Louise Slaughter

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, the Rules Committee intends to meet on Tuesday, March 27, at 4 p.m. to report a rule that may structure the amendment process for floor consideration of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for the Fiscal Year 2008. The Committee on the Budget ordered the concurrent resolution reported on March 22, 2007, and is expected to file its report with the House later today. Members who wish to offer an amendment to the concurrent resolution must submit 55 copies of the amendment and a brief description to the Rules Committee in H-312 in the Capitol no later than 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 27. As in past years, the Rules Committee intends to give priority to amendments offered as complete substitutes. The text of the concurrent resolution should be available on the Rules Committee Web site later today. Substitute amendments should be drafted by Legislative Counsel and also should be reviewed by the Office of the Parliamentarian to be sure that the substitute amendments comply with the rules of the House. The Rules Committee is also scheduled to meet on Tuesday, March 27, at 4 p.m. to grant a rule which may structure the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007. Members who wish to offer an amendment on this bill should submit 55 copies of the amendment and a brief description of the amendment to the Rules Committee in H-312 in the Capitol no later than 3 p.m. on Monday, March 26. Amendments should be drafted to the bill as ordered reported by the Committee on Armed Services. A copy of the bill is posted on the Web site of the Rules Committee. Amendments should be drafted by Legislative Counsel and should be reviewed by the Office of the Parliamentarian to be sure that the amendments comply with the rules of the House. Members are also strongly encouraged to submit their amendments to the Congressional Budget Office for analysis regarding possible PAYGO violations.

Mr. SLAUGHTER

Mr. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 261 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. I have no further speakers, and I will close.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the resolution.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 261 provides for the consideration of the emergency supplemental, the U.S. Troops Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act. The rule provides 4 hours of general debate in the House equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that the amendment printed in the Rules Committee report shall be considered as adopted. The rule waives all points of order against the bill as amended and provides that the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker, with a deep appreciation for how critical this bill is, the Rules Committee reported out a rule that allows for 4 hours of what will be a full debate. It allows for the consideration of clear and concise legislation that everyone in the Congress is familiar with. It is a responsible rule, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. But we are here today to debate much more than procedure, Mr. Speaker. We meet today on the fourth day of the fifth year of the war in Iraq, a conflict that has gone on longer than the Korean War, even longer than the Second World War, that war being fought against the greatest threat to world security. The scenarios painted by politicians here about the war in Iraq don't affect the men and women fighting it or living it. They actually know what the world for them really is. And what is that reality? This is a war being fought by soldiers who often do not have the equipment they need or the care they are owed. And it is not improving security for the Iraqi people. It is depleting our military and endangering the security of this Nation; and that is to this day based on a flawed strategy that desperately needs to be changed. Under such circumstances, for this Congress to support an open-ended commitment to this conflict, passing yet another blank check as past Congresses have done, would be a dereliction of duty. By contrast, passing a bill that has a chance of changing a stagnant situation in Iraq is not micromanaging; it is living up to what we owe our soldiers and the Iraqi people, to give them a fighting chance for success. The supplemental makes America's continued involvement in Iraq conditional on the situation there improving. America's soldiers will no longer be asked to fight in an open-ended war whose goal line keeps moving. The bill would require Iraqi leaders to make the political compromises necessary to produce a working government, or risk losing the American military support. It will require the President's own security benchmarks to be met if American soldiers are to continue sacrificing their safety for that goal. And it will be the first step toward ending the war. Ending this flawed conflict is crucial not just for Iraq, but also for the future of our own military and, hence, to our own national security. This Congress was aghast when it learned of the conditions of Walter Reed. But every day, the men and women of our military are suffering beyond reason. Let me briefly share one story with you that I recently heard, the story of a young lieutenant awaiting his second deployment to Iraq. His first tour saw him bravely patrolling dangerous streets north of Baghdad. He returned last December, expecting a year on base during which to rest and train a new platoon. Instead, with the escalation in place, he will be heading back months sooner. The soldiers under his command are not getting the time they need to train properly for their mission. The vehicles and equipment they use to train for war are failing and often break. They are physically weary, many still suffering from the lingering effects of leg and back injuries. Others are in counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder. Most of the soldiers who were married before the war are now divorced. Their lives outside the conflict are coming apart. This lieutenant and his soldiers personify sacrifice. They never complain. When those in the military are given a mission, he told me, they find a way to complete it. That creed is why our Armed Forces are so strong. But what this officer did tell me is that our Armed Forces cannot go on like this. He said that we are in danger of destroying our system of national defense. We see soldiers being sent back tour after tour, some too injured to wear the body armor. Our services are desperately trying to find a way to meet new troop requirements, sending back the wounded. Mr. Speaker, this war is a dramatic misuse of our military. In the name of our national security, it is undermining the only true guarantor of national security that we have, our Armed Forces. And for years this Congress has let it happen, but not anymore. Today the House will finally recognize that our military is at the breaking point, not because of any inherent weakness, but because it is being asked to complete a flawed mission. And so that mission itself must change. Let me add as well that while our soldiers may stoically bear the burdens of short leaves and shoddy equipment, that in no way means that we in Congress should allow it to happen. This bill respects our men and women in uniform enough to put their needs at the forefront of national priorities. From now on, if they are asked to go into battle without being fully armored, fully rested, and fully trained, then the President himself will have to stand before them, look them in the eye, and explain why he thinks our national safety is worth that level of sacrifice. The legislation will also provide desperately needed funds for veterans' health care. Our country is seeing more wounded soldiers returning from abroad than at any point in 40 years, and yet our health care system has failed thousands of them. It is unconscionable, and it is long past time that that state of affairs is radically changed. And, finally, this bill both increases funding for the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and for a variety of other critically important national security objectives. Taken together, it represents the beginning of what will be a responsible and ethical shift in our national security priorities away from a war in Iraq that we can't end and back towards where it ought to be. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is the first real chance that Democrats have had since 2003 to change the course of the war in Iraq, and we intend to do it. We will do it not because we are conceding anything to those who would do our Nation harm, not because we lack the will to fight for security, and not because, as some would have you believe, we are giving up. With this first step, we will change the course of this war because the future of the people of America depends on it, because a basic level of respect for our soldiers demands it, and because the long-term security of our Nation requires it. This is an important and historic bill, and I am proud to support it. I urge all of my colleagues to do the same thing. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I also ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 261.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.) General Leave

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), member of the Rules Committee.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Arcuri).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter).

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote 156. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the Wyland Foundation for its outstanding achievements in environmental education programs. Since 1993, the Wyland Foundation has dedicated itself to protecting the earth's oceans by bridging the world of art and science. The Wyland Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world's oceans, waterways, and marine life. The foundation, led by the artist Wyland, encourages environmental awareness through education programs, life-size public arts projects, and community events. The Wyland Foundation strives to inspire as many people as possible--especially school children--to learn more about our oceans and aquatic habitats. Perhaps the Wyland Foundation's best known initiative is the Whaling Walls: Art in Public Places. Through Whaling Walls, the Wyland Foundation works with communities to paint large-scale murals of migrating gray whales, breaching humpbacks, blue whales, and other marine life. The program is predicated on the idea that the best way to teach someone about environmental conservation is to show them what they are conserving. The 81st Whaling Wall was painted at the Aquarium of Niagara in Niagara Falls, New York in 1998. The project allowed children ranging from three to eighteen years old to work side-by-side with Wyland to create a beautiful indoor mural. Niagara's Whaling Wall is a regional treasure that has helped foster a greater appreciation and awareness for our world's oceans. Madam Speaker, I want to again commend the Wyland Foundation for their commitment to protecting the world's oceans, and their partnership with the Aquarium of Niagara.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. I am not giving you my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 219 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I just have one statement to say, that it is not the job of the Rules Committee to change the amounts of money given to various committees by House administration. Frankly, I am sorry Mr. Lungren missed his trip, and I do know the Ethics Committee is going to be very busy. We have been reading about it. I want to say the same thing Mrs. Tubbs Jones said: our leadership is not going to let it go without the money that it requires. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and on the previous question. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Niagara University Men's Basketball Team on winning the 2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament on March 5, 2007. Their 83-79 win over Siena University clinched the Purple Eagles' second MAAC championship and NCAA tournament appearance in the last three years. Niagara University has become the first team from Western New York since the 1960s to get to the NCAA tournament twice in a three-year span. In addition to winning the MAAC championship, Niagara University recorded its 11th straight victory, the program's longest winning streak since its 1992-93 season. Their victory was a total team effort. Freshman guard Tyrone Lewis led the way with a career-high 24 points, earning him the tournament's most valuable player award. Senior guard Lorenzo Miles added 21 points, while classmate Clif Brown recorded 14 points and 16 rebounds. Both Miles and Brown were named to the all- tournament squad. Junior forward Charron Fisher also posted a double- double, his sixth of the season, with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Certainly all of the talented Niagara University players deserve praise for their part in bringing Niagara University back into March Madness. But a team is only as successful as its leader, and Coach Joe Mihalich is one of the class acts of the NCAA. Now in his ninth season at Niagara University, Coach Mihalich demands accountability from his players both on and off the court, and is a strong role model for the entire university community. Under his guidance, the Purple Eagles have advanced to the MAAC Championship game four times in the last six years, and have posted nine-straight winning seasons. Along the way, Mihalich quietly has collected the second-most wins in school history. Madam Speaker, I could not be prouder of the Niagara University's Purple Eagles, and I wish to commend University President Father Joseph Levesque, the coaching staff and players, and students for this championship season. I will be watching the team's first round game in the NCAA tournament as they continue their winning streak and keep Niagara University on the national stage.