Chris Smith

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) very much. I now yield to my good friend and colleague Mr. Jordan from Ohio.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you for your kind words, but more importantly, for your leadership on the behalf of innocent unborn children and the wounded mothers. I know you work very hard with pregnancy care centers and believe passionately that we need to love and affirm both. It's not about one or the other. It's both. So I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his leadership and consistency. I would like to yield to my good friend and colleague Mr. King from Iowa.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend. That was a very wise and eloquent statement. I would like to yield to Mr. Burton of Indiana.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Burton, thank you very much for your leadership, longstanding, over these many decades. Thank you for being such a great defender of life. I would like to yield to Dr. Broun.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Dr. Phil Gingrey.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, each year, Planned Parenthood kills more than 300,000 children by abortion, yet yesterday another Planned Parenthood director resigned over abortion. Abby Johnson, director of a clinic in College Station, Texas, said she had a change of heart while watching an ultrasound of an actual abortion in real- time. Self-described as ``extremely pro-choice'' but now pro-life, she said she knew it was time to quit in September when she watched an unborn child ``crumble'' as the baby was vacuumed, dismembered, and destroyed. Many, including and especially self-described extremely pro-choice Americans like Abby Johnson, are beginning to recognize the ultra-ugly truth about abortion--it kills babies and wounds their mothers. Thus, we must protect both victims of abortion by enacting the Stupak-Pitts amendment to the health care bill. I appeal to the Democrat leadership, make the Stupak amendment in order, and, please, no phony compromises, because there is nothing benign or compassionate about abortion.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the FY 10 Energy and Water Development Appropriation Act. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3183 Delaware River Dredging Material Utilization Account: Army Corps of Engineers--Investigations Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Army Corps of Engineers Address of Requesting Entity: The Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia, PA 19107-3390. Description: Evaluate problems, needs, and opportunities in the interest of beneficial use of dredged material. This project will provide ecosystem restoration and improve water quality in the vicinity of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Trenton. Financial Statement: A reconnaissance study is 100% federally funded. The States of Delaware, New Jersey and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be the non-Federal sponsors and will provide current site conditions data in this phase, and will contribute half of all subsequent study costs. New Jersey Shoreline Alternative Long-Term Nourishment Account: Army Corps of Engineers--Investigations Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Army Corps of Engineers Address of Requesting Entity: The Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia, PA 19107-3390. Description: Continue the evaluation of New Jersey's coastal projects, including the different reaches of beach replenishment projects, as a system to ensure maximum benefits are achieved from the Federal investment and reduce long-term periodic nourishment costs. Financial Statement: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is the non-Federal sponsor and provides their portion of the study costs.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 672, Ms. Sanchez's resolution calling on the government of Vietnam to release imprisoned bloggers and respect Internet freedom. The resolution draws attention to the Internet-restrictive practices of the government of Vietnam. Often, when we speak of the Internet repression of the Chinese or Iranian government, we forget that many other nations suffer under Internet-restrictive governments, including, according to Reporters Without Borders, Vietnam, Cuba, Burma, Egypt, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. The Vietnamese government is one of the most repressive of these, and models its apparatus of repression on that of China. According to the State Department's 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights, the government of Vietnam: . . . monitored e-mail, searched for sensitive key words, regulated Internet content, and blocked many Web sites with political or religious content that authorities deemed ``offensive.'' . . . Authorities continued to detain and imprison dissidents who used the Internet to publish ideas on human rights and political pluralism . . . The government continued to use firewalls to block some Web sites that it deemed politically or culturally inappropriate, including sites affiliated with the Catholic Church, such as Vietcatholic.net and others operated by overseas Vietnamese political groups. Mr. Speaker, this excellent resolution also calls on the government of Vietnam to release all imprisoned bloggers and cyber activists, and provides the names of 18 men and women known to be held as political prisoners due to their use of the Internet. I have visited former Vietnamese political prisoners, including Father Ly and have heard first-hand about what they suffer in those prisons. These men and women need our help, and Ms. Sanchez's resolution will afford them a measure of protection. Mr. Speaker, the issue of Internet freedom becomes more urgent every year. In February of 2006 I held a major hearing that revealed the involvement of U.S. companies in enabling the Chinese government's Internet censorship and surveillance. I then introduced legislation, the Global Online Freedom Act, which would prevent U.S. IT companies from enabling repressive governments' Internet censorship and surveillance. The legislation was blocked in two successive Congresses, while, sadly, the tempo of repression increased, and the technology of repression improved. We saw this in the Chinese government's repression of Tibetan protests last spring. The government blocked Yahoo! and the video-sharing site YouTube, and ramped up its blocking of international news sites. We saw it again in that government's repression of protests in Xinjiang in June of this year. Again the government cut off Internet and phone service, and actively removed and altered comments about the protests on numerous Internet fora and Web sites. Then in Iran, when great numbers of Iranians protested the Ahmadinejad government's stealing of the election, the government responded by cutting off Internet access as well as, with mixed success, to social-networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Now every time a repressive government crushes a protest movement, or a movement for freedom or democracy, it also engages in cyber- repression--the Internet is such a strong force for freedom that dictatorships and repressive government can hardly exist without cyber- repression. In recent years cyber-repression has emerged as no less than one of the most dangerous threats to human rights, freedom, and democracy. Congress has an obligation to better address this issue and help those who are suffering under Internet-restrictive governments. I want to draw members' attention to three other bills which, like H. Res. 672, deserve our support: Mr. Wu's H. Res. 590, expressing concerns about China's Green Dam filtering software; Mr. Sherman's HR 3284, prohibiting federal agencies from entering into procurement contracts with anyone who exports computer technology to Iran; and HR 2271, my own Global Online Freedom Act. All of these bills speak strongly, responsibly, and constructively to cyber-repression. The Global Online Freedom Act, in the last Congress, passed all of its committees and was ready for an up or down vote on the floor; I have improved the bill and re-introduced it in this Congress, and ask colleagues to consider sponsoring it. I strongly support this resolution in support of the persecuted bloggers of Vietnam, and thank my friend for introducing it.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2194, the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009, which my good friend and colleague Chairman Berman introduced on April 30, and of which I am a co-sponsor. Madam Speaker, this bill amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to impose sanctions on persons who sell to or service, or otherwise commercially or financially support, Iran's petroleum industry. The bill responds to Iran's lack of refining capabilities--Iran imports 40 percent of its gasoline and relies on foreign companies to develop its energy industry. Limiting Iran's access to refined petroleum could have a major effect on the Iranian economy--and on Ahmadinejad's policies. Even as President Obama opens diplomatic talks with Iran, we know, from all our experience with Iran and so many other dictatorships, that a serious effort to peacefully stop Iran's development of nuclear weapons will require the strongest political and economic pressure our country can muster. Madam Speaker, it will not only be worth the effort, but it's absolutely necessary that we make this effort. In this regard, I want to point out that we have repeatedly seen the correspondence between the way a government treats its own people and the way it behaves internationally. It seems to be almost a law of international relations: massive human rights violators behave deceitfully and aggressively, and the more massive the violations, the greater the deceit and aggression. The law has certainly held in the case of the Ahmadinejad government, whose deceit in hiding a previously secret uranium enrichment facility was revealed several weeks ago, and whose support of Hezbollah and other terrorists and declarations of genocidal intent toward Israel are notorious. When we read the State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices--I will attach the Iran summary as an addendum--we should keep in mind that all these outrages and atrocities Ahmadinejad and his cronies commit on their own citizens are more evidence of the aggression Ahmadinejad and his cronies are fully prepared and preparing to commit on Israel, toward whom they don't even pretend to have anything other than the most malevolent intent. As former Senators Coats and Robb and General Wald wrote in the Washington Post on September 21: ``By ratcheting up pressure on Iran before we sit down, Western negotiators would gain both sticks (additional measures) and carrots (repealing sanctions) with which to induce Iranian cooperation.'' This is exactly right: the time to move this bill is now, before the administration opens its talks with the Ahmadinejad government. This House is ready to send a clear signal to the Iranian regime--that, though our President is negotiating, this country has not weakened one bit its fundamental commitment to defend Israel, that we will not tolerate nuclear threats to Israel, and we will not permit the Ahmadinejad government to obtain nuclear weapons. Madam Speaker, I urge you and Chairman Berman to move this bill, which now has over 325 co-sponsors, to the floor for passage by the full House as soon as possible. The bill is right, and the time is right. 2008 Country Reports, Iran Summary The government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous serious abuses. The government severely limited citizens' right to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections. The government executed numerous persons for criminal convictions as juveniles and after unfair trials. Security forces were implicated in custodial deaths and committed other acts of politically motivated violence, including torture. The government administered severe officially sanctioned punishments, including death by stoning, amputation, and flogging. Vigilante groups with ties to the government committed acts of violence. Prison conditions remained poor. Security forces arbitrarily arrested and detained individuals, often holding them incommunicado. Authorities held political prisoners and intensified a crackdown against women's rights reformers, ethnic minority rights activists, student activists, and religious minorities. There was a lack of judicial independence and fair public trials. The government severely restricted civil liberties, including freedoms of speech, expression, assembly, association, movement, and privacy, and it placed severe restrictions on freedom of religion. Official corruption and a lack of government transparency persisted. Violence and legal and societal discrimination against women, ethnic and religious minorities, and homosexuals; trafficking in persons; and incitement to anti-Semitism remained problems. The government severely restricted workers' rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively, and arrested numerous union organizers. Child labor remained a serious problem. On December 18, for the sixth consecutive year, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution on Iran expressing ``deep concern at ongoing systematic violations of human rights.''

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, today I am re-introducing legislation that would close a loophole in the Department of Defense's whistleblowers' protection statue (10 U.S.C. Sec. 2409) and expand this safeguard to include the men and women of the DOD contracting business who report abuses to their superiors. Under current law, an individual is only protected--and therefore eligible for remedies--if he or she reports workplace security concerns to ``a Member of Congress or an authorized official of an agency or the Department of Justice.'' While I understand the importance of encouraging individuals to take their concerns to certain authorities, I believe it is imperative that we include in this authority an employee's superiors. It seems only natural, that once someone recognizes a problem within their work environment, they report it to their superiors. This is part of a normal progression of attempting to resolve issues and challenging tasks on the job. Few people initially contact their Congressman or the Department of Justice when they first observe an irregularity on the job. It is also important to note that many former military members migrate to the security contracting industry. Many of these men and women have years of previous service to our nation, have grown to respect their chain of command and understand the benefit it can provide in the workplace. When they have come to the conclusion that additional steps must be taken or when they have identified a significant problem in the work environment, these professionals are trained and encouraged to report their concerns to their superiors to enable them to assess the situation and foster a solution. Similarly, many in the federal security contracting industry come from a law enforcement background with a comparable command structure and respect for their superiors. The current loophole was brought to my attention by a New Jersey resident who worked for a private security firm that guards military installations in my district and throughout the country. This individual witnessed and documented a number of events that raised serious concerns regarding the contractor's ability to ensure the safety and security of the base and the surrounding community. At my request, the DOD IG performed an audit of the contract (Report No. D-2009-045) and verified many of the claims that this individual brought to my attention. The report found that the Navy was not able to provide documentation showing all contractor security guards had completed a basic background check--raising questions as to whether or not the required security checks were performed or completed for all security personnel guarding the munitions depot. There was also a problem with training, and an inability to determine whether or not the training was adequate. There was nothing in the files to find out whether a guard has had the training that is required by Federal law and Federal regulations. The individual who brought this loophole to my attention reported to his employer what he believed--and what the IG report verified--were unfulfilled contract requirements that resulted in questions regarding the firm's ability to provide adequate security. After his boss dismissed his concerns, he then scheduled a meeting with the base security personnel to discus the matter. Before this meeting could occur, the individual was fired by the firm and barred from the base. At that time, he brought these concerns to me. However, since the law requires that a potential whistleblower be a current employee at the time he/she discloses pertinent information to a federal official, it was too late for him to be eligible for protections and/or remedies. Specifically, my legislation would expand the universe of those to whom an individual can properly report concerns to include the individual's chain of command, before and after any retribution, so that the individual will be protected and have the right to be reinstated if an investigation shows that the individual was punished for bringing the matter to the attention of proper authorities. The legislation I re-introduced today will ensure that those who identify problems within firms subcontracted by DOD are still afforded standard whistleblower protections even if they notify their employer about possible violations before they notify an agent of the federal government. The legislation does not require employees to notify their employer first and it does not preclude them from contacting federal officials, it simply protects employees who point out potential violations to their employer, the federal government or both. If an employee is dismissed prior to his/her notifying the government, but after notifying their employer, they will receive the necessary protections as well. Base security is not an issue to be taken lightly--anywhere and including in my state of New Jersey. As we all recall, the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's office arrested five men who were planning to attack another New Jersey installation, Fort Dix. After a thorough and aggressive law enforcement effort this attempted terror attack was thwarted and the men were found guilty on charges of conspiracy to harm U.S. military personnel. Still, the vulnerabilities at our military bases exposed by this incident cannot be minimized or dismissed. As we are all aware, in recent years the Department of Defense has looked increasingly to private security contractors to guard and police our military installations across the country. The men and women filling these positions deserve to be protected when they report violations and concerns to their superiors and especially if they are subsequently punished in an attempt by their employer to downplay or even cover up a violation. It is imperative that we amend the law to ensure that these employees are eligible for the same remedies as other whistleblowers.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2996: Making Appropriations for Interior and Environment for Fiscal Year 2010. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 2996 Account: Save America's Treasures Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Georgian Court University- Address of Requesting Entity: Georgian Court University, 900 Lakewood Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Description of Request: The $200,000 in funding would be used to help preserve the Mansion at Georgian Court University, a building on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The building is used by over 23,000 New Jersey residents each year while attending various programs offered through the University's Department of Conferences and Special Events.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the immense spiritual achievement of Watchman Nee, a great pioneer of Christianity in China. Christianity Today magazine recently honored Watchman Nee as one of the 100 most influential Christians of the twentieth century. Watchman Nee died over thirty years ago but his life and work continue to influence millions of Protestant Christians in China. Today more than three thousand churches outside of China, including several hundred in the United States, look to him as one of their religious and theological leaders. Watchman Nee was an astonishingly devoted and energetic man, which I think can be seen from a capsule summary of his life. He became a Christian in 1922. In the 1930s, he traveled to Europe and North America, where he delivered sermons and speeches. Later his sermons were collected and published as books. By the late 1940s, Nee had become the most influential Chinese Christian writer, evangelist, and church builder. In 1952, the Chinese government imprisoned Nee and many other Christian leaders for their faith. Nee was never released, though during the 1960s and 1970s several of his books continued to grow in influence and popularity, particularly in the United States, and his best-known book, The Normal Christian Life, sold over one million copies world-wide and became a twentieth-century Christian classic. In 1972 he died at the age of 71 in a labor farm; his few surviving letters confirm that he remained faithful to God until the end. Madam Speaker, it is estimated that China has more than one hundred million Christians, and millions of them consider themselves the spiritual heirs of Watchman Nee. Millions more are rightly proud of the contribution Watchman Nee made to global Christianity--he was the first Chinese Christian to exercise an influence on Western Christians--and indeed of his contribution to world spiritual culture. It is sad that the works of Watchman Nee are officially banned in China--even as they are being discovered afresh by a new generation of Western Christians. It is my hope that Watchman Nee's collected works can be freely published and distributed within China. After Watchman Nee's death, when his niece came to collect his few possessions, she was given a scrap of paper that a guard had found by his bed. What was written on that scrap may serve as Watchman Nee's testament: ``Christ is the Son of God Who died for the redemption of sinners and was resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ. Watchman Nee.''

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the FY 10 Energy and Water Development Appropriation Act. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3326 Project name: Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Simulation Integration Laboratory Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army Account Legal Name of Requesting Entity: RF PRODUCTS, INC. Address of Requesting Entity: 1500 Davis Street, Camden, NJ 08103 Description of Request: Provides additional operational connectivity capabilities onboard aircraft that work to ensure the safety of ground personnel and prevent unplanned events including fratricide and wrong target hits. This capability will allow more information to be transmitted to the aircraft, such as an injured soldiers' medical record, or to the ground forces, such as real-time enemy locations. Project name: Marine Mammal Detection System to Support Navy Training Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy Account Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Integrated Systems Solutions, Inc. (ISSI) Address of Requesting Entity: Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Route 547, Building 195/Hangar 6, Lakehurst, NJ 08733 Description of Request: Providing the Navy with new technology to track marine mammals in coastal training areas from the air--providing habitat protection, offering environmentally enhanced tracking alternatives and saving training time and money. The funding will be allocated as follows: $1,618,477 for salaries; $148,715 for expendables such as aviation fuel; $83,800 for direct travel; $107,864 for direct material such as sensors and other electronic equipment; and $41,144 for support equipment vehicles.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend, Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for her leadership, and I want to thank my good friend Eni Faleomavaega and, of course, Chairman Payne, who is the author of the resolution before us. Madam Speaker, as ranking member of the subcommittee and as a cosponsor of this resolution, I share Chairman Payne's deep and abiding concern regarding child survival, which was the theme of this year's event. For the record, as a Member of Congress, I've worked for most of the last 29 years on child survival initiatives. I began in the early 1980s with the four pillars of child survival and with the famous Jim Grant, the former UNICEF director, who was a passionate defender of those very low-cost interventions that could literally save lives--including vaccinations, oral rehydration therapy, growth monitoring, and breastfeeding, which can effectuate miracles in the lives of children and their families. Madam Speaker, there is a universal recognition that our children are our Nation's most precious, vulnerable citizens who demand every protection and safeguard society can provide. In no way is this protection and assistance needed more today than on the continent of Africa. Africa is home to just over 10 percent of the world's population; yet it accounts for some 44 percent of all children who die before they reach the age of 5. There are estimates that some 4.6 million African children under 5 lose their lives each and every year. The circumstances under which a baby is born and the first few days of life outside the mother's womb are critical. In the 2009 State of the World's Children report, the U.N. Children's Fund reports that, in 2004, the highest rates of neonatal deaths-- deaths within the first 28 days after birth--occurred in West and Central Africa at the rate of some 45 per 1,000 live births. Eastern and Southern Africa also had the highest rates at 36 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births. That compares to about 3 deaths per 1,000 live births in industrialized nations. Even within this short window of time, there are great variations in the baby's likelihood of survival. The greatest risk is during the first day after birth when an estimated 25 to 45 percent of neonatal mortalities occur. Almost three-fourths of all neonatal deaths occur within the first week after birth. As UNICEF points out, a baby's chance of survival is not determined at the moment of birth. The report points out ``the health of mothers and newborns is intricately related, so preventing deaths requires, in many cases, implementing the same interventions.'' Among those interventions are adequate nutrition, prenatal care for the unborn child, antenatal care, skilled birth attendants, and access to emergency obstetric care when necessary. Basically, we now know that we must treat expectant mothers and their unborn children as two patients to ensure the survival and the sustainable health of both. Therefore, the resolution correctly emphasizes the necessity of improving child, newborn and maternal health in order to ensure child survival in Africa. Again, I want to thank Mr. Payne for introducing the resolution.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I want to commend our ranking member for authoring this important resolution to mark the tragic fifth anniversary of the declaration by the United States Congress that the systematic violence, killing, and displacement of millions in Darfur, Sudan constitutes genocide. Madam Speaker, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has proven once again that he considers the people of Darfur to be merely pawns and throwaways in a shameless game that he is playing with the international community. The gulf between his actions and his words is as wide as the callous attitude that I encountered when I met with and argued with him personally in Khartoum, and the desperate, deeply grieved look on the faces of the refugees I met in the IDP camps in Darfur, including Mujar and Kalma camp. During our meetings, General Bashir showed no remorse whatsoever for inflicting unspeakable pain, death, displacement, and destitution on large numbers of people. Today, as we know, over 300,000 to upwards of 450,000 Darfurees have been killed and another 3 million have been displaced from their homes. And, of course, this is in addition to some 2 million killed and 4 million displaced in southern Sudan in the aggression that immediately preceded the killings in Darfur. For all of our efforts in this Congress, Madam Speaker, the suffering continues 5 years after that recognition that what was taking place in Darfur was indeed genocide. The signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement in May of 2006 and the deployment of a joint African Union-U.N. peacekeeping mission has not stopped the violence, much less ushered in a long-term peace for which the people of Darfur so desperately long. The country of Sudan is going through a critical time that will have serious implications for Darfur as well as other regions of the country. Last week the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague issued a ruling with respect to the boundary dispute in Abyei, one of the major points of contention between the north and the south. National elections, which were supposed to be held this month, have been postponed until April of 2010. Although these developments do not involve Darfur directly, a resolution of the conflict in Darfur is dependent on the complete and peaceful implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the north and south. Over the past 5 years, Madam Speaker, and even before that, the profound bipartisan congressional concern has not diminished nor has it abated. Tomorrow the Africa Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. On Thursday the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission will do likewise, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has slated a hearing on it on Thursday. This week we will also hear from General Scott Gration, the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, during which time we will hear further details about the administration's strategy in trying to mitigate and hopefully end this despicable violence in Darfur. This is a very important resolution, Madam Speaker, and I hope the full membership of this House will support it.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3183: Making Appropriations for Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies for Fiscal Year 2010. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3183 Account: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Isles Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: Isles Inc., 10 Wood Street, Trenton, NJ 08618 Description of Request: The $500,000 in funding would be applied to systems design and acquisition of materials and equipment for the green roof and both the photovoltaic and solar thermal arrays that will be installed on a portion of the roof at One North Johnston Avenue in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. The project also includes a enclosed observation deck with classroom capabilities.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, on Saturday July 25 Bosnians commemorated the fourteenth anniversary of the tragic fall of Zepa. The town of Zepa was one of the six United Nations-declared safe havens in Bosnia during the war of aggression from 1992 to 1995. In May 1993, a United Nations Security Council resolution held out to this town in eastern Bosnia the promise of protection from the forces of Republika Srpska. In Zepa the local residents, people from the surrounding area, and refugees from other cities and towns gathered to be shielded from Serbian aggression. But, Madam Speaker, the men, women, and children seeking refuge in Zepa were not shielded. The forces of Republika Srpska, who had laid siege to Zepa in the summer of 1992, were not impressed by UN safe havens, and neither the UN nor anyone else was committed to defending the safe havens. On July 25, 1995, the forces of Republika Srpska overpowered Zepa's defenders and began to occupy the town. In July Avdo Palic, colonel of the Bosnian government force defending Zepa, performed a hero's work in evacuating as many civilians as he could, despite operating under constant shelling and the threat of starvation from the forces of Republika Srpska. Palic participated in negotiations which resulted in the safe evacuation of approximately 5,000 Bosnian civilians. On July 27 Palic traveled to the UN Protection Force Compound, in order to secure the evacuation of Zepa's remaining inhabitants: he has not been seen since and his fate is still unknown. Madam Speaker, looking back on the tragedy of Zepa, we remember the loss of countless innocent lives. Our government cannot give back to the survivors the precious lives of the family members and friends of the people of Zepa, Srebrenica, Sarajevo, Bihac, Gorazde, and Tuzla, but it can support their pursuit of justice. Our government must do everything it can to discover the fate of Avdo Palic and the other men and women who went missing in the genocide committed against the Bosnian people. To be sure, we must continue to look for Ratko Mladic and other criminals and genocideurs, but we must not forget their victims and their need for closure.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2010: Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3293 Account: Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education-- National Projects Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Reading is Fundamental, 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009 Description of Request: Reading is Fundamental (RIF), a national project, will use the $24,803,000 listed in H.R. 3293 to provide millions of underserved children with free books for personal ownership and reading encouragement throughout the fifty states. New Jersey will benefit through its 74 programs which serve over 76,000 students. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3293 Account: Administration for Children and Families (AFC)--Social Services, Department of Health and Human Services Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Polaris Project, 182 Biltmore Street, NW, Unit D, Washington, DC 20009 Description of Request: The Polaris Project will use the $250,000 listed in H.R. 3293 to fund the New Jersey Trafficking Intervention Program which combats human trafficking in the State and provides direct assistance through multiple activities to the victims of human trafficking, law enforcement and service providers. The Polaris Project also provides community leadership and serves on the NJ Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3293 Account: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)--Health Facilities and Services, Department of Health and Human Services Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Meridian Health, 1350 Campus Parkway, Neptune, NJ 07753 Description of Request: The current Emergency Department (ED) at Ocean Medical Center does not have sufficient capacity to meet patients' needs, and serves over 44,000 visits annually in a facility designed to handle 20,000. Meridian Health will use the amount of $100,000 listed in H.R. 3293 to redesign and renovate the ED in order to provide increased space to serve more patients and provide needed dedicated space for cardiac/stroke patients, pediatric patients, and behavioral health. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3293 Account: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)--Health Facilities and Services, Department of Health and Human Services Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: St. Francis Medical Center, 601 Hamilton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08629 Description of Request: St. Francis Medical Center (SFMC) serves an underserved inner-city population in an aging facility. The funding amount of $350,000 listed in H.R. 3293 will be used to replace outdated information technology equipment and infrastructure and medical equipment which will help improve the efficiency of operations and the quality of care provided to patients. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3293 Account: Employment and Training Administration (ETA)--Training and Employment Services (TES), Department of Labor Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Beth Medrash Govoha, 617 6th Street, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Description of Request: Beth Medrash Govoha will use the amount of $150,000 listed in H.R. 3293 to expand and revamp career and job skills counseling and job training at the institution which will assist students and graduates in a difficult job market and will suggest economic development particularly in the region. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3293 Account: Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education-- National Projects Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Reach Out and Read (National Project), 56 Roland Street, Boston, MA 02129 Description of Request: Reach Out and Read (ROR), a national project, will use the amount of $4,965,000 listed in H.R. 3293 to promote early language, literacy development and school readiness in infants and young children throughout the United States. Pediatricians and other health care providers who interact with parents in the very early years of their children's development will serve as a guide and encouragement for parents and will send families home from each doctor's visit with books and a prescription to read together. Currently, there are eight clinical locations serving over 12,500 children annually in the 4th District of New Jersey.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I submit the following. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3288 Account: Economic Development Initiatives Legal Name of Requesting Entity: 180 Turning Lives Around Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 180 Turning Lives Around Inc., 1 Bethany Road Building 3, Suite 45, Hazlet, NJ 07730 Description of Request: The $200,000 in funding would be used to initiate construction of the 180 Safe House domestic violence shelter.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I submit the following. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: HR 3288 Account: Economic Development Initiatives Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Trenton, NJ- Address of Requesting Entity: Trenton City Hall, 319 E. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 Description of Request: The $200,000 in funding would be used for capitalizing on the economic potential generated by the new Trenton Train Station. It would help with the City of Trenton's plans to enhance the area around the station to promote private development.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I submit the following. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: HR 3288 Account: Economic Development Initiative Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The School for Children with Hidden Intelligence- Address of Requesting Entity: The School for Children with Hidden Intelligence, 812 E. County Line Road, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Description of Request: The $250,000 in funding would be used to help in the construction of a new 52,000 square foot facility to accommodate the increased need for special educational services. The facility, located on a 13-acre wooded campus, will provide services for New Jersey's severely disabled and underprivileged children.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288: Making Appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and other Agencies for FY 2010. Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3288 Account: Surface Transportation Priorities Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Hamilton Township Address of Requesting Entity: Hamilton Township, 2090 Greenwood Ave., PO Box 0150, Hamilton, NJ 08650 Description of Request: The $350,000 in funding would be used to provide sidewalks and bike paths to Hamilton Township schools, allowing over 800 school age children with safe walking and biking paths to get to and from their schools.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I submit the following: Requesting Member: Rep. Christopher H. Smith Bill Number: H.R. 3288 Account: Economic Development Initiatives Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Bordentown Township- Address of Requesting Entity: Bordentown Township, One Municipal Drive, Bordentown, NJ 08505 Description of Request: The $250,071 in funding would be used to help develop the area around a proposed New Jersey Transit Light Rail Line stop, opening up an area that would provide access to the Delaware River front in Bordentown Township and serve as a gateway to the community off Route 130.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, it is time to take a second look at Planned Parenthood. I respectfully ask Members to support the Pence amendment which will be offered later on. Mr. Chairman, no child is safe in a Planned Parenthood clinic. That goes equally for the preborn child who is yearning to be born as well as for the 15-year-old pregnant girl being told she is entitled to a secret abortion, an abortion procured with neither her parents' knowledge or consent. Each year, with poison pills or by dismemberment, Planned Parenthood aborts more than 305,000 unborn children. That's a quarter of all abortions performed in America--a staggering loss of children's lives that, years to date, now exceeds over 5 million dead babies all by just one organization. Planned Parenthood aggressively lobbies and litigates against every modest restriction that has been proven to significantly reduce abortions. Planned Parenthood lobbies and litigates against women's right-to-know laws, waiting periods and parental involvement statutes, even though the latter has been shown to reduce abortions among teenage girls by between 19 and 31 percent. Planned Parenthood lobbies and litigates against prohibitions of taxpayer funding for abortions even though Planned Parenthood's own research shows that funding bans reduce abortion by between 20 and 35 percent. Millions of children live today because public funds weren't available to effectuate their demise. Yet Planned Parenthood aggressively seeks to compel taxpayer funding for abortion. It is time, Mr. Chairman, to take a second look at Planned Parenthood. It is time to understand the irreparable harm Planned Parenthood is doing to the children of America, both born and unborn.