Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I think if you have listened to those in opposition to this bill, you recognize that there is not a consensus. One of the things that disturbs me the most today is that this is on the suspension calendar. This does not belong on the suspension calendar because it is obviously a very controversial piece of legislation. Let me tell you, I heard my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell). I went to one of the centers in my State in my district that treats AIDS and HIV patients, and I want to tell you, people are scared about this. They are very, very concerned that if this legislation passes in its current form that we are just not going to have the funding to deal with the AIDS and HIV cases in my State. Really, when you have a situation where so many people are worried about the impact this is going to have, and we have clear indication that this is not going to be enough money, this is simply not the way to go. I have no reason to believe if this bill goes to the other body that it is actually going to end up in something that goes to the President's desk. It is simply a mistake to deal with this on the suspension calendar with all the controversy that exists over it. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to stress again those of us who are in opposition to this bill, why we feel so strongly about it. The problem is that it is woefully underfunded. No one is suggesting that more money doesn't need to go to other parts of the country, that maybe the formula needs to be changed in some fashion. But the problem is there just isn't enough money to go around. So you have a situation where we are pitting one State against another or even different parts of the State of one State against other. It just isn't right. My colleagues on this side of the aisle have pointed out over and over again how we are spending money in Iraq, we are spending money on tax cuts. The problem here is the Republicans, those on the other side of the aisle, are not prioritizing funding where it should go. It should go to health care. It should go in this case to not only the AIDS patients but also those with HIV. The problem is we tried many times in committee to add through various amendments on our side of the aisle amendments that would increase the funding, hold harmless those States and those localities that need this funding under the current formula. Every time we tried to do that we were not successful because of the Republican leadership and the opposition, if you will, to the suggestions that we were making. I can't stress enough, there is not enough funding in this bill. We really should go back to day one. One of the amendments that I had was simply reauthorize the program the way it is for another year and hold us harmless for a year as we tried to find a solution that would be acceptable to everyone. That did not happen; and, instead, instead of having a normal debate and allowing amendments on the floor in the normal course of procedure, we stand here today with this bill on the suspension calendar. It shouldn't be here. The consensus doesn't exist. I urge my colleagues to vote against this legislation, and let's bring it back on an occasion when we can actually have a full debate and have amendments. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), who has been a leader on this Ryan White CARE Act from the very beginning.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Speaker, it is with great regret that I rise in opposition to this bill. Unlike previous reauthorizations of the Ryan White CARE Act, I believe the legislation before us has the potential to do great harm to systems of care around the country and place HIV/AIDS patients at risk. In my home State of New Jersey, for example, we have tremendous need for CARE Act dollars. We have the highest proportion of cumulative AIDS cases in women. We rank third in cumulative pediatric AIDS cases, and fifth in overall cumulative AIDS cases. In the early days of this epidemic when the Federal Government refused to help, New Jersey stepped forward and did the right thing. Ever since then, we have remained at the forefront of this battle working hard to provide the medical and support services HIV/AIDS patients need to live longer. But that will all change if this bill is enacted. This bill will punish States like New Jersey for keeping people alive and preventing new infections. It sets up a very perverse disincentive. It says to States: you will be penalized for doing a good job. This is not the message that Washington should be sending back home. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of reasons why this bill is flawed. The most obvious is that it is woefully underfunded. As a result, it sets up a vicious system of winners and losers. This bill pits AIDS against HIV, urban centers against rural communities. This is not how you treat a public health emergency. If Republicans would stop draining the Treasury to help pay for the tax cuts, we would have the resources necessary to adequately address this epidemic. Ultimately this bill is flawed, Mr. Speaker. It has no business being considered in the waning days of the session on this Suspension Calendar. Mr. Speaker, it needs to be fixed so that every State has the resources to treat their HIV/AIDS patients. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. Instead, let's pass a temporary reauthorization that holds every State harmless so that we can work out these problems. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel). (Mr. ENGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns).

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, S. 2464 will allow the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Department of the Interior to revise their respective responsibilities under the 1990 Fort McDowell Indian Water Rights Settlement Act in a mutually acceptable way. I want to indicate that I have been actually at the Fort McDowell Reservation and we support this legislation and have no objection to its consideration on the suspension calendar today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PALLONE. We strongly support H.R. 4545, championed by our colleague from Lakewood, California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez). This authorization will authorize Federal financial assistance for a unique water reuse and conservation project in the Los Angeles area. The project will demonstrate that small-scale neighborhood projects can be built to increase local water supplies and reduce urban water pollution. Projects like this can help residents of southern California increase local water supplies and reduce their dependence on imported water from northern California and the Colorado River. This is an innovative project and a good bill that deserves our support. Again, I want to congratulate my friend, Linda Sanchez, for her hard work on this bill.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I would yield back my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would now yield as much time as she would consume to the gentlewoman who is the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to express my extreme concern that the fragile peace in the Middle East could easily fall apart if we continue to sit idly by and watch Lebanon and the UN troops do virtually nothing to disarm the Hezbollah terrorist group. It seems to me that the international community may be in serious danger of repeating mistakes from the past. More than 2 years ago, the UN passed Security Council Resolution 1559, which called on Lebanon to disarm militias operating within the country's borders, including the Hezbollah terrorist group. Two years later, rather than seeing Hezbollah disarm, we saw a resurgent militia that raided an Israeli military post and started a month long conflict. Lebanon clearly failed to meet its requirements under the Security County resolution and Hezbollah actually got stronger with more weapons smuggled in from Iran and Syria. Now we are in the process of implementing Security Council Resolution 1701, and there is plenty of reason to worry that the same thing will happen all over again. Hezbollah is refusing to disarm and refusing to let UNIFIL, the expanded UN force in the region, take any action against them. The Lebanese government seems to be giving Hezbollah a pass as well, saying that they will let the terrorist group keep their weapons, as long as they remain hidden. What is worse, the UN force is sitting in Lebanon with little clue as to what they are supposed to do. They are apparently operating only at the behest of the Lebanese government, which doesn't seem to want the international troops to take any action. The fact remains, however, that Hezbollah dominated Southern Lebanon and became a proxy for Iran and Syria because the Lebanese government was unwilling to take action and because the Lebanese army was incapable of using real force. If the UN troops aren't there to actually help carry out the terms of Resolution 1701, what exactly are they doing in the region? Mr. Speaker, just as troubling is the fact that Lebanon seems to want to do little to control their border with Syria, where most of Hezbollah's arms are being smuggled through. They have declined to invite international forces to deploy along that border, even though it is clear that the Lebanese army cannot do what it takes to control and secure crossings between the two countries. Leaving this at the discretion of the Lebanese government is a recipe for deja vu, a rearming of Hezbollah and a renewal of the recent conflict. Mr. Speaker, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has made it clear that they have no intention of complying with the demands of the resolution. He announced last week that the terrorist group has no intention of surrendering its weapons, and even threatened the international forces not to try. I cannot comprehend why the United States and the international community would stay silent in the face of such blatant defiance of international will. It is clear that President Bush must show decisive leadership to urge the international community to take measures needed to accomplish the goals of Security Council Resolution 1701. Lebanon cannot be allowed to continue to hold international forces at bay while it does nothing to confront Hezbollah's operations. The U.S. and other nations cannot sit idly by and watch a terrorist group rearm and regroup in preparation for attacking Israel again and further destabilizing the region. The international force needs to be beefed up closer to the authorized level of 15,000 troops and given the mandate it needs to ensure compliance with the resolution. Mr. Speaker, we also must take action to let Hezbollah supporters, Syria and Iran, know that the international community will not turn a blind eye towards their blatant support of terrorism against Israel. The U.S. must implement the full range of sanctions under the Syria Accountability Act until it is clear that Syria is no longer funneling weapons and other support to Hezbollah. Mr. Speaker, if we are serious about maintaining stability in the Middle East and moving towards a lasting peace, then we need to be serious in our oversight of the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Standing by and watching will only embolden the terrorists

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I also rise in support of H.R. 5574, the Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2006. I do want to thank the ranking member of our health subcommittee, Mr. Sherrod Brown, for his support on our side of the aisle. He was the person who really took the lead on this legislation. The legislation, as you know, reauthorizes the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education program until 2011 to fund residency programs in Children's Hospitals. This program is designed to help Children's teaching hospitals that do not receive significant Federal support for their resident and intern training programs through the Medicare program because of their low volume of Medicare patients. Full-service teaching hospitals receive funds for graduate medical education through Medicare payments, but prior to the enactment of this program, independent Children's teaching hospitals did not have a similar program to fund their resident training programs for physicians. Thankfully, Congress recognized this inequity and the financial disadvantage it placed on Children's Hospital. Now, Mr. Speaker, money from this program helps to support the broad teaching goals of Children's teaching hospitals, including training health care professionals, providing rare and specialized clinical services, and innovative clinical care, providing care to the poor and underserved, and conducting biomedical research. Teaching hospitals have higher costs than other hospitals because of the special services they provide. This legislation seeks to alleviate that burden. On June 21, 2005, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation authorizing $100 million a year for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, to offset direct medical education costs of graduate medical education in Children's Hospitals. The Senate amended this legislation and increased that authorization for direct costs to $110 million a year for fiscal years 2007 through 2011. The Senate also increased the funds authorized for the indirect medical education costs of graduate medical by $20 million, providing $220 million for fiscal years 2007 through 2011. These commendable changes will provide needed funds to the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education program. Again, I want to thank the chairman who is here on the floor, our Republican chairman, Mr. Deal, because this did end up being a bipartisan effort. I know you played a major role in making it a consensus bill. I urge all of my colleagues to support the legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California for those very nice remarks. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 362, legislation that will address the serious and overlooked problem of marine debris along our Nation's shores and beaches. Marine debris remains a huge issue in my home State of New Jersey. It was not too long ago that the New York Bight, a 19,000-square-mile area off the coast of New Jersey and New York, was known infamously as the ``ocean dumping capital of the world.'' It has taken years of work to clean up our oceans and our beaches, and S. 362 will help ensure that we never go back to where we were. I applaud my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, especially the chairman, Don Young, and the ranking member, Jim Oberstar, and Resources Committee chairman, Richard Pombo, and the ranking member, Nick Rahall, for their support in clearing this important legislation for the floor. And I also thank my colleague from San Diego and my colleague, the chairman of our Subcommittee on Resources from Maryland, for helping clear this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I introduced the House companion version of this bill, H.R. 3692, not only because marine debris is bad for human health and the environment but also because it can be incredibly harmful to our tourism economy in New Jersey and across the country. By building on the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, S. 362 will provide additional coordination to prevent and reduce marine debris through the establishment of an interagency coordinating committee. The bill will also strengthen and enhance specific program activities carried out by NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard. This legislation will provide additional grant resources to reduce the volume of marine debris, track the origination and subsequent dispersal of this trash, and stimulate new education strategies to build public awareness of the problem. Marine debris is an issue that we ignore at our own peril, and I urge adoption of this legislation to finally establish an effective and coordinated Federal response to the problem.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, we are on the verge of a full-scale war in Sri Lanka. The 2002 cease-fire agreement and the peace process in Sri Lanka between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam, LTTE, is essentially nonexistent. The violence is escalating and thousands of Sri Lankan civilians are suffering. These past few months have resulted in nearly 2,000 deaths with more than 200,000 displaced persons. The fighting has also blocked access to essential supplies for many parts of the northeastern province, cutting off more than 60,000 Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils from water. This sinister cycle of war, cease-fire and then more war is not effective. Each side blames the other side and the situation is only getting worse. Hostilities must end and violence must not be the means for resolving ethnic conflict. All efforts must be focused on restoring and sustaining peace, and both parties must swallow their pride for the sake of their Nation. Norway and the co-chairs of the Tokyo Donors' Conference, which includes the United States, have called for a return to unconditional negotiations in October. This return to the negotiating table is critical, and I am fully supportive of this effort. Both parties must guarantee the safety of its citizens, aid workers and peace monitors. Meanwhile, the LTTE must denounce terrorism as a means to its political aspirations. Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe the majority of people in Sri Lanka would be in favor of a democratic solution to the conflict. The political challenges cannot be resolved through war, and that is clear. In June, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher stated ``though we reject the methods that the Tamil Tigers have used, there are legitimate issues raised by the Tamil community and they have a legitimate desire to control their own lives, to rule their own destinies, and to govern themselves in their homeland.'' I echo this sentiment and support a solution that retains Sri Lanka's unity. Yet, it should grant a level of autonomy to ethnic minorities like the Tamils. We have seen very similar successful situations throughout the world. Places like Quebec in Canada, Wales and Scotland in Great Britain are all part of their Federal Nations but have significant autonomy. Mr. Speaker, the situation in Sri Lanka is certainly not getting any better. As we have seen over the past few months, international monitors are leaving the country, scared for their well-being. The United Nations has threatened to revoke its international aid. If this pattern of violence continues without pursuit of a political solution, the international community may completely rescind its support. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge both sides to recommit to the process of sustaining peace in Sri Lanka. The devastating effect this is having on the civilian population of the country is not just. It is up to both parties to find a way to ensure the safety and security of all the people of Sri Lanka

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, America is not safer today than it was before 9/11. The President can continue to deny this fact in speeches around the country, but his own intelligence agencies concluded that the world is not safer today, and the main reason is the ongoing war in Iraq. This is not the only proof that we are less safe today than 5 years ago. A recent independent Council on Global Terrorism report assigned a grade of D-plus to our Nation's efforts in combating Islamic extremism. The council concluded that ``there is every sign that radicalization in the Muslim world is spreading rather than shrinking.'' Another report, this one by Foreign Policy Magazine, surveyed our Nation's top security experts from across the political spectrum and their conclusions that 84 percent said we are losing the war on terrorism and 87 percent said the war in Iraq had a negative impact on the war on terror. Mr. Speaker, it is time that we get back to fighting the real war on terror. We need to begin redeploying our troops out of Iraq and refocusing our efforts in Afghanistan. How can we defeat the terrorists if we have seven times as many troops in Iraq as we do in Afghanistan?

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, last week Turkey put renowned novelist Elif Shafak on trial for charges that she insulted Turkishness because the character in her latest book refers to the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 as genocide. Nine months pregnant, Shafak was forced to defend herself, or, more specifically, a fictional character in her book, to prevent going to jail. Although Shafak was acquitted, Turkey continues to use forms of intimidation to deny its citizens their right to freedom of expression. It lobbies for its so-called rightful role in the international community, yet it does not live up to democratic principles and standards. Mr. Speaker, in 1915 a systematic and deliberate campaign of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians occurred. Over the following 8 years, over 1.5 million Armenians were tortured and murdered, and more than half a million were forced from their homeland into exile. To this day the Republic of Turkey refuses to acknowledge the fact that this massive crime against humanity took place in the name of Turkish nationalism. When it comes to facing the judgment of history about the Armenian genocide, Turkey has chosen to trample on the rights of its citizens to maintain its lies. The trial of Ms. Shafak is a perfect example of the depths the Turkish authorities will go in order to deny the Armenian genocide. Their refusal simply has no limits. Article 301 of the Turkish penal code was used against Shafak. It is the same law that was used against another author, Orhan Pamuk, in 2005. It states that any person who, quote, insults the republic can be jailed for between 6 months to 3 years. Mr. Speaker, more than 60 similar cases have been brought against writers and artists in Turkey. The law is being used to silence political voices in the country. In this instance, it disturbingly was used to charge a made-up character in a book. Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased that the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, on September 4, insisted Turkey make substantial changes in many areas before the nation could ever be accepted as a member of the European Union. On September 4, that Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament announced that Turkey had failed to align its laws with the European Union standards, and in particular, it noted Turkey's lack of recognition of the Armenian genocide, its illegal occupation of the northern third of Cyprus, religious inequality and its oppressive penal code. But Turkish authorities continue to deny their citizens the freedoms that Americans and other democracies across the world value so greatly. Without them, a true democracy does not exist. Until Turkey can guarantee key principles of a democracy, it should not be allowed to join the European Union. In addition, Turkey needs to abide by international law in its dealings with its neighbors. Turkey continues the illegal blockade of Armenia. It refuses entrance of goods from Cyprus to its ports. Mr. Speaker, the Turkish Prime Minister is expected to visit with President Bush sometime in early October, in the next few weeks. In light of these latest events, in light of the report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, I would encourage the Bush administration to insist that Turkey clean up its act, both with regard to suppression of the rights of its own citizens, and illegal and aggressive acts against its neighboring countries.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to honor a dear friend, the late Dr. Girija Roy. I want to honor Dr. Roy as a man who exemplified the realization of the American Dream. With his passing, the Indian American community is devoid of one of its finest citizens. Mr. Speaker, the many accomplishments Dr. Roy achieved over the course of his lifetime serve as a testament to his unwavering commitment to the service of others. Dr. Roy was born in Kothwan, a small village in the Indian state of Bihar. In 1971, after earning his degree from Ranchi Veterinary College, he immigrated to the United States with a mere $7 in his pocket. He found employment with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York. After his successful completion of an equivalency examination, Dr. Roy was hired by the Rahway Animal Hospital in New Jersey. In 1977, he purchased that same hospital. He would later acquire two additional veterinary hospitals in New Jersey and established the Central Jersey Emergency Clinic, an after-hours emergency room for animals. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Roy's son Pryia fondly conveyed his deep love for animals, stating that he believed ``animals were capable of bringing joy to a person that humans cannot.'' His professional life was dedicated to the care of the countless animals that visited his hospital as well as providing comfort to their owners. Mr. Speaker, I want to mention that Dr. Roy's commitment to service existed throughout his personal life. He was the head of the Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America called B-JANA. In 1999, under his leadership, B-JANA was able to raise a significant sum for the widows of India's Kargill War. Later that year, the Orissa Cycle ravaged India, resulting in a great loss of human life and property, and, again, B-JANA willingly lent a hand by collecting clothes for the survivors of the disaster. I mention B-JANA, but that was just the beginning of Dr. Roy's involvement in numerous social and political activities both within the Asian Indian community as well as mainstream America. He was a regular at Indian cultural festivals such as Navratri and Devali that occur this time of year. He became very much involved in the political empowerment of the Indian community in central New Jersey, the effort to register voters, run Indian Americans for political office, and get young Indian Americans involved in politics. Dr. Roy always felt that Indian Americans like himself, who were enormously successful in the United States, should give something back to the community, and he was generous both with his time as well as financially. I can't emphasize enough how much he influenced me and made me understand how important it was to give back. And he, of course, always was there when I needed help both politically as well as personally. Although I am deeply saddened by Dr. Roy's death, I am grateful for the opportunity to have known a man of such great character. He was equally as passionate about providing assistance for those in need halfway around the world in his native India as he was comforting a worried pet owner sitting in the waiting room of one of his New Jersey animal hospitals. Dr. Roy was a true humanitarian whose work has touched the lives of countless people, and with his passing we have all suffered a great loss.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 15th anniversary of Armenia's independence. I would like to congratulate the Armenian Government, its people and the entire extended Armenian community on this momentous occasion. Over the last 15 years, the Armenian people have made tremendous progress toward a modern, open and free democracy that should serve as an inspiration to other nations. Following the collapse of the U.S.S.R., Armenia was among the first of the former Soviet republics to embrace the path of democratic change in pursuit of freedom and self-determination. However, the road to independence was not easy. Centuries of foreign domination, genocide against its people in the early 20th century and seven decades of totalitarian dictatorship did not discourage the Armenian people. Since its independence, Armenia has emerged as a viable, vibrant society playing an important role in stabilizing the South Caucasus region. Armenia continues to be a trusted partner of the United States in a strategically important area of the world, a regional leader in political and economic reform, and a nation committed to the principles of democracy and the rule of law. Armenia has joined the global war on terror by engaging in a strategic relationship with the United States and other coalition members. Armenia's armed forces also participated in NATO's stabilization force in Kosovo, in addition to maintaining and developing a robust program of individual partnership with the North Atlantic Alliance through its Euro-Atlantic Partnership framework. Armenia also has made tremendous progress in building up a free- market economy. It is one of only a handful of countries to have qualified for the Millennium Challenge Account, is a member of the World Trade Organization and has been granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations status by the United States. Mr. Speaker, Armenia has overcame a brutal legacy of Ottoman persecution, Soviet oppression, Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabagh, and the ongoing dual blockades by Turkey and its allies in Baku in its path to independence. I urge my colleagues to join me in expressing congratulations to Armenia as well as extend my sincere support and encouragement to flourish as a strong democracy for years to come.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my serious concerns about the process and manner by which this legislation has arrived on the House floor today. The fact of the matter is that despite the laudable work that the Science Committee has done to develop legislation codifying the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this bill represents only half of what we need to develop a real organic act for the agency. The Republican leadership has chosen to bring H.R. 5450 to the floor without the Resources Committee taking any action on its sequential referral. While the Science Committee's bill deals with the atmospheric or so-called ``dry'' side of NOAA, the Resources Committee has jurisdiction over ocean and coastal programs, known as the ``wet'' side. This inaction is further evidence that when it comes to protecting our oceans, the House Republican leadership and the Resources Committee majority have nothing to show for themselves. Mr. Speaker, in 2003 the Pew Oceans Commission put out a comprehensive report telling us that our oceans were in serious trouble. Many on the other side of the aisle disparaged the report. But a year later, the Congressionally chartered U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy released a separate report and came to the same basic conclusion--that our oceans are in peril from degraded waters, compromised resources, and conflicts between man and nature--and that immediate action is needed to restore the environment and protect our ocean and coastal related economy. They laid out some pretty pointed and thoughtful recommendations for Congress. Two years later, however, the House and the Resources Committee have done virtually nothing in response to these recommendations. Rather than developing a cohesive, bipartisan strategy to evaluate the Commission's recommendations, they have effectively blocked meaningful oversight on oceans issues. The Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans has held exactly one hearing on the US Ocean Commission's recommendations. Neither the Subcommittee nor the full Resources Committee have done anything to take serious action on the report's findings despite repeated requests from myself and others. Today, in the face of the Resources Committee's disinterest in oceans issues and its inability to report its own version of H.R. 5450, we are now forced to consider a bill that may be well intentioned, but is nonetheless seriously flawed. The truth is we have wasted the past two years when we should have taken action. Our oceans are a tremendous resource for this nation. Fishermen, beachgoers, coastal business owners, and many others in my district know this. They expect me and other members of Congress to be working on the problems facing our oceans, and I agree. Rather than passing half a bill, we should be taking serious action in response to ocean commission recommendations. Mr. Speaker, members might vote for this bill because they support NOAA and want to move forward on an organic act. But no one should be fooled into thinking that the House has properly done its work to address the recommendations of the Ocean Commission.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, it is not every day that we get to pay tribute to a truly special person that served our country like Mary Eliza Mahoney, America's first professionally trained African American nurse. I want to indicate my support for H. Con. Resolution 386 offered by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson honoring Mary Eliza Mahoney's outstanding nursing career, her dedication to the U.S. nursing profession, and exemplary contribution to local and national professional nursing organizations. Ms. Mahoney was born in 1845 and grew up in an era where many similarly situated African Americans did not have the opportunity for an education. Ms. Mahoney, however, enrolled in nursing school. In 1879, at the age of 34, she was one of only a handful of students in her class who graduated, and the only African American in her class. Ms. Mahoney changed the face of nursing as the first African American woman. Afterwards, black students were accepted at school as long as they met the requirements. Not only did she pave the way for African Americans as nurses, she advocated for them. Moreover, she worked hard to counteract the nationwide shortage of nurses, which, of course, continues today. In 1896, Ms. Mahoney became one of the original members of a predominantly white nurses association, alumni of the United States and Canada, later known as the American Nurses Association, or ANA. In 1908, she was cofounder of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. In addition, Madam Speaker, she supported the voting rights amendment and was the first African American nurse to receive retirement benefits for her lifelong hard work and service to others. The contributions of people like Mary Eliza Mahoney should be remembered. She set an example more than a century ago that I hope many children today will follow: Work hard, follow your convictions and help others. The U.S. is expected to have a shortage of 2.8 million nurses by the year 2020, and Congress has to do a lot more to recognize the support, the work of America's nurses both through resolutions like these and through greater funding. Ms. Mahoney was a remarkable woman. We should not let what she fought for so long ago be for naught. That is why I think it is very important that we pass and support this resolution this afternoon.