and financial sectors. I am proud of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and the significant contributions it has made over the last 100 years to making the City of Alexandria the wonderful place it is to both work and live. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Chamber on its anniversary and to wish the organization and its members all the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, today I take the time to honor a distinguished veteran from the Commonwealth of Virginia, SFC Melvin Hill. A true patriot for his heroic service to our country, Hill was born on March 26, 1939 in Brooklyn. In 1955 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 18th Regimental Combat Team (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. There he was selected to be an instructor at the Airborne School. He was later assigned to Germany, where he was responsible for conducting convoys from Helmstdat, Germany to insure U.S. access to Berlin. On each tour of duty, he also served as a guard at Spandau Prison, which at that time housed Rudolph Hess, Albert Speer, and Baldur von Schirach. In 1964 Hill was accepted for Special Forces training and assignment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After completing this training, he was assigned to the Military Advisory Command in Vietnam. It was in this capacity that Sergeant Hill was awarded a Silver Star on January 18, 1971 for his fearless actions while serving as Leader of a Combined Reconnaissance Team in November of 1970. In this role, Sergeant Hill courageously led his team from the tailgate of a C-130 aircraft at an altitude of 17,000 feet on the first combat high altitude free fall into hostile territory in the history of the United States Army. His team landed in rugged and dangerous terrain in enemy territory where, despite equipment malfunctions, Sergeant Hill refused to abandon his team. They remained behind enemy lines in the harshest conditions for 5 days where, led by Sergeant Hill, the team gathered sufficient hard intelligence to mark the mission a success. When his transmit voice radio malfunctioned, Sergeant Hill used another device to transmit instructions to his team via Morse code and in this manner triangulated multiple targets for the Air Force. During the extraction from enemy territory, Sergeant Hill was wounded by a bullet to the leg, but due to his courage and leadership, his team was recovered with no losses and no other injuries. After leading this successful mission, Hill extended his tour of duty to teach high altitude Military Free Fall techniques to other Reconnaissance teams. After retirement from the military, Hill continued to serve his country through a position in the U.S. General Services Administration in Washington, D.C., where he worked for 14 years and was recognized for his innovative approach to Contract Support, winning the Administrator's Meritorious Service Award and a citation from the Governor of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful today to recognize the achievements of SFC Melvin Hill that are so long overdue. His leadership and courage in combat during our nation's time of war require our sincere appreciation. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Chairman, I very much thank the distinguished gentleman from Kentucky for yielding. I oppose this amendment because it is not about Native Americans. It is about creating one more loophole. And I oppose the other amendments because they would undermine the intent of this bill. We cannot be a Nation or a society that reduces everything to dollars and cents, that commoditizes everything. When you see an eagle take wing and soar above the clouds, that is not a commodity. It is a source of inspiration. When you see a horse galloping gracefully across the plains, that is not a commodity. That is a source of inspiration. Horses have been part of the strength of this country for 400 years. We depended upon the horse. We explored this continent. Our commerce was heavily dependent upon the horse. So many major battles where we prevailed were on horses. Look at our monuments. Look at the monument in front of the Capitol. It is a horse. And when the horse has one leg up, it means that that person was wounded in battle. But there has been an intrinsic relationship. Everything cannot be reduced to economics. We need to be inspired by some things, and these amendments would gut a bill that says there is no reason to be slaughtering horses. Three major slaughterhouses owned by foreign nations. Americans don't want to consume meat. Listen to the mayor of the city in Texas. It has ruined her economy. It is a stench. No one wants it. This is not about economics. This is about doing the right thing. And we have been tied to the horse, the eagle. These symbols of American strength, of American greatness, are sources of inspiration. My very good friend Mr. Whitfield understands what this is really about. This is about preserving a symbol. We cannot allow the kind of slaughtering that takes place. More than 100,000 horses. Imagine. And the fact is they are slaughtering the healthy, fatter horses that have been well taken care of. They do not want the infirm, the old, the lame horses. That is not who they want to slaughter. So many of these arguments have been false arguments. This amendment is doing the right thing. The Department of Agriculture circumvented the right thing that we have already passed. I support Mr. Whitfield. Let's pass this amendment.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, the City of Falls Church, Virginia has lost a steady hand, sure-footed manager and good friend this week, with the passing of Daniel E. McKeever. Dan McKeever joined the Falls Church community as City Manager in 2000, after an accomplished career in both law enforcement and local government. Thoughtful, genial and very well-liked, Dan helped guide Falls Church through a period of rapid transformation. He oversaw development of a number of mixed-use projects that revitalized downtown Falls Church and will increase the City's taxable real estate value by $336 million. During his 6 year tenure, Dan McKeever helped implement the City Council's vision for Falls Church as a pedestrian friendly, urban community with small town charm. He worked for more affordable housing, improved the City's building permit process and spent significant time reorganizing the City's public safety system. As City Manager, Dan placed a premium on efficiency, team work, transparency and communication. Sheparding a $25 million bond referendum for new school construction and protecting the City's AA+ bond rating were among his most noted accomplishments. In his spare time, Dan was an avid baseball fan, attending as many Washington Nationals games as his busy schedule would allow. He was even a part owner of a minor league baseball team in Pulaski, Virginia, where he served as Chief of Police and town manager in the 1980's. Never one to wilt in the face of an obstacle, no matter the challenge presented, Dan was intimately involved with the City's management throughout his nine-month battle with cancer. While Dan left us far too soon, his good works, cheerful demeanor and practical advice will long be remembered by the citizens of Falls Church.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5337, and I would like to applaud the floor managers of the bill for their efforts on the legislation. The CFIUS process is in need of reform, and this bill provides reforms that effectively balance the country's need for strong national security protections with its need for continued foreign investment. While our national security objectives must be paramount in this area, I do have some concern about the time CFIUS could take under the bill's provisions to review an acquisition that it ultimately determines presents no national security issues. The bill allows for a CFIUS review period of up to 30 days, followed by an investigation of up to 45 days when certain conditions specified in the bill are determined to be present. The investigation period can then be extended under certain circumstances. Notably, there is a mandatory investigation of all acquisitions by state-owned companies even in the absence of any showing of a possible national security concern. I would prefer to see the process shortened where it is apparent at an early stage that national security is not an issue, and I urge my colleagues to consider changes in this regard in conference. It would be unfortunate if CFIUS resources were diverted from acquisitions with real national security implications to those with no such implications. I am comforted on this point, however, by the fact that the review and investigation provisions would not preclude a person from petitioning CFIUS to dispense with the initial review period and to go directly to the investigative stage, thereby shortening the process in situations that do not present significant security risks. My understanding is that such a petition could be filed under the current CFIUS regime, and I do not read the bill as changing the law in that regard. I would assume that CFIUS would consider any such petition on a case-by-case basis and would decide whether or not to grant it depending on various factors affecting national security. Such factors, I assume, would include whether the acquirer had established its national security credentials in previous CFIUS proceedings or otherwise, whether in the case of a government-owned acquirer the government was a U.S. ally, and many other factors bearing one way or another on national security. I am also encouraged by the fact that the bill's review and investigation provisions prescribe a maximum, not a minimum, number of days. Mr. Speaker, again I want to compliment the floor managers on a bill that puts national security first but that also will allow our continued need for foreign investment to be satisfied rather than ignored.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Cutler Dawson, a constituent of mine, on his recent election to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU). Mr. Dawson is the president and CEO of Navy Federal Credit Union, located in Merrifield, Virginia. Mr. Dawson only recently took over at Navy Federal Credit Union after a 35-year career in the Navy, retiring as Vice Admiral. Mr. Dawson held numerous commands, including service as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations and Chief of Legislative Affairs. While on active duty, Mr. Dawson also served as a Navy Federal volunteer official on the Supervisory and Credit Committees, and as a board director. Mr. Dawson has been very active since taking over at Navy Federal Credit Union, testifying before Congress twice and joining the Board of the Consumer Federation of America. Mr. Dawson and Navy Federal Credit Union are working hard to ensure that the Nation's sailors have access to high quality, low cost financial services wherever they may be deployed. Such service is the hallmark of the credit union movement, and Navy Federal Credit Union has exemplified that philosophy for decades. I wish Mr. Dawson good luck in his new role as a member of the NAFCU board of directors.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 921, which expresses the United States House of Representatives' support for the government and people of Israel at this most difficult time, and also extends its condolences to the families of all the innocent victims of the ongoing violence. I further wish to express my condolences to the Americans who are stranded or trapped in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza amidst the crossfire between Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas. My thoughts are with them at this time. Though I support this resolution, I feel it falls short in failing to call for an immediate cessation to the ongoing hostilities, for an end to the loss of civilian life and the destruction of property that is occurring in Israel, Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza. Violence, death and destruction are the unfortunate consequences of war. But, here, these consequences are especially unfortunate because they have been experienced almost entirely by innocent civilians from all sides of the conflict, rather than its actual combatants. Over 200 innocent Lebanese civilians have been killed, with at least a thousand more injured. This destruction of innocent lives must immediately come to an end. It is the responsibility of our government to protect Americans everywhere and lead them to safety during times of war. It's estimated that approximately 25,000 Americans are in Lebanon. Yet after 7 days of fighting, the government has only managed to evacuate a few hundred. It is now reported that 7,000 more Americans are scheduled to be evacuated by naval ship to Cyprus by week's end, but this is still not enough. I urge the administration to increase the pace at which it is evacuating Americans from Lebanon. The administration must play a different, far bolder and more balanced role in resolving the current Middle East hostilities. When it comes to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the administration has been disengaged for more than 5 years. Over the past 3 weeks, we have seen the disengagement. Starting now, the United States must be willing to again engage itself, directly and forcefully, in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. We have played an important role in the prior progress that has been made toward peace and stability in the Middle East. We must resume this role. Secretary Condoleezza Rice must immediately lead the efforts for a multilateral diplomatic return to the peace process, and hang in there until real fundamental reconciliation is achieved. Finally, I am deeply concerned about the impact the current crisis will have on the long-term prospects for peace in the Middle East and upon future generations in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, and Lebanon. A continuation of the violence and hatred will only serve to harden feelings and widen the gap now separating the people of this historic and cherished part of the world, and to make the securing of a real and permanent peace in the region more difficult and elusive than ever. Israel must learn to get along with its neighbors and vice versa. Sometimes conditions need to hit bottom in the short term before they can get better in the long term. My fervent hope is that a decade from now, we will look upon these times as the bottom of the descent, and the beginning of a wondrous ascent, led by people of good faith in the Middle East and throughout the world, that ended the hatred and enmity between Israel and its neighbors, and produced the lasting peace that the peoples of the region pray for.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, in the first place it is not some other panel. It is the U.S. and Oman, and we have the right to determine what is in our security, but having said that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is left on each side?

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. And I am reserving because I have so little time left, as the gentleman knows, so I am trying to be strategic with my time.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important, with what little time I have left, to recapitulate what has been said in this debate. In the first place, there is no dis agreement that Oman is located in a highly strategic area, right at the Strait of Hormuz. More than 20 percent of all the world's oil supply goes through there. It is right across the strait from Iran. Very critical position. It has also been completely agreed that Oman has been a principal ally to the United States. Everything we have asked them to do since 1833, 173 years, Oman has stood up there in a very difficult part of the world and said to the world ``We are America's ally.'' When we asked Oman for a military agreement so we could stage troops and provide logistical support in the Persian Gulf War, and now in the Iraq war, they said, ``Yes, you can do that and we will protect them.'' And they have all been protected. Our troops have never had a problem in using Oman. Oman has come under pressure, but they have protected American troops in every possible way. No disagreement. We all agree that almost two-thirds of Oman's population is under the age of 18, so we know that Oman is entering a period of unstability unless there is economic opportunity. We also know that while there isn't a whole lot of trade, what Oman is buying from us generates jobs in the United States. We get oil from Oman in return. So what is at dispute is whether this is a national security threat and whether this is an issue with regard to labor rights. Well, in the first place, with regard to national security, there is no question, according to the Congressional Research Service, that if there is a national security issue that the United States raises, that that trumps everything else. And these panels that my friends and colleagues have been referring to, these are panels of American and Omani negotiators, and if an American negotiator says, we think this is a security interest, it is dead. The language that is in contention is reciprocal language we wanted because we have U.S. companies who would like possibly to buy port facilities there. That was our doing. But it can be preempted by national security concerns. So, on national security, the Congressional Research Service tells us that there is not a security threat. CFIUS will determine if foreign investment in U.S. parts is a security threat and can block the purchase if it comes to that. But there is not going to be any international panel second-guessing this determination, let alone overruling it. Now, in terms of labor, we passed a Bahrain trade agreement a short while ago, almost by voice vote. No discussion. The labor guarantees in that agreement were not nearly as strong as the ones in this agreement. This is the strongest labor agreement we have seen. Now, it may not be completely to my liking, but, you know, every one of the issues that the Ways and Means Democrats raised have been addressed by the Sultan of Oman, and not like Bahrain, where they said, well, we will put these to Parliament for consideration and pass them. Oman accepted every one of these recommendations, and you can check again with the Omani Ambassador, who happens to be a woman, the only female ambassador from an Arab country. And of course they were the first Arab nation to send an ambassador to the United States, incidentally. But every Ways and Means Democrat's recommendation the Sultan put in the decree. This is law now. They can continue to collective bargain. They're are going to protect workers' rights. There will be no repercussions. They are going to eliminate any forced labor, if you can find it. And, in fact, they have invited the International Labor Organization personnel, ILO professionals to Oman, and they are working with them on the ground as we speak. And by October 31, they are going to put all these protections into law, anything that hasn't been fully implemented by the decree by the Sultan. I don't know what more they can do. They have done everything we have asked. This is a good trade agreement and, it is in the interest of the United States to pass it. I hope this body will.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Those provisions are law but a number require regulations.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. The Sultan's decree is law. Mr. Levin, the purpose of a trade agreement is to advance progress and communication and economic interdependence, it seems to me. And to the extent we can, to promote social progress. There is an enormous, profound agreement here on Oman's part that it will adopt those standards that you and many others in this body have been urging upon countries like that. They are not perfect. I agree they are not perfect. But Oman is not known in the Arab world or to anybody that knows Oman, as a particular violator of labor rights. I do not know of any of these kinds of forced labor places that have been referenced. I have been to Oman. I have read everything that I could. They want to get better, but I do not think to suggest that the fact that they are not perfect now is reason to destroy, to vote against an agreement that would substantially advance the cause of labor protections.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time. You know as well as I do that it would be better if we could make labor protections a more integral part of many of these trade agreements. But I would also suggest that anybody that looks at this trade agreement with an open and objective mind would come to the conclusion that this is substantial advancement, that this is not only consistent with prior trade agreements, but this is better than prior trade agreements, and that this will create a more prosperous, a more open society in the Middle East, and that Oman is an ally that has always been dependable. On July 8, the Sultan made these labor protection law. The Sultan has never said anything with regard to use of troops, with regard to economic agreements, with regard to trade with Israel, which they do conduct despite all of the pressure on them from Saudi Arabia and other countries where he has not kept his word. In every instance, he has kept his word. It seems to me that is a relevant consideration. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan and the gentleman from Maryland and their colleagues for raising any number of labor issues in their discussion of the markup of the Omani trade agreement. In fact, in large part that resulted in the Sultan issuing a decree that incorporated virtually all of those labor laws that he could decree. And his decree is law. For example, on July 8, 2006, this decree prohibited forced labor, including coercion by withholding travel documents of foreign employees. It endorsed collective bargaining and the use of strikes as a legitimate tool. It prohibited termination of employment or any other kind of retribution for union activity. It terminated effective immediately the Omani government's representation in union activities. It provided specific enforcement tools for violations of collective bargaining rights, and it provided rights of workers against forced or coerced labor and against child labor. There are further International Labor Organization standards that the Omani Government intends to pass. It has to wait until its advisory panels meet and puts the implementing regulations into effect. But that will be done in the next 3 months. That is a pretty short period of time. The end of October is when the Sultan committed to implementing all of his labor commitments into effect.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Yes, I am, because the fact that a government takes your passport, any number of governments do that. The German Government used to do it. I don't know if they do it now. That doesn't mean that is forced labor. They hold your passport, but that doesn't mean that you can't get it when you want to leave the country. But the fact is that now the decree has been issued, and that tactic cannot be used.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. It is no longer legal to use such a tactic. It is not used. That is the kind of progress we are wanting to achieve, and I thank Mr. Pascrell's help in achieving that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks).

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This trade agreement needs to pass. This trade agreement is so clearly in America's interest. Now, when you look at the total amount of trade between the two countries, it may not seem like a big deal. A billion dollars, what is that? Four one-hundredths of 1 percent of our economy, $500 million each way. That is no big deal. But that was my daughter calling, and that is what this is really about. This is about the future; whether we engage with the peaceful and progressive Arab world or whether we blow up the bridges that they are trying to build with America and with the modern Western world. Oman was the first Arab country to send an Ambassador to the United States. Today, they have the first woman and the only Arab woman Ambassador to the United States. They are showing by their actions that they get it. They understand that when 60 percent of their population is under the age of 18, they have got to go forward, not backward to fundamentalism and to the kind of theocracy that has hampered so many of their neighbors. They need to move forward. But they need the help of the United States to move forward. Now, as I say, the amount of trade is inconsequential. It is not going to affect organized labor here. It is not going to affect any particular industry, although I have to say that it is pretty much a one-way street. What they buy from us is transport equipment, manufactured products that generate jobs in this country. And what we buy from them is largely natural resources, and some textiles, but mostly oil and gas. They want to be able to buy more. They want to make it easier for us to sell by reducing tariffs and quotas. But, most importantly, is the larger context of this agreement. Oman sits on the Strait of Hormuz. More than 20 percent of the world's oil supply goes through that strait. Guess who sits on the other side of that strait? Iran. Oman is right next to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been the instigator and the promoter of an Arab boycott against Israel, and this relatively small country has dedicated itself to breaking that boycott. We have a letter from AIPAC here supporting this because Oman has been willing to break the tertiary, secondary and primary boycotts of Israel. Here is the letter right here. Now, when we were attacked on 9/11/2001, we put together a bipartisan commission of very thoughtful and knowledgeable people, and one of the most important recommendations that that commission came up with was that we as a country need to reach out to the modern, progressive Arab world. We have got to do it. We can't isolate ourselves from a billion- and-a-half Muslims, because then that is going to radicalize people in their country. We have got to walk through these doors that they are willing to open up and show what happens when you trade with the United States, when you trade with progressive democracies. This is exactly what that 9/11 Commission recommended. I am pleased that we overwhelmingly supported the Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, but this is an even better trade agreement. It is hard to believe that we are questioning the fact that this is in America's interest. It is so overwhelmingly in America's interest. A couple of red herrings have been brought up; and as much as I respect and admire my colleagues who have brought up these red herrings, we are all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own set of facts. The facts are that we asked the Congressional Research Service to look into this. They came up with a report that was compelling and definitive: there is no national security interest involved here, because if we decide there is a national security threat, which we self-define, that trumps everything else, and at any time we can raise the essential security justification. No one else has the authority to second-guess what it takes for us to protect our national security, and there is no precedent for any kind of international panel second- guessing us. There is no national security issue here. The language, the provisions in this treaty, are the same as have been in all the others. It is the same language as Bahrain, the same language as Central America. There is no change here. In terms of labor law, and I will address this subsequently after people address it on the Democratic side to lay out their objections, but I have read the communication from the Sultan, as I trust others have. He is willing to agree to the labor rights issues. He wants to abide by the International Labor Organization's standards. He wants to do everything it takes to show that he gets it, that he wants a higher quality of life, a better standard of living and more worker protections in Oman than his people have today. Now, the democratically elected Advisory Council is not in session right now, but within 3 months he will get them all passed. When the Sultan says he is going to do it, that is it. We may prefer the niceties of a democracy and so on, but the reality is that these laws are going to be changed if the Sultan commits to changing them. So I really urge my colleagues to support this. One other aspect that I haven't mentioned, and I will get into it in a greater degree later, Oman has a military access agreement with us. They have had it since 1981. They keep renewing it. We keep putting more and more forces through Oman for the war in Iraq. They were of immense help in the Gulf War. I don't know what one country can do to be more deserving of a trade agreement with the United States.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, in response to my good friend from New Jersey, and also in response to my good friend from Michigan (Mr. Levin), who asks about, and makes accusations with regard to, the situation in Oman, I should remind them that there were 33 strikes in 2004, more than 6,000 workers went on strike. Strikes continue to this day with no repressive tactics, no government reprisals. And the Omani Government has representatives of the International Labor Organization on the ground in Oman working with them to develop more and stronger standards.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend from the Rules Committee for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Ms. Matsui's leadership. Mr. Speaker, this legislation needs to pass. This trade agreement is very much in the interests of the United States. Oman is our ally. It is an example of exactly what we need to help bring about throughout the Arab world. Now, I do not know if everyone in this body knows where Oman is located. It sits at the Strait of Hormuz and at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. It is in a critically strategic location. Across that strait lies Iran. More than 20 percent of the world's oil supply passes through that strait. Oman has remained our ally, notwithstanding all of the pressure that it has received over generations. It has been our ally since 1833 when we passed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. It was the first Arab country to send an Ambassador to the United States. Today it is the first and only Arab country to have a female Ambassador to the United States. It is one of the most open, liberal societies in the Arab and Muslim world. They signed a 10-year military access agreement in 1981 with the United States, and they have renewed it twice. They continue to be one of the most important logistical and operational support areas for the present war in Iraq, and were so in the Persian Gulf. Mr. Speaker, I do not know what more they can do. They are an active supporter of the United States against terrorism, and as this letter from AIPAC says, they have been willing to take on the Arab world and break the Arab boycott against Israel, the primary, secondary and tertiary boycott. And here we are, we debated all night last night about the resolution in the Middle East. We know the number of lives that are being lost, the conflagration that is taking place, and we will not reach out to an Arab nation that is our most important ally, that is exactly what we are hoping to achieve in terms of economic and social liberalization. They have agreed to comply with all of the International Labor Organization's standards. They will have collective bargaining, unionization. They are going to open up their industries to outside review and competition. And what do they want to buy? They want to buy transport equipment and manufactured products, products that generate jobs in the United States. And what are they going to sell to us? It is primarily oil that does not generate jobs in the Arab world. That is part of the problem. But the Sultan of Oman understands that the vast majority, more than 60 percent of his population, are under the age of 18. He gets it. He understands. He needs to move into the modern world. But he needs American support to do that. This trade treaty needs to pass.