Brad Sherman

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. I'll take a minute to put into the Record the statements of Adam Levitin, a professor of law at the Georgetown University Law School, in support of this bill. He came before our committee in May of 2012 and stated ``there are unquestionably financial regulations that do little other than add to regulatory burdens.'' He cited, in particular, the provision that this bill addresses, and said: ``I would also urge the elimination of the privacy disclosure requirement even if there is no substantive replacement for it.'' But then he added: ``And, at the very least, eliminate the requirement of an annual disclosure when there has been no change to the policy.'' I couldn't agree more with the professor.

Mr. SHERMAN. I yield myself such time as I may consume in support of H.R. 5817, the Eliminate Privacy Notice Confusion Act. I want to thank Representative Luetkemeyer for his work in introducing this bill. I've enjoyed working with him on it. Madam Speaker, this is commonsense legislation that makes a minor change to our banking laws to revise a very costly and unnecessary requirement that financial institutions such as banks and credit unions and other depository institutions must send each of their customers a copy of their privacy policy every year, even when that policy hasn't changed from the prior year when they got the same exact privacy notification. For banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions of all sizes, this means spending a small fortune to reprint millions of complicated and long documents, then mailing them to every consumer, even when there's been no change in the policy. It is disadvantageous not only because of the time and cost in mailing these--and the trees that are no doubt consumed--but also because customers have no way to separate the wheat from the shaft. They're getting these notices every year from every financial institution with whom they have dealings without any indication as to whether there's been a change from the privacy policy that they received just a year ago. By sending out less, we attract attention to those situations where there's been a change in the privacy policy. Our bill makes a simple fix to this problem, requiring financial institutions to provide their customers with this additional notification only when there's been a change that affects the policy or practice as it relates to that consumer. As a result, consumers will know that the privacy notices that arrive in their mailbox actually require their attention. And banks, credit unions, other financial institutions that have been spending millions of dollars to mail out duplicative notices and redundant notifications each year can redirect those savings back to providing for the consumer, to their community, or to loans to help our economy grow. Madam Speaker, I want to thank, as I did at the beginning of my presentation, our colleague and chief sponsor of this bill, Representative Luetkemeyer of Missouri, and thank him for his leadership on this issue. I also want to thank our long-time colleague, ranking member of our Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank, for his work in getting us to this point where we can consider this bill on the floor today. I will, in short order, be asking for a recorded vote on this bill, not because it needs a recorded vote, but because I've been informed by my leadership that it's important to this House that we have time on the floor tomorrow to confer with each other on Members and that we have a sufficient number of recorded votes. So my colleagues should not interpret my request for a recorded vote as any statement that this bill is something we have to go on record on or that I would disagree with the outcome of any voice vote, but simply as an act of collegiality, showing that I think we ought to spend more time with each other on this floor tomorrow, and I know we will all enjoy that process. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHERMAN. I rise again in support of this bill, and I yield to no Member in terms of my dedication to privacy. If this bill passes, you're going to get notification of what the privacy rules are when you start with the financial institution. You are going to get notified every time they make a change. And you are going to be notified any time of the night or day when you simply go onto the Web site and look at the required privacy notification. When Gramm-Leach-Bliley was passed, not everybody had access to the Internet. I realize today not everybody does. But a much larger percentage of Americans are familiar with the Internet, have access to the Internet, and know that if they want to see the privacy notification, the privacy rules of their financial institution, it's there on the Internet in a way that most Americans are going to have easy access to. The idea that you are mailed a copy of something you've already been mailed a copy of, which hasn't changed, that does little or nothing to provide additional privacy, except that we can say, Oh, we're for privacy. If we want to protect the privacy of our constituents, we ought to do so in a meaningful way, not to simply say, The same thing you got a copy of a year ago today, which is available to you any time of the day or night, is something we're going to chop down some more trees and send you a copy of again. And that's the best idea we can come up with to protect your privacy. I think, instead, we ought to pass this bill, know that we've given everybody a copy of the privacy policy of the financial institution on paper, that they get another paper notice if there's any change, and there is a continuous notice on the Internet every day of the year, every night of the year. With that, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. SHERMAN. I thank the gentleman for his presentation. I would be happy to cosponsor legislation to require an email notification once a year to every customer who's willing to provide their email address to the financial institution. There are some who would say, I don't want to give my email address to my financial institution. But to everybody who is willing to provide that email. I couldn't agree with you more. If this was done by email, it ought to be done at least annually. I look forward to joining with the Members who are here in this room and are interested in requiring an annual email notification. I don't know if the sponsor of the bill would be interested in that. But I will join the gentleman from Massachusetts in legislation on that. But let's act today to end the expensive and resource-consuming annual paper notification. And with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to congratulate Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, California, on the celebration of its 100th Anniversary. For a century, the leaders and parishioners of the Church have dedicated themselves to upholding their faith and bringing the San Fernando Valley community closer together. Originally known as the Van Nuys First Baptist Church, the Church began in 1912 in an railroad car in the town of Van Nuys, California, with less than 100 congregants. Under the direction of senior pastor Dr. Jess Moody, the congregation grew steadily, moving in 1991 to a new building in Porter Ranch, California, where it became known as Shepherd of the Hills Church. In 1995, the congregation merged with nearby Hillcrest Christian Church. Since its founding, Shepherd of the Hills Church has continued to explore new venues and opportunities for worship throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Today, the Church is a vibrant, diverse congregation of more than 12,000 members, four ``daughter'' churches, and two satellite campuses throughout Los Angeles County. Since 1999, Shepherd of the Hills Church has also hosted an annual 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, which attracts over 50,000 residents of the San Fernando Valley. The annual celebration has brought our community together year after year. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate senior pastor Dudley Rutherford on this special occasion. Under the leadership of Pastor Rutherford, who is also celebrating his 25th Anniversary, the Church has seen its congregation and community outreach efforts continue to expand. Pastor Rutherford spearheaded the development of four self-sufficient satellite campuses within Los Angeles County, the opening of the Church's Family Life Center, and he helped to organize the ``Miracle in the Making'' Campaign to raise funds for a new church building. Known nationally for his dynamic leadership and communication skills, Pastor Rutherford served as president of the 2011 North American Christian Convention, and was the featured Chapel Speaker at the World Series. Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Shepherd of the Hills Church on its 100th Anniversary, and to Pastor Dudley Rutherford for his commitment, dedication and vision in helping this praiseworthy congregation carry out its mission of fellowship and community service throughout the San Fernando Valley.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as I have stated in the past, I am inclined to vote ``no'' on any suspension bill that seeks to enact complex and controversial legislation through a process designed for non- controversial legislation and relatively minor changes in law. I have consistently opposed the diversity visa lottery program. However, there are substantial flaws in H.R. 6429. Congress should consider abolishing the diversity visa lottery through the regular process with full debate and with the consideration of amendments. For the same reason, I also voted against H.R. 5987 because I believe that bill deserves further analysis, debate and amendment. There are times when I will vote for a complex or controversial suspension bill when the merits are overwhelming and the bill is, in my view, not in need of amendment. Both of the last two votes of Thursday, September 20, 2012, did not meet that standard. H.R. 6429 failed to pass under suspension of the rules. I believe that the diversity visa lottery should be abolished, but that the approach taken by H.R. 6429 is not the best policy.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the unique and essential work being done by Chabad. Chabad is known by many for its annual telethon. Where else on the TV dial can one go to see dancing rabbis once a year? Chabad is better known for meeting the spiritual needs of millions, for meeting the economic and counseling needs of thousands who are faced with destitution or faced with the scourge of substance abuse. I would like to extend my regards to Rabbi Cunin and the entire Cunin family for their tireless efforts on behalf of Chabad and Yiddishkeit everywhere. For decades, I've had a chance to work with Rabbi Mordy Einbinder and Rabbi Joshua Gordon, and all of the rabbis of Chabad in the San Fernando Valley, an organization that has grown from one storefront to now 25 centers of vibrant communities dedicated to worship and to study across the San Fernando Valley. Chabad does hugely important work for the local community. They have taken a commercial-grade kitchen and turned it into a one-stop social service center to feed and care for thousands. And Chabad's drug prevention and treatment program, PRIDE, reaches thousands of at-risk youth in the San Fernando Valley and across the Los Angeles area. For the last decade, I've worked with Chabad to achieve something very important to the Jewish people, the return from Russia of the Rebbe's papers. The Schneerson Library and Archives are of such important sacredness to Chabad and to many others, and yet they are still held in Moscow by the Russian regime. This Congress passed Jackson-Vanik. There's discussion of us changing that important law to allow for Russian goods to be sold in the United States more freely, but Jackson-Vanik's purpose was to force Russia to let our people go. That process will not, in my mind, be complete until Russia lets the Rebbe's papers go as well. So I look forward to Russia releasing those spiritually important documents. And I look forward to working with all the Chabad rabbis on issues from Moscow to the San Fernando Valley.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank the chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for her work on this bill and for reaching an agreement with the Senate Banking Committee, and I rise in strong support of this measure. I especially want to thank the chairman for working with me on title III of this bill, as it reflects several years of our work together. Title III targets the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps and began its life as H.R. 2379, then designated the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps Designation Implementation Act, which I introduced along with the chairman in May of 2009. These provisions impose tough secondary sanctions against any person, including foreign companies, that conduct any significant transaction with the IRGC or any of its designated fronts and affiliates. The IRGC, through its support of Hezbollah and its direct action, has much blood on its hands. I want to thank the chairman and her staff for including section 303, which applies sanctions to countries and governments--not just companies--that conduct transactions or provide support for the IRGC and for provisions which indicate that if you want to be a Federal contractor, you must certify that you do not do prohibited business with the IRGC. This bill also includes important provisions I first proposed in the Stop Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program Act that will provide sanctions against those who lend money to the Iranian Government. It includes another provision I authored which will implement sanctions against those firms that give the Iranian Government the technologies for surveillance and repression of their own people. This is not the final act, literally or figuratively. What we've done so far is not enough to force Iran to abandon its nuclear program. We ought to stay in session and pass even more sanctions against Iran.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to add my voice to those who have come forward to denounce the unwarranted attacks on Huma Abedin, a key aid to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a woman who has given years of service to this Nation and to the State Department. As it happens, my wife has given her entire career to the State Department, and I know how angry I would be if she were attacked based on some twisted exaggeration of something that her relatives may have done decades ago, notwithstanding her absolutely spotless record. No one in this House is more dedicated to combatting radical Islamist ideologies and the governments and organizations that espouse them, but the unwarranted attacks on Huma Abedin undermine our effort to do just that. Now we face, in Egypt and elsewhere, the outrageous attack that our decision to engage with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is not a decision made in our own national interest, but somehow is the result of undue influence. Let me simply say that I join Senator John McCain in calling for these dangerous accusations, unwarranted accusations, to be withdrawn.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, it is my honor today to welcome to the House of Representatives His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. He is with us today in the gallery. His Holiness is the worldwide spiritual leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, which has tens of millions of adherents around the world in 190 countries and tens of thousands of adherents here in the United States. Today at a historic event in the Gold Room of the Rayburn Building, we recognized His Holiness' commitment to world peace, to brotherhood, to justice, and to religious freedom. I am proud to join with my colleague from California, Zoe Lofgren, and others in introducing a resolution today in honor of His Holiness' visit here to our Nation's Capitol. In the United States, the Ahmadi community is one of the oldest and most organized Islamic communities. I also want to take this opportunity to recognize two distinguished leaders from Los Angeles, Dr. Asif Mahmood and Kareem Ahmed, who are also in the gallery here and who show such leadership of the Muslim community in the Los Angeles area. It is my honor to recognize His Holiness, to invite him to be with us here in the people's House. And I want to commend the Ahmadi motto: ``Love for all. Hatred for none.'' Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent yesterday. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 315, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 316, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 317, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 318.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Woody Smeck for his extraordinary service as Superintendent of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. After 21 years of service in the park, Mr. Smeck will depart from his position in order to become the Deputy Superintendent at Yosemite National Park. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the nation's largest urban national park, consists of 153,750 acres of mixed public open space and private lands surrounded by a metropolitan region of more than 19 million people. Annual visitation to local, state and federal parklands within the national recreation area exceeds 33 million visitors, making it one of the most visited recreation destinations in the country. More than 70 agencies and organizations are involved in partnership efforts to preserve open space resources and provide outdoor recreation opportunities. This level of partnership has served as a national model for other parklands and attracted the attention of key government and non-profit leaders looking to replicate the success of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. As Superintendent, Mr. Smeck serves on a variety of commissions and boards in Los Angeles and Ventura counties dealing with conservation of protected areas and connecting people to nature and places of historical significance. During his tenure as Superintendent, Mr. Smeck has overseen some of the largest and most significant parkland acquisitions, the development of an interagency visitor center, and the completion of the 65-mile Backbone Trail. His steadfast leadership and advocacy has increased the visibility of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Mr. Smeck has also hosted visits from Presidents, cabinet secretaries, Members of Congress, governors, international governments, blue ribbon commissions and environmental leaders. Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Woody Smeck for his extraordinary service as Superintendent of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Under his leadership, the National Park Service has helped to promote conservation, protect thousands of acres of parkland, and enhance recreational opportunities for millions of people that visit the Santa Monica Mountains and its renowned beaches.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, February 29, 2012, I was absent from the House Chamber. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 80.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this month marks the 24th anniversary of a dark chapter in modern history. During the Nagorno-Karabakh War of 1988 to 1994, Armenian civilians were indiscriminately attacked. On the evening of February 27, 1988, Armenian civilians living in Sumgait, in Soviet Azerbaijan, were violently targeted in a three-day rampage. Armenian civilians were hunted down and brutally assaulted. Some were raped, and some were burned alive at the hands of rioters. Local police reportedly ignored repeated calls for help by Armenian civilians. The official figure from Soviet authorities, who prohibited journalists from entering the area, was just over 30 people dead and over 200 injured. However, it is believed that more--perhaps hundreds-- were murdered by roving mobs. The Sumgait Pogrom was, sadly, only the beginning. Despite international condemnation of the pogrom in Sumgait, another anti-Armenian pogrom occurred later that year in Kirovabad, Azerbaijan, from November 21st to 27th Due to the brutality, the Armenians of Kirovabad and the surrounding areas were forced to flee their homes. Another crime against humanity occurred yet again from January 13th to the 19th, in 1990. Members of the Armenian community of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, were assaulted, tortured and killed again by violent mobs. I would like to commemorate the Armenian victims of the Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku massacres to honor the memory of the murdered, and to stop future bloodshed. If we hope to stop future massacres, we must acknowledge these horrific events and ensure they do not happen again. We will not forget the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenians from Azerbaijan. But we need to do more--we need to demonstrate to Azerbaijan that the United States is committed to peace and to the protection of Artsakh from coercion. We must urge Azerbaijan to cease all threats and acts of coercion against the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. In 1992, Congress prohibited aid to Azerbaijan because of its continuing blockade against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Unfortunately, Congress in 2001 approved a waiver to this provision and administrations have used the waiver since then to provide aid to Baku. Congress should strengthen Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act by removing the President's ability to waive U.S. law prohibiting aid to Azerbaijan because of its continuing blockade against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. I urge the Administration to remove all barriers to broad-based U.S.- Nagorno Karabakh governmental and civil society communication, travel, and cooperation. We must reaffirm America's commitment to an enduring, peaceful and democratic resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 26, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Amendment No. 5 Offered by Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on Monday January 23, 2012 I was unavoidably absent from the House Chamber. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes 5 and 6.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his generosity, especially because he will probably disagree with most of what I have to say. As to the consistency of America's nonproliferation policy, I believe we are consistent. We are consistent with the nonproliferation treaty, which I believe is the most important peace treaty of our lifetime. It identifies five states as nuclear states. Three major nations in this world did not sign and do not benefit from the treaty. But Iran, North Korea, and Syria all agreed, as non-nuclear states, agreed not to develop nuclear weapons, and all of them have violated that agreement. I want to commend Chairman Ros-Lehtinen for putting forward this outstanding bill, one of the toughest nonproliferation bills ever to come before Congress. I am the lead Democratic cosponsor of this bill, and I want to thank her for the opportunity to work with her on this important legislation. Iran, Syria, and North Korea are proliferators of nuclear weapons technology, and work together to threaten U.S. interests and allies around the globe. This bill includes an important provision that I put forward in a bill that I introduced in May of 2009. That is, it poses sanctions against those firms that provide North Korea, Iran, or Syria with equipment or technology relevant to mining or milling uranium. Iran in particular is facing a uranium shortage, and has been searching for foreign sources of uranium as well as trying to improve its own domestic capacity to mine uranium. Under this bill, anyone who assists that effort would be subject to penalties. This bill includes other very important provisions. The U.S.-China Economic Security Review Commission identified a loophole in current law that arguably exempts from sanctions Chinese companies that are providing short-range, anti-naval cruise missiles to Iran. I think it is critically important that we protect our naval crews, especially when Iran has recently conducted exercises to game the possibility of shutting the Strait of Hormuz, which is so critical to world oil supplies. We need to do everything we can in this Congress to protect our naval crews from Iranian weapons acquired from China. Also, following on the shipping sanctions that have been put into place against Iranian shipping firms, this bill would go further. It effectively bars from any U.S. port any ship that has visited North Korea, Iran, or Syria in the last 2 years. The bill would also close a loophole in existing sanctions. It would require that sanctions be imposed on the parent entity when one of its subsidiaries engages in sanctionable activity.

Mr. SHERMAN. I thank the gentleman. Again, this is one of the strongest, perhaps the strongest nonproliferation bill to come before Congress, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. I thank the gentleman for his generous grant of time, especially because he will probably disagree with almost everything I have to say. I'd like to thank Chairman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for bringing together the best ideas of so many Members--and, of course, of her own--to move toward another important step toward dissuading Iran from developing nuclear weapons and for her ability to build a coalition that has over 300 Members cosponsoring this bill. We have to create circumstances where the regime in Tehran has to choose between its nuclear weapons program and regime survival. We owe a special debt of gratitude to the mullahs who are running Iran, because it is their incompetence and their corruption that creates a risk to regime survival even at a time of very high oil prices. And we owe a debt of gratitude to the Iranian people, who rose upon against this regime in the summer of 2009 and whose desire for freedom poses a real threat to regime survival. Looking at the particulars of this bill, I want to thank the chairwoman for including in this bill, in title III, provisions dealing with the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps. These are based on the Revolutionary Guard Corps Designation Implementation Act, which I introduced in 2009 along with the chairwoman, Ed Royce, and Dan Burton. This title III makes it clear to foreign companies that, if they do business with the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, they cannot do business in the United States. I also want to thank the chairwoman for cosponsoring, both last year and this year, my bill, the Stop Iran's Nuclear Program Act, and for including many of those provisions in this legislation that's before us today, in particular, including a provision that would sanction those companies that loan money to Iran, whether in dollars or in euros or in any other currency, that tell the foreign incorporated subsidiaries of U.S. multinational corporations that they, too, cannot do business with Iran. To build upon the provision that Chuck Schumer and I were able to write and was included in CISADA, which was adopted last year, to indicate that those who give Iran the technologies to suppress the Internet and to apprehend dissidents through the Internet will be sanctioned. Companies should not be providing that kind of technology to Iran. Now, this bill would require the State Department to actually implement those provisions by designating the technologies that cannot be sold to Iran. This bill also includes the provision of the Stop Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program Act that allows States to do even more to help this Federal policy, by providing that those insurance companies that are helping Iran may not be able to do business in their particular State. Finally, I want to point out that this bill includes provisions aimed at the Central Bank of Iran, but that is not a reason for us not to also pass the Menendez-Kirk language that's in the Defense authorization bill. The Menendez-Kirk language would, like this bill, sanction those U.S. banks that violate our law by doing business with Iran and would freeze those assets that the Central Bank of Iran has foolishly left in the United States or may have done so. But the key thing about the Kirk- Menendez language is that it tells European and Asian and other non- U.S. banks that they must stop their business with the Central Bank of Iran and virtually all the major banks of Iran as well. It imposes secondary sanctions. And I believe the Kirk-Menendez language will make it difficult for Iran to sell oil or to buy anything with its oil revenue. I urge the passage of this bill, the Kirk-Menendez language, and other sanctions against Iran.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Thank you. The adoption of H. Res. 306 would add the powerful voice of the United States Congress to the defense of religious freedom for Christians in present-day Turkey and reinforce the traditional leadership of Congress in defending freedom of faith around the world. I want to identify myself with the comments of the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff) on putting this resolution in context by noting the Armenian genocide and how that sets the stage for everything we're talking about here. H. Res. 306 is urgently needed to address the destruction of Christian religious heritage as a result of the Turkish Government's theft, desecration and disregard of ancient Christian sites and churches, many of them holding great significance to Christian heritage. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom raises the following alarm in its 2001 report: ``The Turkish Government continues to impose serious limitations on freedom of religion or belief, thereby threatening the continued vitality and survival of minority religious communities in Turkey.'' Churches in Turkey have been desecrated. The adoption of H. Res. 306 would support the Christian communities within Turkey that remain vulnerable and are forced to endure restrictions on their right to practice their faith in freedom. For example, and this is just one example, of the over 2,000 Armenian churches that existed in the early 1900s, less than 100 remain standing and fully functioning today. This resolution is supported by the co-chairs of the Armenian, Hellenic, and Human Rights Caucuses. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has for 3 years straight placed Turkey on its watch list. In 2009, Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Christian Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, appeared on CBS's ``60 Minutes'' and reported that Turkey's Christians were second-class citizens and that he personally felt ``crucified'' by a state that wanted his church to die out. Church property is routinely confiscated through discriminatory laws. The United States Commission on Religious Freedom reported that over the previous 5 decades, the Turkish state has, using convoluted regulations and undemocratic laws, confiscated hundreds of religious minority properties, primarily those belonging to the Greek Orthodox community, as well as the Armenian Orthodox, Catholics, and Jews. It is time to add the voice of the American Congress in an effort to make sure that Turkey meets its international responsibilities.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary leadership and service of Dr. Jolene Koester. Dr. Koester began her appointment as the fourth president of California State University, Northridge on July 1, 2000, one of the largest campuses in the 23- campus California State University system. In May 2011, she announced her plans to step down as president at the end of December 2011 and subsequently retire from The California State University. California State University, Northridge is a vibrant, diverse university community of more than 36,000 students served by 4,000 faculty and staff. The University plays an indispensable role in the San Fernando Valley as an intellectual, cultural and economic driver. Under her leadership, the University has improved graduation rates, received record levels of fundraising, and become known for its culture of collaboration. Dr. Koester's vision and determination led to the development of the Valley Performing Arts Center at California State University, Northridge--the first world-class concert hall for nearly 2 million residents of the San Fernando Valley. During her tenure, she has increased the overall stature of Cal State Northridge, resulting in improved visibility and relationships in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles. Known nationally for her leadership in the area of higher education, Dr. Koester is a member and past chair of the Board of Directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Dr. Koester serves the greater Los Angeles community on the boards of directors for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Valley Economic Alliance, and the Valley Industry and Commerce Association. She also is a board member of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and the Los Angeles Jobs and Economy Committee. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her leadership in the Los Angeles region. Prior to her appointment at Cal State Northridge, Dr. Koester served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at California State University, Sacramento. Before her service as provost, she held other executive positions in the academic affairs division at Sacramento State, and was a faculty member there, as a professor of communication studies, since 1980. She earned a Bachelor's of Arts from the University of Minnesota in 1970, a Master's of Arts in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971, and a Ph.D. in speech communication from Minnesota in 1980. Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Koester for her commitment to furthering the excellence of California State University, Northridge. She is an extraordinary leader whose legacy will succeed her for decades to come.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. It looks like the only thing Congress is going to do this year about jobs is to ship them overseas. Trade adjustment assistance is being authorized tomorrow, but not a penny is being appropriated tomorrow; and any penny that is appropriated will, no doubt, be taken from health and education spending necessary without the trade agreements. This South Korean Free Trade Agreement will increase our trade deficit by tens of billions of dollars, and every billion dollars of increase in our trade deficit costs us tens of thousands of jobs. The agreement is being sold as if goods made in South Korea are the only goods that are going to come into our country. That's wrong in three ways. First, if goods are 65 percent made in China, 35 percent finished in South Korea, they come into our country duty free; and that 35 percent of the work done in South Korea can be done by Chinese workers living in barracks in South Korea, so the goods may not ever be touched by a South Korean. We are going to be talking in this Congress, I hope, about Chinese currency manipulation. There are proposals that would impose tariffs on Chinese goods. This South Korean agreement is a prebuilt loophole in anything we try to do with China over currency manipulation. They manipulate their currency. They make 65 percent of the goods in China. They ship them to South Korea. They come in free to the United States without having to worry about our tariffs or our sanctions against their currency manipulation. Second, goods that are 65 percent made in North Korea, 35 percent made in South Korea have a right to come in under this agreement; but we have an executive order that will bar them at our ports, so we will be in violation of this agreement on the first day. That means South Korea can impose sanctions and take away whatever benefits you think we're going to get under this agreement.

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on the Moore amendment to H.R. 2401. I would have voted ``aye'' on this amendment (rollcall No. 730).

Mr. SHERMAN

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chair, let me begin with a completely irrelevant digression on a completely different matter. Today it was announced that the United States will recognize the Libyan rebels as the legitimate Government of Libya. If that is true, we should make an immediate demand on that government that it use the $33 billion, or some portion thereof, of Qadhafi money that is frozen in the United States to reimburse the American taxpayer for all of the military actions and humanitarian actions we have taken for the benefit of the people of Libya--there is no reason that these actions should be done at the expense of the United States taxpayer--and that the real cost of our military actions in Libya should be calculated on the basis of full cost accounting, not the marginal cost accounting that has been used in press releases from the Pentagon. Now for my amendment. This amendment deals with the international programs carried out by the Department of Energy. It is in some ways a rival to, or an alternative to, the amendment presented by Mr. Harris last night. Mr. Harris' amendment would eliminate all of these programs with the exception of one and thus reduce roughly $6 million in costs. My amendment eliminates those programs that go to China while leaving the remaining programs. So if you don't want to see American taxpayer money used to benefit Chinese manufacturers, you have two alternatives. Maybe you'll vote for them both. But some will just vote for my amendment that focuses on the $2 million we spend in China. The Harris amendment would have you also--perhaps in an effort to eliminate the money going for the benefit of Chinese manufacturers--cut our cooperative programs that are chiefly with Latin America and Canada. I believe that it is in our interest to continue to provide energy- efficiency assistance to our partners here in this hemisphere. First, these are our allies. These are, in most cases, poor countries that we're trying to help. Their energy costs are very high, particularly in recent years. And one of the best ways to help them is to help them reduce their energy bill. But it also helps the American consumer, because if you can reduce worldwide aggregate demand for energy, particularly oil, you reduce the worldwide price. So it is in our interest to carry on the very small programs that have been effective in helping Mexico and Costa Rica and Dominica and other Caribbean States to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency. However, I do not think it is in our interest to spend the $2 million that we provide to provide fancy American consultants to go over to China at no cost to them to give them ideas on how to reduce their energy usage. If the Chinese wanted this advice, unlike poor countries in Latin America, they can well afford to pay for it. If you can afford a consultant, and you choose not to hire one, you probably don't want one, and you are probably not going to listen to the consultants. So if China needs American technology to reduce their energy usage, they can and should pay for it. They could just send us back an infinitesimal portion of the U.S. bonds being held in Beijing. This amendment that I offer today eliminates the possibility that this bill will be used to provide foreign aid and corporate aid to the Chinese Government and Chinese businesses. I may have sounded a little confused as to where it's private sector and public sector in China, of course, that's because in China those two things are confused. So I hope that you will support my amendment, view it as an alternative to the Harris amendment. I hope that you will vote against the Harris amendment, because it does make sense for us to spend a very small amount of money in cooperative programs, chiefly here in this hemisphere, to help reduce energy usage by countries that we are providing foreign aid to for the most part because they are poor countries and our allies. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHERMAN. I have an amendment at the desk.