Nancy Pelosi

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding, and I appreciate his strong leadership in protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States. He leads us well in honoring our oath of office that we take. I commend the cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation, Mr. Boucher and Mr. Pence, for their leadership and commitment to working in a bipartisan way on an issue central to our democracy. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, ``Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.'' Freedom of the press, protected by the first amendment, has been a cornerstone of our democracy, one that we cherish and promote around the world. A free press keeps our Nation informed and holds those of us in government accountable. It is critical to freedom of speech and expression in our country. Freedom of the press is fundamental to our democracy and it is fundamental to our security. Speaking truth to power is vital to our democracy today, as it has been throughout our history. Mr. Speaker, the recent contracting scandals in Iraq, the appalling care of our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital, and the hidden Medicare drug prescription estimates a few years ago are several of the many examples where press coverage shaped our debate and our actions. These stories are central to accountability, the accountability necessary to make our Nation stronger and to be better stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. However, the essential work of the press has been severely hampered by the lack of a consistent Federal standard or a federally recognized privilege concerning the disclosure of confidential sources by journalists. As a result, in recent years, more than 40 reporters have been subpoenaed for the identities of confidential sources in nearly a dozen cases. Former Solicitor General Ted Olson, who served under President George W. Bush, wrote recently in The Washington Post, ``Journalists reporting on high-profile controversies cannot function effectively without offering some measure of confidentiality to their sources. Their ability to do so yields substantial benefits to the public in the form of stories that might otherwise never be written about corruption and abuse of power.'' Nearly all States have some form of press shield protecting the confidentiality of journalist sources; however, that protection is lacking at the Federal level and in the Federal courts. It is for this reason that I have long supported a Federal press shield law, without which freedom of the press is threatened. The Federal Government's policies and actions should protect and preserve the press's ability to speak truth to power. And this legislation does so with appropriate national security safeguards, striking a careful balance between liberty and security. Freedom of the press has long been an issue of importance to many of us in this body. When I was the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, I encouraged President Clinton to veto the Intelligence Committee authorization bill one year because it made it easier to prosecute journalists. We fixed those provisions and passed a bill that both protected our Nation and protected our fundamental freedoms. Mr. Speaker, we seek today to protect the freedom of the press that has served our Nation so well. We also seek to make clear to confidential sources that they will be protected in most circumstances when they bring forward public evidence of waste, fraud and abuse in government and in the private sector. As we protect and defend our Nation, we must now protect and defend the Constitution by enabling our press to be free, as our Founders envisioned. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, the United States has a long and deep history of supporting the sovereignty and independence of the Lebanese people. That is why we must condemn in the strongest terms possible continued Syrian and Iranian interference in Lebanese affairs. The Lebanese parliament is currently engaged in the process of selecting a new president, a task unfortunately complicated by the meddling of outsiders, most notably Syria and Iran, and their terrorist proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. Syrian and Iranian interference in Lebanon must be condemned by the international community in the strongest possible terms and it must immediately end. The resolution before the House chronicles the tragic toll exacted on Lebanon and its people by its neighbors. It is a tale of a peaceful people seeking a better future who again and again have seen their hopes dashed due to the cruel and opportunistic machinations of Iran and Syria. I recently met for the second time this year with Sheikh Saad Hariri, the leader of the majority in the Lebanese parliament, whose family has given so much for the freedom of the Lebanese people. Mr. Hariri made an eloquent appeal for help from the Congress of the United States and other parliamentary bodies to expose the interference of non-Lebanese groups in the selection of Lebanon's next president. I commend the bipartisan leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for acting quickly so the House could go on record against these tactics before the next meeting of the Lebanese parliament later this month. The politically-motivated violence that has been so much a part of Lebanon's recent history has not dampened the desire of the Lebanese people for self-determination. The Cedar Revolution was an eloquent and powerful testament to that fact; a fact which deserves the respect of all nations. Passage of this resolution puts the House squarely on the side of the freedom-loving people of Lebanon and I urge its adoption.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to acknowledge the passing of Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis and to pay tribute to her. As we all know, she passed away on Saturday. And although she had been diagnosed a while ago, we knew she was sick, it still hit this Congress very hard to lose her. Congresswoman Davis was tremendously proud to represent Virginia's First District, which she called ``America's First District'' because it included Jamestown. She spoke often on this floor of the deep patriotism of her constituents and of the pride of the many brave men and women in uniform who were her constituents. When Jo Ann Davis was elected to Congress, as has been mentioned by some, she made history as the first female Republican ever elected to the House from Virginia; but she knew it was far more critical to make progress than to make history, and she did, particularly in honoring our troops and our veterans. In fact, the first piece of legislation Congresswoman Davis ever introduced increased the life insurance benefits paid to survivors of military members killed on duty, and that passed the House in 2001. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, Congresswoman Davis became an outspoken advocate in favor of education, prevention and treatment of the disease. We in this body can express our admiration for her dedication with a real national commitment to fighting this disease which annually takes the lives of 40,000 American women. The Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia wrote of their Member of Congress this weekend, ``You can, as Jo Ann Davis amply demonstrated, succeed in politics by making friends, working hard, and doing your duty.'' All of us in this body can honor Congresswoman Davis's legacy by doing just that. As was mentioned about the patriotism of her district, she was deeply patriotic as well. She loved our country, and this Congress loved her. When she was diagnosed, we all hovered over her and prayed for her and were deeply saddened. At first, she would be gone for a while, and when she came back, we all encircled her and hugged her, and as it turned out, drew strength from her. As we were trying to encourage her, she gave us strength. Her attitude, her dignity, and the strength with which she confronted this terrible disease was something that was a lesson for all of us. When she passed away, we were all very, very deeply saddened, as I mentioned before, to get that sad news. She was really a bright light in this Congress. I hope it is a comfort to her husband, Chuck Davis, to her family, her two sons, her granddaughter, and her many family and friends that so many people in our country, indeed, intensely in this Congress, mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for his tremendous work on behalf of health care for all Americans in our country and in this case for our children. I commend Mr. Pallone for his leadership as well, and the distinguished chairmen, Mr. Rangel and Mr. Dingell. I salute the bipartisan vote that we had in the Congress to send the SCHIP legislation to the President of the United States. It was strong and bipartisan. It was about the children. And I also salute the strong vote in the United States Senate. I commend Senators Hatch and Grassley for lending their weight and bipartisanship to this important legislation. They joined Senators Rockefeller and Baucus on this important issue. Madam Speaker, as we all know and has been spoken already, today the President of the United States missed an opportunity to say to the children of America your health and well-being are important to us, so important that we are making you a priority. Today, the President said ``no'' to bipartisan legislation that would have extended health care to 10 million American children for the next 5 years. The President said ``no'' to giving assurances to America's working families that if they work hard and play by the rules, we are their partners in raising the next generation of Americans and investing in the future. In his speech and his veto statement, the President indicated we were doing something in this bill that we were not, that we were expanding eligibility. No, we were just enrolling all of the children who are eligible. In fact, we didn't have enough money to enroll all of them, but as many as could be afforded by a bill that could receive bipartisan support. The President said that we are moving toward socialized medicine and that he supports private medicine. Well, so do we, and this is about private medicine. It is about children being able to get insurance so they can have health care. The fact is that 72 percent of the children on SCHIP receive their health care through private insurance programs. I think the strongest indication of the President's commitment to this initiative came when he was Governor of Texas. At that time the State of Texas ranked 49th in its participation in SCHIP in meeting the needs of the children of Texas. SCHIP started as a bipartisan initiative with a Democratic President, President Clinton in the White House and a Republican Congress which came together in a bipartisan way in order to provide for the needs of our children. Once again with the reauthorization of the bill, we have come together in a bipartisan way to provide for the needs of our children. Sadly, following true to form, this form in Texas, 49th in the country, and how could Texas be 49th in the country with all of the pride that Texas takes in its stature, its size, its commitment to the future, its large number of beautiful and diverse children, that it would allow 48 States to be ahead of them in meeting the health needs of America's children from poor working families. What I know will happen today is that we will vote for a time certain in 2 weeks for us to bring up the override of the veto. At that time I hope that with the 43 Governors across the country, Democrats and Republicans alike, with bipartisan overwhelming support in the House and Senate, with every organization from AARP to YMCA and everything alphabetically in between, including the Catholic Hospital Association, Families USA, and the American Medical Association talking about private medicine, and the list goes on, that Members will listen, at least listen to those who care about children, who have standing in caring about children because I believe every person in this Congress cares about children, and I think it would be important for us to hear the voices of those who on a day-to-day basis try to help families who need some assistance in meeting the health needs of their children. So, my colleagues, this is, as Mr. Hoyer said, a defining moment for the Congress of the United States. The President has said ``no.'' This Congress must not take ``no'' for an answer, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on a time certain when we can take up the override of the President's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, an initiative to provide 10 million children health care, health insurance for 5 years. The difference between us and the President is 41 days in Iraq. For 41 days in Iraq, 10 million children can receive health care for 1 year. Let's get our priorities in order. Let's recognize that the strength of our country, in addition to being defined by military might, is defined by the health and well-being of the American people, starting with our children.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and thank him for his leadership in bringing this resolution to the floor. I thank him for mentioning my name in the same breath with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. You compliment me, Mr. Chairman. You and I know that the sacrifice she has been making for so many years is incomparable, really, in the world. For many years, many of us, Chris Smith, Dana Rohrabacher, John Porter when he was here, worked on this issue for a very long time. John Porter and Chairman Lantos co-chaired the Human Rights Caucus, and the issue of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and repression in Burma was and has been an important priority for them. So today we are coming together again following this horrible crackdown in Burma, and I am pleased to rise in support of the resolution condemning that crackdown on the peaceful protesters in Burma and calling for the immediate release of Burma's democracy leader, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. I thank Mr. Lantos for bringing this resolution to the floor. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for many decades has been a leader on this issue. She won the last democratic election in 1990 and has spent the last decade under house arrest away from her husband and her two children. Who in the world could have the courage and strength that she has had? When her husband was ill and was in the United Kingdom for his treatment, she could not visit him. When he passed away, she could not attend his funeral. Imagine the personal sacrifice of this great leader. Imagine the turmoil within her. But she understood that the democracy for all of the people of Burma was more important than the personal needs that she had for her family. What greatness. She has seen her supporters beaten, tortured and killed; and, yet, she has never responded with hatred and violence. All she ever asked for was peaceful dialogue. Others have mentioned some of the provisions of the legislation, and I think it is important to continue to mention them: condemn the crackdown. Mr. King particularly emphasized the role of China in all of this. And, yes, we should act in a bipartisan way, Mr. King. This resolution demands that the People's Republic of China and other countries that provide political and economic support for Burma's military junta end such support. This resolution firmly insists that Burma's military regime begin a meaningful tripartite political dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, and ethnic nationalities; demands the immediate unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, detained monks and other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience; calls on governments around the world, including the nations of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to severely tighten their sanctions regime against Burma; calls on the United Nations Security Council to immediately pass a resolution imposing multilateral sanctions on Burma's military regime. Of course, this cannot happen without China's cooperation on the Security Council. That is why their role is so important. It is also important because of the role they have played in propping up the junta. I am disappointed but not surprised that China is using its veto power at the United Nations Security Council to block the condemnation of the recent crackdown. For many years, the Chinese Government has helped prop up the Burmese, I think of them as thugs, but the Burmese regime, by blocking multilateral sanctions and providing substantial economic and military assistance to the Burmese Government. China is Burma's largest trading partner, and it is estimated that China controls more than 60 percent of the Burmese economy and has provided close to $3 billion in military aid since the early 1990s. Simply said, the Burmese regime would not have the strength and power that it has absent the support of China. We're calling on China to use its influence to bring about a political negotiation with the pro- democracy activists. This is a golden opportunity for China to show that it can be a force for peace and stability in the world. In the last few weeks, we all know that we've seen an extraordinary turn of events in Burma. This has been there for a long time. The repression has been there for a long time, but in these last few weeks, courageous people led by Buddhist monks have taken to the streets to stand up to a corrupt, illegitimate military regime that has repressed the country for nearly 20 years. The ruthless crackdown is outrageous, and the international community must not stand by while peaceful protesters are arrested, beaten and murdered. Let there be no doubt that the United States stands with the freedom- seeking people of Burma in their just cause. President Bush is to be commended for supporting tougher sanctions on those responsible for the gross violations of human rights. We can and should go further in bringing diplomatic pressure to bear on the regime. I know we all look forward to working closely with the President on this as we go forward. And so I again commend Aung San Suu Kyi as years ago, she called on individuals, organizations and governments to support Burma's democracy movement, and at that time, she said please use your liberty to promote ours. Today, on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, we are doing just that. I commend Aung San Suu Kyi for her courage and her leadership. The people of Burma are rising up and demanding their country back. The world must meet this challenge to our conscience. I thank again Mr. Lantos and Mr. Smith and all of my colleagues, in a bipartisan way, in support of democracy in Burma.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to a great American pioneer, Jean Picker Firstenberg, the outgoing President and CEO of the American Film Institute. Her 27-year tenure has marked AFI as one of America's greatest national cultural and educational resources. Under Jean Picker Firstenberg's visionary leadership, AFI has fulfilled its mission of excellence in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. From the moment she joined AFI in 1980, Firstenberg was effective from the start, acquiring an 8-acre campus in Los Angeles, and accrediting the AFI Conservatory through the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. In the 1980s, Firstenberg incorporated television and video into AFI's work, and established the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival, AFI FEST, which has become a world-renowned annual event. In the 1990s, she embraced the digital revolution, starting with the AFI-Apple Computer Center for Film and Videomakers, and adding the AFI Media and Technology division, the AFI Digital Content Lab, and Virtual AFI Web sites (AFI.com, AFIFEST.com, and SIL VERDOCS.com. Firstenberg has brought the art and science of storytelling to children through the AFI K-12 Screen Education Center that utilizes the advantages of digital and Internet technology to teach core subjects in America's schools, and to the general public through the AFI Showcase at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park in Orlando, Florida that depicts AFI programs and projects to millions of guests each year. Firstenberg has celebrated the diverse talents and creativity of American filmmakers in the innovative AFI's 100 Years . . . 100 Movies series she began in 1998. Millions of Americans have revisited old favorites and discovered new classics with the AFI series, which includes 100 Years . . . 100 Stars (1999), 100 Years . . . 100 Laughs (2000), 100 Years . . . 100 Thrills (2001), 100 Years . . . 100 Passions (2002), Years . . . 100 Heroes & Villains (2003),100 Years . . . 100 Songs, (2004), 100 Years . . . 100 Quotes (2005), and 100 Years . . . 100 Cheers (2006). Another milestone, reached in 2003, was the opening of the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD, a state-of-the-art center for the moving image arts. It hosts SILVERDOCS, a film festival for aspiring documentary filmmakers, and anchors a revitalized community. Firstenberg has continually embraced new media and blazed a trail for others to follow. She is rightfully proud of 27 years of funding the Directors Workshop for Women. Most of the women directors working in the film industry today come from this program. As she prepares to take leave of her day-to-day responsibilities at AFI, she will continue her service in her capacity as a lifetime trustee and through her legacy as a mentor, entrepreneur and role model. She will do so with the love and support of her family, particularly her daughter, Debra and her husband Michael Kusma, and their children Rachel, Sarah, and Christopher; her son Doug, his wife Suzanne, and their children Samantha, Drew, and Lindy; and her brother David Picker, and his wife, Sandy. Firstenberg's commitment to excellence and ethics in filmmaking is best captured by her AFI Conservatory graduates who describe her this way: ``She has made AFI a place committed to the notion that television and film are more than commerce or technology--they are our investment in the future; in fact, our legacy. That we are to be held responsible for the images we perpetuate in the culture. And that one institute would take on the task of encapsulating the hard truths and dreams of a nation by preparing the storytellers of its future.'' Madam Speaker, I ask the Congress of the United States to recognize the vision, talent and contributions that Jean Picker Firstenberg has made to enrich our cultural heritage and to encourage future generations to capture the imagination and innovation of the American people.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the distinguished chairman for recalling to mind that opening day here when I accepted the gavel on behalf of the children of America, all of the children of America. And when we had this debate before in Congress, we talked about perhaps the children listening to this debate, hearing what Members of Congress were saying. And I expressed my hope that they would consider this the children's Congress. I thank the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Rangel, for his leadership, and Mr. Stark, the Chair of the Health Subcommittee for helping to make this the children's Congress with this legislation. I thank the distinguished chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee for his tremendous leadership. Mr. Rangel and Mr. Dingell went into the conversations with the Republican leadership in the Senate on this bill, true champions of America's children, knowing the facts and figures, the provisions, every provision of the bill with such authority as they argued on behalf of America's children so effectively that this legislation before us reflects many of the provisions that were in the House bill. We had to agree to the Senate language in terms of the $35 billion and the pay-for with the tax on tobacco. We had hoped that we could do more in terms of the money allocated for this purpose so that we could cover more children. As I praise Mr. Dingell, I also want to acknowledge the fabulous leadership of Mr. Pallone, Chairman Pallone of the Subcommittee on Health in the Energy and Commerce Committee. Because of their leadership, we were able to join Senator Reid, Chairman Baucus, Chairman Rockefeller, Ranking Member Grassley, and Ranking Member Hatch in having a very bipartisan conversation on this subject. The people who were in the room that evening cared about passing a serious piece of legislation to expand health care for America's children. Not to expand the eligibility, as some on the other side of this House would have you believe, but to expand the number of kids who could be served if they met the eligibility. I, myself, had hoped that we could go beyond that and have eligible children in America who were legal immigrants. I was told that that would not fly in the Senate; that is a fight we will hold for another day. But I am pleased as one who represents a minority majority district from a majority minority State, where our State is blessed with a beautiful diversity, that of the additional children, nearly 4 million additional children covered, 67 percent of those children are minority children. Two-thirds of those children are children from families who are working hard, playing by the rules, lifting themselves out of poverty. They are the working poor in America. They are those who have aspired to the middle class to change that status and want to stay there. They simply don't make enough money to afford the private health insurance that this SCHIP initiative enables them to do. In fact, 72 percent, my colleagues might be interested to know that 72 percent of the children on this SCHIP program get their health coverage from private health insurance. There are many misrepresentations, and I think they are probably unwitting because I assume that every person in this Congress cares about insuring as many children in our country as possible. How could it not be so? It is a deeply held value in our country that our children, as President Kennedy said, are our greatest resource and our best hope for the future. We must invest in them. We have a moral responsibility to do so. When we had the debate on this bill and it first came to the floor, I was delighted in quoting a poem from my youth from Longfellow when he said, ``Between the dark and the daylight, when the night is beginning to lower, comes a pause in the day's occupation that is known as the children's hour.'' This is the children's hour for us in the Congress of the United States. I quoted Longfellow then, I am reminded of the Bible tonight, and I speak with all of the sincerity and all of the hope to President Bush in the hope that he will change his mind to dig deeply into his heart and think about the children in America who don't have health care. Because, if not, I think that the President is giving new meaning to the words ``suffer, little children.'' Suffer, little children, if your parents can't afford health insurance, but they are working hard and they are not on Medicaid, but you will suffer because they are struggling to give you the best possible future. Suffer, little children, if your family has played by the rules and they have come to this country and you are here as a legal immigrant, because if you are sick, you will not get health care unless your parents can afford private insurance. Suffer, little children, if you are sick because you haven't had the proper nutrition, the proper prevention, the proper early intervention to your affliction, that you should go directly to the emergency room. But until you can get into that emergency room with enough of a serious illness, you will suffer. That is just not right. I would hope that the President would have had a change of heart and mind since he was Governor of Texas. When he was Governor of Texas, the SCHIP program there, in meeting the needs of the children of Texas, ranked 49th in the country; 49th in the country. Forty-eight States were doing better in meeting the health needs of their children as reflected in the outreach of the SCHIP program. Does that mean that Texas is the 49th wealthiest State in the Union, that the children in that State can all afford private health care? I don't think so, especially since that State, as with mine, is blessed with beautiful diversity and people, again, families who come to America, families who are part of our country, who are struggling to make ends meet to build a better future for their children. And building that better future is what our country is all about, and those newcomers make America more American. I heard the President say that. We also heard him say that in this term of office that he would enroll every child who is eligible. I am sure our distinguished majority leader will bring that to the attention of this body. What is interesting about this is that the President, if he persists in vetoing this bill, and by the way, you don't have to be a Latin scholar to know that ``veto'' means ``I forbid.'' With that pen, the President says, I forbid struggling families in America to have health care for their children. I forbid every child to be treated the same if they have an ailment. How did any one of us decide that we were going to choose, you will have health care and you will not, in a country as great as ours when we are talking about our children? We are talking about our children. So that is why the Conference of Mayors, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a bipartisan organization, has overwhelmingly supported this legislation. That is why 43 Governors sent us a letter in July urging us to come to bipartisan agreement on legislation that would reauthorize SCHIP to care for many more children in our country. So when I hear the President say that we don't want to help children, we just want to do politics, I don't think he means that. So I hope he doesn't mean that he is going to veto the bill. Senator Grassley said of the President: The President's understanding of our bill is wrong. I urge him to reconsider his veto message based on our bill, not something that someone on his staff told him wrongly is in the bill. Actually, he said, ``in my bill,'' Senator Grassley said. And Senator Hatch said: We are talking about kids who basically don't have coverage. I think the President has some pretty bad advice on this. And I want to also commend Representative Ray LaHood and join you, Mr. Chairman, in saying what a privilege it is to call him ``colleague'' and to serve with him in the Congress, and thank him for his leadership in making a distinction between what is about the children and what is about politics in this House. I talked about the mayors; I talked about the Governors. Nearly 300 organizations in our country, alphabetically from AARP to YMCA and everything alphabetically in between, Families USA. I heard someone say the doctors should be making the decisions. The American Medical Association firmly supports this bill. The President of the AMA stood with us in a press conference today to support this legislation. The Society of Pediatrics. Everyone who has anything to do or cares about children in our country knows that this bill is the way to go. It is not everything I want, believe me, it is not the bill I would have written. I would have been far more generous and it would have been paid for in perhaps a different way, but it would have been paid for; because in terms of bringing benefits to our children, we have absolutely no intention of heaping debt onto them. The Catholic Hospitals Association, again, the list goes on and on about who supports this bill. It is a long list; it is a comprehensive list. And I might include in it that, across the country, overwhelmingly, the American people know and respect the value of taking care of America's children, all of America's children. Two- thirds, two-thirds of those polled among Republican voters, 2-1, they support passing this legislation and having it signed into law. Why does the President want to isolate himself from caring for America's children? Let's hope and let's pray that a very big, strong bipartisan vote tonight will send him a message to rethink his position. I see a child in the Chamber. Our constant inspiration of what we do here is supposed to be about the future, and the future demands that we invest in health, the education, and the well-being of our children. So, my colleagues, vote as if the children are watching. Please vote as if the children are watching, and please send them a message that this is the children's Congress.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I thank Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Boehner for cosponsoring this very important resolution to remember what happened on 9/11 6 years ago. On that terrible day, our country received an assault that was personal, and it was vicious. Our country responded with unity and with clarity about our resolve to fight terrorism. On a personal basis, for the families who were affected, I want to thank them, the families of 9/11, for turning their grief and their sorrow into action. They inspired our country to form a 9/11 Commission, to have the 9/11 Commission recommendations passed into law and signed by President Bush this summer. For that, all of us who care about the security of our country and the safety of our people owe those families a deep debt of gratitude. We also owe them the sympathy that their lost ones, their loved ones, will always be in our hearts. Earlier today, Mr. Speaker, I went to Ground Zero. I saw the rebuilding that is going on at that site. It is not without great sadness that one visits that hallowed ground. It is not without remembering when some of us visited the first time 6 years ago following the tragedy. At that time, it was total silence, no speaking, no photographs, just a somber evaluation of the destruction that had been wrought and about the lives that had been lost. Today, Ground Zero is rebuilding. It is rebuilding to remember, with a memorial to remember; and it is rebuilding to say to the terrorists that they have not won. The main goal of terrorists is to terrorize, to instill fear. They don't care about lives. They don't care about buildings. They just want to make people afraid. They want to change the way we run our country, do our business, live our lives and honor our freedoms. But if that was their goal, they certainly have failed. Whether it is at the Pentagon, where a wreath will be laid tomorrow, or it is in Pennsylvania, where we will mourn that loss forever, or whether it is in New York City at Ground Zero, the American spirit is alive and well. Again, they have lost this fight because we will not change who we are. That is what they resent. That is what we will not relent on. So to those families, thank you. We will always, again, carry your loved ones in our hearts; but thank you for turning grief into power, into law, into a safer America. To those courageous people who rushed in, whether it was the emergency services, the police and fire, whether it was just volunteers, people off the street going in trying to help, whether it was construction companies going in trying to clear the area, to them we also say thank you for their courage at Ground Zero. But we owe them more, as well. So I hope that in our resolve to remember and to rebuild, to honor our freedoms and to honor our people, we will understand that we must honor a responsibility we have to those who tried to save lives at Ground Zero, who may have lost their health because of it. So in my trip to New York at Ground Zero and at City Hall, I talked to the mayor and the Governor about how we can work together in a bipartisan way to see what is fair and what can be done now so that fairness will prevail for these people, but that the message will be clear. God forbid if we are ever faced with another situation that we have a compact with our people that if we stand together, we will not stand alone if we are affected by another tragedy. It is very sad. I thank Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Boehner for putting together this very excellent resolution. Following the vote later this evening, we will leave the Chamber and go down the steps of the Capitol to have a vigil on the eve of 9/11. As the distinguished majority leader, Mr. Hoyer, mentioned, 6 years ago, spontaneously, Members, Democrats and Republicans alike, came together and at his suggestion we sang ``God Bless America.'' He is too modest. We will do that again tonight. We will sing that song with all the sincerity in the world. Moved by its beauty, but also committed to its words, we know that God has truly blessed America with our men and women in uniform who are fighting terrorism, with our first responders who are our first line of defense in our community in ensuring homeland security and with all Americans joined together to never forget what happened on 9/11 and never forget that we are committed to our freedoms. So don't forget, my colleagues, following the vote on this resolution, in about another hour, let's all join together. It will be one of the first memorials to 9/11 this year, once again, on the steps of the Capitol. With that, I commend Mr. Boehner and Mr. Hoyer.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding on this very sad occasion. I am sad to join my colleagues as we face the very sad news regarding the loss of our colleague, Paul Gillmor. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Members of Congress, I rise to pay tribute to Paul Gillmor, who passed away suddenly today. I offer my deepest condolences to his wife, Karen, to his two daughters, Linda and Julie, and his three sons, Paul Michael, Connor, and Adam. How proud he was of his children. That was one thing that we used to chat about quite regularly. I would hear about the progress of the twins and how everybody was doing. Congressman Paul Gillmor was an experienced and talented legislator who spent much of his life serving his country. His service began in the Air Force where he rose to the rank of captain as an Air Force Judge Advocate. As a true Ohioan, Congressman Gillmor then served his State in public office for more than four decades, first in the Ohio State senate where he was elected President of that body, and later here in the House where he also served ably and was held in highest esteem by his colleagues. More interested in policy than in seeking the limelight, Paul Gillmor focused his time here in the House squarely on the needs of his constituents. On the Energy and Commerce Committee, he was deeply involved in consumer issues, including protecting consumers from unfair credit report practices. He also worked to preserve our history by supporting and improving sites honoring our Nation's Presidents. As vice president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Congressman Gillmor was the highest ranking American in this highly esteemed international organization of parliamentary members from the 26 NATO states. Congressman Gillmor's passing is a loss for this House and for our Nation. It is, of course, a greater loss for his family. I hope it is a comfort to them, to Paul's family and friends, that so many people mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time. Mr. Speaker, this is a sad day for us because we also learned of the sudden passing of our former colleague, Jennifer Dunn. She was a distinguished former Member of Congress from the State of Washington and I know we will acknowledge her service and leadership in the Congress on another occasion. But getting hit from all sides on this in one day is a great loss for the Congress. As I yield back to the distinguished gentlewoman, I also want to thank her for bringing to the attention of so many Members of Congress the passing of Congressman Vanik who served so ably in this body who passed away last week. Anyone who knows about international human rights knows that Congressman Vanik as part of the Jackson-Vanik amendment did so much to free people in the Soviet Union. He made a very big difference for Soviet Jewry. Ohio has been generous to the country. We mourn the loss of Paul Gillmor and Jennifer Dunn and Charles Vanik, who lived until his 90s, so God blessed him with that long life. God did not give Paul Gillmor a long life, but he gave him a life of great quality with a beautiful family and the opportunity to serve a State he loved and a country that he was very patriotic about. On behalf of all of our colleagues, I extend my deepest sympathy to his family.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding time. Mr. Chairman, today we have an historic opportunity in the House of Representatives. Today we are faced with a momentous decision on energy and global warming. With this bill, we are turning toward the future for the sake of our children and our planet. With this bill, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act, Congress can indeed take our Nation in a new direction. This is a moment when we can make a decision in favor of the future. Mr. Chairman, you acknowledged all of the chairmen and chairwomen who have contributed to the success of this legislation that we are bringing forward today, and I want to commend all of them. I want to say that the principles that have been put into this legislation are very important. Our energy independence is a national security issue. It is an economic issue for our country and for America's families. It is an environmental health issue for our children. And it is a moral issue. This beautiful planet is God's gift to us. We have a moral responsibility to preserve it. That is why I am so pleased that so many in the religious community are supporting our actions today. This bill makes the largest investment in homegrown biofuels in American history. We know that America's farmers will fuel America's independence. We will send our energy dollars to middle America, not to the Middle East. The bill promotes cleaner and efficient means of transportation, including alternative fuels in busses and ferries and hybrid automobiles in hauling goods around the country. I have a very long statement about this bill, I'm very enthusiastic about it, and I will use that enthusiasm to submit most of my statement for the Record. But I do want to acknowledge the important work that Mr. Dingell did on this legislation because in his bill, renewable energy offers a new direction for our country. And what he does is, 10.4 billion tons of dioxide emissions are reduced. That's more emissions than are used by all of the cars on America's highways today. It's very important. And I want to thank Mr. Rangel, who we will hear from later, on the fact that this bill is paid for. So it's about our national security. We cannot be dependent on foreign oil. As I said, this is God's creation. This issue is as local as our neighborhoods; it is as global as the planet. It is about how we educate our children in this new green economy. It's how we create jobs. And Congressman Miller and Congresswoman Solis will be talking about that in a moment. The Prophet Isaiah has said, Mr. Chairman, that ``to minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore that is to dishonor the God who made us.'' I firmly believe from the bottom of my heart that if we do believe that, that we should pass this legislation today. It's about our children, their future, the world in which they live to fulfill their lives, and it's about America being number one and in the lead. So I urge my colleagues, I promise to submit it for the Record if you promise to read it. intro My colleagues, today we are fced with a momentous decision on energy and global warming. Will we turn toward the future, for the sake of our children and our planet? Or will we remain mired in the disputes and regional differences that have so often prevented the Congress from adopting new, innovative approaches to our energy needs? With this bill, the ``New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act,'' Congress can indeed take our nation in a New Direction. Energy independence is a national security issue, and environmental and health issue, an economic issue, and a moral issue. As it says in the Bible, ``To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship, to ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.'' This is the moment when we can make a decision in favor of the future, while ministering to the needs of God's creation. acknowledgements Ten committees have been hard at work for months to develop this legislation, and I salute the leadership of our Chairmen. These committees have held extensive hearings and markups. The Appropriations Committee has also highlighted sustainable energy and global warming in their bills. As a result, almost every Member of Congress has had the opportunity to participate in this process. Thank you all for your creativity and hard work. principles With broad input, and a commitment to the future, Congress has created this bill with four principles in mind. We must strengthen our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil; lower energy costs with greater efficiency, cleaner energy, and smarter technology; create new and good- paying American jobs, and reduce global warming. And we must do it all in a fiscally sound way. To fund these key investments in our future, we have demanded greater accountability to the taxpayer from oil and gas companies that drill on Federal lands. energy independence This bill makes the largest investment in homegrown biofuels in American history. We know that America's farmers will fuel America's energy independence, creating jobs and prosperity across rural America. This bill will send our energy dollars to middle America and coast to coast; not the Middle East. This bill promotes cleaner and more efficient means of transportation, including alternative fuel buses and ferries, and hybrid locomotives for hauling goods around the country. protecting consumers With the energy efficiency provisions in this legislation, we will lower costs for American consumers and businesses in key areas, such as electricity, home heating, and cooling-- saving Americans more than $300 billion dollars. With these energy efficiency measures, we will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 10.4 billion tons through 2030, more than the annual emissions of all the cars on the road in America today. This bill is essential to developing renewable energy sources in America. It makes a strong commitment to research and innovation. It extends tax provisions that have provided a strong foundation for our renewable energy industries, provides new incentives, and bolsters research. Renewable energy offers a new direction for our country by improving energy independence and reducing global warming. jobs As we address energy independence and global warming with innovation and market-based solutions, we will grow our economy and create good paying jobs--including ``green- collar'' jobs. Because small businesses are the backbone of our economy, this bill ensures small businesses can reap the economic benefits of new energy technologies. global warming The consequences of global warming will be as local as our neighborhoods, and as broad as our entire planet. So too must our solutions be both local and global. This bill lays out specific steps the Administration should take for the U.S. to resume a constructive role as the global leader in combating global warming. Here at home, the Federal Government should lead by example. This bill requires the Federal Government to become carbon-neutral by the year 2050, and lays out a number of specific measures that will assist our government to achieve that goal. States and local communities need to know how to plan for the global warming that is already underway. This bill reorganizes the federal climate change research, so every locality has information it needs to prepare. It also assists us in tracking the effects of global warming on the oceans and wildlife so we can take steps to protect them. conclusion Mr. Chairman, the legislation we debate today is just the ambitious first phase in what will be a series of revolutionary actions for energy independence. But it is a very serious first step, that honors God's creation--our planet, and creates a better world for our children. With confidence in American ingenuity and faith in our future, today we can declare a New Direction in our energy policy--one for our future generations. I urge my colleagues to do just that by supporting this bill.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Archie Green, a distinguished San Franciscan and recipient of the Library of Congress' Living Legend Award. Dr. Green has devoted most of his 90 years to the study and celebration of people, and to the texture and meaning of their lives as expressed in song, story, custom, belief, ritual, and craft. He became a shipwright's apprentice in the Bay Area in the 1930s. After serving as a carpenter's mate in the Navy during World War II, he returned to San Francisco to become involved in veterans' affairs and to work in the building trades for another 15 years. Along the way he listened and observed and talked with people he met about their working lives and traditions. His passionate interest in workers and their traditions sparked an interest in research and writing that eventually earned him a Ph.D. in folklore. He became a university professor, and wrote seminal books and articles about grassroots culture and the folk traditions of work. Archie Green's work has stimulated younger generations of scholars to become interested in ``laborlore''--a term he coined. In the union ranks his writings in newsletters and journals have given members a renewed sense of their shared heritage. Decades ago, believing that the Federal Government had a vital role to play in documenting, supporting, revitalizing, and disseminating America's grassroots knowledge and arts, Dr. Green envisioned a national center that would preserve and present American folklife. He then spent 10 years walking the halls of Congress, explaining to every Senator and every Representative, and to their staffs, why the folk traditions in their States and districts mattered, and why the ordinary citizens who carry them on deserved our recognition. On January 2, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford signed into law the American Folklife Preservation Act, PL 94-201, which had passed unanimously by both houses of Congress, and established an American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Thirty-one years later, the American Folklife Center is going strong. It carries out projects and initiatives that document, preserve, and share information about the diverse cultural traditions of the American people. Its archive, now with more than 4 million items, is one of the largest in the world. Its Veterans History Project--launched in 2000 by an act of Congress--is the largest oral history project in the Nation's history. On August 16 and 17, the American Folklife Center is sponsoring a symposium on laborlore, and Archie Green--the father of laborlore in the United States--will take part. It is highly fitting that, during the symposium, he will be given the Living Legend Award in recognition of his work that has raised our awareness of how our traditions contribute to a larger history. I join Dr. James H. Billington and the Library of Congress in commending Dr. Green for his contribution to our Nation's history.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Dr. Philip R. Lee, who has been a dynamic leader in health policy for more than 40 years. He has served during challenging times and has shown leadership as a physician, advocate, teacher, researcher, and policymaker. This September, the health policy program that Dr. Lee founded 35 years ago at the University of California, San Francisco, will be renamed the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies in recognition of his significant contributions at the international, national, State, and local levels. Dr. Lee contributed to global health as Director of Health Services at the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, by advising health policymakers in many countries. At USAID he drafted the first U.S. policies for international family planning services and helped to strengthen the Agency's health and nutrition initiative. Dr. Lee contributed to the health of our Nation serving as Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services during the Johnson and Clinton administrations. He was involved in the passage of many landmark bills in 1965, including Medicare and Medicaid; Health Professions Education Assistance Amendments; Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke Amendments; the War on Poverty; Job Corps; Food Stamps; and Head Start. Especially significant was Dr. Lee's work to establish the National Center for Health Services Research, now the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to fund graduate medical education under Medicare, and his efforts to desegregate 1,000 of the Nation's 7,000 hospitals in compliance with the Civil Rights Act. Dr. Lee has contributed to the health of Californians, especially during his tenure as the third chancellor of UCSF, where he was known for his commitment to academic excellence and affirmative action. Dr. Lee continues to help policymakers and others understand that California is a rapidly growing and increasingly diverse State, and that both its educational and health care institutions must meet the needs of a diverse population. Dr. Lee has also worked to improve the health of people in my district of San Francisco, particularly during his term, 1985-1989, as president of the newly established Health Commission of the City and County of San Francisco. Dr. Lee is a rare role model in his exceptional accomplishments, as well as in his enthusiasm, tenacity, integrity, imagination, and compassion. His unwavering commitment to the needs of the disadvantaged, including the elderly, the disabled, and those without access to care has inspired a new generation of leaders in key positions as researchers and teachers in academia, and as leaders of professional associations, public health agencies, foundations, and in the private sector. We in California owe him a debt of gratitude for his service to the State and to the Nation.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank you, Mr. Oberstar, you and Mr. Mica, for your leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor in such an expeditious manner so we can remove all doubt in anyone's mind in Minnesota that we are there for them. A disaster of this kind, I know, coming from California where we have had our earthquakes and others coming from places that had been struck by one disaster or another, that people wonder if the compact between themselves and the government is real, and today you are telling them that it is so. We can extend all of the sympathy in our hearts to the people who have lost their loved ones or who have been injured or have just been struck by the tragedy in such an extraordinary way, but we also have to not only extend compassion but present assistance. And for that I want to thank you Mr. Oberstar, and Mr. Walz, Congresswoman McCollum, Mr. Ellison. My sympathy to you and your constituents for all that you are suffering, Mr. Peterson, as well from the State of Minnesota and our Republican colleagues from the State of Minnesota as well. Sometimes in the course of events, there comes a coming together of a person and an event that is almost God given. And I think that is this case, Mr. Oberstar. No one in the country knows more than you do about the infrastructure of our country, the needs that we have out there, and the solutions that are the best ones. We are sad that your State was stricken, but maybe it is fortuitous for the country because it hit home for you. The spotlight is on your State. The spotlight is on your committee as we reach out with this $250 million for the highway emergency fund. I think that the opportunity that is there and the knowledge, wisdom, solutions that you know better than anyone will serve our country very well. I really appreciated the remarks of the gentleman from Alaska. We do have to make an investment in our infrastructure. In this case, no maintenance is the most expensive maintenance, as the people in Minnesota found out as some of their loved ones paid with their lives. So we have to figure out a way to pay as we go, no deficit spending, but understand that a capital budget is necessary to invest in the infrastructure of our country. It is what we owe the American people. It is about our environment, by relieving congestion. It is about quality time for families to spend less time on the roads. And as we learned, of course, and always knew but what was driven home in Minnesota, it is about the safety of our people. Imagine, to be a mom or dad and to have a loved one leave home, a husband or wife, sister or brother, leave home in the morning or sometime during the day, of all the things you can protect your children from, of all the anticipation that you can have, you would never think, What if the bridge goes down? We want to remove that fear from America's families. I know, Mr. Oberstar, that you are in a position to do so. I'm sure you will let us know how we can all help. And, Mr. Mica, you as well. This is bringing us together this evening in a very special way. I hope it is a comfort to the families who lost their loved ones that so many people in our country feel this as a personal loss and are praying for them at this very difficult time.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for championing civil liberties in our country for such a long, long time. I want to express my admiration and respect for you, Mr. Conyers, as the distinguished Chair of the Judiciary Committee. And to the distinguished Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Mr. Reyes, congratulations to you for this excellent work. It is difficult, because we have to balance security and liberty. Two great patriots have brought this bill to the floor. Mr. Reyes, you have served our country in many capacities to secure our country, and you are doing so in your capacity as Chair of the Intelligence Committee. Madam Speaker, in my service in Congress I have had the privilege of serving on the Intelligence Committee longer than anyone, 10 years as a member directly and now my fifth year ex officio as leader and now Speaker of the House. I considered it a service to our country that was important to our national security. I salute the men and women who serve our country in the intelligence community for their bravery and for their patriotism. Congress has always for many years had a special interest in intelligence. We all recognize that we want our President and our policymakers to have the best possible intelligence. We want to do so in a way, though, that again balances liberty and security. We want to use every tool at our disposal to collect the intelligence that we need, again, to protect the American people, but we must do so under the law. That is what we are talking about here tonight. In 1978, it was recognized that Congress had a role, the checks and balances, in determining how our intelligence was collected, analyzed and disseminated. Those are the three aspects of intelligence. Tonight, we are talking largely about collection. In 1978, when the FISA law was passed, we were in a different era. It is clear that as it established Congress' rights in this arena and the checks and balances necessary to protect the American people, we also have to recognize today that technology is vastly different than it was at that time. So Congress has always stood willing, in a bipartisan way, to make amendments to the FISA act that would reflect the change in technology. If anything in what we do should be nonpartisan, it is intelligence. It should be analyzed in a way that has no political approach to it, and the laws governing it should be written in a nonpartisan way. That is why so many of us worked so closely, the distinguished Chairs of the committees of jurisdiction, Judiciary and Intelligence, including the majority leader, who just spoke, we worked closely with the Senate leadership, with the administration, trying to work in a bipartisan way to meet the needs of the American people. As Mr. Hoyer indicated, and I won't go into it in detail, this involved a series of communications, both in person, on the telephone and otherwise, with the Director of National Intelligence. He presented to us, as I believe Congresswoman Harman has indicated and the chairmen have indicated, he presented us his three must-have provisions in the FISA law, and we wrote a bill that reflected, in fact echoed, the request of the Director of National Security. When we sent that to him, he came back and said, I have additional changes that I am requesting, and we accommodated them as far as we could under the balance of liberty and security. As Mr. Hoyer said, when we asked in the presence of the majority leader in the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Chairs of the intelligence committees, House and Senate, and Armed Services from the Senate, the Director of DNI, that group of people gathered said that our bill would make us significantly safer. It was a positive contribution, as the leader said. Not that he endorsed the bill, because by then the administration had a different approach. It made it seem for some time, why we were going back and forth with this, trying to accommodate the DNI. I know that he was negotiating in good faith. I hope that he will accept what we are proposing in that same good faith. Some of the things that have been rejected since those conversations, but I hope will reappear in the Senate bill, are to diminish the role of the Attorney General in the decision-making on this. We have always said that there would be a third branch of government, the courts, to issue the warrants. The discretion in this situation is now given to the Attorney General. Without any reference to the current Attorney General, and there will be some who might question his judgment, I don't want Alberto Gonzales to have this much power, but in a Democratic administration, I would not want that Attorney General to have this much power. It should be a different branch of government. So we have seen them come up with these pieces of legislation that substitute the Attorney General for the FISA courts. It is just totally unacceptable. While we are trying to address the emergency concerns of the Director of National Intelligence, we know we will have a bigger bill down the road to go into some other issues of concern, but without the same urgency. That is why this legislation must be sunsetted, because no matter how you look at it, it gives extraordinary power to the administration beyond the intent of the FISA law, and certainly outside the values of our Founding Fathers, to balance liberty and security. Having made the changes to our proposal that respond to each of the Director's concerns and having him describe our proposal as a significant improvement in his current capabilities, I would have expected that he would be leading the charge for this bill's passage. That is not happening, but that does not mean that this bill is inadequate. The judgment of the Director of National Intelligence stands. He knew to whom he was speaking that evening, and he was clear in his assessment. All of us in Congress want to do everything within our power to protect the American people from terrorism. As I say, as a 15-year member of the Intelligence Committee, both as a member and ex officio, I know full well and sadly the threats to our country. I know full well the capabilities that we have and some that we need. Every person, as Congresswoman Harman said, every person in this body is fully committed, is fully committed to collecting the intelligence that we need to protect the American people. But we must do it under the law, and sometimes that's where we differ. You will hear our colleagues stand on this floor and say, terrorist to terrorist in foreign lands, the Democrats don't want you to collect on them; and they want to make you have a warrant to do it. When I hear my colleagues say that, I think either they don't know or they don't care about the truth. Because that is patently untrue. And it has always been a mystery to me about this House of Representatives that somebody can misrepresent the facts, some would call, I don't like the word ``lie,'' but if you said they were lying, your words would be taken down. And yet misrepresentations about the intentions of Members of this body are being made here tonight that simply are not true. So let's put that aside and talk about how we can work together to honor the needs of our people, to recognize the changes in technology and to honor the oath of office that we take here to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States as we protect and defend the American people. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this important legislation.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. What an exciting day for the Congress. Some of you are too young to know this, but you have read about it in the history books. Mr. Hall and I remember when President Kennedy came forward and said that he was going to inaugurate a program that would send a man to the moon and back, safely, within 10 years. Now, for those of you who weren't born yet, you have read about it in history, you have to know that sending a man to the moon as an idea was such an impossibility. It would be almost like a magician cutting somebody in half and then putting them together again. How could this possibly happen, that somebody would go into the sky, to the moon and come back? At the time that he did that, it was a remarkable lift to the American people because it had followed upon Sputnik, as many of you know or have read in the history books and some of us remember. When he did that, President Kennedy made the following statement. He said, ``The vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we are first, and therefore, we intend to be first. Our leadership in science and in industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others all require us to make this effort,'' hearkening back to our Founders, those magnificent, courageous, optimistic, confident people, and President Kennedy referenced our vows to their great work. This is our innovation agenda which is reflected in the legislation before us today. In answering President Kennedy's call, at that time, to put a man on the Moon, America unleashed unprecedented technological advances that built the world's most vibrant economy. The talent, intellect and entrepreneurial spirit of the American people that made this country the leader is being seriously challenged today by other countries. Americans must continue to innovate in order to create new, thriving industries that will produce millions of good jobs here at home and a better future for the next generation. The distinguished chairman of the Science and Technology Committee and the distinguished ranking member, in bringing this bill to the floor today, are giving us our opportunity at our time to meet the challenge for the future. Today Congress has the opportunity to make a decision for the future. Nearly 2 years ago, House Democrats created our innovation agenda in a very bipartisan way, which guarantees our national security and our economic prosperity, expands markets for American products, and asserts our leadership throughout the world in the decades to come. Already this year the New Direction Congress has led the way in promoting innovation and investments in education, science, research and development. Today, with the COMPETES Act, we have bipartisan, bicameral legislation that implements much of the innovation agenda. Again, I want to recognize the extraordinary leadership of Chairman Bart Gordon and the Science and Technology Committee and the ranking member for their leadership on this conference report. Chairman Gordon has energized this committee, ensuring that our Nation will continue to be the world leader in education, innovation and economic growth. The COMPETES Act focuses on four key areas, as has been referenced: education, research and development, energy independence, and small business. In education, the COMPETES Act recognized that America's greatest resources for innovation are in the classrooms across this country. This legislation invests in creating the most highly qualified teachers and training the next generations of scientists, mathematicians and engineers through public-private partnerships. This bill also takes steps to ensure that future innovators reflect the diversity of our country. What I love about this bill and this legislation is that it's market- oriented, public-private entrepreneurial partnerships to keep us number one. We know that innovation begins in the classroom and that scientific research provides the foundation for innovation and future technologies. The COMPETES Act makes a sustained commitment to research and development by putting us on a path to doubling funding for the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology and the Department of Energy's Office of Science. I heard Congressman Wamp with great enthusiasm talk about the ARPA-- Energy. I'm excited about it as well. To help achieve energy independence, the COMPETES Act focuses on energy research and innovation by creating a new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, ARPA-E. Mr. Chairman, I know your enthusiasm for that issue for a long time, and congratulations on bringing it to fulfillment here. This initiative will provide talent and resources for high-risk, high-reward energy research and technology development and attract investment for the next generation of revolutionary technologies. And finally, the COMPETES Act recognizes that small businesses are often the catalyst for technological innovation and the backbone of the strong economy. It puts us on a path to doubling the funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and creates a new initiative, the Technology Innovation Program, to support high-risk, high-reward, pre- competitive technology for small and medium-sized companies. Because this bill is a decision in favor of future jobs and future economic strength, it's earned the endorsement of the Chamber of Commerce, many university presidents, ITI, TechNet, and the National Association of Manufacturers, among others. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it. And before I close, I want to acknowledge the great leadership of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Congressman George Miller, who is the Chair of our Policy Committee, for the work they did bringing people together, Democrats and Republicans, entrepreneurs, high tech, biotech, academics, people in the work force, students, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, all to come to bear, all over the country. Meetings were held all over the country to put together the innovation agenda which is reflected in this legislation. Mr. Baird had an event in Washington State. As I look around, I could name so many Members who had events in their States. In doing so today, in passing this bill, we will assert our global economic leadership, create new business ventures and jobs, and give future generations the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. I began my remarks, Mr. Speaker, by quoting President Kennedy, who was an inspiration to so many of us of a certain generation who are active in public service today. He hearkened back to our Founders and our vows to our Nation, and I want to hearken back to that place too, because our Founders were among the earliest American entrepreneurs. They were magnificent disrupters. They thought new and fresh and different ways. They came together. Imagine the confidence. They came together, declared their independence from the greatest naval power in existence at the time, did so in a declaration that asserted the equality of all people, and then went forward to win the Revolutionary War, write a Constitution that made us the freest people in the world. Thank heavens they made it amendable so that we could even become freer. And when they did so, they designed the Great Seal of the United States. And on it, it's in your pocket. You're carrying it around if you don't know it. It's on the dollar bill. And on that great seal it says, ``Novus Ordo Seclorum.'' These people, with all that revolutionary spirit, with all that disruption of the status quo, had so much confidence in what they were doing, so much faith in themselves, faith in this country to be and faith in God that they said that what they were establishing was for the centuries, for the ages, ``seclorum.'' Those of you who know Latin know that that means ``forever.'' And it was that optimism, that confidence that built America. And it is in that spirit of disruption, of change, of doing something different, of having a big goal of aspiring to greatness, that we, as President Kennedy said, do honor the vows of our Nation. And this legislation is very much in their pioneer and entrepreneurial spirit. I thank you again, Chairman Gordon, for your tremendous leadership.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, as I rise here today, something after 6:30 p.m., I was reminded as I listened to the presentations of a poem that most of us memorized when we were young by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Between the dark and the daylight, When the night is beginning to lower, Comes a pause in the day's occupations, That is known as the Children's Hour. That's this time of day. This is the children's hour. Because of the leadership of so many of our colleagues, we are able to meet our moral obligation to our children. It isn't a pause in our occupation. It is our mission, this moral obligation that we have to the future. When I was sworn in as Speaker, I was surrounded by children. It was very exhilarating, and I called the House of Representatives to order on behalf of all of America's children, establishing this Chamber as the champion for our children and for the future. Our legislation is called CHAMP because it does just that. It champions quality health care for America's children and for our seniors, strengthening families. It is just one way in which this new direction Congress is putting health care and particularly the needs of our children at the top of the Nation's agenda. With the passage of this legislation, the new-direction Congress will ensure that 11 million of America's children receive health care coverage, and seniors will receive improved benefits under Medicare. I want to join those of my colleagues who have expressed their appreciation for the exceptional leadership of our chairmen of the full committees and the subcommittees and the ranking members of the full committees and the subcommittees for the honest debate that we are having about this legislation today. I think it's important to note, because it's history, that our distinguished chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Dingell, when he was a new Member of Congress gaveled down the Medicare bill. That's his family tradition, looking out for health care for all Americans. His father was a leader on that subject in this Congress, and imagine that he as a young Member, well still a young Member, but a younger Member of Congress, gaveled down Medicare. And today, he is in the lead on this legislation that will strengthen Medicare for America's seniors. And at the same time, thank you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Rangel. Between the two of them, Mr. Rangel and Mr. Dingell, they had 22 hearings on the subject of SCHIP. So this Congress has had a thorough review of this subject, and this excellent legislation is the product of that. I was inspired by your speech, Mr. Rangel. You persuaded me, not persuaded me to vote for the bill. I always intended to do that, but persuaded me that it was possible that we might have a strong bipartisan support for this bill because it is so much the right thing to do. I thank Congressman Stark and Congressman Pallone, Chairs of the appropriate subcommittees of their committees, for their leadership, their intense knowledge of this subject, the judgment they were able to bring on decisions that we had to make about what would be in this bill. Thank you, Mr. Stark and Mr. Pallone, and thank you again, Mr. Rangel. And I thank again Mr. McCrery for his, again, comity and the dignity and the knowledge that he brings to this debate. Thank you, Mr. McCrery. And to all of the staff on both sides of the aisle, thank you for your hard work on this. Their efforts will help millions of American children and seniors live better lives. SCHIP, created by a Republican Congress and a Democratic President, signed into law by President Clinton, SCHIP has dramatically reduced the number of poor, uninsured children in America. The legislation before us today will improve SCHIP and the lives of millions of working families in America by improving coverage for all 6 million children currently insured under SCHIP and by extending that coverage to 5 million additional children. Those children will receive dental care and, thanks to Congressman Patrick Kennedy, mental health services. Dental care, we so take it for granted for our own children, but after this legislation is passed, no more will we have the Demonte Driver where we have to have a situation like that where a child will die because he had an abscessed tooth that turned into a brain infection. We're all familiar with the details of that sad story. Today, we are doing something about it. Let us be clear, most SCHIP beneficiaries receive their coverage through private managed care plans, not through the government. And let us be clear, as the chairman just pointed out, this legislation is paid for; no new deficit spending, no heaping mountain of debt on these children to pay for the health care they so rightly deserve. In addition to providing coverage to children, the CHAMP Act also, as we know, strengthens and improves Medicare for every senior by eliminating coinsurance requirements and deductibles for preventive care. Imagine that, for preventive care, how important that is. The legislation reduces copayments and provides for mental health parity, and many more seniors will no longer face the doughnut hole. Remember our old friend, the doughnut hole. Well, many more seniors will no longer face the doughnut hole in the prescription drug benefit. We do all of this and more for seniors and, I repeat, with pay-as-you-go budget rules and extend the life of the Medicare trust fund by 3 years. By passing the CHAMP Act, the New Direction Congress is keeping our promise to seniors on Medicare and meeting our obligation to our future, our children. Again, and it is paid for. I can't say that enough. The distinguished chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee read a long list. There are pages and pages. I would submit them for the Record, except it would be very expensive to print. There are so many names that are endorsing this legislation. They range from the Children's Defense Fund, as was mentioned, the Catholic Hospitals Association, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the old, the young, everyone across the board, all the health organizations that administer to the needs of our children and our seniors. I just say in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, as Pearl Buck said, ``If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all.'' With this CHAMP Act, we are not going to fail America's children. We are championing them and their grandparents. This legislation has fiscal soundness. It has a values base, and it should have the support of everyone in this body.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate an outstanding athlete and role model, Cal Ripken, Jr., on his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As a native Baltimorean, I am honored to have this chance to pay tribute to a man who has given so much of himself to the people of Baltimore, to their beloved Orioles, and to the game of baseball itself. The outpouring of love and affection we witnessed at Cal's induction ceremony this Sunday in Cooperstown was a fitting tribute to a man whose love for the game and dedication to his craft knew no bounds. Greeted by a record crowd for a Hall of Fame induction ceremony estimated at 75,000--so many of whom traveled north from the Baltimore area--Cal again showed why he is held in the highest esteem by fans across America and by his fellow Hall of Fame members. Cal Ripken's accomplishments on the field made him a certain first ballot Hall of Fame member. Cal exploded onto the baseball scene in 1982 and was named American League Rookie of the Year. He would twice win the League's Most Valuable Player award, his first honor coming in only his second full season, in which he also helped lead the Orioles to a World Series title. Over his 21-year Oriole career, Ripken compiled 3,184 hits--including 431 home runs--was selected to represent the American League in the All-Star Game 19 times, and won two Gold Gloves. Of course, Cal is best remembered for breaking one of baseball's most cherished records when he surpassed Lou Gehrig's mark of 2,130 consecutive games played. A time when some thought interest in baseball was waning, Cal Ripken's ``Iron Man'' streak renewed America's love affair with our national pastime and helped create a new generation of baseball fans. The Streak was more than just a personal record; it was Cal's daily lesson to us all about how the game should be played. Cal's dedication and respect to the game was engrained in him by his father, the late Cal Ripken, Sr., who spent 36 years in the Orioles organization and piloted the Orioles through the 1987 season. In a loving tribute during his induction speech, Cal said of his father, ``He was for me and many others an example of how to play and prepare for the game the right way--the Cal Sr. way.'' For Oriole fans, this past Sunday was a special moment as we watched Cal unveil his Hall of Fame plaque surrounded by so many Oriole stars of the past, including Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, and former Oriole manager Earl Weaver. It brought back so many wonderful memories of summers past at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards. It also made me proud remembering the role my father, Thomas D' Alesandro, played in bringing the franchise to Baltimore in 1954 when he was the city's mayor. For many, Cal's Hall of Fame induction was a mere formality because we already knew his play on the field and his positive demeanor off it had earned him a place among baseball's immortals. I congratulate him on this tremendous honor and look forward to his continuing contributions to the greater Baltimore community.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, 50 years ago next month, a group of courageous champions of civil rights united to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which became a driving force behind the fight for equality and economic opportunity for African Americans. Led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, the SCLC's commitment to non-violent civil disobedience exposed the evils of segregation and the violence and intimidation necessary to enforce this immoral policy. The heroic efforts of the SCLC and the great faith and courage of its members were indispensable to the epic and defining struggle of our history: to secure rights for all and to live up to the purpose for which this nation was founded--equality and justice for all. At the March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs, where Dr. King delivered his famous ``I Have a Dream'' speech, the SCLC created a turning point in the national debate over civil rights, helping propel passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These twin victories shattered the policy of segregation and reaffirmed our nation's commitment to equality for all of our citizens. The SCLC changed the nation with a vision of justice, equality, and opportunity for all. Today, the SCLC continues its commitment to improving the lives of African Americans, focusing on issues of economic empowerment, access to health care, and opportunity through education. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, I honor the SCLC for its commitment to positive social change through direct action and non-violence, and I look forward to the victories we will achieve together in the name of equal justice and equality for all Americans.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman, the distinguished chairman of the Agriculture Committee for yielding, and I want to congratulate him for this achievement for bringing this important bill to the floor. I rise to tell you why I am supporting this legislation. Before I do though, I want to commend the exceptional leadership of our colleague, Ron Kind, for his work over the years in helping to move us to a place where this farm bill, called the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy bill, looks quite different than the bill would have looked without his persistent and brilliant advocacy for conservation issues that are included in the bill. I think that he has moved this Congress and this legislation to a very important place that signals change and shows a new direction in our farm policy. I support the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act because it begins to reform farm policy while investing in energy independence, supporting conservation, strengthening nutrition assistance, and recognizing the importance of specialty crops. That means fruits and vegetables. It recognizes the vital role of our farmers and ranchers in providing food, fiber, and fuel for America and the world. It was a big effort to bring this legislation to the floor. I acknowledge the achievements and the great work of the distinguished chairman. I want to acknowledge Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, the Chair of the Rules Committee, who had to be available very late and very early in the morning to make this discussion possible. I want to commend Chairman Rangel of the Ways and Means Committee and Congressman Lloyd Doggett for their leadership in helping to pay for this bill because this bill has all along, in all of its formation, been intended to be a bipartisan bill, which we had hoped it would be, a bill that met the needs of the American people and that is paid for. And paid for it is, indeed. I strongly support the efforts Chairman Peterson has made in this bill to ensure that America's family farmers fuel America's energy independence. Because of this legislation we will be sending America's energy dollars to the Midwest, not to the Middle East. The 2007 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act makes an historic $2.4 billion investment in renewable energy, including biofuels and wind power. It boosts renewable energy investments by 600 percent and provides loan guarantees for the development of refineries that process renewable fuels. These efforts will ensure that, again, we send our energy dollars to the Midwest and across America, not to the Middle East and across the sea. Energy independence is a national security issue, it is an environmental issue, it is an economic issue for our Nation and America's families. Thanks to this bill, it will also be an economic opportunity for America's farmers. It will create a rural renaissance that will reenergize farm country and create new businesses and good- paying jobs in rural America. I have seen that firsthand. It has already begun. It is an important initiative that is supported and endorsed in this legislation. So, reason number one, why I am supporting this bill, is energy independence. Not in order of priority but in order of mention. Next, conservation: the farm bill recognizes that those who work the land, America's farmers and ranchers, are also stewards of the land. In the area of conservation, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy bill improves access to, and funding for, initiatives to take environmentally sensitive land out of production. It encourages environmentally friendly practices on working lands. And it will invest $4.3 billion in new mandatory spending to preserve farm and ranchland, improve water quality, enhance soil conservation, air quality, and wildlife habitats on working lands. Again I commend Congressman Ron Kind for his exceptional work on the conservation issue over time. The issue of nutrition, of course, is fundamental to all of the people of our country. And as a mother, I take special interest in the nutrition aspects of this bill. I want to commend the committee, Democrats and Republicans, our chairman; and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the chairman of the Ag Subcommittee of Appropriations, who worked very hard to get the most money, made mandatory, and paid for in this legislation. In the effort of feeding the people, and many of them in need, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy bill invests over $11 billion over 10 years in nutrition initiatives to help low-income families. For the first time in 30 years, thank you, Mr. Peterson, for the first time in 30 years, the bill increases the minimum food stamp benefit and increases and indexes to inflation the standard deduction, ensuring that rising food costs do not erode a family's purchasing power. It also eliminates the cap on child care costs to help the working poor, because in order to get the food stamps, you could only spend so much money on child care. What a self-defeating policy. This bill corrects that. The food stamp provisions in this bill will prevent benefit cuts for more than 13 million working Americans over the next 5 years. That is why the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, Catholic Charities USA, America's Second Harvest, and the Food Research and Action Center all support the nutrition funding contained in this bill. In addition to recognizing Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro's exceptional work in this area, I want to recognize Congressman Jim McGovern for his work in ensuring that the McGovern-Dole legislation, no relation, just a coincidence, Jim McGovern is not the McGovern in the McGovern-Dole. That would be George McGovern and Senator Dole, former Republican leader of the Senate Dole. Their initiative for the international food programs, which help American farmers and farmers in other parts of the world, is a very important way for America to protect our friendship and our values to the rest of the world. In this legislation, the McGovern-Dole initiative is mandatory, and it is funded to $890 million, a big increase, and paid for. As a Californian, I take special interest also that the bill makes a historic investment in specialty crops, providing $1.7 billion in new mandatory spending. This investment was made possible by the leadership of Congressman Dennis Cardoza. And many provisions in his bill, the EAT Healthy America Act, which is a very important bill for us, EAT Healthy America Act, were incorporated in this bill that is before us today. This legislation supports specialty crops, that is, fruits and vegetables, by increasing market access, encouraging and facilitating consumption of nutritious agricultural products, funding research initiatives and increasing opportunities for family farmers in conservation initiatives. Specifically, just so you know what falls under this, the bill invests $365 million for Specialty Crop Block Grants; $350 million to expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable School Snack Program to all 50 States, and I repeat that, $350 million to expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable School Snack Program to all 50 States; $215 million to create a new dedicated research initiative for specialty crops; $200 million to create a new initiative for early detection, prevention, and eradication of emerging pests and disease; $55 million for organic agriculture. What is important about all of this is many of these resources will be invested in the Northeast, in the Middle Atlantic States, in the Northwest and California, where agriculture is a very important part of the economy but where not very much attention had been paid in the past in the farm bills. This is a big change and signals a new direction in this farm bill. Specialty crop producers, our fruit and vegetable growers, account for nearly half of all cash crop receipts in America and are a part of the farm economy in all 50 States, as I mentioned, especially important, California, the Northeast, Northwest, and Florida. I mentioned that I was a Californian. I was also born in Maryland; so I know the importance of the Chesapeake Bay, and I salute the chairman for the initiative in here in support of the Chesapeake Bay. I see my colleague Majority Leader Hoyer nodding his head in agreement. But I want to acknowledge Chairman Chris Van Hollen, for whom this has been a priority since he came to Congress, and now he has been joined by John Sarbanes in support of this. And I know it has bipartisan support because Congressman Gilchrest supports these initiatives as well. From Monterey Bay across the country to the Chesapeake Bay, this bill represents a new direction. Let me just say that is why this bill is supported by the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations. Before I leave that point, I want to talk about food safety. One of the reasons that many of us are in politics, and I know many moms come to politics, is for our having a safer, clean environment for our children. Clean air, clean water, food safety, these are things we can't do for them, but we depend on public policy to do; and the initiatives in this legislation for food safety are important. They will be greatly enhanced by the legislation put forth next week by the Appropriations subcommittee Chair, Congresswoman DeLauro, in her appropriations bill. But the bills are very compatible in that respect. The farm bill also includes key provisions that invest in rural communities, including economic development initiatives and access to broadband telecommunications services to bridge the digital divide in rural, underserved areas. It also addresses health care, emergency, and first responder needs of rural areas, as well as creating new markets and rebuilding rural infrastructure. And it pays special attention to the area of minority outreach and socially disadvantaged farmers by including an additional $150 million, all paid for, to provide greater outreach, coordination, and technical assistance. Finally, this bill takes a critical step toward reform by eliminating farm payments to millionaires and closing loopholes that for decades have allowed some to evade the payment limits. More needs to be done, but we have gone in the right direction for change and for reform. As I said before, this legislation is paid for. And that is a very, very important part of this. It is part of our PAYGO, no-new-deficit spending. It was a challenge. It has been met. And it has been met in a way that meets our values. The Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act will ensure that future farm bills will never look the same as those of the past. I see one of the co-Chairs of our Rural Working Group here, very important, who is putting forth the initiative on energy independence for rural America, Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. I thank you for your leadership in that regard. And thanks as well to the efforts of Chairman Peterson and many others who have made an historic investment in energy independence and nutrition assistance. This bill's effects will also be felt far from farm country. As George Washington said: ``I know of no pursuit in which more real and important services can be rendered to any country than by improving its agriculture . . . '' That is as true now and it was then. President Washington understood, as this bill's authors understand, that encouraging and investing in American agriculture pays dividends to the entire Nation. In this legislation we will strengthen America's agriculture, but we also will do much more. We will help reignite rural America's economic engine and create good-paying jobs and create good businesses here at home. We will fuel a Nation's energy needs through clean, American-made renewable energy. We will be better stewards of the land and protect our environment. And, by the way, we hope to do much more in that regard when we go to conference. And we will be a more caring Nation by better meeting the needs of the most vulnerable. Those great goals can be achieved with the help of this legislation and with the strong bipartisan support of the House today. I just wanted to take a few minutes to tell you why I am supporting the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act. And, once again, I salute the distinguished chairman for this achievement.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for making us so very, very proud of his chairmanship, Mr. Thompson's chairmanship of this very important committee. Homeland security is as local as our neighborhoods and our front porches and as national as our interests wherever they are threatened throughout the world. I rise today in strong support of this legislation to make the bipartisan independent 9/11 Commission recommendations into law. With this bill, we will be keeping our promises to the families of 9/11. We will be honoring the work of the 9/11 Commission, and we will be making the American people safer. I salute the steadfast leadership of so many of our colleagues; as I mentioned, Chairman Thompson and the distinguished ranking member, Mr. King. Thank you for your leadership, Mr. King, as well. I also want to acknowledge Chairmen Lantos, Dingell, Conyers, Oberstar, Skelton, Markey and Nadler, who played an important role in the conference report, as well as all of your ranking members, Mr. King, on the Republican side. Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago this week the bipartisan and independent 9/ 11 Commission released its report outlining urgent and achievable recommendations for securing our Nation. Under the outstanding leadership of Chairman Tom Kean and Vice Chair Lee Hamilton, the 9/11 Commission presented a road map to protect the American people from terrorism. In assuming power, Democrats promised a new direction for America, and nowhere was that new direction more critical than ensuring the safety of the American people. That is why on the very first day of the new Congress, our very first legislative act was to pass H.R. 1, the 9/ 11 Commission recommendations. It was our highest priority, to make the American people safer, and we passed it on the first day in our first legislative act. Today we will pass the final version of this bipartisan bill. We will send it to the President for his signature which we expect he will apply to it. And when we do, we will have done in 6 months what previous Congresses failed to do in nearly 6 years. We could not have accomplished this without the courage and determination of those whose loved ones were lost on September 11. The families of 9/11 turned their grief into strength and advocacy, and that made America safer. Implementing the recommendations will fundamentally change the way the President and the Congress deal with matters related to terrorism, making us more unified and more effective. This is because this bill closes loopholes and weaknesses that terrorists seek to exploit and that leave Americans vulnerable. I know others have addressed these, but in commending the committee in a bipartisan way, I want to highlight some of the important things that make America safer. Federal funding for homeland security will now be focused on those parts of the country that are at the greatest risk. By securing loose nuclear material abroad, this bill will help prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. That is a very, very important issue. Our bill requires that 100 percent of shipping containers be scanned and sealed abroad before they ever reach our shores and move through our waterways and across the country. Mr. Nadler, thank you for your exceptional leadership and your persistence on this matter. 9/11 occurred in your district, and you have been a relentless advocate for safety for all Americans. It also requires the screening of 100 percent of cargo on our passenger aircraft, a provision again relentlessly pursued by Congressman Markey. We know that lives were lost on 9/11 because our first responders were not able to communicate with each other in real-time. This bill makes a $1.6 billion investment in the equipment for our fire fighters, police and other emergency personnel, the equipment they need to communicate with each other more effectively to protect us and for them to protect each other. These are just but a few provisions of the bill. Others have referenced a more extensive list; each of them is very important. Mr. Speaker, as we learned in the National Intelligence Estimate released last week, the threat of terrorist violence against the United States is growing. Al Qaeda is gaining strength, and Osama bin Laden continues to elude capture. There is not a moment to spare to take the steps necessary to keep the American people safe. With this bill, we are honoring our solemn responsibility to protect and defend the American people. We take that as our oath of office, to protect the Constitution and, in the preamble, to provide for the common defense as a major charge to us. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and the President to sign it. I thank my colleagues again, Mr. Thompson and Mr. King, for bringing this legislation to the floor.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding and to acknowledge the exceptional leadership of my colleagues from California, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, for their leadership on this issue, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee's authorship of this legislation. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Congressman Tom Allen, Congressman David Price, Congresswoman Maxine Waters have all been important in the leadership of bringing this legislation to the floor and continuing our debate on the involvement in Iraq. The legislation is timely and a key part of our strategy for a new direction in Iraq. Thank you all. I am very pleased to join our distinguished colleagues on the minority in support of this legislation. Yes, I have had the privilege of working with Mr. Rohrabacher, with Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen and others, Mr. Wolf and Mr. Smith, over the years on issues that relate to human rights throughout the world. I respect them for their leadership in so many arenas. It has been a privilege to work with them. I am so glad they are supporting this legislation today. Mr. Speaker, I think it's very important for us to measure any initiative in relationship to the war in Iraq against the backdrop of what does this do to contribute to a vision for stability in the Middle East, whether we are talking about no permanent bases, whether we are talking about redeploying our troops out of Iraq, a change of mission there, to leave troops only for specific limited purposes. This is what the generals have told us. General Odom, for one, has said any vision for stability in the Middle East must begin with the redeployment of troops out of Iraq. So, too, this issue today, no permanent bases. Yes, our colleagues are correct that this has been brought before the Congress before and has been passed into law, but the fact is that it may not have been heard adequately by the administration and certainly not by the people in the region. This legislation clearly signals that the United States does not seek a permanent military presence in Iraq. This action is necessary to clarify confusing and contradictory statements from the administration regarding our Nation's long-term strategic relationship with Iraq. In its final report, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended that the United States clearly state that our Nation does not seek permanent military bases in Iraq or to control Iraq's oil. It did so to help shape ``a positive climate for . . . diplomatic efforts,'' which are essential to ending the U.S. presence in Iraq and bringing greater stability to the Middle East. While the administration has previously indicated it would not seek permanent bases in Iraq, recent statements raise contrary questions. Administration officials have remarked that the President envisioned a continued military presence in Iraq similar to our presence in Korea, where U.S. forces have been stationed for more than 50 years. The American people have made it clear in the election that they want a new direction in Iraq that brings the troops home. The Iraqi people and regional powers must also be reassured that the United States does not seek to exploit Iraq either by building permanent military facilities there or by exercising control over its oil. We can make that statement by passing this legislation overwhelmingly today as part of our strategy for a new direction in Iraq and for stability in the Middle East. The President's remarks in South Carolina yesterday were really saddening. Just when you think you have seen it all, just when you think you have heard it all, the President mentioned al Qaeda nearly 100 times to justify his course of action in Iraq. Let us remove all doubt. This Congress, every single person here, is committed to fight the war on terror, but let us not misrepresent what the troops in Iraq are doing. Everyone who examines the situation with the knowledge says we do not belong in a civil war in Iraq. So, again, the President's statements give great cause for grave concern. They crystallized why the Congress must continue to pressure the administration to change course in Iraq. Yet again, President Bush mischaracterized the facts on the ground in Iraq and the latest intelligence on the real threat of international terrorism. Just yesterday news reports were that the administration plans a continued substantial troop presence in Iraq through the summer of 2009; heaven knows, beyond then. As the latest National Intelligence Estimate reveals, the war in Iraq has not made America safer or turned the tide against terrorism. In fact, while we have been tied down in Iraq, al Qaeda has been regenerated, has regenerated its ability to attack the United States while enjoying safe haven in vital areas of our ally in the war on terrorism, Pakistan. The President's Iraq policy is unacceptable to the American people, and to Democrats in Congress, because it has allowed al Qaeda to regain its footing, reinforce its numbers, and refocus on another spectacular and deadly attack on the United States. That is why we must change direction in Iraq and do it now before it is too late. America cannot afford another 2 years of war in Iraq. We have already lost more than 3,600 brave Americans to this bloody conflict. There can be no discussion of the situation in Iraq without pausing to remember and acknowledge the sacrifice, the courage and the patriotism of our men and women in uniform and their families who have sacrificed so much for our country. We thank them, we honor them, and we think they deserve better than no plan for a redeployment of troops out of Iraq. We have lost 4 years that could have been spent bolstering Homeland Security, strengthening counterterrorism efforts, and focusing all of the resources at our disposal on combating the terrorist threat. Today's vote can again make clear to the President, and to the administration, to the American people, to the people in the Middle East, to the people in Iraq that the American people are opposed to a permanent military presence in Iraq. The American people are demanding a new direction. The Democratic Congress will go on record every day, if necessary, to register a judgment in opposition to the course of action that the President is taking in Iraq. The Democratic Congress will go on record every day, if necessary, to fight for a redeployment of our forces as a central element of a new direction strategy for Iraq. I urge my colleagues to vote in overwhelming numbers for this important legislation. Again, I thank our colleagues, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Congressman Tom Allen, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Congressman David Price and all the others who played such an important role in bringing this legislation to the floor.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, last evening the airport at Sao Paolo, Brazil was a scene of a terrible tragedy that took the lives of as many as 200 people. Among those lost was a member of the Chamber of Deputies, Representative Julio Redecker, the Brazilian House minority leader. As fate would have it, many of us here today were scheduled to have a meeting with him and the President of the Chamber of Deputies here in the Capitol. Of course, the tragedy in Brazil and the loss of Representative Redecker changed those plans, very sadly. Moments ago I spoke with the Brazilian President of the Chamber of Deputies, Arlindo Chinaglia; and Brazil's Ambassador to the United States, Antonio Patriota. I conveyed to them the deepest sympathy of the Members of the House of Representatives to the people of Brazil, to the family of Representative Redecker. They were, I think, very comforted by the fact that I told them that later today, now, we would have a moment of silence and extend our sympathy to the people of Brazil for the terrible loss of 200 people and, of course, the special sympathy to our friend in the Chamber of Deputies and to the family of Representative Redecker for the loss of the minority leader of that important chamber. I now ask that the House observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Julio Redecker and all of those who lost their lives in Brazil yesterday evening.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, if I may convey our condolences to his widow, Salete Redecker. Announcement by the Acting Chairman

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for yielding, and I want to express the appreciation of so many in this Congress and this country to him for his tremendous leadership. For 30 years, he has been a great champion for our men and women in uniform; for the quality of their lives and their families as they serve our country; for their readiness as they prepare to go to war; for their well-being as they fight for our country; for his appreciation of the sacrifice that they and their families are willing to make. Thank you, Mr. Skelton, for being such a great leader, and thank you for giving us this opportunity today to speak on behalf of the American people, to take a step to end the war in Iraq and to have a vision of a strategic plan for stability in the Middle East. Your bill is excellent and your timing, Mr. Skelton, is perfect, because today the Bush administration released a progress report on the Iraq benchmarks required by the supplemental appropriations bill passed in May. The report makes clear that not even the White House can conclude that there has been significant progress on the Warner resolution benchmarks. This is hardly surprising, given what is publicly available each day in the media: truck bombs killing scores of people in the markets; the supposedly secure Green Zone is rocked by a 30-inute mortar and rocket barrage; despite 30,000 additional American troops to increase security, Iraqi leaders are urging their people to arm themselves for their own protection; legislation to make the Iraqi political process more inclusive is stalled in the Iraqi legislature; and the cost of the war in precious lives and wounded American heroes continues to rise. Since the surge began, we have lost nearly 600 American troops. The benchmarks that are being reported on today were endorsed by President Bush and the Government of Iraq to measure political reconciliation and the promotion of security in Iraq. In the 5th year of the war, the President's strategy has failed to meet those key benchmarks. President Bush continues to urge patience, but what is needed and what the American people are demanding is a new direction. Remaining bogged down in a sectarian civil war in Iraq continues an unacceptable strain on our military and serves as an effective recruiting tool for al Qaeda. Reports about the resilience of al Qaeda in Iraq are alarming, but assessments that the global al Qaeda network is reconstituting its capabilities describes a far greater threat. The war is not making our military stronger to protect our interests, the American people safer or the Middle East more secure. It prevents a refocusing of our efforts on the real war on terrorism in places like Afghanistan, and it hinders the development of a new direction strategy for greater stability in the Middle East. As General Batiste has said, ``Iraq is distracting America from what should be the focus of main effort. It is in America's best interests to rethink our national strategy, deliberately disengage from Iraq, refit and rearm our military, get serious about homeland security, and prepare to win the next phase of the struggle against worldwide Islamic extremism.'' The American people see the danger of clinging to an untenable situation in Iraq. That is why by large margins they favor a redeployment of our troops. Passage of Chairman Skelton's bipartisan bill will reflect the will of the American people and reaffirm the judgment of the House that the redeployment of our troops is a central element and an effective way forward in Iraq. We will repeat that judgment legislatively as often as necessary, hopefully with an increasing level of support from our Republican colleagues, until pressure from the American people causes the President to change his mind and his policies. To those who urge that we wait until September, I say that it has been 4\1/2\ years and half a trillion dollars, at least. We have already waited too long. The troops in their third and fourth tours in Iraq, those who have been so grievously wounded and the families of those who have died, deserve far better than that. After more than 3,600 lives have been lost to a flawed strategy, we have a responsibility to create a new direction. After spending $329 million every day, $329 million every day on the war in Iraq, on a war that is not making our country safer, we have an obligation to change course. After 5 years of a failed policy in Iraq, we have a duty, not just to voice our opposition, but to vote to end the war. Chairman Skelton's bipartisan bill offers a step we can take today toward bringing the troops home, to creating a strategic vision for stability in the Middle East and for beginning to rearm our military. Let us pass this bill and those that will follow in the coming weeks and provide the new direction on Iraq that the American people demand and that is so urgently needed. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the Skelton bill.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your great leadership in bringing us to this historic day. I thank all of the other members of the committee for their leadership in making this day possible, for expanding America's middle class, for giving opportunity to America's children, and for making our future brighter. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. In 1944, when the GI Bill of Rights became law, our Nation made a decision. They made a decision to invest in the future. It was an investment that transformed the lives of millions of Americans. It transformed America to the benefit of all Americans. Indeed, it built America. Over the years, the GI Bill offered opportunity and economic security through education to more than 20 million of the brave men and women who wore our Nation's uniform. It has given America hundreds of thousands of engineers, teachers and doctors, and it has given us a model for the value of investing in the education of our people for our country. Today, with this legislation, we will make the single largest increase in college aid since the GI Bill of Rights revolutionized America. It is an investment for a bright future for our children, and, just as the GI Bill has been, an investment in a bright future for our Nation. Any economist will tell you that any dollar spent on education is a dollar that makes a big return to our Treasury. In fact, no dollar invested or spent, no tax credit, no financial initiative you can name brings more money to the Treasury than investing in education. I want to again thank Chairman Miller and the distinguished members of the Education and Labor Committee for their leadership in making sure higher education is affordable and accessible. In today's competitive job market, a college education often makes all the difference. Americans with college degrees can earn 60 percent more than those with only a high school diploma. So in the interests of individuals, this is very, very important. Indeed, higher education is the single best investment our young people can make in themselves, that families can make in the success of their children, and our country can make in its future strength. It is important to note why this legislation is very important. Financial barriers will prevent 4\1/2\ million high school graduates from attending a 4-year public college over the next decade and prevent another 2 million high school graduates from attending any college at all. Over 6\1/2\ million students will not have access to some college or any college at all. Higher education, as we all know, is the key to achieving the American dream. This legislation has made sure that all who are qualified and determined to have that education will have access to it. It has been said that cutting interest rates in half will make it possible for more Americans to achieve their potential. This is especially important for strengthening the middle class. Middle-income families in America struggle to educate their children. This interest rate cut is very important for them. By increasing the maximum Pell Grant scholarship by over $500, nearly 6 million students will be given help to afford expanding college costs. In hearing the debate on the cost, I think that it is important to note that the cost of this bill is the equivalent of 6 weeks in Iraq; 6 weeks in Iraq. Imagine that, for 6 weeks in Iraq, we can expand higher education to all who wish to achieve it in America. That investment has a return to our Treasury. It will grow our economy and prepare us for the future. This legislation is a very important part of our Innovation Agenda, where we do need to invest in many more scientists, engineers and mathematicians. By giving opportunities to highly qualified teachers in our classrooms for this Innovation Agenda, it provides an essential component for a bright future for our Nation. It will provide up-front tuition for highly qualified teachers who agree to teach in high-needs areas, increase loan forgiveness for those who practice civic responsibility and encourage students to give back to their communities as teachers, librarians, childcare and welfare workers and public sector employees. Members have talked about this over and over again. The fact is that, again, for the cost of 6 weeks in Iraq, we can ensure the education of our young people across the broad spectrum of America. We can reward those who want to be civically involved as teachers. It is all paid for. Today, we are not only relieving the debt of America's students, but doing so in a way that not only helps relieve their debt but does not heap mountains of national debt on top of our young people. This legislation keeps our promise to pay as you go with no new deficit spending. Democrats believe that is just as essential as ensuring that American students have the opportunity to attend college. Mr. Speaker, the College Cost Reduction Act strengthens the future for our students and it strengthens our Nation. I think, again, that this is a historic day, because it is a day that is about the American dream. It is a day about expanding opportunity in our country. It is a day that recognizes that the best dollar that we can spend is a dollar spent on education. It recognizes that education is the key to a brilliant future, not only for the self-fulfillment of our people, but for the success of our country. It is about our self-fulfillment personally. It is about growing our economy. It is about our National security. It is about carrying the banner of our Founders who have made a commitment to future generations. Thank you, Chairman Miller, and members of the Committee on Education and Labor, for helping us honor that commitment to future generations. I urge our colleagues to support this very important and historic legislation.