Donald Payne

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 337) honoring Seeds of Peace for its 15th anniversary as an organization promoting understanding, reconciliation, acceptance, coexistence, and peace in the Middle East, South Asia, and other regions of conflict.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 337, a resolution honoring Seeds of Peace for its 15th anniversary as an organization promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the Middle East and around the world. While the peace process has had its ups and downs over the last 15 years, Seeds of Peace has blossomed into a widely recognized organization that has facilitated interaction among thousands of young people and young leaders and educators from all around the world. Seeds of Peace lays a foundation for sustainable peace by promoting dialogue among young leaders before their fears, mistrust and inherited prejudices have permanently shaped their vision of their enemy. We get them in time to prevent that from happening. After a summer program in Maine, which also includes many American participants, these young seeds, as they are known, and their teachers, continue with regional and international programming that furthers the dialogue among and across nationalities and supports the development of future leaders. Seeds of Peace also fulfills an important recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, reaching out to young people, particularly in Arab and other Muslim countries, and offering them hope and a positive vision of the future. A decade and a half ago, Seeds of Peace, founded by the late John Wallach, envisioned a handful of Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian teenagers coming together in the woods of Maine and breaking down barriers of mistrust. Since its inaugural camp session 15 years ago, the mission of Seeds of Peace has grown to include not just those from the Middle East, but young people from throughout South Asia and Afghanistan. Governments negotiate agreements, but Seeds of Peace has remained as the only people that can define a quality of peace. Every new seed, you may recall that is what they are called when they complete the course, whether he or she is in Kabul or Tel Aviv, Ramallah or Islamabad, represents one more person who has the potential and the required skills to see through mistrust and prejudice and thereby to contribute to making and building peace. That is why we seek to honor the terrific organization Seeds of Peace. That is why I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, from day one, this Democratic Congress has been fighting to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, bring down record gas prices, and launch a cleaner and smarter energy program. We have passed legislation to suspend the filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve later this month through the end of this year. After initially opposing this legislation, the President signed it into law last month. We passed legislation that gives the U.S. the authority to prosecute anticompetitive conduct committed by the international cartels, like OPEC, that restricts supply and drives up prices. The House also passed the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, which allows us to retain and create hundreds of thousands of new ``green'' energy jobs and invest in the renewable energies of the future. Today, experts estimate biofuel blends are keeping gas prices about 15 percent lower than they would otherwise be right now. With gas prices continuing to skyrocket in my home State of New Jersey and across the Nation, House Democrats will continue to explore ways to provide relief to consumers at the gas pump.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to join me as I rise to recognize and honor a dedicated public servant, Anzella K. Nelms who is retiring from the position of State District Deputy Superintendent of the Newark Public Schools. Ms. Nelms' journey to this post encompassed many levels including classroom teacher, vice principal and principal. As a result of these experiences. Ms. Nelms was definitely in a position to make a difference in the lives of our most precious resources, our children. An accomplished student herself, having attended school in her native Raleigh, North Carolina, Anzella Nelms sought to ensure that Newark's school children received a quality education. Her dramatic influence can be seen at Camden Middle School where she served as principal from 1979 to 1989 and helped to develop a national model for school effectiveness. It can also be seen in the 16 ``Theme Schools'' she began within her School Leadership Team while serving as Assistant Superintendent. Fortunately, for those who had the opportunity to work with her, Ms. Nelms was generous with sharing her knowledge and her significant leadership skills. As Ms. Nelms retires, she will be remembered for her belief in the needs of the total child along with her other accomplishments. She started a tennis program and encouraged fine arts within the schools. She is an excellent role model as well as the consummate professional. Her elegance and charm are as integral to her being as her love for learning. Ms. Nelms has touched the lives of countless students, parents and administrators. Quite appropriately, Ms. Nelms has received many awards, accolades and honors for her work in the Newark Public School System. I am truly grateful that she chose Newark as her system of choice because I know she had other options. As a former teacher, I know that to be in an educational environment is to serve with one's heart. Ms. Anzella Nelms has served with her heart since 1964 and in the process has created a memorable legacy. Madam Speaker, I am sure my colleagues agree that Ms. Anzella Nelms deserves to be feted at a party in her honor on Friday, April 18, 2008, for her many years of dedicated service to the Newark community. I am proud to have had her in my Congressional district and wish her never- ending success in her future endeavors.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for the passage of H.R. 5613, the Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act. I commend my colleagues Representative Dingell and Representative Murphy for introducing this bill, which would extend until March 31, 2009 the moratorium on several Medicaid regulations that would strip an estimated $20 billion over 5 years from the Medicaid program. Mr. Speaker, for more than 40 years, Medicaid has served as the Nation's health care safety net, providing access to health services for millions who cannot afford private insurance in a dynamic and changing economy. Today, more than 57 million children, poor, disabled and elderly individuals rely on Medicaid for care. The program now serves more people than Medicare, and with the ranks of the uninsured growing, and the threat of an economic recession, the Medicaid program is more important than ever. Mr. Speaker, hospitals are the backbone of America's health care safety net, providing care to all patients who come through their doors, regardless of their ability to pay. But, hospitals are experiencing severe payment shortfalls when treating Medicaid patients. Despite these financial pressures, the Administration continues to call for further cuts in federal funds for the Medicaid program that will affect hospitals and the patients they serve. Despite concerns raised by Congress, CMS continues to take steps to implement these regulations. These rules range from limiting payments for teaching hospitals, public hospitals and hospital outpatient services to reducing school-based services for children and case management for the disabled. Last year, Congress imposed a year-long moratorium (P.L. 110-28) on two regulations the proposed and final cost-limit rule and the proposed graduate medical education (GME) rule. The moratorium on implementation of these rules expires May 25, 2008. CMS's regulatory budget-cutting policies will have a devastating effect on my home State of New Jersey's Medicaid program, along with the hospitals and physicians serving our Nation's most vulnerable population--poor children and mothers, the disabled and elderly individuals. Much of Congress has expressed opposition to these rules. This bill would delay implementation of regulations affecting: CPEs; IGTs; GME; coverage of rehab services for people with disabilities; outreach and enrollment in schools, in addition to specialized medical transportation to school for children covered by Medicaid; coverage of hospital outpatient services; case management services that allow people with disabilities to remain in the community; and state provider tax laws. Mr. Speaker, there is no question that CMS's regulatory budget- cutting policies will have a devastating effect on my home State of New Jersey's Medicaid program, along with the hospitals and physicians serving our Nation's most vulnerable population--poor children and mothers, the disabled and elderly individuals. Mr. Speaker, we need to pass H.R. 5613 today. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill legislation.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Chairman, let me begin by commending Chairman Frank for bringing this very important legislation to the floor, and his ranking member, Mr. Bachus, who has really been a real champion in these issues over the years. Let me give special congratulations to Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her tireless effort to bring H.R. 2634, the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation to the floor for consideration, and her long history of working to help the world's countries to elevate their people out of poverty. While nonprofit organizations and Members of Congress initially fought for debt relief, many of us never imagined that we would still find ourselves here today. Unfortunately, with the likes of Debt Advisory International, Elliott Associates, the burdensome IMF and World Bank policies, we must redouble our efforts to prevent such policies and companies from pecking away at the hard-won gains that we have made and must continue to make. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, I understand how the redirection of monies towards debt servicing and vulture funds has crippled African countries' attempts to improve upon development indicators. Sub-Saharan Africa receives approximately $13 billion in aid every year, yet spends $15 billion in servicing old and many times odious debts. This type of deficit spending perpetuates the vicious cycle that prevents African governments from truly creating their own solutions to the challenges that they face. Three billion people in nations around the world are living on less than $2 per day. For some of these nations, they are beholden to servicing debts instead of focusing their financial and human capital towards creating the necessary infrastructure to educate, feed, employ and care for their people. By eliminating many of the debts that are tying their hands, they will be able to direct the necessary energies to alleviating poverty in their countries. Debt cancellation works. Zambia is a prime example as to how monies freed from servicing a country's debt can be used to better the lives of its people. It is using its savings of $23.8 million under the multilateral debt relief initiative to increase spending on agricultural projects on smallholder irrigation and livestock disease control, as well as eliminating fees for health care in rural areas. The Jubilee Act will establish an agreement among the U.S., other countries and international financial institutions to provide debt cancellation for deserving, eligible low-income countries. It will also work to create a binding legal framework to ensure that entities, particularly unscrupulous vulture funds, will not be able to lie in wait in order to seize upon newly awarded debt relief. I congratulate Congresswoman Waters on getting this wonderful and timely bill to the floor of the House. I encourage other Members of Congress to support it.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 838) welcoming His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on his first apostolic visit to the United States, as amended.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I would first like to commend my distinguished colleague, Representative McCotter of Michigan, for introducing this timely and important measure. Next week, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, will make his first apostolic visit to the United States. It is appropriate that the House support H. Res. 838 in welcoming this distinguished leader of a church, which has more than 1 billion members worldwide. During his 5-day visit, Pope Benedict will hold numerous meetings in Washington, DC, and New York City. His schedule includes a private conversation with President Bush, a candle lighting and prayer service at Ground Zero, and two widely anticipated masses--at the brand new Nationals Park and the venerable Yankee Stadium. He will be only the third person in history to address the United Nations General Assembly. In addition to meeting U.S. bishops and Catholic groups, Pope Benedict will spend time with members of non-Christian faiths. In particular, he will meet with representatives of Jewish groups to acknowledge the start of Passover. This practice is very much in keeping with Pope Benedict's stated emphasis on reconciliation and faith at the ecumenical level, as he has sought to foster dialogue with a range of religious groups. And last but not least, during his visit to our country Pope Benedict will celebrate an important milestone, his 81st birthday. Joseph Ratzinger was born and baptized on April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn, Germany. Forced to leave seminary at the age of 16 for compulsory military service with the Nazi anti-aircraft corps, he defected at great personal risk and spent time in an Allied prisoner of war camp. In 1951, he was ordained to the priesthood, embarking on a career as one of the most prolific theologians in modern times. He served in numerous university posts, authored 25 books and thousands of hours of lectures, and participated as a theological adviser to the Second Vatican Council. Before becoming Pope, he distinguished himself first as Archbishop of Munich and Freising, and then dean of the College of Cardinals, and finally as the Bishop of Rome. He ascended to the Papacy on April 19, 2005. After nine apostolic visits in Europe and one to Brazil, the 265th pontiff is now traveling to the United States. It is with great pleasure that I welcome him to our country, the home of more than 66 million Catholics. I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth).

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 865) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the March 2007 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development makes an important contribution to the understanding of the high levels of crime and violence in the Caribbean, and that the United States should work with Caribbean countries to address crime and violence in the region, as amended.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Over the past decade, the level of crime and violence throughout the Caribbean basin has increased. Last year, the United Nations and the World Bank issued a joint report titled, ``Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs and Policy Options in the Caribbean'' which confirms this trend. The report makes a very disturbing finding: Crime and violence have generally increased in the Caribbean, to the point where the region as a whole now possesses the highest overall crime rate of any region in the world. While I note that each member of the Caribbean community is different, and that some countries are successful in maintaining relatively low levels of crime, the report's numbers, while taken as a whole, are alarming. They document extremely high levels of murder, rape, and drug trafficking on a massive scale. If the high levels of crime and violence in the Caribbean persist, they will undermine long-term economic development by eroding the region's trade, commerce, and tourism. The impact of this regional law and order would have a crisis which could extend beyond the borders of CARICOM states by impacting immigration patterns to the United States and by undermining our efforts to fight organized crime and drug trade. Regional instability related to crime and violence in the region could also undermine U.S. border security efforts. As the report points out, the United States is part of the cause of some of these problems, and we could also be a big part in the solution. Our allies in the Caribbean stand ready to partner with us in finding workable solutions. We have an opportunity to address this problem before it destabilizes much of the hemisphere and jeopardizes U.S. security. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 865 and the accompanying amendment in the nature of a substitute to express the sense of the House that the United States and its CARICOM allies take up the U.N./ World Bank report's recommendations and work together to solve this potentially devastating problem before it's too late. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE. I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) who, incidentally, her district has one of the largest Caribbean communities in the United States, and her heritage is from the Caribbean. I am so pleased to yield her 5 minutes on her first resolution in her freshman year. I commend you for that.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Chairman, as you know, the provision on food and nutrition security in the bill currently under consideration is drawn directly from a bill I introduced in December, H.R. 4914, the Global HIV/AIDS Food Security and Nutrition Support Act of 2007. I introduced the bill after chairing a hearing in the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health to determine whether the Global HIV/AIDS program was adequately addressing the nutritional needs of its beneficiaries. The hearing corroborated what I had already heard in the field on numerous visits to Africa over the past 5 years: PEPFAR is falling short in this critical area. I share the concerns of the gentleman from Massachusetts and the gentlelady from Missouri about the increasing cost of food aid. Just last week, the World Food Program had to issue an appeal for an additional $500 million to offset the increased costs of food and fuel.

Mr. PAYNE. Without the extra $73 million, people who rely on WFP for their daily sustenance may have their rations cut. This is a truly alarming situation, and it is not my intent for the provision of this bill to exacerbate it. The language under consideration very clearly states that these activities are to be funded from amounts authorized under section 401 of this bill. I used this language deliberately, as I strongly believe that the food assistance and nutritional support we are providing under the Global AIDS program must be on top of the food aid we are already providing.

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, let me begin by commending Chairman Berman of the committee for bringing forth this tremendous, important legislation, and for the support in this bipartisan effort from Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and for her support of this very important legislation. I rise in strong support of the legislation currently under consideration. I am very pleased to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. This bill is appropriately named because it was under the leadership of the late Henry Hyde, then chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, that the PEPFAR legislation was originally authorized. And under the leadership of the late Tom Lantos, reauthorization began. Both of these tireless giants who have left us should be remembered by this legislation. I might also note that under the leadership of the original authorization, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the Congressional Black Caucus were very strong advocates to push the leadership of the House and the President to consider this very important legislation. In the 5 years, there has certainly been a pandemic that the world is facing, and there has not been a pandemic similar to this since the plague during medieval days in Europe. So I am pleased that we are finally dealing with this pandemic in the way that it should be. In the 5 years since Congress passed the original legislation authorizing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, as it is well known, it has become an historic program. In my opinion, this will be remembered as the single most significant achievement of President Bush's two terms in office. And from my recent conversations with the President, I know that he has worked very hard on this reauthorization, and it is with the support of the White House and the staff, they helped us craft this bipartisan legislation. Prior to PEPFAR, the United States did very little in supporting AIDS treatment programs abroad. In fact, Members may recall a high-ranking USAID official said that treatment was not feasible in Africa, the most heavily AIDS-infected region of the world, because Africans cannot tell time and therefore would not be able to take the required medication properly. As we know, it was foolish to say that at the time; and as we have seen the results, it has proven once again to have been a foolish statement. These officials advocated limiting our activities only to education and prevention, a position that would have in effect sentenced millions of HIV-infected men, women and children to die if it were only that program. And so I am very pleased we expanded it to where it is today. Fortunately, the Congress and the President did not agree with that position. And because we were willing to find a way to provide treatment for over 800,000 people, today they are receiving antiretroviral medication to prevent AIDS in the 15 focus countries, 12 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. We are also pleased that we are increasing the number of countries to the 14 Caribbean countries. And as cochair of the bipartisan Caribbean Caucus, and under the leadership of Representative Donna Christensen, at a meeting she convened in her district, we had health ministers admit that the Caribbean also needed substantial help. Our progress, while significant, is not enough. Only 28 percent of Africans needing antiretrovirals are receiving them. Shockingly, over 85 percent of African children who need ARVs are going without them. A mere 11 percent of HIV-positive women who need drugs to prevent mother- to-child transmission of HIV during child birth are getting them.

Mr. PAYNE. In light of these troubling facts, we have taken steps in this legislation to transform PEPFAR from an emergency response to a sustainable program by expanding the program beyond a series of medical interventions. For example, the committee incorporated the provision that I discussed earlier about food security into the legislation in order to address the nutritional needs of HIV patients, their families, and communities heavily affected by the disease. Lack of food and nutrition support has been, up to now, a major impediment to the adherence of HIV/AIDS treatment regimens. H.R. 5501 also contains provisions to build and strengthen health systems in developing countries. The committee has given the Office of Global AIDS Coordinator the flexibility to do prevention, care and treatment programs tailored to the characteristics of the epidemic in the country in which they are operating by eliminating cumbersome earmarks that the GAO said were ineffective. Finally, the bill authorizes significant funds, $50 billion over the next 5 years, in order to accomplish the goals of the bill. I urge the House to pass this legislation.

Mr. PAYNE. I recognize the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) for 2 minutes.

Mr. PAYNE. We will now have the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for 2 minutes, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. (Mr. CROWLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, I yield an additional minute to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the Ways and Means Committee, from the State of Washington (Mr. McDermott). (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)